Los Angeles, CA. — (The Hollywood Times) 11/3/24 — Legendary performers Aretha Franklin and Sheléa have many things in common, including their fierce love and passion for many genres of music.
Their mutual passion for creating memorable in-person and recorded performances is even clearer during upcoming tributes.
“Aretha loved so many genres of music, jazz. Many people don’t realize she was an incredible jazz pianist and singer. She started doing those American songbook standards,” said Sheléa, the Grammy®-nominated composer/singer and PBS star.
“So, did I. Of course, she loved gospel because that’s the core of who she is,” added Sheléa. “I feel like she kind of brings the church girl to every genre, as do I. So, yeah, I think there’s a lot of parallels in our journey.”
PBS SoCal, Southern California’s flagship PBS organization, has tickets available for “ARETHA! Starring Sheléa & the Pacific Symphony,” the upcoming recorded performance starring Sheléa featuring the music of Aretha Franklin. [Franklin passed away in August 2018 at age 76.]
The much-anticipated concert on Saturday, November 9, will take place at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall backed by Orange County’s acclaimed Pacific Symphony. Sheléa, the symphony, and a choir of backup singers will perform classics, including “Chain of Fools,” “Say A Little Prayer,” “Respect” and “Natural Woman.”
Conducted by Emmy® Award-winning Music Director Rickey Minor, who is also a noted producer, conductor, and author, PBS SoCal will record the concert for a performance special that will air on PBS stations across the country in March 2025.
Sheléa is a multi-talented singer, composer, keyboardist, actress, and producer. Having played piano since she was seven years old, she has toured the world and performed with a wide variety of superstars including Stevie Wonder, David Foster, and Quincy Jones.
She has appeared in nine PBS specials including “The New Divas: Live from Vienna,” “In Performance at the White House,” “An Intimate Evening with David Foster,” “Quincy Jones Presents Sheléa” and “Gospel! with Henry Louis Gates Jr.”
The rousing sold-out show debuted at the Royal Albert Hall in London. “I have toured that show all around Europe. Just did it in Germany and all over the Netherlands,” she said.
“Aretha was an extraordinary American artist; I need to bring this show to the States. I’m so thrilled that my very long-time collaborator, PBS, who I love, will be my 10th PBS special that I can finally bring to the States. Everyone involved knows how larger-than-life her musicality is. There are no boundaries. We highlight that in this show.”
The following is an exclusive Q and A with Sheléa:
Sheléa, let’s start with the upcoming PBS special. Why is this a good fit for you, and why is Aretha such a great fit for you?
Sheléa: Well, she and I both have very, similar upbringings and backgrounds. We both grew up in the church, I believe the church was her training ground, as it was mine. It’s funny because there was a time when I was kind of on my parents that they didn’t put me in any pageants or performing arts schools or talent shows, things like that, just to be very specific in my nurturing. But now looking back it’s like the church was my training ground, as it was for her. So, I think we have very similar instincts.
When I was speaking with Jules Buckley, an incredible conductor, and arranger… we talked about doing something together eventually, and so two years ago we curated this incredible show.
What does it mean to you to bring it to such a big American audience?
It means a lot. I think it’s long overdue. She’s had two films that have shown her life, and they were great. But this show reveals some of what people would say about the sleeper tracks. Not that I would say forgotten, but of course, everybody knows Respect and Natural Woman and songs like that that have become anthems to women, to the civil rights movement, to so many other things.
Her soundtrack for Sparkle sometimes gets a little forgotten. She had been in a slump and Curtis Mayfield kind of brought her back with that. It’s reminding people of her greatness. I think the American audience is going to love it. Yeah, I’ve been doing it in Europe, but, listen, the U.S. is home to me. I want to bring it to the US. I believe that after it airs on PBS, I’m going to be able to do it with the symphonies, and and orchestras around the country. I’m excited to do that.
What music moves you or makes you kind of swoon?
Anything truthful. When you’re listening to music you’re listening for the musicality, you’re listening for the excellence of it all. What I have found is that you can have singers who are incredibly talented but with even their gift, you’re not always able to see their soul and their spirit.
I think for the very few like Aretha, Whitney, Barbara Streisand, Carole King, and Roberta Flack, all of them artists who are so in tune with their spirit, with their own truth, where you’re not self-conscious at all because you’re just kind of laying it out plain, bare, raw.
I think that’s why those artists I mentioned are considered to be the greats. Because not only were they incredible vocalists and musicians, but they were in tune with their hearts, and their spirits. Their mind is connected with their instrument, with their heart, and their soul. Those are the kind of artists; those are the kind of songs that move you.
If I’d had told you what a big career you would have had, if I had met you many moons ago or a few moons ago, what would you have said?
Currently, I’m on tour with Stevie Wonder right now as a special guest. Every time I talk to someone it’s like their eyes light up because he’s the reason why so many people wanted to go into music or play an instrument. There are so many amazing memories that are attached to his music. He’s become such a dear friend of mine.
It’s been kind of a full circle moment for me because nine years ago he asked me to tour. He was finishing up his Songs in the Key of Life tour. One of his singers fell ill, background singers. I went on tour as his backing vocalist. We did so many venues. Madison Square and just every arena you could think of.
It sounds like a pinch-me moment.
Now nine years later I am back on tour with him as a special guest able to do my original music. If you had told me nine years ago that I would have that kind of opportunity, that I would have played Royal Albert Hall and now going back again in December back by popular demand twice selling it out, that I would have starred in the number one television movie of 2020, The Clark Sisters biopic playing Dorinda Clark-Cole. There are so many things that are just beyond my wildest dreams. Playing the White House twice, getting a standing ovation from the Obamas. It’s just so many beautiful memories that I have to cherish and milestones that I can look back and say, wow, look how far God has brought me.
So, yes, I feel like I’m pinching myself all the time. I feel like even with all that I’ve been able to accomplish, there’s more to come, that maybe even the best is yet to come. I’m extremely excited for the future. I have a new album coming out next year. I’m so excited to see how that is going to unfold and some of the opportunities.
I think what has been so special about this tour with Stevie is, yeah, I’ve toured the world with David Foster, Quincy Jones, and Stevie Wonder, but I was singing their music. Which was such a joy to sing because it doesn’t get any better than those iconic artists and producers I mentioned. But now to be able to share my heart and my original songs, that’s what’s different about this journey right now. [Editors note: Quincy Jones, one of the most powerful forces in American popular music for more than half a century, died on Sunday, November 3, 2024, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 91. Tributes were pouring in throughout print, digital, broadcast, and social media.]
If you were teaching a masterclass of talented musicians or performers or theater actors, what would you say is your best advice, the dos and the don’ts?
I would say try to be the smallest diva in the room. You can take that in a lot of ways. For me, I have found that kindness and gratefulness go a long way I would always say lead with kindness, lead with professionalism. I think that your reputation will precede you in the best possible way.
I would say maybe the don’ts are don’t ever silence that inner voice. Because that’s your soul, that’s your spirit telling you if something is right or if something is not right. I think too many times that voice can get quiet because we care about what people think. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with caring about what people think, but it has to be the right people. Your tribe, the people that you trust, the people that have your best interests at heart.
When life has handed you challenges over the years, as we all have faced, who or what kept you in good stead early in your career especially?
I have a wonderful family, and a wonderful network of friends and loved ones who are always rooting for me. But I’ve got to go back to what I just said previously about that inner voice. I always felt that that inner voice, which I do believe was God speaking to me, that this is it, this is it, it’s just taking some time. It was me who decided to stay the course, no one else.
What do you do to chill out if there’s ever time? Tell me about self-care. Reality TV? Guilty pleasures?
I have so many guilty pleasures. I love binging shows with my husband. That’s kind of like our thing. It’s been really cute because he was late to watch The Game of Thrones party. Like incredibly late. It was so fun watching all eight seasons with him. I also love massages, a good day at the spa is a great reset. So, yeah, those are some of the things I do to have a reset.
Do you remember the first live show that impressed you, that you remember well?
It was this gospel group called Commissioned. They were based out of Detroit and I was 12 years old. It’s probably one of my fondest memories in life. Because my family was all together, all four of my sisters and my parents. We went to this show and I was just so blown away. It was Fred Hammond and Marvin Sapp, Mitchell Jones, Karl Reid, all these singers that I just grew up on. They were like the soundtrack to my childhood. I just remember having such an emotional response to that show. So, yes, I remember that very, very vividly. Thank you for that question, thank you for that.
What are your holiday traditions that you look forward to, family, extended family? What’s coming up?
It’s funny, my dad’s birthday is Christmas Eve, so our tradition is always more about his birthday than Christmas if you can believe it. When we were growing up, we would get toys, but it wasn’t like the whole Santa thing. My parents never did the Santa thing. It was like we would go pick out the toys that we wanted in the toy store and then we could open them up on Christmas day. Now it’s kind of turned more into just celebrating my dad, but of course, always getting together with family.
For this Christmas season, I’m going to be performing at the Royal Albert Hall, so I’m excited to experience Christmas in London because I heard it’s just absolutely stunning, and so festive. So, I’m looking forward to that.
With my husband we always put up a tree and, of course, we have Nat King Cole playing. Those are a few little traditions. And then a new tradition I just started last year, I would go on Instagram Live and do a little Christmas show for my fans. I thought about those who didn’t have family or were alone for the first time or just whatever the circumstance was. It was such a hit last year. I want to be able to do that every time, just me at my piano in my room with my little red Versace robe just singing Christmas songs and getting requests from my Instagram followers on Live. Those are some of the new Christmas traditions I’m looking forward to.
What do your fans mean to you?
They mean everything and they keep me going Yes, I know that’s cliché, but there have been moments where someone has said something that I needed to hear. I call them my Shea babes. The fans celebrate me in all that I do and they leave comments. I think right now social media is the way to connect with your fans in such a direct way. I know there have been pros and cons to social media, but I think that is a pro for artists because we have such a direct link, and contact to our fans.
What do you want my readers to know about the upcoming Aretha show? Why should they come to see it live or see it on PBS? What should they expect?
To all of you guys out there who just love live music, loved Aretha, love soul music, love orchestras, love choirs, if you love just one of those things you’re going to get all of it at this show on November 9th at the Segerstrom Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa.
Of course, sponsored by PBS, which I love. Always brings the highest level of programming. You are going to leave that show just full of music, full of joy, you might have cried a little bit, I know you would have danced, you would have laughed. It’s safe for everybody to come.
You can bring your kids, you can bring your grandparents, your parents. It’s something that the whole family can enjoy. I think these days sometimes it can be kind of hard to find a show or a concert that checks all those boxes, but I think this one does beautifully.
Let’s talk about Director Rickey Minor being part of this.
I consider him to be one of my angels in this industry. I met him, actually, the first time I did a live show with Stevie Wonder. I met Rickey Minor because he was the musical director. He has just been just so encouraging, so supportive. When I performed for the White House for the second time it was a tribute to Ray Charles. That’s when I got a standing ovation from the Obamas. That was Rickey who brought me in… I performed for the Governors Awards, the Oscars, which was a tribute to Diane Warren, he brought me in on. It’s just been so many. He introduced me to Quincy Jones.
Rickey graciously accepted to be the conductor for this PBS special. I can’t think of a better person. Not only just his level of excellence but what he means to me in my life. This is almost another beautiful full-circle moment for me because I remember playing Segerstrom with the Pacific Symphony with David Foster some years ago. Now for me to be headlining the show with this incredible symphony, I just couldn’t be more excited and prouder.
You’ve been called one of the greatest artists of your generation. How does that make you feel?
Oh, my goodness, that’s a quote from my beloved Quincy Jones. I don’t think it ever sinks in. It’s humbling that this little girl growing up in Bakersfield, California is even on Quincy Jones’ radar, Stevie Wonder, David Foster, and Rickey Minor. So many greats that I grew up… to now have all of those heroes that I saw in all these liner notes of all these artists that I love, it’s surreal.
I think my legacy, just from being on tour with Stevie for these last couple of weeks, and just seeing the joy that he brings to tens of thousands of people every night, just that’s what I want. That’s what I want to be. Yes, you want to have this high level of excellence in your gift and what you provide, but I just want people to walk away from my shows feeling hope, feeling joy, and feeling happy.
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FOR TICKETS: By donating to PBS SoCal HERE, ticket buyers will have access to the best seats available for the concert. Tickets are also on sale starting at just $44 per seat through the Segerstrom Center’s online ticketing system.
The awe-inspiring concert is set to air on PBS stations in March 2025.
