September 23, 2025 • 30 mins
What happens when one man lives out two dreams, one in the NFL and one on the Motown stage?
Sydney Justin, former defensive back and lead singer of The Miracles, shares a life shaped by perseverance, prophecy, and love.
💡 What you will learn:
- How rejection and resilience fueled Sydney’s rise from sandlot football to the Super Bowl
- The incredible story of Ray Charles predicting his future as Smokey Robinson’s successor
- Why love and gratitude are the driving forces behind both his music and his relationships
🗝️ Key takeaways:
- Persistence opens doors even when the odds seem impossible
- Hidden talents often reveal themselves when you stay true to your passions
- Success is measured by connection, kindness, and love—not titles or trophies
Listen now to hear how Sydney Justin turned two dreams into reality and why leading with love can transform every pursuit.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Yoga Nation, the Spirit of Gratitude
podcast on the One Integrationplatform.
Hello friends, my name isYogesh Patel and this podcast
explores the themes of bullying,self-awareness and the power of
our inner spirit, including thesilent battles we all face.
Join me every week as I invitehigh-profile guests, as we
explore how adversity shapes us,how gratitude lifts us and how
(00:24):
we can all uncover the innerstrength that we all have within
ourselves.
Join the conversation.
I appreciate you listening in.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
If life gave you two chances of greatness, one on the
football field and one on themusic stage which one would you
choose?
Today's guest has lived both.
He is Mr Sidney Justin, a manwho has lived two superstar
lives.
On one hand, he's the soulfulvoice of the Miracles, carrying
on the legendary Motown sound.
(00:59):
On the other, he's a former NFLdefensive back, having played
in the Super Bowl, proving hisgrit on the field before
dazzling the stage From streetfootball in Los Angeles to
producing and songwriting withicons such as Earth, wind, fire,
shalimar, bobby Brown.
Sidney's story is all aboutresilience, talent and faith.
He's been tested by injury, bycritics and by life in general,
(01:23):
but each time he's bounced backstronger.
Well, it's an honor to have youin studio, sidney.
My pleasure.
My pleasure to be here and,with gratitude, welcome to the
podcast.
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
I appreciate the offer to be here, Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
So.
My first question, which youhaven't yet prepped up on are
you a love machine?
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Yeah, I used to be.
Yeah, yeah, you know, I wouldsay yeah because I love people.
Man, you know, love is not justbetween male and female, it's
about people, right, you know?
So loving one another is thekey to life.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Sounds like you lead with the heart.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I do.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Yeah, I do.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Yeah, I do.
I think everyone should do that.
Everyone should lead with theirheart and think about others
versus just self.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Is that something that you learned or was it
within you?
Speaker 3 (02:22):
I believe it's been within me.
You know I'm very spiritualwithin you.
I believe it's been within me.
I'm very spiritual.
I try to be as spiritual aspossible.
We all fail at certain things,but at the same time, I believe
that having a relationship withYahuwah, my Father, which is
(02:42):
Heavenly Father, and if I havethat relationship with Him, with
Yahuwah my father, which is myheavenly father, and if I have
that relationship with him, Iknow that I'm on the right path.
And I sometimes slide off, youknow, like we all do, but his
forgiveness and his love thathe's shown me throughout my
whole life.
Really, he's shown me lovethroughout my whole life.
I think that you know I must dothe same thing.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Right, so that's how I treat other people too, same
way.
That's amazing.
That actually ties into my nextquestion, that is, you've said,
or, excuse me, you often creditGod, as you just mentioned,
with giving you both your dreamsthe NFL and music.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
How do you personally define gratitude and why do you
feel it's so important to talkabout it today?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
well, I think you know, the definition of
gratitude is um is is widespread.
I think people don't.
It's not a one thing, you know,it's not just one thing that
you can do.
You, you can do many things toexpress gratitude and I think,
(03:46):
with with my gratitude, you know, like, like, when I perform, um
, I'm doing it for for them andI'm thankful for them.
So when I perform, it's ahundred percent, I'm giving a
hundred percent of a performancebecause I'm very thankful that
they came to people come toconcerts, people come to the
shows.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
You know, it's all for all sorts of forms of
gratitude, you know, and uh, so,so when you do perform on stage
and you mentioned the gratitudeis it gratitude by itself or is
there some degree of nostalgia,or is there something else
within your inner spirit thatallows you to become who you are
on stage?
Speaker 3 (04:23):
um, that's a good question.
You know, and I think that frommy perspective of being on
stage and being in this musicworld, you find a lot of
different artists or producersor people in the industry.
(04:44):
They all think of it indifferent forms, different ways,
and I just think of it asloving one another.
So when I'm doing a show, I'mloving them and hopefully
they're loving me back.
That is how I feel about thatgratitude.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
It's that energy you project to the world.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Yeah, energy, yeah, positive energy.
Of course there's negativeenergy too.
Sure, I try not to use anynegative energy at all.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
And you said that music is therapy, and can you
share a moment where writing orperforming a song has helped you
in the process of your ownstruggles or find peace?
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Yeah, I mean, I think music is very therapeutic If
you really think about it.
If you hear a song that youremember from back in the day,
somewhere in your time, itbrings those memories back.
So it's therapeutic.
So if it's a song that bringsback bad memories, you don't
(05:49):
want to hear it.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
You cry.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
And if it's a song that brings back happiness, you
want to rejoice, and so I thinkmusic really is the key to a
good therapeutic energy for ushumans Agreed 100%.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
And on that note, just a little side humor there
Ooh, Baby, Baby.
Right, I think of it as theSalt-N-Pepa version back in the
90s with R&B and hip-hop.
That's the era that I grew upin.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Got you, I got you.
It's so funny about the songOoh Baby Baby.
It was the first miracle songthat I ever actually sang in
high school.
I'll tell you a little storyabout that.
I went to Crenshaw High Schoolin Los Angeles.
Crenshaw High School had a lotof people that came out of that
(06:49):
school a lot of athletes, lotsof different people involved in
music and so forth.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Ice Cube as well, right, oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
And so I know.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Ice-T.
Oh okay, Not Ice Cube.
Ice Cube went to a differentschool.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
But same area, we grew up in the same area, anyway
.
So we did a talent show and thetalent show was, you know,
students performing for students, right, all right, and we would
have adults come to the like,parents and things like that
would come to the talent shows,and so we sang Ooh Baby Baby.
(07:32):
I had a group, yeah, it'scalled the Five Enlightens, and
we sang Ooh Baby Baby andanother song.
I think what you See Is whatyou Get.
Okay, a lot of dramatics andafter we sang the two songs, we
went backstage.
And another song, I think.
What you See Is what you Get Alot of dramatics.
And after we sang the two songs, we went backstage.
And then, all of a sudden, whocomes backstage was Ray Charles,
(07:53):
ray Charles, the Ray Charles,not somebody else named Ray
Charles, but the Ray Charles.
So he comes backstage.
He lived in the area, he livedin Baldwin Hills, which is right
close to where Crenshaw HighSchool is, and he would
sometimes frequently come toevents at the school.
Okay, right, different schools,anyway, he happened to come in.
(08:17):
Well, okay, so this is how itturned out.
This is how it turned out.
So I sang Oobay Baby and wentbackstage.
And then he comes back with hishandler and the guy's holding
him by the arm and he comes intothe dressing room and he wanted
to meet me.
So he said he came up to me andhe started he's feeling my face
(08:41):
and he's doing his thing, right, and he's a young man.
I really thought it was Smokeywhen I walked in.
I thought it was SmokeyRobinson singing on stage and I
was so surprised when they toldme he was a student.
So I had to meet you.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
And then he says you should take smoky's place.
I get chills right now justthinking about that and you're
only 16.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
At the time I was 7, 18, almost 18 almost 17 years.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
17 years old and um, and he said you should, you
should really take smoky's place.
He's leaving the miracle.
I don't know how he knew that,or anybody knew that at that
time.
Anyway, nevertheless, uh, Isaid to him well, how would I do
that?
Yeah, and he gave me nothing.
He just turned around, walkedaway, he just walked out the
(09:37):
room and I was just standinglooking at him like, well, why
would he tell me that if hedidn't tell me how Right you
know?
So I guess he wanted me tofigure it out myself.
That's what I felt later on.
He just wanted me to figure itout myself.
Now, it took a long time forthat to take place, because here
I am today, I'm the lead singerof the Miracles.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
I'm taking Smokey Robinson's place.
Smokey Robinson's a legend.
He's a mega legend.
Okay, and for me to be able todo that and have Ray Charles
prophesize that is crazy to me.
You know what I mean.
It's a crazy experience.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Would you consider it a divine moment?
Speaker 3 (10:17):
I would.
I really would.
Here he is a blind manprophesying about something that
has happened to me years beforeit happened.
I mean many years before Huh.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Forward thinking and a visionary.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Without vision.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
He couldn't see he was blind.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
So how was that transition between becoming an
NFL defensive back?
Speaker 3 (10:48):
Well, that's a whole other story, see, well, I'm
going to get back to this storytoo.
Yes, please, yeah, because Ithink people might want to know
how well, how did it actuallyhappen that I did get the
opportunity.
Yes, please, yeah, because Ithink people might want to know
how well, how did it actuallyhappen that I did get the
opportunity to perform as thelead singer of the Miracle.
So after that took place, itreally never really, you know,
(11:09):
kind of fazed me anymore.
After that night, I mean, Ithought about it a while and I
was like that's weird, I mean Ithought it was really strange,
and I just went on, continueddoing what.
I was like that's weird, I meanit was.
I thought it was really strangeand I just went on continued
doing what I was doing and, uh,and, and obviously nothing was
happening with that, because henever gave me any, any solutions
to that issue, right, so didyou want it.
Oh, I was very interested yeahunder.
(11:31):
You know if that was going to bethe case, I didn't know, that
was true.
Smokey hadn't left yet.
Oh right, yeah, you know what Imean.
He was still in the group.
It was not a situation.
So you know, it was a strangeexperience, a strange
conversation, to say the least,because of the outcome.
(11:54):
Right, I never really thoughtabout it that much after that
fact, but, um, as things turnedaround, I started doing other
musical things because I didn'tplay high school football.
Okay, so I'm going tointertwine these, these things.
Okay, so I didn't play highschool football, I was a, I was
a gymnast and and so I wasactually pretty good.
(12:17):
I had a lot of offers, schooloffers and stuff like that.
I was like the all-aroundgymnast.
I did everything tumbling floor, exercise, parallel bars, high
bar rings, the whole thing right, long horse, all of the events.
I did all of those and I waspretty good at all of them, and
(12:37):
so that's what I did.
Well, just so happens, thegymnastics coach was one of the
football coaches as well, so Ihad a conflict there.
I wanted to play football, hewanted me on the gymnastics team
.
He didn't think I could do both.
He didn't want me to get hurtin football 16.
(12:59):
He didn't think I could do both.
He didn't want me to get hurt.
Sure, ball you.
So I, um, so I play football inthe parks against like other, I
just keep it real.
But gangbangers, okay, otherguys out in, in, in the, in the
neighborhood and sure like that,different neighborhoods, and we
would play against each other.
Um, it wasn't no referees, noneof that kind of stuff.
You know what I mean.
It was this the gridiron.
(13:21):
It was definitely the real crazy, but it was a lot of fun to us
and we had a good time.
And I didn't play footballbecause they wouldn't give me a
chance to play.
I tried out for the team everysingle year, but every year I
got cut in high school.
So I got cut every year that Itried out and I tried out and it
(13:42):
wasn't really a tryout, becausethey never, I never did
anything.
They I was stood in line, we, Idid the exercises, I did the,
the running drills, but I nevergot in to do a play, any kind of
play, whether on offense ordefense.
One year I tried out for offense.
Next year I tried tried out fordefense.
It was kind of like I wastrying to figure out how come
I'm getting cut?
Why'd you cut me?
It never gave me no real answer, but I figured out later on.
(14:05):
Well, the coach was agymnastics coach.
He was relying on me ingymnastics and didn't want me to
be involved in football, so Inever did play high school
football.
As it turns out, I was agymnast my entire high school.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Did the nose help strengthen your resolve, or what
was the determination?
Speaker 3 (14:28):
That's right, I continue, okay.
So, like I said, I got a coupleoffers to go to gymnastics
scholarships, yeah, but I choseto play football over that and I
went to a junior college.
I went to LACC first, which isa junior college there and they
(14:50):
had the same, it was the samesituation.
Gymnastics coach was a footballcoach.
He wanted me to play, wanted meon the gymnastics team because
he knew my history Right.
And again they cut me againbecause they wanted rather for
(15:10):
me to be a gymnast than for meto be a football player, not a
play ever in high school Ever,yet you make it to the NFL and I
guess I'm just guessing that interms of being a gymnast, it's
all about that agility,flexibility.
It helped me.
I think that part of yeah, whenyou look at it in the long term
, the gymnastics part of it didhelp me because I was very
(15:32):
flexible, I was very agile, Iwas quick.
I had good reflexes and I thinkthat that really helped me in
my football career.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Did it help you in your music career.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
No, not really as far as gymnastics is concerned.
But as I went on to anotherjunior college, no one knew me.
No one knew anything aboutanything.
They didn't have any history onme, period.
I was just a walk on at thiscollege, at Southwest Junior
College, and I um and and Iprevailed.
(16:08):
I met a coach that gave me anopportunity, gave me a chance.
His name was coach Ray Denham.
He gave me a chance to um, toshow skills that I never got a
chance.
His name was Coach Ray Denham.
He gave me a chance to showskills that I never got a chance
to show from anybody else,because I was pretty good in the
playgrounds.
I was one of the I was asandlot football.
I was top dog in the sandlotfootball right.
So, and like I said, you know,we played against very tough
(16:32):
guys, older guys.
We played against men basically, and I was just in high school
and I was playing against mentackle football without uniforms
in the park.
Okay so, we had some prettytough games.
What's?
Speaker 2 (16:46):
the message today.
I mean you look at.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Because of that.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Well, it's just again .
You look at the people thatperhaps are maybe suffering in
silence or they're looking foranswers.
Right, how does your story helpthem in, perhaps, an adversity,
struggle, a challenge thatthey're going through in life?
Speaker 3 (17:06):
I think the the answer is perseverance and
determination, like never givingup in whatever you believe in.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
Is that from within, or do you learn that from others
?
Or it could be both.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
It's from within, because I never met anybody else
that I could say in those timesthat had that kind of adversity
that I went through.
So, yeah, it was from within meand I think that.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Do you think we have that?
I think it's.
Do you think every one of ushas that?
I think all of us have it.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Yeah, I think everybody has it.
You've got to implement it,though.
You have to turn on the switchand decide.
You make decisions.
I made the decision to not go tothe gymnastics program and to
go to another college that mightgive me an opportunity.
That didn't know anything aboutme and that was the best
(18:07):
decision I made, because thatwas the turning point in my
football career that got methrough my junior college to the
university that I went to.
I went to Long Beach StateUniversity.
I didn't know.
I had scholarship offers fromalmost every school in the
nation.
It was untold to me.
(18:28):
No, I didn't know.
I found out later, like yearslater, from a guy who was a
janitor at the school who saidhe saw letters from every,
almost every school.
He said he started namingschools like smu, texas, a&m,
ucla, usc.
Stacks of letters like this.
(18:49):
He said man, I saw letters thismany letters for you and a
couple other guys, yeah, but Inever saw those letters.
I only talked to the coachesthat came to visit me and they
were from Long Beach State.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Well, again, that's perhaps another divine moment.
Yeah, it was when.
You didn't know at the time.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
I didn't know at the time.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
I just, you know, like I said, Yahoo has been with
me my whole life and you knowof, of course I didn't realize
it until, you know, I look backand seeing how things developed
and then, and from there, youknow, I know that that I wasn't
alone, even though I felt alonemost of the time, but I wasn't,
(19:31):
because he was guiding methrough certain things for me to
make a decision.
I did have to make the decision.
I had to make the decision.
He didn't do that, he just putthe two in front of me.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Was that hard for that moment to accept?
It's like I'll just call itsurrender, right.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Yeah, I don't know if it was surrender or not.
I think it was more or lesschoices.
Okay, so I had to make a choice.
Who knows, if I made the otherchoice, what could have happened
?
I could have been president ofthe United States if I made the
other choice, but instead I madethis choice, and so now I'm a
(20:18):
singer that sings music and makepeople happy, which I love.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
What's next on the musical journey for you?
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Well, we're still touring.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
And we're still going around the world, like the
songs that Smokey Robinson wrote.
They're iconic, they'retimeless.
They're timeless.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
Timeless songs.
I have the pleasure ofperforming those songs.
I do have songs that I'vewritten on my own.
So to answer the question ofwhat's next, you know I'm
working on other stuff.
Okay, Other material.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
You're just not retired lying on the beach, nope
, drinking your Long Island icedteas.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
I love music too much and I love what I do.
You know, I love the people Iwork with.
I love the guys I work with.
I love the guys I work with.
My brother is one of the guys.
He played for the Seahawks andI coerced him into this business
.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
I threatened him into the business.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
I didn't threaten him , but I actually told.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
He had to have talent though.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Oh, he had the talent .
He didn't realize he had thetalent though.
See, that's another thing,that's a story, another story.
Kerry didn't realize he couldsing and he didn't realize he
could do choreography and becoordinated.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
How did you make that happen?
How did you let him know thathe had these gifts and talents?
Well, you know, that's anotherthing about today's generation.
It's like there's a lot ofsmartness in everyone.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
It just has to be pushed out, pushed out there,
yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
You know, he did one show with me one time in high
school.
Okay, because one guy got sickand was hurt or something and he
did a show with us and he didwell and from that one show that
he did gave him the confidenceto believe he could do it.
After I begged him multipletimes to join us because that's
(22:18):
what I used.
You did it already.
You did it in high school.
What did you see in him, though?
In him, yeah, I saw the sametalent I have.
He's my brother Okay.
I taught him how to playdefensive back.
He played longer than me in theNFL 11 seasons, right, 11
seasons, yes, sir.
So he played a long time.
He didn't get hurt, though Well, he did get hurt.
(22:38):
He broke his jaw and he wentback, but I broke my neck Hard
to come back from that.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Yeah, so that was an issue and again just bring it
forward to today's message.
Right Again, we all know peoplethat haven't discovered their
identity right.
Right or who they are Right,but it comes down to leading
with love, or leading from theheart, I should say.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Yeah, love.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Yeah, love.
Yeah, love, love is the rightword, you know, because you have
to love what you do, you haveto love the people you're with,
you have to love everythingthat's happening around you.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Right.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
And I think that's what success is about is being
able to have that love.
I mean, I think that's one, theone reason like my band, the
singers, all of us that we havetogether.
We love each other.
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
That's why it's successful you know what that
love comes trust that's right.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
Then they trust me, I trust them, yeah, you know, and
we, and we trust that, whatwe're going to do, that the
audience we trust that, whatwe're going to do, that the
audience we trust that they'regoing to love it.
Yeah, and it's all about love.
That's right.
Everything is about love.
That's positive.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
Always is.
That's right Always is.
That's right Speaking of lovelooks like you're part of a
Raider Nation.
You know that's funny, so thisis where citizens of Yoke Nation
, raider Nation, right here,right right, well you know
that's another story.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
You know I've been a Raider fan my whole life, since
I was a kid, so I love theRaiders, I love the silver and
black.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Even when they moved to LA.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
When they left Oakland and went to LA and then
went back to Oakland, no matterwhat now Vegas yeah, not in
Vegas.
So so I've just been a Oaklandfan.
You know another little storymy first year in in the NFL I
played with the Rams, right,right.
I didn't play.
I never, I never played withthe Raiders I would.
I wanted to yeah and did haveopportunity, but it was one week
(24:46):
too late.
But nevertheless I used to wearlike a Raider T-shirt under my
uniform and I told that to MarkDavis.
Isn't that a big no-no?
Speaker 2 (25:01):
It doesn't matter.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
It was under the uniform, so nobody saw that
except me.
I'm the only one new, you know,but I did tell Mark Davis, the
owner of the.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Raiders now.
You know his dad.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Al Davis' son.
Yeah, Al's son.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
Yeah, I told, unfortunately, a friend of mine.
Mike Davis, who was a defensiveback for the Raiders, was a
very close friend of mine andMike passed away unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
I didn't know that.
Yeah, he passed away.
I grew up in the Bay Area, soOkay, yeah he passed away a few
years ago.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
Okay, and I'm really close to his family and his kids
and his wife and I told MarkDavis at the funeral that I did
that he's the only person I hadever told that at the time he
was the first person I ever toldother than my wife and my
(25:54):
family and stuff About thist-shirt, my Raider chair under
my uniform.
So Mark was like he thought itwas like the most like.
He thought it was like the mostimportant he thought it was.
I can't believe it.
I said, well, listen, you needto put a brick on the wall for
me too, put my name on that wallwhy not?
(26:17):
I'm a real raider, bro, by birth.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
I'm a raider by birth so, moving back now to the
music industry and we'll wrapthis up here short this has been
amazing.
You mentioned on one of yourprevious podcast episodes you'd
like to do a duet with MarvinGaye.
Yes, that would have beenawesome.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
What would be the?
Speaker 2 (26:40):
song that you'd want to do with him.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
Probably a new song.
You know something new.
You know Marvin Gaye, to me, isthe greatest artist to ever
perform.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
To me.
That's my opinion.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
Okay, you know Marvin Gaye was the greatest artist.
It's spiritual, I think, likeif you listen to his lyrics, if
you feel the music that hepresented.
There's nothing else like that.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Well for me, I mean my favorite song of his is Ain't
no Mountain High Enough, okay,right, yeah, that well for me, I
mean my favorite song of his isain't no mountain high enough,
okay, right, yeah, I mean,that's just, and just give me
goosebumps just saying it well,it was a great song.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
It was a great duet.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
It still is a great song.
Oh, it is a great song I said.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
It I meant to say is yes, it is a great song and you
know, and all of his songs areall great songs.
Yeah, you know, um, the what'sgoing on album is extremely
special to me.
What's going on?
And then there's another,there's another record that he
(27:57):
did that a lot of people don'tknow anything about it.
It was a standard, a record ofstandards.
Okay songs.
You know he, you know MarvinGaye wanted to be a standard
artist, like Frank Sinatra.
I did not know that oh yeah,that was his.
I read the book.
I didn't know personally.
I met Marvin one time at anaward show before he passed away
(28:18):
, and I was just a young guyback stage, you know, and I met
him and it was great to actuallymeet him and shake his hand and
stuff like that.
But the what's Going On album,man, that record is I don't know
(28:38):
if you ever heard it.
You ever heard the whole album.
Well, you need to listen tothat, okay, because if you, I'm
telling you what's going on isprobably one of the best albums
ever.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Lyrically Soulful, if I remember correctly, soulfully
.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Yeah, everything about it.
Melody-wise, melodically lyriccontent.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
It's about what's going on Well as we conclude
this segment, I'll give you thefinal word, sir.
Is there anything that I missedthat you wish to communicate to
the audience, to your listeners, to your fan base and certainly
the folks that are listening tothis podcast, either on video
(29:23):
or on streaming?
Speaker 3 (29:24):
What's something that .
I missed I don't think youmissed anything.
I think we spoke.
I think the main topic is notme.
The main topic is love.
That is the topic.
It's not about me, it's notabout you, it's not about.
It's about how do we love oneanother.
You know, how can we do thatwithout?
(29:47):
I mean, it's not even difficultto do, no it is not.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
It's not difficult.
How hard is it to make a smile,right, I think?
What the human anatomy?
It takes more muscles to make afrown than a smile.
Why go through the extra effort?
Speaker 3 (30:02):
I believe that's probably true.
You know, you knowscientifically, but at the same
time you know, like I said, it'snot that hard to just be kind
to people.
It's not difficult to toexactly to offer your services,
when they, when they, to someonewho desperately needs it right.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
You know why why well , without also doing the
expectation of giving somethingback too, right, no A?
Speaker 3 (30:27):
lot of times.
You know a lot of people aretransactional Right.
It don't have to be foreverything.
Oh yeah, I got to get paid thesame sometimes but sometimes I
don't get paid at all.
Sometimes I'll do shows and,depending on the budget and
stuff like that, I won't eventake the money for me.
Yeah, but I have to payeverybody else.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Right, that's so admirable, sidney, justin, thank
you, my pleasure man, thank you, thank you.
Welcome to the Yoga Nation, the Spirit of Gratitude
podcast on the One Integrationplatform.
Hello friends, my name isYogesh Patel and this podcast
explores the themes of bullying,self-awareness and the power of
our inner spirit, including thesilent battles we all face.
Join me every week as I invitehigh-profile guests, as we
explore how adversity shapes us,how gratitude lifts us and how
(00:24):
we can all uncover the innerstrength that we all have within
ourselves.
Join the conversation.
I appreciate you listening in.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
If life gave you two chances of greatness, one on the
football field and one on themusic stage which one would you
choose?
Today's guest has lived both.
He is Mr Sidney Justin, a manwho has lived two superstar
lives.
On one hand, he's the soulfulvoice of the Miracles, carrying
on the legendary Motown sound.
(00:59):
On the other, he's a former NFLdefensive back, having played
in the Super Bowl, proving hisgrit on the field before
dazzling the stage From streetfootball in Los Angeles to
producing and songwriting withicons such as Earth, wind, fire,
shalimar, bobby Brown.
Sidney's story is all aboutresilience, talent and faith.
He's been tested by injury, bycritics and by life in general,
(01:23):
but each time he's bounced backstronger.
Well, it's an honor to have youin studio, sidney.
My pleasure.
My pleasure to be here and,with gratitude, welcome to the
podcast.
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
I appreciate the offer to be here, Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
So.
My first question, which youhaven't yet prepped up on are
you a love machine?
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Yeah, I used to be.
Yeah, yeah, you know, I wouldsay yeah because I love people.
Man, you know, love is not justbetween male and female, it's
about people, right, you know?
So loving one another is thekey to life.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Sounds like you lead with the heart.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
I do.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Yeah, I do.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Yeah, I do.
I think everyone should do that.
Everyone should lead with theirheart and think about others
versus just self.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Is that something that you learned or was it
within you?
Speaker 3 (02:22):
I believe it's been within me.
You know I'm very spiritualwithin you.
I believe it's been within me.
I'm very spiritual.
I try to be as spiritual aspossible.
We all fail at certain things,but at the same time, I believe
that having a relationship withYahuwah, my Father, which is
(02:42):
Heavenly Father, and if I havethat relationship with Him, with
Yahuwah my father, which is myheavenly father, and if I have
that relationship with him, Iknow that I'm on the right path.
And I sometimes slide off, youknow, like we all do, but his
forgiveness and his love thathe's shown me throughout my
whole life.
Really, he's shown me lovethroughout my whole life.
I think that you know I must dothe same thing.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Right, so that's how I treat other people too, same
way.
That's amazing.
That actually ties into my nextquestion, that is, you've said,
or, excuse me, you often creditGod, as you just mentioned,
with giving you both your dreamsthe NFL and music.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
How do you personally define gratitude and why do you
feel it's so important to talkabout it today?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
well, I think you know, the definition of
gratitude is um is is widespread.
I think people don't.
It's not a one thing, you know,it's not just one thing that
you can do.
You, you can do many things toexpress gratitude and I think,
(03:46):
with with my gratitude, you know, like, like, when I perform, um
, I'm doing it for for them andI'm thankful for them.
So when I perform, it's ahundred percent, I'm giving a
hundred percent of a performancebecause I'm very thankful that
they came to people come toconcerts, people come to the
shows.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
You know, it's all for all sorts of forms of
gratitude, you know, and uh, so,so when you do perform on stage
and you mentioned the gratitudeis it gratitude by itself or is
there some degree of nostalgia,or is there something else
within your inner spirit thatallows you to become who you are
on stage?
Speaker 3 (04:23):
um, that's a good question.
You know, and I think that frommy perspective of being on
stage and being in this musicworld, you find a lot of
different artists or producersor people in the industry.
(04:44):
They all think of it indifferent forms, different ways,
and I just think of it asloving one another.
So when I'm doing a show, I'mloving them and hopefully
they're loving me back.
That is how I feel about thatgratitude.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
It's that energy you project to the world.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Yeah, energy, yeah, positive energy.
Of course there's negativeenergy too.
Sure, I try not to use anynegative energy at all.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
And you said that music is therapy, and can you
share a moment where writing orperforming a song has helped you
in the process of your ownstruggles or find peace?
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Yeah, I mean, I think music is very therapeutic If
you really think about it.
If you hear a song that youremember from back in the day,
somewhere in your time, itbrings those memories back.
So it's therapeutic.
So if it's a song that bringsback bad memories, you don't
(05:49):
want to hear it.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
You cry.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
And if it's a song that brings back happiness, you
want to rejoice, and so I thinkmusic really is the key to a
good therapeutic energy for ushumans Agreed 100%.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
And on that note, just a little side humor there
Ooh, Baby, Baby.
Right, I think of it as theSalt-N-Pepa version back in the
90s with R&B and hip-hop.
That's the era that I grew upin.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Got you, I got you.
It's so funny about the songOoh Baby Baby.
It was the first miracle songthat I ever actually sang in
high school.
I'll tell you a little storyabout that.
I went to Crenshaw High Schoolin Los Angeles.
Crenshaw High School had a lotof people that came out of that
(06:49):
school a lot of athletes, lotsof different people involved in
music and so forth.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Ice Cube as well, right, oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
And so I know.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
Ice-T.
Oh okay, Not Ice Cube.
Ice Cube went to a differentschool.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
But same area, we grew up in the same area, anyway
.
So we did a talent show and thetalent show was, you know,
students performing for students, right, all right, and we would
have adults come to the like,parents and things like that
would come to the talent shows,and so we sang Ooh Baby Baby.
(07:32):
I had a group, yeah, it'scalled the Five Enlightens, and
we sang Ooh Baby Baby andanother song.
I think what you See Is whatyou Get.
Okay, a lot of dramatics andafter we sang the two songs, we
went backstage.
And another song, I think.
What you See Is what you Get Alot of dramatics.
And after we sang the two songs, we went backstage.
And then, all of a sudden, whocomes backstage was Ray Charles,
(07:53):
ray Charles, the Ray Charles,not somebody else named Ray
Charles, but the Ray Charles.
So he comes backstage.
He lived in the area, he livedin Baldwin Hills, which is right
close to where Crenshaw HighSchool is, and he would
sometimes frequently come toevents at the school.
Okay, right, different schools,anyway, he happened to come in.
(08:17):
Well, okay, so this is how itturned out.
This is how it turned out.
So I sang Oobay Baby and wentbackstage.
And then he comes back with hishandler and the guy's holding
him by the arm and he comes intothe dressing room and he wanted
to meet me.
So he said he came up to me andhe started he's feeling my face
(08:41):
and he's doing his thing, right, and he's a young man.
I really thought it was Smokeywhen I walked in.
I thought it was SmokeyRobinson singing on stage and I
was so surprised when they toldme he was a student.
So I had to meet you.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
And then he says you should take smoky's place.
I get chills right now justthinking about that and you're
only 16.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
At the time I was 7, 18, almost 18 almost 17 years.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
17 years old and um, and he said you should, you
should really take smoky's place.
He's leaving the miracle.
I don't know how he knew that,or anybody knew that at that
time.
Anyway, nevertheless, uh, Isaid to him well, how would I do
that?
Yeah, and he gave me nothing.
He just turned around, walkedaway, he just walked out the
(09:37):
room and I was just standinglooking at him like, well, why
would he tell me that if hedidn't tell me how Right you
know?
So I guess he wanted me tofigure it out myself.
That's what I felt later on.
He just wanted me to figure itout myself.
Now, it took a long time forthat to take place, because here
I am today, I'm the lead singerof the Miracles.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
I'm taking Smokey Robinson's place.
Smokey Robinson's a legend.
He's a mega legend.
Okay, and for me to be able todo that and have Ray Charles
prophesize that is crazy to me.
You know what I mean.
It's a crazy experience.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Would you consider it a divine moment?
Speaker 3 (10:17):
I would.
I really would.
Here he is a blind manprophesying about something that
has happened to me years beforeit happened.
I mean many years before Huh.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Forward thinking and a visionary.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
Without vision.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
He couldn't see he was blind.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
So how was that transition between becoming an
NFL defensive back?
Speaker 3 (10:48):
Well, that's a whole other story, see, well, I'm
going to get back to this storytoo.
Yes, please, yeah, because Ithink people might want to know
how well, how did it actuallyhappen that I did get the
opportunity.
Yes, please, yeah, because Ithink people might want to know
how well, how did it actuallyhappen that I did get the
opportunity to perform as thelead singer of the Miracle.
So after that took place, itreally never really, you know,
(11:09):
kind of fazed me anymore.
After that night, I mean, Ithought about it a while and I
was like that's weird, I mean Ithought it was really strange,
and I just went on, continueddoing what.
I was like that's weird, I meanit was.
I thought it was really strangeand I just went on continued
doing what I was doing and, uh,and, and obviously nothing was
happening with that, because henever gave me any, any solutions
to that issue, right, so didyou want it.
Oh, I was very interested yeahunder.
(11:31):
You know if that was going to bethe case, I didn't know, that
was true.
Smokey hadn't left yet.
Oh right, yeah, you know what Imean.
He was still in the group.
It was not a situation.
So you know, it was a strangeexperience, a strange
conversation, to say the least,because of the outcome.
(11:54):
Right, I never really thoughtabout it that much after that
fact, but, um, as things turnedaround, I started doing other
musical things because I didn'tplay high school football.
Okay, so I'm going tointertwine these, these things.
Okay, so I didn't play highschool football, I was a, I was
a gymnast and and so I wasactually pretty good.
(12:17):
I had a lot of offers, schooloffers and stuff like that.
I was like the all-aroundgymnast.
I did everything tumbling floor, exercise, parallel bars, high
bar rings, the whole thing right, long horse, all of the events.
I did all of those and I waspretty good at all of them, and
(12:37):
so that's what I did.
Well, just so happens, thegymnastics coach was one of the
football coaches as well, so Ihad a conflict there.
I wanted to play football, hewanted me on the gymnastics team
.
He didn't think I could do both.
He didn't want me to get hurtin football 16.
(12:59):
He didn't think I could do both.
He didn't want me to get hurt.
Sure, ball you.
So I, um, so I play football inthe parks against like other, I
just keep it real.
But gangbangers, okay, otherguys out in, in, in the, in the
neighborhood and sure like that,different neighborhoods, and we
would play against each other.
Um, it wasn't no referees, noneof that kind of stuff.
You know what I mean.
It was this the gridiron.
(13:21):
It was definitely the real crazy, but it was a lot of fun to us
and we had a good time.
And I didn't play footballbecause they wouldn't give me a
chance to play.
I tried out for the team everysingle year, but every year I
got cut in high school.
So I got cut every year that Itried out and I tried out and it
(13:42):
wasn't really a tryout, becausethey never, I never did
anything.
They I was stood in line, we, Idid the exercises, I did the,
the running drills, but I nevergot in to do a play, any kind of
play, whether on offense ordefense.
One year I tried out for offense.
Next year I tried tried out fordefense.
It was kind of like I wastrying to figure out how come
I'm getting cut?
Why'd you cut me?
It never gave me no real answer, but I figured out later on.
(14:05):
Well, the coach was agymnastics coach.
He was relying on me ingymnastics and didn't want me to
be involved in football, so Inever did play high school
football.
As it turns out, I was agymnast my entire high school.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Did the nose help strengthen your resolve, or what
was the determination?
Speaker 3 (14:28):
That's right, I continue, okay.
So, like I said, I got a coupleoffers to go to gymnastics
scholarships, yeah, but I choseto play football over that and I
went to a junior college.
I went to LACC first, which isa junior college there and they
(14:50):
had the same, it was the samesituation.
Gymnastics coach was a footballcoach.
He wanted me to play, wanted meon the gymnastics team because
he knew my history Right.
And again they cut me againbecause they wanted rather for
(15:10):
me to be a gymnast than for meto be a football player, not a
play ever in high school Ever,yet you make it to the NFL and I
guess I'm just guessing that interms of being a gymnast, it's
all about that agility,flexibility.
It helped me.
I think that part of yeah, whenyou look at it in the long term
, the gymnastics part of it didhelp me because I was very
(15:32):
flexible, I was very agile, Iwas quick.
I had good reflexes and I thinkthat that really helped me in
my football career.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Did it help you in your music career.
Speaker 3 (15:45):
No, not really as far as gymnastics is concerned.
But as I went on to anotherjunior college, no one knew me.
No one knew anything aboutanything.
They didn't have any history onme, period.
I was just a walk on at thiscollege, at Southwest Junior
College, and I um and and Iprevailed.
(16:08):
I met a coach that gave me anopportunity, gave me a chance.
His name was coach Ray Denham.
He gave me a chance to um, toshow skills that I never got a
chance.
His name was Coach Ray Denham.
He gave me a chance to showskills that I never got a chance
to show from anybody else,because I was pretty good in the
playgrounds.
I was one of the I was asandlot football.
I was top dog in the sandlotfootball right.
So, and like I said, you know,we played against very tough
(16:32):
guys, older guys.
We played against men basically, and I was just in high school
and I was playing against mentackle football without uniforms
in the park.
Okay so, we had some prettytough games.
What's?
Speaker 2 (16:46):
the message today.
I mean you look at.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
Because of that.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Well, it's just again .
You look at the people thatperhaps are maybe suffering in
silence or they're looking foranswers.
Right, how does your story helpthem in, perhaps, an adversity,
struggle, a challenge thatthey're going through in life?
Speaker 3 (17:06):
I think the the answer is perseverance and
determination, like never givingup in whatever you believe in.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
Is that from within, or do you learn that from others
?
Or it could be both.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
It's from within, because I never met anybody else
that I could say in those timesthat had that kind of adversity
that I went through.
So, yeah, it was from within meand I think that.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Do you think we have that?
I think it's.
Do you think every one of ushas that?
I think all of us have it.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Yeah, I think everybody has it.
You've got to implement it,though.
You have to turn on the switchand decide.
You make decisions.
I made the decision to not go tothe gymnastics program and to
go to another college that mightgive me an opportunity.
That didn't know anything aboutme and that was the best
(18:07):
decision I made, because thatwas the turning point in my
football career that got methrough my junior college to the
university that I went to.
I went to Long Beach StateUniversity.
I didn't know.
I had scholarship offers fromalmost every school in the
nation.
It was untold to me.
(18:28):
No, I didn't know.
I found out later, like yearslater, from a guy who was a
janitor at the school who saidhe saw letters from every,
almost every school.
He said he started namingschools like smu, texas, a&m,
ucla, usc.
Stacks of letters like this.
(18:49):
He said man, I saw letters thismany letters for you and a
couple other guys, yeah, but Inever saw those letters.
I only talked to the coachesthat came to visit me and they
were from Long Beach State.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Well, again, that's perhaps another divine moment.
Yeah, it was when.
You didn't know at the time.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
I didn't know at the time.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
I just, you know, like I said, Yahoo has been with
me my whole life and you knowof, of course I didn't realize
it until, you know, I look backand seeing how things developed
and then, and from there, youknow, I know that that I wasn't
alone, even though I felt alonemost of the time, but I wasn't,
(19:31):
because he was guiding methrough certain things for me to
make a decision.
I did have to make the decision.
I had to make the decision.
He didn't do that, he just putthe two in front of me.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Was that hard for that moment to accept?
It's like I'll just call itsurrender, right.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Yeah, I don't know if it was surrender or not.
I think it was more or lesschoices.
Okay, so I had to make a choice.
Who knows, if I made the otherchoice, what could have happened
?
I could have been president ofthe United States if I made the
other choice, but instead I madethis choice, and so now I'm a
(20:18):
singer that sings music and makepeople happy, which I love.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
What's next on the musical journey for you?
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Well, we're still touring.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
And we're still going around the world, like the
songs that Smokey Robinson wrote.
They're iconic, they'retimeless.
They're timeless.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
Timeless songs.
I have the pleasure ofperforming those songs.
I do have songs that I'vewritten on my own.
So to answer the question ofwhat's next, you know I'm
working on other stuff.
Okay, Other material.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
You're just not retired lying on the beach, nope
, drinking your Long Island icedteas.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
I love music too much and I love what I do.
You know, I love the people Iwork with.
I love the guys I work with.
I love the guys I work with.
My brother is one of the guys.
He played for the Seahawks andI coerced him into this business
.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
I threatened him into the business.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
I didn't threaten him , but I actually told.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
He had to have talent though.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Oh, he had the talent .
He didn't realize he had thetalent though.
See, that's another thing,that's a story, another story.
Kerry didn't realize he couldsing and he didn't realize he
could do choreography and becoordinated.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
How did you make that happen?
How did you let him know thathe had these gifts and talents?
Well, you know, that's anotherthing about today's generation.
It's like there's a lot ofsmartness in everyone.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
It just has to be pushed out, pushed out there,
yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
You know, he did one show with me one time in high
school.
Okay, because one guy got sickand was hurt or something and he
did a show with us and he didwell and from that one show that
he did gave him the confidenceto believe he could do it.
After I begged him multipletimes to join us because that's
(22:18):
what I used.
You did it already.
You did it in high school.
What did you see in him, though?
In him, yeah, I saw the sametalent I have.
He's my brother Okay.
I taught him how to playdefensive back.
He played longer than me in theNFL 11 seasons, right, 11
seasons, yes, sir.
So he played a long time.
He didn't get hurt, though Well, he did get hurt.
(22:38):
He broke his jaw and he wentback, but I broke my neck Hard
to come back from that.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Yeah, so that was an issue and again just bring it
forward to today's message.
Right Again, we all know peoplethat haven't discovered their
identity right.
Right or who they are Right,but it comes down to leading
with love, or leading from theheart, I should say.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Yeah, love.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Yeah, love.
Yeah, love, love is the rightword, you know, because you have
to love what you do, you haveto love the people you're with,
you have to love everythingthat's happening around you.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Right.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
And I think that's what success is about is being
able to have that love.
I mean, I think that's one, theone reason like my band, the
singers, all of us that we havetogether.
We love each other.
Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
That's why it's successful you know what that
love comes trust that's right.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
Then they trust me, I trust them, yeah, you know, and
we, and we trust that, whatwe're going to do, that the
audience we trust that, whatwe're going to do, that the
audience we trust that they'regoing to love it.
Yeah, and it's all about love.
That's right.
Everything is about love.
That's positive.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
Always is.
That's right Always is.
That's right Speaking of lovelooks like you're part of a
Raider Nation.
You know that's funny, so thisis where citizens of Yoke Nation
, raider Nation, right here,right right, well you know
that's another story.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
You know I've been a Raider fan my whole life, since
I was a kid, so I love theRaiders, I love the silver and
black.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Even when they moved to LA.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
When they left Oakland and went to LA and then
went back to Oakland, no matterwhat now Vegas yeah, not in
Vegas.
So so I've just been a Oaklandfan.
You know another little storymy first year in in the NFL I
played with the Rams, right,right.
I didn't play.
I never, I never played withthe Raiders I would.
I wanted to yeah and did haveopportunity, but it was one week
(24:46):
too late.
But nevertheless I used to wearlike a Raider T-shirt under my
uniform and I told that to MarkDavis.
Isn't that a big no-no?
Speaker 2 (25:01):
It doesn't matter.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
It was under the uniform, so nobody saw that
except me.
I'm the only one new, you know,but I did tell Mark Davis, the
owner of the.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Raiders now.
You know his dad.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Al Davis' son.
Yeah, Al's son.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
Yeah, I told, unfortunately, a friend of mine.
Mike Davis, who was a defensiveback for the Raiders, was a
very close friend of mine andMike passed away unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
I didn't know that.
Yeah, he passed away.
I grew up in the Bay Area, soOkay, yeah he passed away a few
years ago.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
Okay, and I'm really close to his family and his kids
and his wife and I told MarkDavis at the funeral that I did
that he's the only person I hadever told that at the time he
was the first person I ever toldother than my wife and my
(25:54):
family and stuff About thist-shirt, my Raider chair under
my uniform.
So Mark was like he thought itwas like the most like.
He thought it was like the mostimportant he thought it was.
I can't believe it.
I said, well, listen, you needto put a brick on the wall for
me too, put my name on that wallwhy not?
(26:17):
I'm a real raider, bro, by birth.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
I'm a raider by birth so, moving back now to the
music industry and we'll wrapthis up here short this has been
amazing.
You mentioned on one of yourprevious podcast episodes you'd
like to do a duet with MarvinGaye.
Yes, that would have beenawesome.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
What would be the?
Speaker 2 (26:40):
song that you'd want to do with him.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
Probably a new song.
You know something new.
You know Marvin Gaye, to me, isthe greatest artist to ever
perform.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
To me.
That's my opinion.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
Okay, you know Marvin Gaye was the greatest artist.
It's spiritual, I think, likeif you listen to his lyrics, if
you feel the music that hepresented.
There's nothing else like that.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Well for me, I mean my favorite song of his is Ain't
no Mountain High Enough, okay,right, yeah, that well for me, I
mean my favorite song of his isain't no mountain high enough,
okay, right, yeah, I mean,that's just, and just give me
goosebumps just saying it well,it was a great song.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
It was a great duet.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
It still is a great song.
Oh, it is a great song I said.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
It I meant to say is yes, it is a great song and you
know, and all of his songs areall great songs.
Yeah, you know, um, the what'sgoing on album is extremely
special to me.
What's going on?
And then there's another,there's another record that he
(27:57):
did that a lot of people don'tknow anything about it.
It was a standard, a record ofstandards.
Okay songs.
You know he, you know MarvinGaye wanted to be a standard
artist, like Frank Sinatra.
I did not know that oh yeah,that was his.
I read the book.
I didn't know personally.
I met Marvin one time at anaward show before he passed away
(28:18):
, and I was just a young guyback stage, you know, and I met
him and it was great to actuallymeet him and shake his hand and
stuff like that.
But the what's Going On album,man, that record is I don't know
(28:38):
if you ever heard it.
You ever heard the whole album.
Well, you need to listen tothat, okay, because if you, I'm
telling you what's going on isprobably one of the best albums
ever.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Lyrically Soulful, if I remember correctly, soulfully
.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Yeah, everything about it.
Melody-wise, melodically lyriccontent.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
It's about what's going on Well as we conclude
this segment, I'll give you thefinal word, sir.
Is there anything that I missedthat you wish to communicate to
the audience, to your listeners, to your fan base and certainly
the folks that are listening tothis podcast, either on video
(29:23):
or on streaming?
Speaker 3 (29:24):
What's something that .
I missed I don't think youmissed anything.
I think we spoke.
I think the main topic is notme.
The main topic is love.
That is the topic.
It's not about me, it's notabout you, it's not about.
It's about how do we love oneanother.
You know, how can we do thatwithout?
(29:47):
I mean, it's not even difficultto do, no it is not.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
It's not difficult.
How hard is it to make a smile,right, I think?
What the human anatomy?
It takes more muscles to make afrown than a smile.
Why go through the extra effort?
Speaker 3 (30:02):
I believe that's probably true.
You know, you knowscientifically, but at the same
time you know, like I said, it'snot that hard to just be kind
to people.
It's not difficult to toexactly to offer your services,
when they, when they, to someonewho desperately needs it right.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
You know why why well , without also doing the
expectation of giving somethingback too, right, no A?
Speaker 3 (30:27):
lot of times.
You know a lot of people aretransactional Right.
It don't have to be foreverything.
Oh yeah, I got to get paid thesame sometimes but sometimes I
don't get paid at all.
Sometimes I'll do shows and,depending on the budget and
stuff like that, I won't eventake the money for me.
Yeah, but I have to payeverybody else.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Right, that's so admirable, sidney, justin, thank
you, my pleasure man, thank you, thank you.
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