PAULA BRION #137

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
H m.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Hm hm.

Speaker 3 (00:17):
Hm hm hm hm.

Speaker 4 (00:27):
The testimony, the testimony, the testimony.

Speaker 5 (00:33):
With Paula Briony, the Diva for Christ Day.

Speaker 4 (00:42):
Wattle Shetuning every Tuesday and not he's since then the
time you are listening to the testimony with Hostelrio.

Speaker 6 (01:00):
And Deeper for Christ.

Speaker 4 (01:02):
In in case you don't know what that stands for,
it's the finely inspired vessel appointed and anointed for a
time such as this. Hey, every Tuesday at nine pm Eastern.

Speaker 7 (01:16):
You don't want to miss because that's now now, now, now.

Speaker 8 (01:40):
God, bless you, God, bless you, God bless you.

Speaker 9 (01:44):
Yes, this is the testimony, and I am Paula brion
the Diva for Christ. And yes you in the right
place at the right time as always every Tuesday at
nine pm Eastern Standard time. And we we do nothing
until we go to the Throne. Father God, I just

(02:05):
asked that you would have your way in this wonderful
platform that you bestowed upon me, utilizing me as a
vessel anointed and appointing for a time such as this.
I just want to thank you, Lord for allow me
to open my eyes on today to see another platform
that we will speak about You and we will bring
the wonderful guests that you bestow upon us to the

(02:27):
listeners and Father God, today.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
Will be no different.

Speaker 6 (02:30):
Thank you, Thank you in.

Speaker 9 (02:32):
The precious name above all names.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
We thank you Jesus, Amen a man, Amen.

Speaker 9 (02:39):
Yes, we are coming to you on another wonderful Tuesday.
Every Tuesday we bring an uplifting and spirit filled showing
and just to inspire you as our guest, and today
of course will be no different. We are going to
bring to you are a group a legends in their

(03:01):
own right. Yes, an R and B funk female group. Oh,
with hits such as God Call Me or Let's Celebrate,
Here's to You, and so much more.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
They are a wonderful group. And I'm just so.

Speaker 9 (03:19):
Blessed and and Google God gotta have them on the line.
Here's the Ladies of Sky on the line.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
We're here.

Speaker 8 (03:31):
God is so good.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
I am so blessed.

Speaker 9 (03:35):
Google Guy, God, I love you, I love you, I
love you. We have the niece Delorence and Benita in
the house.

Speaker 6 (03:43):
Hey girl, hay girl, my girl.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
My sister.

Speaker 9 (03:49):
Oh, I love you so much. Yes, I have never, never,
never not talked about y'all.

Speaker 6 (03:56):
Y'all were in my mouth.

Speaker 9 (03:58):
I'm a singer myself so all I used to say
back in the days, baby, and I'm just so blessed
that you are on the line with me on today.
What a wonderful We thank you for coming.

Speaker 10 (04:10):
Oh, thank you for having us join you, and thank
you for loving our music.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
We're happy that we were able to, you know, put
something out that that means something to you. That's amazing.

Speaker 9 (04:23):
Yes, and I'm telling you and all the listeners is
I know they just sit back like why Scott, Yes, yes, yes, yes,
Well you know, I'm gonna go back a little bit
because in this platform, we need to know how it
began for you. And I would just have you to
just say your name, because again it's three of y'alls.
I want to make sure people know who's saying what.

(04:44):
But definitely how did it begin for you? And you know,
how did this whole thing start?

Speaker 2 (04:52):
Well, this is Tonise. I'm the oldest of the three sisters.

Speaker 10 (04:55):
If the listeners are not aware, we are really, you know,
blood sisters. And I can say that our love of
music began in high school.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
All of us were members of the chorus at FDR
High School.

Speaker 6 (05:12):
In Brooklyn, New York, and.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
We had a very rich choral program that trained us
to sing.

Speaker 10 (05:21):
But in addition to that, they had these amazing talent shows,
and so we used to sing and perform at the
talent shows.

Speaker 6 (05:29):
And when we.

Speaker 2 (05:29):
Graduated high school, we still had.

Speaker 6 (05:31):
This yearning to be, you know, in a singing group.

Speaker 2 (05:36):
Fortunately for us, we kept on singing and finally performed
at a Miss Black America New York State.

Speaker 10 (05:44):
Pageant, where we met Randy Muller, who ultimately wound up
becoming our producer along with Solomon Roberts Junior, and we sang.

Speaker 2 (05:56):
If many people don't know, we sang.

Speaker 10 (05:58):
With Brass Construction uh and did a lot of background
vocals for Randy Muller's artists.

Speaker 2 (06:05):
And then when Brass Instruction released their very.

Speaker 10 (06:08):
First album, Uh, he kind of shuffled us off to Solomon, right, Bonnie,
he did.

Speaker 11 (06:17):
He shuffled us right off to Solomon.

Speaker 2 (06:20):
Oh.

Speaker 11 (06:21):
We really did not realize that Solomon was actually a photographer,
and we.

Speaker 6 (06:29):
Were like, he's got a band, and so.

Speaker 11 (06:34):
It was really quite strange to realize that Saw not
only played the drums, but he also sang right, I'm
de las.

Speaker 2 (06:45):
Oh. Yeah, he was a great thinger.

Speaker 12 (06:47):
He just jumped right into everything.

Speaker 13 (06:50):
We were just shocked at his behavior because basically when
we were doing the Miss Black America State Finals with
Brass and struction, Saul was looking around with a camera
and then all of a sudden, Whila, he's a musician
and a singer.

Speaker 2 (07:03):
Yeah, so we wound up. Actually, Solomon had formed.

Speaker 6 (07:08):
A band along with Anibal.

Speaker 10 (07:10):
Butchi Sierra, who was the you know, we call him
the guitar hero. He was the guitarist for Sky, and Gerald.

Speaker 6 (07:18):
Blake Bone who was the bass player.

Speaker 10 (07:21):
And actually we started out with a different drummer. We
had a guy named Butchie who was a drummer back
in the day. This is before our record deal. But
by the time we actually officially formed Sky went in
and recorded all of the songs. Solomon and Randy formed
a production company called Alligator Vitam Productions, and the two

(07:43):
of them wrote and produced all of the songs that
everyone ultimately wind up hearing on our first album, the
Sky album.

Speaker 2 (07:53):
So our first.

Speaker 10 (07:54):
Single was first Time Around in nineteen seventy nine, and
I think that's what you can say that we just
said gotten on the got bit by the love bug
or the music bug, and then had the wonderful privilege
of going on to record ten albums after them.

Speaker 9 (08:10):
Wow, ten albums. That is amazing and truly a test.
Uh R and B funk, you know, R and B funk.
Uh that title is so heavy, you know, especially back
in those days of We're funking and and and R
and B was just so so prominent. What did when

(08:33):
you hear that word, those those titles?

Speaker 2 (08:36):
What does that bring to you or what does that
say to you?

Speaker 9 (08:40):
You know, R and B and funk? What's your feel
on that?

Speaker 2 (08:46):
Well?

Speaker 11 (08:46):
Then uh bt and bonnie a k a bonito orever
you would have called me.

Speaker 6 (08:56):
I I don't think of the R and B and funk.

Speaker 11 (09:01):
I think it lends a feeling of deep down soul
music that comes from within. And I think that is
what makes R and B and especially funk. You know,
of course those genres gives people of feeling of sometimes calmness,

(09:27):
gives people a feeling of happiness, and gives people a
feeling and want to get.

Speaker 6 (09:33):
Up and get us. Yes, yes, yeah, I agree.

Speaker 2 (09:37):
We were you know, this is Denise. We were.

Speaker 10 (09:40):
We ourselves were very heavily influenced by seventies R and B.
You know, as we grew up, it was the Temptations,
the Four Tops, the Supremes.

Speaker 6 (09:52):
You know, the Motown sound was very prevalent, along.

Speaker 10 (09:54):
With the Phillies sound. So those that music that are
and you know that are music kind of influenced us
from the from the sixties and the seventies. But then
when the eighties came into play, You're right, the funk
really started to happen. And so yeah, it's interesting how

(10:15):
you get like the Gap Band, you get up Time, Yeah, yeah,
you get all of these.

Speaker 2 (10:24):
Really, Prince, you know, Prince, it's certainly uh funk.

Speaker 6 (10:29):
The Gap Band.

Speaker 2 (10:30):
Those guys were.

Speaker 10 (10:32):
Rick James, you know, those were all function guys. And
what I think was unique for us in particular, each
one of those funks, whether you're from Ohio or you're
from Kansas, or you're from Minnesota, Mississippi, we came up
with the Brooklyn funk in particular, so that construction, Yeah,

(10:55):
I mean, it had its own sort of swing and
feel to it.

Speaker 2 (11:01):
Outside of Parliament Funkadelic, you know, and BT Express, Crownheart's Affair.

Speaker 10 (11:09):
All of those were the Brooklyn funk of teers, so
to speak.

Speaker 2 (11:13):
But we were welcomed.

Speaker 10 (11:15):
Into the fold, you know, because we toured with everyone.
We toured with all of the major you know, Funck, Ag,
Zap Gap, all of those guys, Parliament funk Adelic. We
did so many shows with Parliament Funkadelic. And we're Rick
James because and the Ohio players, because we just fell
right into that, you know that.

Speaker 13 (11:34):
Right, you know, And and this is Dolores And I
think for me, the funk made it not heavier, but
it made it made r and be more exciting, you know.

Speaker 9 (11:49):
It gave it it was hard, yeah, and it was.

Speaker 13 (11:53):
It was a whole bunch of everything written together and
it just made you made everything more exciting to to
to deep participating in.

Speaker 2 (12:02):
And as far as instrumentation, this is Denis again. As
far as.

Speaker 10 (12:07):
Instrumentation, you know a lot of those bands were ten
We were eight piece band with five musicians. But the
musicianship of everyone across the board, you.

Speaker 2 (12:17):
Know what I mean.

Speaker 10 (12:18):
Some bands had were heavyer horned players, like say Brass Construction,
you know they had there were twelve of them or
ten of them or whatever. Ohio players head beyond guitar
and bass, you know, the instrumentation and the musicality of
the musicians at that time, these guys learned music, real music,

(12:39):
and knew how to read music and.

Speaker 2 (12:40):
Play it, you know what I mean. So I think
that's what lent.

Speaker 10 (12:45):
And I think it's also influenced a little bit by
James Brown. You know, when you think about the arrangements,
definitely Funked was deeply influenced by James Brown's you know,
arrangements and production.

Speaker 9 (13:00):
I'm I'm telling you, just the two worlds. The way
you guys brought that two worlds together is so unique.
You know, everybody couldn't say R and B and funk.
It just it just didn't work. But with y'all, y'all
brought that whole thing full circle.

Speaker 2 (13:16):
I'm telling you. Because either one one.

Speaker 9 (13:18):
Platform you either got the funk or the other platform
you got the R and B.

Speaker 6 (13:22):
But y'all brought it together.

Speaker 9 (13:23):
So kudos to you. You are the first and only,
I'll say it right here on the record, y'all that
were able to bring those worlds together. And what what
an organization that?

Speaker 2 (13:36):
I mean, what an.

Speaker 9 (13:36):
Arrangement should I say? I mean just that two the
two of those coming together, because they're both powerful in itself.
But for y'all land that that's what makes y'all. The
legends that y'all are. I mean, I'm telling you you
you you are amazing. There's no other group that I
feel has done that.

Speaker 6 (13:54):
I mean that you're getting.

Speaker 10 (13:56):
I only appreciate that you recognize how we've kind of
been a little bit different than many of the other
groups out there. I mean, there were the Brides of
funken Stein, who we adored and was so you're talking
about two ends of the spectrum, you know what I mean.
Sister Strides was lately r and B straight Brides of

(14:19):
funken Stein. Of course, being associated with P. Funk had
that funky sound. Randy was able to kind of capture, though,
something very special because of us being sisters and just
the uniqueness of the sound. We have a very unique
signature sound that is a result again of our how

(14:43):
we learned to sing in a certain way like we
were doing choral singing. When we first went in the studio,
we had to learn to drop. We couldn't say something.
We had to learn to say something.

Speaker 1 (14:54):
You know, Randy a lot of credit for sort of
reimagining our vocal capabilities to this signature sound of sky
and then we started to get what that was and we.

Speaker 10 (15:11):
Were able to just run with it, you know what
I mean. So you got the smooth, silky sounds of
the girls, you know, and then you got the guys
coming up there doing.

Speaker 6 (15:20):
What they do with the funk.

Speaker 10 (15:21):
And our drummer Tommy McConnell, who sadly we you know,
we lost in.

Speaker 2 (15:26):
Twenty twenty two. He brought it with started romance, let's say,
for instance. You know, it was a.

Speaker 6 (15:32):
Very unique sound, uh, and.

Speaker 10 (15:35):
He was able to couple a really funky drum line
and bassline with.

Speaker 2 (15:40):
Our smooth kind of vocals.

Speaker 11 (15:43):
And yeah, and just to piggyback on what Denise was saying, we.

Speaker 9 (15:53):
In order for us to.

Speaker 11 (15:54):
Be able to do that, we had to have great writers.
Every buy the who wrote a song on any of
our albums or great writers. I mean, it's just like
when you mentioned about the R and B and then
Denisa is talking.

Speaker 6 (16:11):
About the funk.

Speaker 11 (16:12):
A lot of people do not realize on all of
our albums we have great ballads. We're not known for
ballance except for When You Touch Me of course and
Real Love.

Speaker 6 (16:26):
But if people would go.

Speaker 11 (16:28):
Back and listen to our all of our albums, on
every single album is a great ballad.

Speaker 9 (16:38):
Yeah, no, you definitely have some some swingers, but I'll
tell you ain't nothing like that funk and they are ringing.
I mean, you know Ballance, you know, don't don't mis
understand me. We can tell without a shout of doubt
that you can.

Speaker 10 (16:52):
Sing okay in anything that John say.

Speaker 9 (16:54):
But when you do that, the bridging of those two worlds,
just do it for me, you know, and you can
always hear Ballance, And I think that's the that's probably
if I was to sit and talk to Randy, that
probably be you know, any of the other writers.

Speaker 2 (17:07):
That would be their big pet peeves.

Speaker 10 (17:08):
You know.

Speaker 9 (17:09):
It wasn't about the balance as as much as that
bringing that that the power of those two worlds together that.

Speaker 2 (17:16):
Made y'all who y'all are.

Speaker 9 (17:17):
And and like you said, kudos to them, you know,
for just seeing the vision and putting that together, because
like I said, no one else has done it, not
together and and and I really give you so much
respect for that. And I enjoy everything that y'all have done.
It's just amazing.

Speaker 10 (17:35):
You know.

Speaker 9 (17:36):
Randy Mother, I know him because way back in the
day I was doing my little house music. I'm known
for house music. So I know Randy mother, and and
he just was a wonderful man and very attentive to
to uh tell your artist's needs. He knew where to
go and how to go. He knew how to talk
to you and and instructure. I mean, you guys got

(17:57):
to understand that.

Speaker 2 (17:58):
I know that that, y'all.

Speaker 10 (18:00):
I never have not one There's not one one studio
session that we didn't want to strangle him.

Speaker 2 (18:06):
Okay, to be.

Speaker 10 (18:07):
Honest, exacting about what he wanted.

Speaker 2 (18:16):
He couldn't tell us what he wanted. But when he
heard it, then the nail was hit on the head,
you know what I mean?

Speaker 6 (18:23):
In time, you know, I.

Speaker 10 (18:26):
Have to give him a lot of credit him and
Solomon both a lot of credit for shaping the whole sound.
The thing that you love, you know what I mean,
is a direct result of him shaping the sound.

Speaker 2 (18:39):
That that our output so to speak.

Speaker 7 (18:42):
Uh.

Speaker 10 (18:42):
And then once we realized what the key was, uh,
then we were all.

Speaker 2 (18:47):
Able to run with it.

Speaker 10 (18:48):
Like in the later albums, there was much less supervision
on us. I remember those first albums though, like like
oh my goodness, we would.

Speaker 6 (18:55):
Go in the bathroom, we booing and crying.

Speaker 2 (18:57):
Because he'd be like do it again, do it again,
and do it again.

Speaker 6 (19:01):
I know, I know, I know that work.

Speaker 9 (19:04):
I know that's a lot of it is analogue. Now,
No when I say bad thing about the times, Yeah,
you were in that studio a million time, having to
do the parts over and over and over again.

Speaker 6 (19:15):
I know that world that analog. There was no you.
Thank God for a beauty.

Speaker 2 (19:24):
We're so happy when we could just.

Speaker 9 (19:25):
Do one set of round vocals.

Speaker 2 (19:28):
Because that's where you call me his to you. We
did every single one of these background vocals by themselves,
and it wasn't until the nineties.

Speaker 10 (19:38):
Like all of our you know, later albums, UH Sky's
the limit, we only had to do one time, you know,
and they would.

Speaker 2 (19:44):
Forget, they say, they would fly the rest in so
you know we're speaking to that. You know.

Speaker 10 (19:50):
It took us some time to make that adjustment as
technology started to move forward, so we went from UH
albums and eight.

Speaker 6 (20:04):
Track tapes and cassette tapes to CDs.

Speaker 14 (20:07):
You know.

Speaker 10 (20:08):
And then instrumentation also moved forward such that keyboards were
able to now duplicate the things that the musicians had
been doing prior to. So they came in the industry
in a very interesting time of technology moving the you know,

(20:30):
moving the sound into a completely different place than than original.
Like for instance, Bonnie.

Speaker 2 (20:36):
Tell her about the irving spice strings.

Speaker 6 (20:40):
Oh, DeLawrence can tell you about that.

Speaker 11 (20:43):
Those were her irrge fell.

Speaker 2 (20:49):
Yes, it was, it was.

Speaker 13 (20:50):
I don't even remember how many of them were. But
do you see these little old men with the boots
and the hat and and the old dude sweaters on,
and when they pulled out they're violence. Oh my goodness,
the sound came from these are low men in a
in a barby and funk setting was absolutely mind blowing,

(21:11):
mind blowing.

Speaker 7 (21:13):
And so.

Speaker 10 (21:16):
With you know, once technology moved forward and you could
get string sounds on a keyboard.

Speaker 12 (21:22):
And we didn't have any more porn sounds.

Speaker 10 (21:24):
On a keyboard, you know what I mean, then a
lot of those musicians just sort of, you know, were
no no longer called in, you know, for the studio sessions.
So but you know, it's moved forward, and I think
everybody sort of pivoted, and you know, they we do
what we have to do to make sure that we're
producing the best sound for for our audiences.

Speaker 9 (21:48):
Yes, well, definitely, I mean and again that that just
goes to show the expertise and and in your learning
how to go from point A to point B. That
that was some transition, you know, just because like I said,
those two worlds R and B and funks are just
so so pivotal and so uh demanding, you know. So

(22:11):
I mean, y'all handle that thing, you know, going from
one platform and one platform. I mean, I'm telling you
you have to be given the ultimate respect. I mean,
I'm as a singer, I respect you so much because
I see what you did in the industry. You move
from one platform to one platform, and everybody was not
able to do that, and and and with such grace

(22:34):
and with with such tenacity, you guys landed it, you know.
And and I know you said, you go to the
bathroom you cry.

Speaker 6 (22:41):
I know I've been there.

Speaker 9 (22:42):
But but you guys came together and and I honestly
would know that that must be because y'all were siblings,
y'all assistance. I know you had times, you know what
I'm saying, But the fact that y'all were siblings brought
that whole thing together full circle. Because back in the day,
we had a we grew up in that family based atmosphere,

(23:04):
you know, what I'm saying, when we came together as one,
not like today where everybody separate. You know what I'm
saying that that also speak volus to y'all.

Speaker 10 (23:13):
Well, thank you for asking me part of the whole
thing that this is, Denise, by the way, part of
the I think what has struck the biggest chord with
our audiences is the fact that we are sisters. A
lot of times people are a little bit surprised when
I say, no, we're blood sisters, you know.

Speaker 2 (23:32):
And I'd just like to thank my mother for making
sure that she didn't want anybody. She didn't want to
have just one child.

Speaker 10 (23:44):
She said, I always wanted my child or my children
to have someone to play with. And so we were
very fortunate to grow up together almost as triplets for
many many years because we were around the same people.
We went to the same schools, we had the same friends.
And it wasn't until we got way over in our

(24:05):
adult years, you know, that that sort of started to
separate and we started having our own friends. But she
taught us to always look out for each other. She said,
one day, all she's going to have in each other.
And she raised us to love each other and to
really deeply care about each other. And so I'm just grateful,

(24:25):
you know, grateful the dead. I mean, Bonnie might Dolors
might have another comment as well on that.

Speaker 13 (24:30):
Oh yeah, well, as you said, I was just thinking
about the three little girls in the tub. We were all,
you know, we were always very, very close, and even
though I've moved to South Carolina, I still feel the
closeness of my sisters. It's not like, you know, we
can talk two days in a row and maybe not
talk for a couple of days, but the love that

(24:51):
our mother instilled in us to half of one another,
the closeness is always there.

Speaker 11 (24:57):
It's always this is and we really especially when it comes.

Speaker 6 (25:05):
To the music side, and just.

Speaker 11 (25:09):
Coming from a loving household. We really have to give
kudos to our dad because our dad would get up
on Saturday mornings when our mom would make us get
up it was time to do your chores, and our
dad would get up and he'd grabbed those thirty threes.

Speaker 14 (25:29):
And we were putting on that Magnavox Ti Fi.

Speaker 1 (25:35):
Yeah, that.

Speaker 14 (25:38):
Dolling that Bobby Blue bad. He would what we got
up on Saturday mornings and clean too, So he gave us.

Speaker 11 (25:54):
He gave us a basis for what we loved in music.
And when we were coming up there were just what
was on TV was Ed Silliban, Ted mex Original, Amateur Hour.

Speaker 2 (26:11):
All the Views, shows with.

Speaker 11 (26:14):
The with the Four Tops, the Temptations, Smoky Robinson, the Miracles.

Speaker 6 (26:20):
This is what we what and we felt that music.

Speaker 11 (26:24):
And our household all the time. And so I'm not
surprised that this is where our life took us. And
we do have to, like Denise said, we all went
to the same high school and was taught by the
same choral teacher, and she taught us what music was

(26:47):
across the board. And so when you spoke about us
being able to come out of the studio with band
members with the drums read basing all that to move
over to sing into technology, I think that is where
we were able to transition because being taught, we sang

(27:10):
all types of music and and.

Speaker 6 (27:14):
So we had to adapt.

Speaker 11 (27:16):
So being able to come in out of that, you know,
with recording an album for a year versus recording an
album for a couple of months.

Speaker 9 (27:28):
Yeah, yeah, that's history.

Speaker 2 (27:31):
That's history right there.

Speaker 9 (27:33):
Yeah, I'm telling you that that it's nothing like uh
like I didn't have a father in my family, so
you know, uh, my mom would get up and my
aunts would get up and clean and like you said,
that music blaring. You know, you were introduced to everybody
I came.

Speaker 2 (27:50):
I was introduced to everybody you know.

Speaker 9 (27:54):
And and unfortunately the kids don't get that much to
these days. But you know that was a reward for me,
just like you're saying, it was a It was a
learning experience to be able to sing with the great
even though you wasn't on the stage with them, dud,
your parents made you feel.

Speaker 2 (28:10):
Like you was right in there.

Speaker 10 (28:12):
You know, yes, they met you really artist, really well,
you know what I'm saying. It was a very intimate experience.
And the one thing I can say for us is
that we've been very, very privileged at this stage of
our lives to have met many of those artists yeah

(28:33):
fell in love with Back in the day. You know,
we belonged to the National R and B Music Society,
shout out to Vanessa and.

Speaker 2 (28:42):
Stewart, and through our.

Speaker 10 (28:45):
Association with that organization, we've actually had an opportunity to
meet the telephonics, the Adaptations, you know, a plethoral law
old school artist that we loved and admired Cliff I
must I got to give a shout out to Cliff
Perk in the Soul generation. Yeah, we've had an opportunity

(29:05):
to meet these people who influenced stuff so deeply. So
it's just like a Folkthircle moment, you know, Yes, And
that's a blessing because I was not previous.

Speaker 9 (29:16):
Unfortunately I haven't met Alfam, you know, but I know
they did help me to grow as an artist, and
I really blessed God for them as well as I do.

Speaker 2 (29:27):
You.

Speaker 9 (29:27):
You you truly taught me a lot of what I
know just from listening to you, trying to emulate what
you're putting out there on the records, and and I
just so thank you, thank you.

Speaker 6 (29:39):
I thank you.

Speaker 9 (29:39):
From my Brooklyn heart because I'm from Brooklyn.

Speaker 2 (29:42):
So you're born baby Hosea Street. I treated do that, Stuy.
And we've lived all over Brooklyn.

Speaker 10 (29:55):
We went to school in Benson Hurt and uh introvers
lived in East New York.

Speaker 2 (30:01):
And where else. We lived in Brooklyn my good Crown
Highland Ground that's it.

Speaker 10 (30:08):
And we.

Speaker 9 (30:10):
Definitely travel when it came down to Brooklyn. It didn't
matter where you lived. We always seemed to meet somewhere.

Speaker 2 (30:17):
You know, we always coming to Yellow.

Speaker 10 (30:20):
Yes, you know, you know Brooklyn people though I you
know Brooklyn, at least the Brooklyn then you know that
it's changed considerably, uh, from from when we all grew
up there, Like things that were just staples in our
lives and in our you know, in.

Speaker 2 (30:37):
The architecture and buildings and stuff is just totally totally
different now. But I know we still represent.

Speaker 10 (30:45):
Yeah, none of that, None of that is there though.

Speaker 2 (30:48):
Fulton and Franklin looks nothing.

Speaker 10 (30:49):
I mean, Fulton and Detail, Downtown on Glass not at
all like it, not at all when we were you know,
growing up. But I again, like you said, there was
a feel there was a pulse to Brooklyn nights. You know,
no no shade to the Manhattan nights or the Bronx Heights,
but there was a pulse, a certain pulse, uh, and

(31:12):
that we felt from people in Brooklyn. And then no
matter where I go and you run into somebody from Brooklyn.

Speaker 7 (31:18):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (31:18):
I just I was just in Dja's last.

Speaker 10 (31:20):
Night, my husband and I we ran into somebody said, wait,
from Brooklyn. I thought, Okay, that's why we're up in here.
You know, have no way, you know, because there's.

Speaker 2 (31:27):
A brook the millennial right that you get. You know, Yep,
Brooklyn gonna bring it.

Speaker 9 (31:33):
Brooklyn's gonna bring it every time, you know. And I'm
out here in Pennsylvania, but they know me. They come
from Brooklyn, you know, because I don't. I mean, we
just don't. We don't talk the same, we don't walk
the same. We just got a little We gotta walk
in and talk of our.

Speaker 2 (31:47):
Own, you know what I'm saying. Nobody mannimulated what we do.

Speaker 9 (31:52):
And like I said, being.

Speaker 2 (31:53):
Around Sath going on, that's it.

Speaker 9 (31:57):
That's it. But that's okay, that's all. Okay, you know it.
I know you've done all these various songs or whatever.
But but what I'd like to ask is what what
what about writing? Did any of the songs? Had any
of you guys wrote any of the music or the
lyrics at least because I'm a lyricist, So any of

(32:17):
the lyrics in any of the songs that you have
done throughout the ten.

Speaker 11 (32:23):
Well, this is this is Bonnie, and it's very strange
that you should ask that Denise also has written with
But but Denise and I wrote a song, I wrote
the lyrics and Denise did the music and it was
a ballad called Love is Blind, and Denise you would

(32:48):
did it on a drum machine and a case heo.

Speaker 2 (32:52):
I started out all my goodness, I was like, I'm
like the worst. Oh, I haven't had piano.

Speaker 10 (32:56):
Lessons since the first grade. Just just just put it
out there. But I had this little casio what is
it all of about twelve inches logs.

Speaker 2 (33:06):
Eighteen spoken of amongst keyboard.

Speaker 6 (33:11):
Players, what about it?

Speaker 9 (33:13):
Thinking about it, we all have one of them.

Speaker 10 (33:20):
But with that little bit of you know, knowledge that
I had, I was actually able to at least.

Speaker 2 (33:26):
Start a melody, you know, for the song.

Speaker 10 (33:30):
And Bonnie just came up with these really very sweet
love is Blind.

Speaker 2 (33:36):
It's the most beautiful, beautiful song.

Speaker 10 (33:38):
Actually, which was the only one that that actually we
wrote that got made it on one of the albums.

Speaker 2 (33:45):
Because at a point we weren't encouraging Salin.

Speaker 10 (33:49):
Randy to give us an opportunity to write as well,
you know what I mean. It wasn't at the forefront
of our minds per se, because they just wrote like
water basically, So it took a little bit for us
to really sit down and create this song. But you know,
shout out to Wayne Willins, our keyboard player who brought
life to that song, along with which Sierra, our guitar player,

(34:14):
because you know, I had to turn my keyboard skills
over to the professionals, mind you, at some point.

Speaker 2 (34:21):
But but that was such a rewarding really and even.

Speaker 10 (34:25):
To this day, you know, it was such a rewarding
experience from me and Bonnie to do that.

Speaker 2 (34:32):
And you know, if what that we.

Speaker 10 (34:34):
Had five minutes of time in our busy lives, might
we might sit down and think about writing body else together.

Speaker 9 (34:41):
Well that's a blessing because I know you at some
point you had to become that writer. And you know that,
I'm so blessed that you were given that opportunity to
take part and do that because that you know that
that was the thing right when you when you went
from one level to the next level, it was own
write that you would be able to write a song,

(35:02):
you know what I'm saying, on your own and bring
it all together. So you know, again, just because I
never you know, I've seen all your interviews and stuff,
I didn't I never heard about your writing and that
was prominent, you know in my doing this interview with
you I just wanted to know, you know, where that
lie and what song and stuff like that, because that's
really important for the listeners who are out there, who

(35:24):
you know are are singers and and and uh, they
really don't figure that that's something that they are capable
of even doing. Just like you said at the very beginning,
you know, oftentimes musicians and producers they take control of that.
So it was just a blessing that they allowed you
the opportunity to actually do your own writing because.

Speaker 2 (35:44):
That it was Solomon.

Speaker 10 (35:48):
You know, after Inquiry Solomon, we had collaborations. We literally
worked with. Each of us had an opportunity to work with.
I worked with Butch, I worked with Gerald, worked with.

Speaker 6 (35:59):
Wayne Willings, you know what I mean.

Speaker 10 (36:00):
There was this moment in time where Solomon kind of
opened the door, uh for us to come in and
try to you know what I'm saying, put something down inside.
Gerald actually wrote what was that song?

Speaker 2 (36:13):
Uh? It actually has some French words of French lyrics
in it, because yeah, I remember the name of that,
you know what I mean.

Speaker 10 (36:23):
Like there's one album where there are a few songs
written by other than Butcher wrote Younger Sister and uh Rocket,
you know what I mean, because Butch was always into
rock guitar so to speak.

Speaker 2 (36:37):
So he wrote a song called Rocket, which.

Speaker 6 (36:40):
Has that little more rock kind of feel.

Speaker 2 (36:42):
So you know, we we did have an opportunity to
do it and pull it together.

Speaker 10 (36:47):
But I just want to say me and my sisters
were so busy trying to get the choreography together. We
was stating that was all about we all the songs
we had we have.

Speaker 9 (37:00):
To show you. Like I said, you know back in
them days, you had to have steps, you had to
have movement, you had to you know, all that stuff
worked together before the good of the performance. Right, I
was going to the stump over and they've been falling
around from years.

Speaker 2 (37:16):
But Ja Law would tell you it much.

Speaker 11 (37:19):
Delaurren shall tell you about how we worked so hard
on that choreography like night and day, right.

Speaker 13 (37:27):
Laura, Oh yeah, absolutely, we were constantly. We were constantly
trying to come up with something new. We did a
lot of things like hand descriptions when we couldn't think
of a step. But then like there's some steps in
choreography that we did years ago to certain songs that
we've changed completely. And then we had two choreographers Douglas

(37:48):
Fraser at one time. And we had another choreographer that
helped us, t Uss, who.

Speaker 2 (37:53):
Was one of ours.

Speaker 13 (37:54):
She was our jazz dance teacher at at Alvin Elli,
so she helped us with a lot of the choreography
as well.

Speaker 9 (38:03):
Oh yeah, Alan, you you went big.

Speaker 6 (38:05):
You went big with Alvin But.

Speaker 9 (38:06):
That's and then you and and back in them days,
you would have had to go big, you know what
I'm saying, because there was just no short changes. You know,
when you're out there and you got all these groups
like the Temptations and you know, you know, it was
just noted that you had to put some kind of
movement and stuff. And like I said that that also
feed helped the feed, you know, the R and B

(38:28):
and then like I said, into the funk uh generation.
You know, you had to make some moves. You couldn't
just stand there. You know, there was a lot of
dogs who were just standing there.

Speaker 2 (38:39):
Solomon, Yeah, they were right. Idea.

Speaker 10 (38:42):
Yeah, Solomon came up with the bright idea for us
to actually take classes at Alvin Ali and we did
that for about two or three years.

Speaker 13 (38:51):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (38:51):
We had a body condition in the class that we did,
especially to the call me, uh, tour for heaven's sakes.

Speaker 10 (38:59):
Uh, one one needed to be out there and really
get your stamina up.

Speaker 2 (39:04):
And you know all of that, we were.

Speaker 10 (39:06):
We were kind of the fun clowns in the class
because of most people over there.

Speaker 2 (39:14):
Hello, yeah, no, I had to make a call right quick.

Speaker 10 (39:22):
Most of most of the students in the class were actual.

Speaker 2 (39:28):
Dance students, you know what I mean.

Speaker 10 (39:30):
Their aspirations were to go on and be part of
the Alvin Ali troop. Uh or do you know, dancing
in a professor modern dancing in a professional setting. Uh,
whereas we were just basically there to hey, built stamina,
be cut up in the class.

Speaker 2 (39:46):
And keep the instructors laughing.

Speaker 10 (39:48):
But see, we learned a lot about professional dance and
the importance.

Speaker 2 (39:52):
Of you know what I mean, being able to do
things both from your left side and your rights. I mean,
there were a lot of nuances up to that point.

Speaker 6 (40:00):
We're not really aware of, you know what I mean.

Speaker 10 (40:02):
So I really kudos to Alvin Ellie for helping us
figure out, you know, how choreography is really supposed to
be done.

Speaker 9 (40:10):
And honestly, that that is what I'm saying. We were
no nonsense, you know, as a as a collective when
it comes down to Brooklyn, and I got to say,
it's the rich upbringings that we were under. You know,
you didn't just settle for one thing or another. You
came out there with the whole whole thing, the whole package.
Because those appreciating.

Speaker 11 (40:31):
Right, this is Bonnie And this goes back to what
my sisters and I were staying about watching the male groups.
We watched the male groups and we loved the choreography.
Denise and I used to run to the Bushwick Theater

(40:51):
to see the unifics, to see the moments, to see
what she belling, the drills, to see twins plus one.

Speaker 6 (41:02):
We used to run to that.

Speaker 11 (41:04):
Think back, I took away back right, assume I do remember,
except for when we tried to run on the stage
with a cooler gang.

Speaker 9 (41:13):
We used to watch.

Speaker 2 (41:16):
So watch, that is correct.

Speaker 11 (41:18):
We yoused to watch these groups, these male groups, and
besides the harmonies, which we are so privileged to be
able to still do to this day, it was the
steps that drew are because if you're going to entertain,
you have to be the whole back.

Speaker 6 (41:39):
That's right, that's right, that's right.

Speaker 4 (41:42):
You have to be visual.

Speaker 6 (41:45):
Without a doubt.

Speaker 9 (41:46):
Oh man, I tell you, I'm just so warm about
this interview. Thank you so much. I definitely got to
give the time so that you can give information to
people how they can reach you. I just want to
give a shout out to Austen were doing his thing
and having you here and how about yeah, Peta Parish.
Thank you so much, my bro, just for just introducing

(42:09):
me to Austin. But yes, please give them your information
where they can read you. Yes, my brother, that's my brother,
God bless. But yeah, definitely give you information.

Speaker 10 (42:27):
Well, okay, so we are on Instagram as Ladies of Sky.
We're on Facebook Ladies of Sky. You can also reach
out to Austin Kwamee Wilkinson three four seven six four five.

Speaker 6 (42:43):
Ten sixty one directly.

Speaker 2 (42:46):
Our website are up.

Speaker 1 (42:48):
We have it.

Speaker 2 (42:49):
We have been.

Speaker 10 (42:50):
Privileged to have not only a Ladies of Sky website,
but we also have a Sky Banned website because.

Speaker 2 (42:59):
Everybody understands that we are really two entities. In twenty
twenty two. Well backtrack real quick.

Speaker 10 (43:06):
Nineteen ninety six, my sisters and I started performing as
Ladies of Sky and we did that up until twenty
twenty two. With the thank God, the blessings of the
band and of Solomon and Randy.

Speaker 2 (43:18):
Who made sure we had the tracks that we needed
to do the track dates.

Speaker 10 (43:21):
When Tommy, our drummer, passed away, we did a reunion
at Tommy's funeral service at the Repas and people were like,
this is insane.

Speaker 2 (43:32):
You guys need to do this and get back together.

Speaker 10 (43:34):
And then in twenty twenty two or we had our
first major concert with Sky at the Cutting Room in
New York and have had the privilege of working with
the band members Solomon.

Speaker 2 (43:47):
Gerald, and we have a new drummer. Shout out to
Larry Scotten, Larry.

Speaker 6 (43:56):
And who am I leaving out?

Speaker 2 (43:57):
Bonnie?

Speaker 6 (43:57):
Who am I leaving out?

Speaker 10 (43:58):
Sary? Larry Grat Yes, yes, grant Is, I'll keep our
guitar player.

Speaker 2 (44:06):
We did the Soul Trained Cruise this year, so we're
just so happy.

Speaker 10 (44:12):
And once again I just have to thank you Sis
for bringing us on, because we have had a very amazing,
wonderfully unique ride with this music industry, and with God's blessings,
will continue to be able to do what we do
and what we love for the people like you and
your listeners who really appreciate what we're trying to do

(44:35):
out here which has spread.

Speaker 6 (44:36):
Love and and and good vibes through a.

Speaker 2 (44:42):
Mother music music.

Speaker 9 (44:45):
Well, let me tell you I am you know, I
am just Google guy again. I just love you.

Speaker 2 (44:50):
I love you. I love you so much.

Speaker 9 (44:52):
This is my birthday month, and you know I cannot
leave this platform us without hearing y'all sing me a
hellottle happy birth Say if you don't mind, well you know, if.

Speaker 2 (45:03):
You're gonna give you a little kin't to you just
for you, your roso special.

Speaker 11 (45:13):
One else like you.

Speaker 2 (45:16):
Ad your smile, your personality.

Speaker 6 (45:22):
Her dream come to.

Speaker 10 (45:25):
You, give.

Speaker 2 (45:28):
Like nor so on selfishly so the wh wow, No,
keep on doing what you do, what you're doing. Hint
to you, Thank you.

Speaker 9 (45:47):
I would I was not going to ask y'all to
do your your your your your platform songs. But I
appreciate you. Thank you so so much. You know, the
listeners have just been blessed. Listeners, you've been blessed by
this moment, this precious moment. And again I thank you
my Brooklyn sisters.

Speaker 2 (46:04):
Thank you for they take me all the time out
of your Oh.

Speaker 9 (46:08):
Thank you so much for coming and just sharing this
time with me. But I have to leave the listeners
with something special particularly for them. If I was to
ask you to uh for a word or just a
quote or something to say to the listeners that are
struggling and trying to find their nis in this new
music industry world. You know, this is not like what

(46:30):
we remember.

Speaker 2 (46:31):
This is so new. What would you what advice would
you give to them?

Speaker 9 (46:34):
Or what would you what word would you say or
phrase would you give to them?

Speaker 11 (46:40):
Well, this is Bonnie and I would definitely stay to
those who are doing their best and struggling in this
new industry is to not sell out for the dollar,

(47:03):
all right?

Speaker 2 (47:04):
Very nice, and I want them to understand that you
need to there's expression, you know what I mean?

Speaker 10 (47:14):
Like people are in a state of mind where they've
taken expression, in my estimation, a little bit too far,
because some of the music winds up being very denigrating
and very disrespectful.

Speaker 2 (47:31):
And I'm speaking in particular to my female sister artists
out there.

Speaker 10 (47:34):
Many of y'all are putting out some amazingly touching and
beautiful and wonderful music, and many are speaking out of pain.

Speaker 2 (47:46):
I have come to understand because things.

Speaker 6 (47:48):
Are not like it was when we were growing up.

Speaker 2 (47:51):
You know, we grew up with.

Speaker 10 (47:53):
Happiness and roses and support, and people are not growing
up the same way these days. There's a lot of
variables in people's lives, so it makes them go through
things that we never have to go through. And so
and our music reflects our happy upbringing. So I would
just like to encourage positivity in the messages and and

(48:17):
and decorum and and and respect and and.

Speaker 2 (48:22):
Just put it out there.

Speaker 10 (48:23):
I mean, I listened to Spotify all day and there's
all these really great utiles that you may never hear
in any other platform, you know what I mean, because
the industry has changed.

Speaker 2 (48:33):
But just be positive and and be respectful.

Speaker 12 (48:38):
Yeah, this is dolorous. I would say, be true to
yourself and always think in terms of how the music
is going to affect your grandchildren and your great grandchildren
going going forward.

Speaker 2 (48:52):
M Yes, and that and that and that's a mouthful
right there. Yep, stay positive, don't give up. Yep.

Speaker 9 (48:59):
I don't agree with you on that. And I just
again thank you so much. The platform is the ones
test that take them to their testimony, and you know,
it's a spirit filled, uplisting, inspirational platform, and I just
want to thank you for coming on and inspiring uh
the listeners with your your your legendary attitude, you know

(49:22):
what I'm saying, And.

Speaker 2 (49:23):
And you're you.

Speaker 9 (49:23):
You're just R and B savvy and and and funk.
You know, just a capability you You guys bring it
every time, you know. And I and I just thank
you so much. This is an open door policy, and
I truly I would appreciate that. Just ain't enough time
to spend with y'all, So please.

Speaker 2 (49:43):
Act and and and regrow up and make sure that
we do this again.

Speaker 10 (49:48):
I mean, we're putting something together and I'm gonna keep
you posted for next May, which I think is gonna
be a really fun and amazing concert in New York.

Speaker 2 (49:59):
And so we would love it if you.

Speaker 6 (50:00):
Would join us and come out.

Speaker 2 (50:02):
And you know what I'm saying. We have a little
bit more time to kind of kick it with you.

Speaker 10 (50:06):
And again we are really, really truly appreciate that we
have had had an opportunity to touch your life and.

Speaker 6 (50:17):
What of our new sisters in the name of love?

Speaker 2 (50:19):
Okay, how about Dad?

Speaker 9 (50:21):
Yes, Lauren, I'm inducted and I'm so appreciative.

Speaker 7 (50:25):
Oh, you don't know.

Speaker 9 (50:26):
I love you guys. I love you and thank you,
and like I said, thank you so much. I know
you'll sisters and I usually on this platform I will
ask you to put pray out. I don't know if
you feel comfortable with that, but I really appreciate it.
And I just want to thank Jerry Royce and Positive
Power for having me on this Tuesday again at nine
pm Eastern Stanley time. If you wouldn't mind, if you

(50:49):
have no problem with praying out, I would love it.

Speaker 2 (50:53):
Well, here's the prayer we.

Speaker 10 (50:54):
Would like to extend to everyone. Everyone is going through
something right now. We're living in very very we're living
in the end times, as the Bible has clearly shown us,
and so what we need everybody to do, in the
words of one of those old songs, keep your head
to the sky because our heavenly Father.

Speaker 2 (51:16):
Sees what is going on.

Speaker 10 (51:18):
He knows what we're going through, and he has all
the solutions. He's got all the time in the world.
You know, we live a very short life and so
we want things to be better quickly.

Speaker 6 (51:29):
But he sees us, he loves us.

Speaker 10 (51:33):
As they say, he makes his son shine on the
wicked and the good. And so if you're inclined to
be a good person. Just keep your eyes on the
heavens and stand still in wait to see God's glory
because He will manifest himself in ways that people can't
possibly imagine.

Speaker 11 (51:53):
And I just want to add to that, always remember
he never abandoned.

Speaker 6 (52:00):
Us, dude.

Speaker 9 (52:05):
Beautiful, beautiful, Uh, just too truly a blessing again to
have you, my sisters. I'm inducted.

Speaker 6 (52:12):
I don't want to y'all.

Speaker 9 (52:14):
Dad, I'm pought this guy, y'all let me sorry, no,
but I really don't so happy.

Speaker 2 (52:21):
I'm oh, you don't know.

Speaker 9 (52:23):
I love you guys so much. And thank you for
finding it not robbery to be on this platform, you know,
for little o'd me, I'll say you. God is so
good and and again this is an open door policy.
Anytime you want to come on back please with your
new stuff, anything you want to talk about, just come
on and consider this your platform as well. Austin God,

(52:45):
bless you, Man of God. Thank you so much for
and making this happen. I'm telling you, I got to
give Peter some little pitt thanks for just bringing you
this opportunity.

Speaker 10 (52:57):
Yes, you know, we Matt Hand that fell in love
with him and inducted him into the sisterhood.

Speaker 2 (53:03):
Brotherhood. So you you, you are, you are in good company.
We are all in good company. Oh God bless and
thank you so much.

Speaker 9 (53:12):
Listeners, you just do you welcome. But the ladies of scat.

Speaker 3 (53:21):
You.

Speaker 6 (53:22):
God bless.

Speaker 2 (53:24):
All right, my baby, Bye bye, God bless God, bless bye.

Speaker 4 (54:00):
The testimony, The testimony, The testimony.

Speaker 5 (54:05):
With Paula Briony, the diva for Criday.

Speaker 7 (54:16):
I don't wattle your tune.

Speaker 2 (54:19):
Every Tuesday at nine he sends down to time.

Speaker 6 (54:27):
You are listening to the testimony with.

Speaker 4 (54:29):
Hosts Pulabrion aka D four crime An.

Speaker 2 (54:35):
In case you don't know what that stands.

Speaker 4 (54:37):
For, it's the finely inspired vessel appointed and anointed for
a time such as this. Hey, every Tuesday at nine
pm Eastern.

Speaker 3 (54:49):
You don't want to miss speaker promo now come on now,
promo now, come on now.

Speaker 2 (55:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (55:05):
And you dreams, Yeah,