The Questlove Show - QLS Classic: Bernadette Cooper

Episode Date: June 25, 2026

As the celebration of Black Music Month continues, we are revisiting a 2021 Questlove Supreme favorite featuring the incomparable Bernadette Cooper. Founder and bandleader of Klymaxx, acclaimed percussionist, songwriter, producer, and unapologetic trailblazer, Bernadette's influence extends far beyond the hits. Questlove and Team Supreme celebrate a career that reshaped Funk, R&B, and popular music while giving one of its true innovators the flowers she's long deserved. This is a timeless conversation with an artist whose impact continues to resonate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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means to be alive. I'm Javieril Chichariot-Ornandez and listen to Learning to Be Human on I-Hart Radio, Apple Podcasts, or whatever you get your podcast. Questlove Supreme is a production of I-Heart Radio. What's up y'all? June is Black Music Month, and every year we use this time to acknowledge something that really can't be overstated. Black music is one of the foundational forces behind modern culture. Now, back when Team Supreme and I were doing the Questlove Supreme, and now on the Questlove show, we've always tried to create a space for those stories. So for the entire month of June,

we're bringing you an episode every day focus on the history, influence, and ongoing evolution of black music. A team and I dug through the catalog and selected episodes that feel especially meaningful for now, conversations that inform, entertain, and connect the dots between

where this music comes from and where it's headed. Now, along some, Aside those, we'll be releasing four new episodes of Questlove's show, featuring Trailblazers, innovators, and cultural connectors, and visionaries who represent the past, present, and future of black music. I want you to enjoy this. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, what's up?

This is Questlove, and this is another episode of Questlove Supreme. We got the Team Supreme with us right now. The one and only, Sugar Steve. Yo, yo. How goes it, sir? Oh, wow. Um, oh, you're, you're, uh, shock that I actually care about your well-being. Yes.

Um, but no, I'm, I'm feeling good. Everything's good. So glad to be here with Team Supreme and Burner and death. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's going to be great. Yeah.

Yeah. Uh, Fon Ticole. You're with Kellyanne. Yeah, man. I'm good, brother. I'm over here chilling. Fighting for his, uh, his, his rights and his master's. Listen.

Or as we call it in the music business, Wednesday. That's hard. Ha! Ha! Ha! whatever. I feel you. I feel you. Uh, and, and our, our, uh, diva that needs left to. Yeah. Oh.

Nice call back. That was good. That was good. That was good. That was one of my favorites. How's it going? It's good. I'm mad we ain't doing no roll call because I'm just, I could, we were doing a roll call right now. I would really cool this. I'm just, I know, man. We're going to, by, by the time, hopefully someone will invent a system that will, you know, fix all the latency problems or, you know, for roll call. Ladies and gentlemen, I will say that speaking of Diva, our guest today is probably, I mean,

she's beyond Diva. She's beyond queen. She is beyond legend. She just is. And I'll say that I know it's hard to imagine. I'm not trying to sound like grandpa. I notice that like all my tales of music starts with the like, well, back in my day. But, you know, it's really hard to imagine like a time period in which being in a band, like, wasn't like a novel idea.

And, you know, a lot can happen in 35 years. Yes. We're not living in the age of the solo act. And, you know, a lot of these acts are chasing perfection. We're pre-recorded tracks. But, I mean, there was a time in history where, you know, where collaboration, was key. Magic came in numbers and it was a thing

to see, you know, to watch people as a unit kick ass. And I will say that our guest really personifies that, you know, the band that she established in the late 70s known as climax was pretty much, you know, I'll say that kind of sort of anomaly consisting of badass women playing instruments, which, you know, I had to say that again, like, the fact that that's a novelty shows you like the sad state of where we are right now and music. But, you know, this particular band, you know, the hits were a plenty.

One of the best puns in music, you know, men all pause. The anthemic, don't mess with me anthem, a meeting in the ladies' room, not to mention. Because I'm not in the mood. Yeah. in the forever prom anthem from my era I miss you so many hits

so many hits the name sexy Divas Need Love 2 and everything Not to mention her work as a producer with Cheryl Lynn Paul Abdul Matt Metler Shalimar And I can't wait until we start

Talk about Madam X Madam X Madam X is probably the most expensive record I ever purchased on eBay This is before I knew that you could rip songs

off of YouTube So Anyway, Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to our show The one and only The legendary diva of all divas Bernateette Cooper to Quest Love Supreme

Hey, man, ma'am Hello. Hello there. Hi, Quest. Yo, I noticed something. When a microphone is present, I cannot whistle. My whistles is on.

Is that you trying to do? I was trying to whistle when it was just like, like blowing kisses at us. Yeah. Anyway, so Ms. Cooper, how are you today?

How's it going? I'm doing well. It's an honor, honor to be here with all of you. Thank you. What part of the world are you in right now? Right now I'm in Westchester. Right now.

My studio is here. Not your Westchester. She and my Westchester. Oh, there's a Westchester, California. Yes, yeah. I was like, yo, you're down the block? Yeah. Okay.

I thought you were in New York. I'm not my studio out here. working. Jerry Brown told me to say hello. The legendary Jerry Brown? Yeah. Oh, the engineer Jerry Brown? Yes, yes. Is it Christmas in his studio right now?

That guy's name keeps coming up. Yeah. He told me to say you, hello. He just actually, he was here working in my studio. I have a mixing room. And he just did. He worked on John Legend. Yeah, his Christmas out.

Yeah, Jerry's world famous for his, his Christmas decorations in the studio. Yes. He just talked about him. Yes. mood lamps and his lights and his candles and he brings the sexy he does okay I've never heard his designs described

the sexy like he always brought the cheerful and when we're there it's like it's Christmas I feel like I should be you know bringing in a gift or whatever but exactly yeah you know uh of course being on the show puts us in the position of always having access to a lot of the acts that we grew up on that we feel that haven't been praised enough for haven't gotten that much attention.

And what was weird is that I work at 30 Rockafelop Plaza, which I consider sort of like a university for comedy. That's where like Seth Myers and the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Saturday Night Live and all these legendary New York shows are shot. And whenever Saturday Night Live is in season, I'm usually there to watch tapings of the show. And this year was like really something special in which just out of nowhere they did this really awesome sketch. Yes.

Based on the ladies' room. I was hoping you was going to where I could follow. Yes. You know what? It's actually the second one. The first one, Hallie Berry. Hallie Barry, right. Yeah.

Right. Yeah. I totally. I remember I was laughing because it was so authentic and so on point. Yeah. I was, you know, the audience was laughing, but I was laughing like it was funny and I knew the reference point. Yeah. You know, whereas I think half the audience who was like millennials and Gen Z would just thought like, oh, they're doing some crazy 80s thing that we don't get the reference.

And I remember grilling Steve Higgins, who's sort of like Jimmy's. sidekick on the Tonight Show, he runs Saturday Night Live. And I just grilled him like, yo, like, you guys did such a deep cut inside joke that, like, who in your audience do you think were really remember like climax in the very specifics of like, you know, Cecily Strong playing the Bernadette Cooper role? Right. And Leslie played. Like, it was, it was so on point. I was really impressed. And I wanted to meet the writers.

And they were just like, you know, we, we like music too. We go outside the box. Even though they were young writers, I was really impressed that they gave you guys, like, really a really good shout out for your legacy. Like, that sketch is going to go, you know, down. I feel like that will be on their sizzle reel way down the line. Yeah, it was great when I started.

It was, you know, I watched Saturday Night Live every night, every Saturday night. Yeah. And to sit there in bed, you know, you got your popcorn, and all of a sudden, bam. It's like, oh, wow, it was great, it was a great honor. And you didn't know it was coming. That's awesome.

Isn't that good from a licensing perspective too, right? Like when they do something like that, Bernadette, is it good for you for real? Sometimes, you know, when royalty time comes, you know, then I would really know. Sometimes it is and sometimes, you know. Sometimes it just spark sales because people are like. And I don't call them up and go, hey, where's my check? I don't do that. I just kind of enjoy the moment and, you know, I'm honored.

Yeah, I think, like when it's done in parody, it's not the same. same as like clearing a sample. Wow. They're kind of, parody laws that, but I think they actually did meet and in the ladies room. They did, right?

They did the, uh-oh. Yeah. So it's just, it's like a standard payment thing. But hopefully that'll plant seeds with, you know,

with an audience and they'll do the research. And they'll find the record. And then that week it should have went up. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. And that's how, that's how legends are made.

And promoters will, we'll remember that we're here. Yes. Oh, wow. think about that. So many questions about that. So I would like to know because I really don't, you know, besides like the occasional

coverage and like write-on magazine, shout out to Cynthia Horner. Oh. I really don't know. I mean, there's not, there haven't been that much in-depth interviews with you guys, even though you guys were doing the numbers. You guys were like doing massive pop

hits. So I'm glad that we finally have this chance to talk to you. Thank you. Were you born in Los Angeles? Yes, I was born in Los Angeles, lived in Compton, Inglewood, Hollywood, grew up in mainly, you know, after high school, I moved to the Hollywood area,

and I lived there in Beachwood Canyon and did all of that. So, yes, Los Angeles. Then I moved to New York for 10 years, now and back, yeah. Can you tell us, can you tell me what your first musical memory was? Wow. When you say musical, memory like band that I.

No, just from as a baby. Like what like the very first musical memory as a child. Aretha, of course. You know, and Aretha Franklin was my, was my, played in my household when there was happy times, when they were sad times. So Rita was a person that I used to listen to and follow her lyrics and her and her vocal movements and her hooks. And it made me a better.

writer by the Aretha Franklin songs. And then, of course, moving on, Diodato. Remember Diodato? Yeah. It was a little bit of all those guys, Jeff Beck. You know, I really got into that scene and kind of in the high school,

junior high school era. But, yeah, I would say Aretha Franklin. What was your, what was the family record collection like in your household? It's actually a two-parter. What was the, What was the established records that were in your house? But then I want to know what was the album that you purchased with your own money?

Like, this is something I want out of your parents' range. Aretha Gladys, you know, Ray Charles, that was the songs that would be being played in my house. So when I went out about were songs, like, as I said, the Odettos, the, I got really into the Ike and Tina Turner. I really love them. You know, it's not really much. When I look back, I had a range of people that I really, really love. Michael Henderson,

all those kind of people are the people I used to come home from high school and listen to. In your household, were you, like, did you have other siblings? Like, how was this music passed down? It was like older cousins or older siblings that put you on to it? No, I didn't really have a musical household, you know, other than the songs I just mentioned that were played, you know, which was Eitha. I got more into it when I was in,

went to church. And then my, yeah, and then as far as playing the drums is concerned, my mom married the preacher and he had a drum set. And I started practicing every day. Ooh, story.

Yeah. Oh, drama. And, and I started practicing every day. And I taught myself how to play drums. Why the drums? Because they were there.

I mean, really, it wasn't like, It wasn't like a passion or a love. I want to play the drum. They happened to be there and I kind of geared towards it. And my brother started playing the bass and we were together in the garage practicing every day. And he probably made me a more powerful drummer because he really pushed me, you know.

And then we played in the church band. And that's my early beginning musical life. Then, of course, created a group called Blue Ice, which was in junior high school. with Michael Northlead. You know Michael Northlead, right? I know this name. Yeah, keep a keyboard player. He's a keyboard player.

Chuckie Booker, Chuckie Booker, Michael Northfleet, all those guys are kind of like that same vibe. So I started a band in junior high school called Blue Ice, the horn section. They had a guy like James Brown, who we won all the contests because he was James Brown. Then we had a girl drummer.

Oh, no. We won everything. So you were always in those battle the band things in high school in junior high. Yes. Yes. And you were always in diverse bands too. Yes. I'm kind of diverse bands. And then I took a love in high school. I started learning how to write because I'm really kind of a musician who plays by ear. And I create by ear. And I kind of hear it in my head and I play it. And I learned how to play read music in high school. And that's where the early beginnings were started. An I-Hart Radio experience, weekend gold tickets to Ilsoniq. One, two, three, out Montreal with Dom Dalla, Chris Lakin friends,

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I like watching it with my dad. It's a connecting force. From Futuro Studios, I'm Fernanda and Chavari, and this is American Football, a show about soccer culture in the U.S. and its underdog roots. We go beyond the game to the people and the stories that make it great. A soccer game is a festival.

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As we get ready for the Men's World Cup this summer, listen to American Football as part of the My Culture Podcast Network, available on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Hoda Kotby, host of the podcast, Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby. Okay, if you know me, you know this. I'm always searching for inspiration, for support, and useful tools to help maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover all of that together.

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radio we're going to make the ordinary, extraordinary. Stay close. It is a carac. Listen to learning to be human on IHard Radio, Apple Podcasts, or whatever you get your podcast. Even back then, did you have a yearning or did you feel that there was a need for a band of all women? Because I think by that point, when I was a kid, the only band that I saw that had. like women playing an equal role in the instrumentation. I mean, besides I'm the family stone, which, you know,

it was kind of mind-blown for people to see like a trumpet player and a keyboard player. But I remember growing up watching, there was a Philly group called Ecstasy, Passion, and Pain. Uh-huh. And they had a drummer named Cookie. And I was really impressed, like, asking my mom, like, yo, girls can play drums too? Like, did they act like that was a novelty or was it just normal? because normally when you think of a drummer, it's always a man behind the skins or whatever.

It's very unusual for certain instruments to be played by women, be it like a trombone or like, it's like things you don't see. But were people making a big deal of that? And did you take advantage of the fact that, and did you play any other instruments as well? No. And what you just said is the reason why it came to mind that there was a void. You know, one day, you know, just in my young mind,

I said, wow, there's not a lot of female musicians. I said, it would be great to create an all-girl band. And then watching LaBelle, really, really. I love LaBelle, okay? And I watched them, and I saw the excitement that everybody had when these girls got on stage. And, you know, I'm one of those kind of people who cry when I see things that are so unusual that, you know, and they would just move me. And I said one day it would be great to put together an all-girl band.

And I mean, people ask me this question all the time. I don't really have an incredible answer other than that I think it was meant to be. And I just kind of came to me. And this little young girl who had this idea started checking the yellow pages. Remember the yellow pages back in the day? Yes. And trying to look for other musicians calling radio, record labels and asking them, hey, would you guys be interested in an all-girl band?

You know? And finally one record company said, yes, we would be. I have an idea. That's how it started. Wait a minute. That's how you got into the, because we have a billion questions about Dick Griffey. But that's how that started. No, no, not Dick Griffey yet.

Oh, okay. This is another label. This was another label. And another lady, it was a lady by the name of, who was the A&R person at this particular Sal. I forgot the name of the record. Was it Sal's? Sal Watts radio record label.

Anyway, she was the ANR person. She says, come, I want to meet with you about this concept that you have. So we met. And she says, I'm interested. Really? Her and I together, she and the record label funded my idea for a while. And I started looking for girls through the recycler paper. I started rehearsing these girls.

And I turned a studio in Englewood, which I have great stories about it. Yeah, because I was like then you was a fan and then it's circle back. I love it. Yeah, yeah. And I turned to studio and I started like, she really kind of funded this. I don't know. She was coming up with the money to help me with this idea. And I said, I have a great name for the band.

She said, let me know what the band is. I said, Climax. She says, I love it. Spell with the K, L-Y-M-A-X. She says, I love the whole concept of it. And that's how, you know, that's how the seed was planted. And then from there, we went on. Damn, we not to back up a little bit.

Okay. Because also a recurring theme on the show are tales from the Ike Turner Studio. Oh, my gosh. We've had some nice ones from Charlie Wilson about Stevie Wonder. So. Violic studios. Yes. If the walls could talk.

Yeah. What was happening at that studio? You know, I would pipe, he would peek in every once in a while at the rehearsing. You know, we weren't that good. No, we didn't really get good to later on in life, but we were playing and we were trying and we were dedicated. So he would peep in and he had a bodyguard at that time. I forgot the gentleman's name, but he took a liking to me, the bodyguard and we became

friends, and we were talking all the time. This is important. I'm going to get back to that. Oh, we love these stories. Yeah. The one time that I finally said, he came into the studio and he looked around and he looked at me and then the guy, let's call him Steve. Okay.

Okay. Not Sugar Steve, but she said, let's stay. So he says, um, he says, I want you to talk to you. Come into, he wants you to the front studio because, you know, the rehearsal studios were on the side of the building. So I said, okay. And the girls were kind of looking at me and I go, I'll be back. And I went in and, um, I'm going to tell the story.

We're not going to mess around here. So, um, I went in there and I came in. I was holding his pipe. He was getting high. And he goes, here, I want you to hit this. Right? And I go, well, I don't do drugs and I don't drink. I don't do any of that.

He goes, I said, hit it. Hit this pipe. Right? Look at that. Mary and Barry. I'm like Mary and Barry. That's how I happened. Go ahead.

I'm sorry. And he said, hit the pipe. And I was like, no, I don't do it. And he said, I said, he got really aggressive with me. He said, no, he says, you're good. He said, you're really good on the drums. You're going to go somewhere. And he goes, hit the pipe.

And then Steve said, man, leave her alone. She's a good girl, man. Leave her alone. And I listened to him. And he just, and Steve took me out of there. And he took me back to the rehearsal studio. Wow. I wonder if it was the guy.

Was it, was it, was it fraud in the West Love got to do with the movie? Chee McBride's character, Frost, that was like his guy? I wonder if it was him. He was kind of a big guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes, I remember you talking about Fonté. Yeah. And he,

he saved me that day because I would have been a different girl today. Shit, wow. You know, but I had to tell the story the way it happened. There's no way of sugar coating that. No niceties, no, like, hey, what's your name?

And it was just like, here, hit this. Hit that, yeah. Well, he gave me a compliment first. He told me I was good. I'm going to be a drummer. I'm going to be good and all of this kind of stuff. You know, I guess that would. was to soften me up a little bit.

And I was like, no, sir. You know, I was very respectful. And I said, I said, I know, sir. I don't, I don't do drugs. I don't, I don't want to do that. Oh, thank God. I'm tripping because in a 2021, America, like, Ike Turner would not have existed with his studio,

it being successful, people going to it, and him being able to say that to you. Like, oh no, it would exist. It's still going on. Yeah, I was going to say, Laya, I'm sad to say that probably, yes, it's still going on. It's still going on. I mean, look at the, look at all the entertainers who are dying, you know.

That's true. There's still a culture. There's a drug thing. It is a drug culture, yes. We just don't know it because we're not in it. I meant the misogynistic part of that, the way he approached you and everything. It still happens. It still happens.

I was going to say, how hard is it to be taken? seriously in a time in which the even the idea of being a musician, a female musician, is such a rarity. Like, how are you able to be taken seriously where it's just like, no, I'm not messing with Bernadette Cooper? You know, in the beginning. Or did you have to invent that character that we know? Because you have this, don't mess with me, sort of stance with you.

Well, I do have an El Cesar. You know, and that would be my alter ego. The real Bernadne of Cooper is very shy and very, I'm a recluse. And I'm really kind of like, in this character, I created this other character to get me through, I guess. You know, as I said, a lot of this stuff was meant to be. I can't really go, oh, I created this character because of this. You know, and it was also a shield that I used to deal with a lot of family, mental abuse and not really sharing in my dream.

So I said, okay, I'm going to create this character who's strong, who's superwoman, because I got to make it to the next day, you know. So I created this character and this character went on to work. She became the Slatling girl. Yeah. You know, and I look good. All that stuff is really about loving yourself. It has nothing to do with physical appearance, but you have to be a diva to understand that, you know. I'm just curious, if you believed it at the time or were you just saying it to believe it.

No, no. No, no. I was saying it from another, from an inner. perspective. I was saying, oh, I know I'm the cute. I was saying it because I had to find strength in going forward in this world by myself with my dream. So I created this character to achieve that, you know, and that character is still here. I'm still recluse. I'm still a recluse. But they still working together, the character. We don't know that, though.

You're right? Don't tell us out the sausages made. Like we, we, right, right. So, yeah, I was going to ask, you know, oftentimes, uh, especially in black households, you know, survival, you know, hook or crook is, is job one. That's what parents think. Like, get some of the fall back on. Yeah. Get a good paying job. That sort of thing. Like we, we're, well, you kind of answered it, but where, what was your family's feelings on you pursuing this dream? Or was it like, like, like, you got till the age of 19 to make it or else, you know, you got to work at the post office. Like, did they give you ultimatums or were they quasi-nurturing? You know, I-

Or were they church people? They, it was a little bit of all of it. But the bottom line is that they weren't feeling it, nobody. And, you know, I was, my plan was to go to law school and become an attorney and to do that. and they were kind of like all behind me, brought me a car and took care of me and all that stuff. But one day sitting in my accounting class, which was a elective that I had to take,

which I was sitting there looking at my teacher like, I don't want to be here anymore. I want to play the drums. I want to be in a band. I'm never coming back again. So I got up and I left in my class and I said, that's when I began my search for the all-girl band. My family was not.

Yeah. that was called. Well, you know what? It was, um, you have to understand that I was an honor student. So I got out of high school fast. Okay. Yeah, yeah. So I was kind of, um, which high school did you go to? I went to Compton and Englewood High School. I graduated from Inglewood High School. I went to Compton, my, what, ninth and tenth, my tenth and 11th grade. And then I graduated, my mother moved to Inglewood and I graduated from Englewood. Okay. So I got to know what, you know, And most of us here, especially us non-California natives, hear about Compton. Of course, we start just thinking the legend of whatever NWA was painting about what Compton represented.

Yeah. Until them. Patrice, Patrice Russian. Patrice Russian, I was going to ask you about her. Yeah, yeah. She was, she actually was a lot. But she was, and then taste the funny, they were out during that time. They were out during that time.

So that probably influenced me a little bit, too, as far as the girl concept as well. Okay. But what was your high school like? Like, was it a nurturing environment? Was it more Joe Clark lean on me, dangerous? You know, I have to say this. And, you know, I was a tar baby, a tar baby, right? That was the, the, their logo was the tar baby.

But those are the most wonderful years of my life in Compton High School were the most wonderful. Yeah. And that's when the gang started shooting. Finally, that started when I was in school, that started happening. The shooting and what was in the shooting and what kind of drugs was in then? No, no, no, no, the one before that. Oh, heroin. No, no, no, no.

Angel does? Angel does started happening. Everybody was. That was a good guess. That's where I got into the music class. That's where I started meeting new friends. That's where I felt love. Nobody had nothing, so nobody wasn't trying to act like they had nothing.

So that was a wonderful place for me. And then my mother moved to Englewood, and I was kind of all along, you know, all alone. I didn't really, you know, so I graduated from high school early and I was able to, you know, go to college. Yeah, not being from California, you realize how far those two places are. you don't realize how far those two places are from each other. What, Inglewood and Compton? Uh-huh. Just as culturally, it just seemed like.

Yes, culture. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. I think to an outsider, though, like, I would think that those schools were more closer to Joe Clark's lean on me where you might not live the end of the school day. But was it that dire or is that just Hollywood?

No, during that time, it wasn't that dire. She pre-that. I mean, remember. And it's funny, if you watch, I don't know if y'all, will you watch them? That was them, right? That came out over the COVID where they showed Compton before Bernadette's generation when it was like white folks and just straight suburbs. Yeah. No, it was, it was cool, you know. I think there was one gunshot and that freaked everybody out. That's why my mother moved to Inglewood. And yeah, and just drugs injured us. That's pretty much it. And the rest of it was like a great experience from it. I had friends.

You know, you're talking about a loner who made friends, you know. I lived in Compton for one year as a baby, but, you know, I don't have any memories as a two-year-older. But I do have a photo of me at a Crip meeting because all my cousins were Crips. So I had a bandana and a derby on. You could have been a clip. I could have been a, you know. No, I was, you know, they were trying to crick me up. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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From Futuro Studios, I'm Fernanda Chavari, and this is American Football, a show about soccer culture in the U.S., and it's a show about soccer culture in the U.S. underdog roots. We go beyond the game to the people and the stories that make it great. A soccer game is a festival. It's not just a game. It's your culture. I took an elbow to my head,

which cracked my skull. It is an American game. The Brazilians don't like hearing that, though. Are they the only ones that don't like that? Nobody likes that. As we get ready for the Men's World Cup this summer, listen to American Football as part of the MyCultura podcast network, available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, I'm Hoda Kotby, host of the podcast, Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby. Okay, if you know me, you know this. I'm always searching for inspiration, for support, and useful tools to help maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover all of that together. We're going to have these meaningful conversations with the world's most fascinating people, Like when actress Olivia Munn shared how she overcame fierce health challenges that she never saw coming. I've gone through breast cancer and then helped my mother through breast cancer, and that was more difficult. There's a lot of people who understand postpartner depression.

I was not prepared for postpartum anxiety. Olympic champ Sean Johnson revealed why she had no choice but to be a gymnast. There was something about gymnastics that was intoxicating to me. It's given me a belief that we all have one of those treasures inside of us. We just have to find it. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

My first guest is Paris Hilton, Shakira, Luke and Yerrin, Samira and Gracie. I'm so excited. On the bouncy bed. You have surprises? Many surprises. Welcome to Sweet 305,

where the group chat comes to life. What a f***. It's like a form of saying, like, oh la, my God, hello, my friend, oh, my brother. What a... Look, never I've ever had to with nobody.

Except with my my children, my children, yes. C, my amante. Uff! That's incredible! Yeah, that's the novel.

You're the only person I know that loves a yellow starburst. It's lemonade. No, I'm a little that you say, I'd like to collaborate with this person. This is Sweet 305. Listen to Sweet 305 with Llele

pawns as part of my Culture Podcast Network on the Iheart Radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts because their new star is Javier T-Torito and Andes everyone sees me as a football player but before anything else

I'm human every single day I'm still learning how to live with problems, mistakes relationships, emotions ever since I was born and I still have so many questions where do we come from? What happens after death? How do you deal with cancellation? Christiano or Messi Do aliens exist?

What is love? Real Madrid or Barza From everyday and ordinary To the deep and extraordinary This isn't a normal podcast Everything here is spontaneous, real and genuine This podcast is like a deep talk With your closest friends

Where vulnerability comes out Conspiracy theories end up on the table And goals and lessons are shared All in this life has a order perfect and all is just Wait, wait, wait, We are here to connect The Chicharito

Javier and together with IHard Radio, we're going to make the ordinary, extraordinary. Stay close. It is a carac. Listen to learning to be human on IHard Radio, Apple Podcasts, or whatever you get your podcast. Could you tell me what the audition process, or at least, what were you looking for in the audition process that basically brought, like, Joyce and Lynn and Lorena and Cheryl and Robin? There were a lot of different versions of climax before I got to. Thank you for saying this.

Yeah, I was going to say, I think there were seven women on the, it was down with the hot air balloon, the first one. I mean, even before that, even before that. And I was still in the narrowing down process. Oh, my bad. Go ahead. Yeah. I mean, even when we, you know, before climax, all the climax, it was kind of, I was smart enough to know. And I don't know how I got this knowledge that the girls had to be. certain kind of girls in order for radio disjointed the DJs to play our music, right? So I was looking for sexy, I was looking for femininity, I was looking for girls who can play. And we had a camaraderie. So, you know, first it was Kooley, who I found from another band, and she was playing with a band with her boyfriend, and I talked to her into joining us.

And then it was Lynn Malsby. They came, a lot of them came. It was a paper called The Recycler. where you could put an ad in for $25 or however much. And then people would respond to and call, hey, I play guitar, you know. Then we had Jenny Cunningham was the first guitar player. Then came Cheryl Cooley, actually. And then how we arrived at the climax that we are now, it was Cheryl first. And then it came, Lynn came in through an audition. I believe she came in from the recycler paper.

Then there were a couple other girls. in the group who I knew from Compton, who I eventually, how can I say, I eventually let them go and I found new girls. Joyce Irby didn't come into the group until after our first album and we had a contract sign. We already had a recording deal when she came into the group because I fired the bass player. You know, why I fired the base player. I can't exactly remember the reason it was a Cunga player and a bass player got rid of them because of some reason or another. And Mr. Griffey came to me, he goes on. This was after.

You guys want to get to that point? No, no, take your time. No, take your time. We love stories. Stories he never told before. So, yeah, I mean, Mr. Griffey, you know, me and Mr. Griffey, oh, I loved him. He was a wonderful, wonderful gentleman.

And, I mean, yeah, I mean, to me, I don't know anybody else's experience. But he gave me my first opportunity as a writer, a producer. And, you know, without him, I would not be talking to Quest luck. Okay, bottom line. Bottom line. Okay, this man, not only that, he would take us out to dinner and teach us about wine and my first taste at Escargo. He was a wonderful guy.

He would call me up and talk to me about the band. He was a wonderful guy. And he called me up, he goes, you know, why did you fire the bass player? I really loved the bass. I thought the bass player was cool. And I go, well, because of this reason, he go, what are we going to do now? So we talked about it. And he said, hey, I remember this.

this girl in Fayetteville, North Carolina, who keeps, you know, kept giving me, yeah, who kept giving me a tape, who kept giving me a tape and all these things. And I go, he goes, I'm going to bring her out here. And I want you to let me know what you think. So I said, okay, he brought her out. She seemed cool. Everything was good. You know, she played the bass.

She came to rehearsals. She was a nice girl. Everything was cool. He says, what do you think? I said, can we just try her out for a little while? He goes, no, we need to move forward. We got a contract. I can't we got to get somebody stable in the group so that's how joy

Sophie got signed all right so she's from Fayetteville yeah yes sir did you know that Fonte oh yeah oh yeah Fonte know everybody when I was a kid no when I was a kid I mean I don't know her from Fayetteville I was like five but yeah but I remember like all the stations around the station we usually listen to when I live with my grandparents back in robinson county they would always like when they played climax joints they would shout out Joyce and It was like, shout out. Joyce Fenerella Irving, Fedville. Yeah, she got mad love.

Yeah. Oh, yeah. And then Lorena came in one day from a rehearsal. She was on her way to, by word of mouth, someone said, hey, they're looking for a lead vocalist. She came in and blew me away. And she got hired on the spot and she became the voice climax. Is it always, okay, now I mention you that you, you know, you said you fired the bass player. But because it's such a rare, it's such a.

It's so rare to get memories. Fire is such a harsh word. Let's just say it didn't blend in with the concept. Okay. So I fired it. But was there always a concern or fear that if you let a member go, the amount of work that you got to put in to find someone that really fits a very specific criteria that will make the band work?

Like, is that always a concern? I was young. You didn't think about those kind of things when you're, young. But, you know, I just, I don't know. I wasn't thinking about that. It just, the concept, it just wasn't blending in. And I didn't think about it. I just was like, it's not working. And then Mr. Griffey was like, well, what are we going to do now? You know, and we figured it out. Did you start to develop your own band rules as you gone along? Oh, we had rules. Yes, we had rules. Come on, Bernadette. I know you, I want you done a good one.

God, you guys are asking me, I got to think way back. I mean, you know, stuff like, you know, X amount of dollars, there's a 50 cent, or $2, $5 if you get the band to rehearsal late, you know. You know, you know, things are fine. You're fine. You know, we, this is prejudiced

because that's another, you know, the original band, which was Lorena, Cheryl Cooley, Lynn Mawesby, Robin Reiter, and myself, we struggled. We were such a, unit. We were so dedicated in the vision in trying to achieve this recording deal.

You know, we starved. I was kissing the the rehearsal studio owner, trying to get more studio time. We were doing whatever we needed to do. Listen. Wow. These lyrics. Arc. Okay. Here comes.

Yes. Just a kiss will get you more? All right. You know what? A kiss. A kiss. A kiss. A kiss. A kid's guy is two hours. Ooh. Okay.

That says burning dad. So, four hours. A two pecs. And that's some pecks. Talk about somebody smack me. Okay, I get it. Those were really pecks. They weren't.

I believe you. Yeah, he was an older, handsome guy. Mr. Cooper. Mr. Cooper. And, you know, yeah, I don't know how that evolved. I don't know how that happened. One day he just said, hey, you know. And I was like, okay, can we get some studio time?

He was like, sometimes you got to use what you got to. Yep. Two pecs got his four hours. Okay. All right. Wait, you mentioned the legendary president of solar, Dick Griffey. Yes. Can you describe, because I also know that those not,

nightclubs, like the total experience nightclubs and all those spots that are on Crenshaw was rather legendary for a lot of those developing acts. Could you basically describe what like black LA nightlife was as far as like seeing bands and interacting with other bands and just in general? Like I came up in a time, my time period of L.A. pretty much the center of all the action was in West Hollywood on sunset. Right. Which I was told that was never happening like before like 1995 where you had to go. So if you're, if it is 1981, 82, where am I going to see like the bands I like and

where are you all hanging at? Wow. If you're not on Sunset Boulevard. like were they open to black people then back then or? I'm sitting here trying to search the name of this club that was in Compton. It was a club that Easy and them performed in and they showed it on their movie. Oh, in the beginning. Yeah, I can't remember the name of that club.

But, you know, I popped in here and there. There wasn't any particular clubs. I think the Roxy, every once in a while you get a good deal, a band happening in like a in West Hollywood. Let me think. I'm trying to think, where, where do we go?

But were you part of the total experience? No. Or was that like more of the 70, mid-70s thing? It was the 70s and 80s, but I was just kind of like, you know, into my thing.

I didn't really do a going, a lot of going. I did go to the total experience. I saw, you know, I saw the dramatics. I saw the dramatic. Oh, wow.

Yeah. And then, how big is that nightclub? It was, it was a nice size. maybe about 500 people. So established acts, was that the House of the Blues? Yeah.

Was that sort of the House of Blues of Its Day? Yes, it was. Okay, so no act was too big or too small. You can see Rufus and Shaka Khan at the total experience. And then Maverick Flats. Oh, okay. Remember that? Yeah, people used to go there and dance.

Every once in a while, there would be a band or two. You know, yeah. And then, you know, you went to the form, and then you went to the all the who was it the San Diego Jazz Festival that was a thing

I used to enjoy going to and sing as a young one how did the deal with solar records come to be how did you get the attention of Dick Riffie? We did a

demo and the demo was sent to many record labels and one of the labels was Solar records. And the lady there Margaret Nash Marga Nash got a hold of the

demo, went to Mr. Griffey. She was, what's the guy? I can see clearly now. She was Johnny Nash. She was Johnny Nash's X-Y. Oh, okay. She worked at Solar. So she went to Dick Griffey and said, hey, you got to hear about these girls. You got to see these

girls. You know, you got to check it out. She came down to rehearsals, saw us, went back and told Dick Riffey. Next thing we know, Dick Riffey was walking into rehearsals. I see. He walked in, and he said, he looked. He saw, we were playing,

oh, very tricky girl, da-da-da-da. He looked at us. He was smiling. He left, and he says, before he left, he says, I'm going to sign you girls for a record deal. That's it.

Wow. You were fine with that? Like, Silver are seemed like a logical spot for you to? Yeah. No one else was asking, you know. And it was the first thing. And that's what our attorney said, hey, not the best deal in the world. What other deal do you have?

You know, you get in, you make it happen, which is the famous Ron Sweeney. You get in, you make it happen. Ron Sweeney was your lawyer? Yes, we were his first client. What? Yeah, yeah. A legendary Ron Sweeney. Okay.

Legendary Ron Sweeney. And he said, what else do you have? He said, you get in, you get a hit record, and you make changes when it. that happens. You get to renegotiate then. Was it easy? Was it easy to renegotiate with Dick Griffin? Once we got a hit, yeah.

Once you got. I mean, not that I'm fishing for stories, but it's just like depending on who comes on our show, there's various degrees of Dick Griffey's stories. She says she got stories. I guess I could say that I'm led to believe that he was sort of like

the proto Shug Knight of his day. No. He groomed Shug. I mean, that's it. Shug was his bodyguard. That's how I met Shug Night. Shug used to be DeGrify's bodyguard. And no, Mr.

You know, listen, I don't know of anyone else's experience. You know, with Mr. Griffey. I could just tell you that he was kind to me and he was kind to us, you know? I mean, did we get this or that? I don't, I'm not quite sure.

but he he um he was there we were at every meeting we talked about things we discussed the men all pause when we did it he didn't want to do it at first you know he said i'm not doing no song about men all pause and then i had to break it upal men all paul the lord it gets real complicated yes my mom too thought you guys were singing about men or paul menopause well that's so did he that's like do you not know what a pun is people ridiculous so did he actually we broke it down and i was saying no it's the men all paused when I walked into the room. He started smiling. Next thing you know, the record was on the album.

I see. When did the rap come? Not the rap, but in the beginning. And it became our first hit. We didn't even know it because by that time, you know, there was a couple failed albums. We were trying to figure out what we were going to do with the next phase of our life.

You know, we were telling him, I'm going to go back to school. Go ahead. Can I, wait, I don't want to glide by these two records because it's two important. Well, one important factor with you guys working with Jimmy and Terry. But what I want to know is, you know, of the acts that were on the label between Lakeside and Midnight Star, Carrie Lucas, The Whispers, and whatnot, they, like the common, the common factor or the common denominator of most of those acts that were hitmakers of Solar was the production of Leon Silver. Yes. And I was shocked.

I came aboard on meeting in the ladies' room, and then eventually I found out that you guys had two other records, and then I went and brought those. And, you know, I saw like Otis Stokes and, you know, the cats from Lakeside. And I always wanted to know, like, why didn't you guys work with Leon Silvers, who was clearly giving everyone out, you know,

handing out hits like hotcakes at the time. Leon didn't want to work with us. or and or it could be because he was so busy, you know, or he didn't really express an interest in working with us, you know. Did you guys ask him? I'm sure some, probably, I'm not quite sure. I didn't ask him, you know, I don't know, Dick, I'm sure asked him, you know. I don't think he, you know, we passed him every day.

We saw him in the studio. He didn't really have expressed an interest in wanting to work with us. So he brought in Otis Stokes, which was like working with Otis and then was cool, but it just wasn't the direction that we wanted to go in. We were more independent. We were young girls, but we were like really independent and fun. Otis kind of wanted to put us in a box of, you know, of your typical, I'm your woman and you're my man and I'll do whatever you want me to do kind of thing.

And we were like, no, we don't really, no, I'm not doing that. I'm not going to do that. So, you know, it took us a while. It didn't take us. It took us. We had to get with Jimmy and Terry to find a voice. That's when we found our voice. They encouraged that.

So can you describe what I'm working with Jimmy and Terry. You know, like for the second album, the Girls Will Be Girls Record. There's really like great songs on there that just never really got the push. And I'm kind of glad. I'm kind of glad because it wasn't us. Still? Yeah. Well, you know, up into Jimmy, do you know about Jimmy and Terry?

Yes. Yeah. No, they came in with, they didn't do girls with good. There was, there was Otis Stokes. Well, I'm at the album. I know that they wrote Wild Girls, right? Wild Girls, yeah. Okay, that's when they came in.

Right. And they came in, they were sneaking away from friends during this time. And they were like, you know, it was all, they were doing the doing. So we were the first band that they. think they work with either us or the sOS ban i really don't remember you guys were technically first yeah yeah well mine is ice key we were in the we were in the room when prince called and found out they were working with us he called him up and they came out the room they said we just got fired well oops i guess we can start our new career now you know right that's how jimmy tells it too that's fun yes yes

and no hey it was wonderful it was like a breath of fresh air because here these guys who praised mistakes. Okay. No, no, we're going to keep that. It's a mistake. We're going to keep it. You know, and I was the one who was always writing songs, and they fell in love with all my songs.

They were like, let's do Bernie DeKoopers songs. You know, telling Dick, you should be doing these songs. These are the songs you should be doing because all of the, I know I'm looking good. That's the way we used to talk on a daily base. I walk into the studio. I know I'm looking good, you know? And they wanted to put all of that on to tape.

is that's what they started doing. They were taking a lot of my songs of putting on the tape and encouraging us to write the things that we really feel and we really love. So that's what they did. That's good. So when we got introduced to y'all,

we was getting introduced to y'all for real. Everybody else who thought they knew y'all. When that record came out with meeting and the ladies' room, the men all paused. I mean, because we kind of went to school with wild girls. That was good.

I mean, that was, I mean, that was, um, Jerry, Terry Lewis. that was them kind of experimenting with us trying to help us find our sound. And they got it. It just didn't hit. That's all, you know. But by the time they moved on and Dick was, he was available, his ears were available at that time to listen to the things that we really had.

Because, Jimmy, I keep down in every thing. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis encouraged him to open his ears and listen to the tracks that I was writing and the other girls were writing. and he was open to it. So we were giving them, he just kind of gave us free reign. You guys go do this album yourself by that time. An IHard Radio Experience, weekend gold tickets to Ilson Inc.

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at iHeartRadio.ca. Ilsonique in Montreal, every day you enter is another chance to win. I love the sounds, the buzzing from the stadium, the chanting from the fans, the announcers calling the place soccer, football, at home.

Why do I watch the World Cup? That's like asking me, why do I breed? I inherited that fandom for my mom. I like watching it with my dad. It's a connecting force. From Futuro Studios, I'm Fernanda Chavari, and this is American Football, a show about soccer culture in the U.S. and its underdog roots. We go beyond the game to the people and the stories that make it great.

A soccer game is a festival. It's not just a game. It's your culture. I took an elbow to my head, which cracked my skull. It is an American game. The Brazilians don't like hearing that, though. Are they the only ones that don't like that? Actually, nobody likes that. As we get ready for the Men's World Cup this summer, listen to American Football as part of the My Coutura Podcast Network, available on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, I'm Hoda Kotby, host of the podcast, Joy 101 with Hotacotby. Okay, if you know me, you know this. I'm always searching for inspiration, for support, and useful tools to help maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover all of that together. We're going to have these meaningful conversations with the world's most fascinating people. Like when actress Olivia Munn shared how she overcame fierce health challenges that she never saw coming. I've gone through breast cancer and then helped my mother through breast cancer.

And that was more difficult. There's a lot of people who understand postpartum depression. I was not prepared for postpartum anxiety. Olympic champ Sean Johnson revealed why she had no choice. but to be a gymnast. There was something about gymnastics that was intoxicating to me. It's given me a belief

that we all have one of those treasures inside of us. We just have to find it. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My first guest is Paris Houghton, Shakira, Luke and Yerrin, Samira and Gracie.

I'm so excited. On the bouncy bed. You have surprises? Many surprises. Welcome to Sweet 305 where the group chat comes to life. What a f***. It's like a way to say like, Oh, my God, my God,

oh my brother. Look, I never have ever had to with nobody. Except with my kids, my kids, so, me a man. Oof

Punch, that's incredible, yeah, the telenovela. You're the only person I know that loves a Yellow Starburst. It's limited. There's not. that you like you

like you say, I'd like to collaborate with this person. This is Sweet 305.

Listen to Sweet 305 with Lele Pons as part of my Cultura podcast network on the IHeart Radio app

Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. And it's a ton of exciting because their new

star is Javier Chi Tcherito Hernandez is from everything is going to be a

football player but before anything else I'm human. Every single I'm still learning how to live with problems, mistakes, relationships, emotions, ever since I was born. And I still have so many questions. Where do we come from? What happens after death? How do you deal with cancellation? Cristiano or Messi? Do aliens exist? What is love?

Real Madrid or Varsa? From every day and ordinary to the deep and extraordinary. This isn't a normal podcast. Everything here is spontaneous, real and genuine. This podcast is like a deep talk with your closest friends, where vulnerability comes out. Conspiracy theories end up on the table and goals and lessons are shared. All in this life has an order perfect and everything is just. Wait, me. I'm here to put up to be able to be able to be connect. The Chicharito. I'm Javier Jolandoz and together with IHA Radio.

We're going to make the ordinary, extraordinary. Stay close. It's a carac. Wow. Listen to learning to be human on IHard Radio, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Were you there for the infamous jam tells the story about the, I asked about a certain engineer that they had to fire because of them destroying the heartbreaker song. It was like a punch and during the mix town, the engineer had erased like one of the I'm Such a mess thing.

And then they just fell down a rabbit hole of trying to fix the edit that was previously erased. No, I don't remember that. Okay. You never knew that story? I wrote the song and I was there, but I don't remember that story. Oh, okay. Yeah, basically, like, one of the I'm Such a Mess lines got, Heartbreaker, I'm Such a Mess on the Heartbreaker song.

Okay. The engineer was trying to punch in, make an edit, and accidentally erase some of the background. I don't remember that. Yeah, and, yeah, Jam. I was asking about, like, a time when things went awry. just talked about accidentally erasing like some of the background vocals on Heartbreaker and them trying to fix it.

That's a possibility. Yeah. Well, they fired the engineer and I guess they kept that from you guys. So now you know, 40 years later. Sorry. But with meeting in the ladies room, well, first of all, just as the band dynamics, one, how did you whittle it down to? the six members that we got to know on meeting in the ladies room?

Through, you know, being in the band, you have the girls, and certain things happened. I think it went down from, it was eight, and then it went down to six, and that's the group that you know now. There were two other members. I can't remember why they left the group, but why they weren't involved in the group anymore,

but it was a decision that was made. And then we were left with the six core members of the group. And I think that was the reason for our success. So I think it would have been successful with those other two members or any other members. No. I think it was these are the ones that were meant to be. So did you, so do you remember the rules from that point that kept y'all together? They kept you from having like petty arguments.

They kept y'all from some of the things that other groups. Or how are decisions made? Yeah. Well, you know, it. Well, you know, it became that group thing where, you know, the vote, the whole group vote, which, you know, which was very stifling, you know, to me at points, you know. Because it's your group? Not so. Well, I just had more forward ideas.

And sometimes, you know, when you have an idea and you see things and people don't see it, then you got everybody kind of raised in their hand. And that's very stifling for a creative person, you know. So it was a majority rules. as interesting as you had the same hand as everybody else. Because even, I mean, I even think, I guess that in the roots, like an Amir hand and a Tarik hand is different than other hands, right? But was it, that's what I'm asking, was it a real democracy or was it like the idea of a democracy? It was, it was, okay, let's say this.

It was all good. And then when Joyce came in the group, a little bit of a power struggle started. Because for whatever reason, she, you know, she came from a military. base and she, you know, so that's when things kind of started changing from the, the group that we had that was all for one, one for all. Things started like everything became a vote because the, um, the vision, the vision had gotten interruption. I interrupted it.

Very nice statement. Very blue. That's very good. So would you say that Joyce was sort of the, because she was the last member to join kind of the outsider? in a situation where there was already an established rapport with the five of you? Yes. And she definitely had her own way of seeing things, you know, which is not bad.

In her own opinions and stuff. Yeah. And I was, right. And I was always, you know, one for all, we hadn't even got to a point of an ego yet. You know, we were, we were, I was about, hey, whatever's good for the group. You know, that's how I lost control of the name because, you know, Joyce came and said, like, I think we should all. be a part of the name of the group and I was like sure no problem I wasn't you know I wasn't savvy I wasn't savvy and I was just kind of like we're the band we're going to be together we're going

make things work and that's why the name was so out of control you know right now I wish I would have known better and had trademarked it you know so could you tell me how your personal life changed let's say to let's say three months after men all pause comes out oh my goodness where you guys were the songs on the radio killing it and you're on you know

the video's being played everywhere because I don't even know where men are pauses cross with meeting in the ladies room they kind of just listen we were preparing to go back to school Lorena you know she's always wanted to be married everybody was planning their life

because we, Mr. Griffey, you know, he stuck with us through all those failed albums. We were all in the car following each other. I don't know where we were going, but I think there were two cars, one, two, or maybe we were all in the same car. Men O'Paurs came on. Over the Christmas holidays, you know how everybody goes on break during the Christmas holidays? Yeah. After that Christmas holiday, the men all pause was in that. And the record company says, you guys got a hit record.

VJs were playing it. They were going crazy. And that's when our lives went on. Things changed drastically. That's the first video? That was the first video. I mean, we did the mental pause, first video. Then after the menopause came meeting in the ladies'clock.

Right. And with Louis Silas put me into the studio with Tavey moat. And we remixed the lead. And that's when I added the, you know, I had to leave my condo to come to this. You know, that's when I asked. Oh, you added more. Yeah, yeah. That was the remix version that became the big pet.

Even though I was a little bit, I mean, I was 12, 13. And again, like there weren't many in-depth interviews with you guys back then. I'm certain that there had to been comparisons like, oh, you guys are like a female time and you're kind of like a Marist date. Was that bothersome to you or? Not at all. Jimmy and Terry used to always call me. They used to compare me because my personality was such Michael Morris. Okay.

They used to call me Bernard Day, you know? Oh, Burn a Day. Yeah, Bernard Day. And they wanted to write things by character, because I didn't really know much about the time. You know, they were just doing, first time I heard 7-7-9 and 3-11 in the studio. You know, and I didn't really know much, so I couldn't really pattern myself after him. But after seeing his character and how much we favored there's so many ways, It was like, that's what the answer of when jiggilows need love to, I wrote Jeeves Nealov's.

Yes. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. I didn't even know Jigolo, but I knew Devas. Yeah. Divas came from an answer. That was like an answer. You know, I'm in the process right now. I'm looking on the song, hoping to get Morris on it.

I just think that would be such a great concept. And you're going to. He and I have talked to, please call him and tell him. He and I have talked about it. I've Sid them tracks. And he's like, man. Okay, I called him up Morris, Morris. So I have this track that I'm working on right now that I'm going to send to him

because I just think it's beyond, beyond. It's beyond just a song. It's about being entertained and how the public would love that. Yeah. A personality from a girl band and the girl band and the time. Yes. That's Grammy. We're opening up the Grammys with that.

Ms. I want to ask, what, you say you're working on tracks, What equipment and software are you using now to work on your music? You know, I'm pro two's. I'm pro two. And I write on the MPCX. Hey, okay.

Yeah, yeah. I'm an MPC 60, MPC, you know, 2000, 2000 X. I know the MPC. So I grabbed the MPCX because there's so much you can do with it. And I could travel with you can do vocals on it, even though I haven't even used half of it. So I write a lot of my tracks, which I don't really like to write tracks that much anymore.

because I'm lazy and I'm always questioning if it's the right snare or if it's going to sound right. So I focus more now on lyrics and melodies and content and vibe. You know, I just did something with Osalape. Oh, wow. Okay. Yeah, yeah, I called Believe in Us. I dropped it out, dropped it in the UK. And I'm focusing on that.

So I'm thinking a lot of tracks from people that I know or old things that I have. But right now, actually the track that I'm working on is an Osolade track, but I rearranged it, you know, so that it would fit me and more. So I'm working on concept now. I just think that would be such an entertaining thing. It's going to happen. I love Osanlade, man. That's so dope that y'all working together.

Yeah, we work together. Me and Osalada are cool. Nice. Can you tell us? Oh, go ahead. Sorry. I just thought about something. What?

Why did you guys pivot to Constellation, MCA. Like, were you still technically under the umbrella of solar or, like, or did you officially leave Solar to go to Lucilis and MCA, like, was? No, Solar Records did a distribution day with them. Okay, I never knew the story of. Yeah, Solar, we're on Solar and Solar did change. We didn't make the change.

We kind of got over there because Solar, you know, once the success of meeting in the ladies' room and climax became this big, oh, my God, after I miss. you it was over. Lynn Moresby wrote that by the way. You know, that's the biggest climax song ever. Right.

Yeah, that's a big, that's a huge. That's on music, baby. Okay? So she, you know, they wanted us. So they did a deal, you know,

and we went over to Constellation. Constellation was his deal that he made via, I guess, a distribution. Oh, okay. Yeah. I didn't know that.

So he owned that label as well. I was just going to ask you dropped two names that I wanted to know when you circle back and finally met them. What was it like? And that was Morris Day and Patrice Russian. Pritrice was just a high and by and I admire you. It wasn't a deep conversation like Tina. Me and Tina were really cool. Okay.

I need that. Yes, a lot of stories. So more, sometimes you have to bear with me because I got to think. That's okay. Take it. Take it time. We're patient. But Morris Day, you know, I see Morris Day. We do a lot of touring together.

I see him in and out. And the last time I saw him, he were in, we were in Florida. And I went up to him. I said, we got to do a song together. I said, we got to do it for the people. That would be such an interesting. He goes, I'm cool. Send me tracks.

All right? So I sent him a couple tracks. He was like, nah, you know, but this one's really hot. And even if it's not this one, somebody got to give us a track. And we got to do a thing together because that could be such a great entertaining thing. Yon is a headline a live show. Yeah, and Lewis have to do this. Yeah, they do.

I was going to say that. There must be a four-minute monologue at the end with you two trying to out-out-talk each other. You know, well, that's the song that I'm writing. So, you know, we'll see how it comes up. I'm going to have to reach out to Jam and Lewis and let them kind of hear this. And maybe somehow, if it's not this, they can come up with something. We got to do something. Let us manifest this.

Yes. It's happening. I'm going to leave it up to you quest to make that happen. You're going to do that. The people want it. I want that. I definitely want that. Yes.

Yes, that would be so. And I envision it. I envision it with the girl band and that's on one stage and time when we battle it. Wouldn't that be hard? Y'all? Yes. And Bernadette, for a couple of pecks, I'll mix it for you for free. Okay.

You know what? You know what? Don't try me. You know what? I come out to L.A. once in a while. Hey, man. Give me some sugar, Steve. Steve is a legendary.

engineer. Yes. Okay. She knows. I gave him the intro. Okay. Shit, I'll drum on that shit. I didn't see that happen.

For a couple of bucks. Yeah. I'll do it for free. I'll do it just with a cult. Yeah. Absolutely. I really believe that in my heart. And by being a so-called,

or visionary, I can kind of see around corners sometimes. I just think I have always felt that's a very strong concept. Yeah. And the people would be like, oh, my God. You know? It would be great for our demographics as well as the new generation. Right. So I'm curious to know with the success of where the climax record was,

the meeting in the ladies' room, what was your family's reaction to it? Was it sort of like, okay, you made it? Good job. You know what, question? I don't really have a happy story to tell you regarding that. I didn't really have a lot of family. I know it could fall either way. Yeah, I didn't have a really good family motivation.

I'm very self-motivated. And that's kind of beauty. One of the beauties of my success is I'm very self-motivated. I really didn't have my family behind me. Yeah, because I also wonder, once you found your voice and people realize it was so strong and maybe anti with a lot of these other female singers or groups are singing because somebody else, you know, writing it, whatever. How long did it take for somebody to now tell you to, shut up.

You know, I don't know. It's just, it's kind of like, I just move forward and I don't really listen to any noise. Right, so you really persevered throughout all this.

And I'm saying, like no family support and a strong female, you know, whole mission and lyrics. You know, in the beginning, God, I got some stories. I remember when Dick Griffey sent me out to,

there was a woman by the name of Kat Miller. I did my first song called Beat My Face, And Drick Griffey is like He's $2,500. Go on and I'm Got this girl named Captain Miller And I think you'll be really, really good

Without producing her, you know And she's out in Tennessee So I want you to go to Tennessee And work on her song. So get the song, Went to Tennessee, And the engineer laughed. He would refuse to work with me

While I was there. When I first walked in the door, but when I left, he became best friends. What was that based on? I think when people see the talent, you know, it's kind of like you can't, you can't deny the talent. You know, you can't, you know, and it's kind of like the passion and the talent. And I know what I'm doing and I enjoy what I do.

So I think once you get a hold of that, by the end of the session, we were cool. He respected me. He didn't have a, you know, I would tell him what to do. He didn't want to do it at first. But by the end of the session, he was doing it proudly. You know, so that's the day. Did you be probably in the booth, not at the board. Yeah, exactly.

So that's the moral. That's the way my life has gone, you know, dealing with male males in the studio, whatever. I think when they see the talent, they become, we become, everything becomes really, really cool. And they're appreciative to be in my space and I enjoy being in their space. Wow. So you're saying that them offering their two sense of what they think it should be and getting unsolicited advice, where it's not even asked for Listen, I have a clear vision

A clear vision of what I'm doing If I wrote it, I know the way it sounds Now, my thing has always been Is your vision or if you come up with something That's better than mine, I'm receptive to it But if it's not, you know, I don't really like to compromise That was one of the reasons why it was difficult for me To be in climax because I just felt stifled

Because the compromising is very difficult for a person who was creative. Right. You know, yeah. I just thought about something. I did read once. Was Penny Ford in the original? No, Penny Ford, Larina.

Lorena was with child. Okay? She got pregnant. And we needed someone to take her place because we were going on the road. And during that time, I did not believe as the leader of Climax said, That was a positive image for girls at that time in the 80s, okay, in the 90s. Now women are doing it, but I just, you know, that was a, that just wasn't, you never saw that.

Following tradition. Yeah, yeah. So, and it didn't seem like we had little young girls, you know, and were following us. So, you know, you know, rightly so she was married or, she, you know. So Penny was working for Ron Sweeney as a secretary, as a secretary. And Ryan Sweeney was like, you guys really need to take Penny Ford. She could sing. So Penny Ford came in and she blew the house down and she went on the road with us.

I love Penny. Ah, okay. Yeah, we talk all the time. Yeah, you know, she's, for those that don't know, Penny is probably best known as the voice of Snap. I got the power. Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah. And amongst the other things that she's been sort of ghost singing on a lot of...

Oh, Shaka mentioned her too, right? Like she wanted Shaka Babies? She was, well, yeah, I think the story was that Shaka Khan was actually supposed to do... I got the power and kind of she admitted that she dropped the ball to Stole Penny go. I just got it. I just dropped another UK track and with Penny Ford all over it. I love Penny. Penny is there's not many vocalists who can sing on.

like Penny Ford. Penny Ford, it cuts, it cuts, you know? And I always say with these, with these female singers,

it's not about what you're capable of doing is how you make me feel, you know? And like Aretha made you feel, you would pull over to the side of the road

or when I've got to find me an angel and you would cry, right? I'm sure he's at that experience, right? Well, she made you feel.

These singers nowadays, they can sing, and the apparatus is good, but it's about what makes you feel good. That's true. Even if you have that. Take a spin, hit the tables, or join the action live.

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Nobody likes that. As we get ready for the Men's World Cup this summer, listen to a American Football as part of the My Coutura Podcast Network, available on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Hoda Kotby, host of the podcast, Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby. Okay, if you know me, you know this. I'm always searching for inspiration, for support, and useful tools to help maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover all of that together.

We're going to have these meaningful conversations with the world's most Fascinating people, like when actress Olivia Munn shared how she overcame fierce health challenges that she never saw coming. I've gone through breast cancer and then helped my mother through breast cancer, and that was more difficult. There's a lot of people who understand postpartner depression. I was not prepared for postpartum anxiety. Olympic champ Sean Johnson revealed why she had no choice but to be a gymnast. There was something about gymnastics that was intoxicating to me. It's given me a belief that we all have one of those treasures inside of it.

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Stay close. It is a carac. Listen to learning to be human on I have radio, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. There's a question I always wanted to know the answer to. For the next album,

the self-title record, the climax album. Did you guys work with Ra Timperton or did he just submit the man-sized love song? No, we worked with him. Please tell me what was like working with Rod Temperton.

You know, Carol Bear Sager, I remember it was all, after, after the album, everybody was coming, you know. We were going up and smoking a joint with Carol Bear Sager and, you know, and all of them. And Rod Temperature had man-sized love with should have been a huge head. That should have been the biggest poppet, right? And he had his come in because he wanted to audition, who was going to be the lead vocalist on it. And, of course, I'm not, I don't consider myself fierce. I was just there, okay? Right.

But Joyce, he didn't want Joyce. What? No, he wanted Lorena. That's ironic, considering that Joyce's voice. Joyce's voice is very specialized. It's very Michael Jacksonish. Michael Jackson wouldn't have been able to sing man-sized love. Right.

I need a man. You know, you needed a man-sized voice. Okay. That was a difference between I had my, that's what made climax incredible. And another thing that made climax incredible is we all knew our space. We know, I knew what I brought, you know. And Joyce knew what she brought to the, you know, and Lorena knew what she brought. So it was like, we just really step on each other's toes.

We were like, okay, you come in here with your voice. It was really a cool thing in the beginning. And Ryat Timperton, her Lorena, and he's like, I want that big voice on it. So he chose, he chose, uh, arena. Was that initially on the running scared soundtrack? Yes. Yes. Okay.

So, and also, uh, I mean, you, you worked with, uh, Dick, um, Dick Riffy. No, Richard Rudolph. Uh, well, he, he wrote Man-Sized Love with Rod Temperton. Right, right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, I didn't see him.

I met him later at Tina Marie's house, but I didn't see him there at the session. I was going to say, when you began, came established, did you, did you have a click? Like, who in the industry was like your, did you have running buddies? Were you cool with, like, who were your best friends?

Like, who did you vibe with that were artists? Tina. Let me say, I would love to say Bett Miller, but that wouldn't be a show. Um, um, she's, she's just, you work with her though, right?

Yeah, I was going to say, yeah. Yeah. I went on one song. Yeah. Okay. Um, but we know, we weren't, you know, She just loved the song as she did it. Let me see.

Who did I hang out with a lot? It was Tina Marie. Mainly Tina. Mainly Tina, I didn't really have a lot of friends. Please tell us some, Tina, please tell us, because she has been gone for so long that please just tell people something about Tina. And I don't know how we became, you know, Tina had a lot of people around her all the time. You know, she was a people person.

So our times together were very kind of. Solomon was her and I. She'd come over to the house and smoke a joint. And we talk about life. She was so deep. Tina was no joke. Okay. And we would talk about her past, her life and the things she was going through and relationships and all of those things like that. And then one day she called me up here. Come down to the studio. I want you to be on this record. Okay. I'll be down in an hour. Okay. And then I call it back. Hey, I got this song. Come down. I want you to be on this record. Now when I call somebody and go, I want you doing a record, well,

it's $10,000, you know. My people call your people, right? My people call your people. Right, right. You know, for the moment, hey, let's go to Chicago. Okay. You know, those days you can go

buy your ticket at the counter. Yeah. Right? And San Francisco, let's go hang out. You know, it's not really bad stories. It's just really wonderful memories. Oh, I don't want any bad stories.

I wanted, you know, great memories or things that we didn't know about her that were great. You know, because she passed away so early, we never just got to know her. She was just, you know, Tina became my friend before I really went to any concerts of hers. When I went to goes to a concert, I was blown away that this girl was my friend, all right? I was sitting out an audience and she got up and played guitar. She came out and the people, I didn't realize how massive Tina Marie was. And then afterwards, I said, wow, you're really something special, right?

And we laughed about it. And it was, it's all good. It was, there's no really bad stories for me. It's got to be something made about her life. Like, she cannot be forgotten. It's just very interesting. You know, I can't really share a lot of things, you know, because, you know. Yeah.

I can't, you know, but all wonderful memories. I can't really think of anything that stands out that I should speak about. I know, I know around this time. you started doing like production work on your own for other acts and I gotta know like you're the history of you forming Madam X

Oh my God of which no I'm telling you I loved I was like ah not not like why did you give the song away but just that type of girl to me could have been just such a killer, killer, killer, killer climax song.

I didn't write it until I was... Why did you get that song away? Oh, you didn't write that? No, I didn't write in until I was, you know, I had moved forward. Okay. So it wasn't like you had that song under your hat before? No, that was a last minute song. That was written by, you know, I was on, I was working on the album. I had created the concept in my mind, first of all.

Let's talk about the beginning of these three girls. I still have a concept right now. I just don't understand why we don't have a three-girl group right now. I don't get it. Or any group. Any group. I'm a group. Why is the only guys?

What's a band? What's a group? Where's the band? Where's the two guys and one girl? Rap group. Where's the female megos? I don't get it. I'm not grabbing on to.

Why? We had a climax. That's a climax. What you're talking about? Right. Exactly. Real. You know?

Right. You know, I came up with this concept. of the girls and I didn't even have the group yet and I met with Sylvia Rohn. Sylvia Rohn was interested in the concept. So she came out to L.A. and she met with me. I told her about the concept. I would do this in the way I want him to look and this is how I want them to do. She says, great, I'm going to sign it.

The concept. I said, okay. So we did the deal with Ron Sweeney. And he was the best negotiator ever. I learned a lot for Ron. You know, and then I started formulating the group. I got the three girls who came to be Madam Max, started working on the project, and I needed this last song.

Okay, I'm listening to the album. I just don't hear, I don't hear a clear big single. And Cornelius Mims, bass player? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, Cornelius hit me up. I got this track, baby, almost. Come on over, and I'm on. You know, I got this thing, baby.

I think you go dig it. So I was like, okay, come on over. I'm at the studio. I'm at Studio Masters. He came by, he played this. He played this track, which was actually a back, he was working on the song and the song went backwards. What?

Yeah. He was working on the track and something technically happened and the song started playing backwards. That's the track. That's just that type of girl. Steve's going to talk. Yeah. Mistakes.

Some of the best mistakes. Yeah, shout out to bad engineers, man, all over the world. On all my songs, mistakes. I don't do the perfection thing all the time. You know, if it feels good, it's staying, you know. But so he brought me this backwards track, and he says, baby, you know, it was a mistake. It went backwards. And dad, I'm like, I love it.

I love it. So I took it. I said, leave me a track. and I took in and I wrote the lyrics. I got to tell you, like, it's, I mean, for, for 1987, it was a very unusual sounding song, very shocked that it hasn't been sampled or, I still DJ, I still play it to this day on my DJ sets. And I'll say that at least 30 to 40% of the time, someone will think that I'm playing. playing something like new? Mm-hmm.

Like, it just, it doesn't, it didn't sound like anything that was in the marketplace at the time. How come that project was short-lived? Like, did you manage the band as well? You know, you know, everybody's equal in poverty. And that statement comes from Mr. Dick Griffey himself, who I had a chance to visit right the day before he passed away. And I was able to thank him for my career.

Okay. And everybody started pulling at these girls when I created, you know, and a certain manager, I don't want to say any names, but a manager came in who I really was told not to work with. And the next thing I know, the girls had went behind my back and signed with this manager. And Sylvia was not happy with it. And there was a clash. All right? And things got really out of control.

And things got crazy. And that's what happened to Madamex pretty much. And they didn't want to, you know, let me tell you something. A lot of women don't like to do this with other women. A lot of women don't want other women's telling them what to do. They would rather a man tell them the wrong way than a woman to tell them the right way.

And now call that trauma, generational trauma. Yeah, generational trauma. And I even get that to this day. Women don't want other women in control of them, you know. And then. They want a man. What? They want a man.

They want to manage it. So it became this thing where they, you know, the guys were pulling them and then, you know, I'm going to get you a solo deal. And I just said, go. I'll put another group together. And, you know, it became a big, it became a very big misunderstanding and a horrible thing. And the manager who pulled them away, Sylvia wasn't happy with it. So it was a horrible thing. So I tried to go forward with one of the other members who, who, who,

now is passed away, but passed away from cancer. Which one passed away? That was, um, there was, um, there was, um, Iris and there was, um, Alisa. Alisa. Alisa. Yeah. The one that did the adlet, man. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, damn. They see, once again, once again, I, I love the beauty of finding your strength, your strength, your strength. Together we got a band.

Because everybody can't do. the same thing. So we had Valerie, who was that, you know, that Grace Jones kind of vibe. Yeah. You know, man, man, ban. You know, did we have Iris who had more jazzier vibe? Then we had Alicia, who had, who could sing, same, same, say same, you know. Yeah, so same, same, same, so saying, same. So I tried to do a project with Elisa, but the vibe was all gone now. But that's what happened to Madam X. That's the bottom. There was no, that's it. That was it. That's what What was producing other acts like a pleasurable experience for you, like working with Cheryl Lynn and Shalmore? Yo, hey, you know, look, I'm not even going to fall down at rabbit hole, but this is not the first time I've heard that sort of response.

You know, everything has their stories, you know, and I have, you know, with Cheryl Lynn, I enjoy Shorlind. And Charlene had a manager who just for whatever reason didn't really take to me. So I just remember, Jerry, Jerry was an engineer. That's where I first met Jerry Brown. Jerry Brown. He was with Cheryl Lynn, and he says, I'm working with you. And then, you know, Pebbles told him, he was working with Pebbles. And Pebbles said, either Bernadette or me.

He says, Bernardette. So Jerry and I have been together every since, you know. Wow. But that's where I meant. So Cheryl Lynn, you got, you know, every story has a little thing that comes along with. heard the stories. You know, like, me of people. I didn't need a people's.

I didn't know. Okay. And when she was dating Howard Hewitt. Right. Right. And I was doing this song called the entity sex that I wrote. Which was a big, which is a big voice record. You know, and once again, I have specifics of how I wanted that song to be, you know, performed.

And she had her idea. So she really had a big voice, though. I can't, I don't think she did she? You know what? if you listen to the song, she did a, we did a heck of a job. Okay. Thank you for that. She cried and, you know, how would you, it came in telling me, well, I didn't know

what I was doing and, but I got the best out of her, you know. There's been a lot of situations. Once again, the man. So you're, are you, are you demanding when it comes to your, your art and the people that you work with? Yes. Yes. Okay.

I can respect that. Demanding in the sense of I already, see, when you write the song, you have a clear vision, right? Right. You know how the melody goes. You know how it should be. You know what it should sound like from that perspective. I'm not mean or difficult. You know, I'm just demanding on trying to get the best out of you.

I'm just curious if you talk to, I mean, it's only a few, I don't want to say it's a few of your peers. It's a lot of women behind the scenes making music throughout the years. However, have there been some peers that you've spoken to and had like, these similar experiences because I'm listening to you and I'm thinking, I wonder how Missy, you know. Yeah, Missy Elliott. Yeah, like from her beginnings and earning her respect and then getting telling other women and other men what to do.

You know, Missy was probably, she came up in that hip-hop world and she was, who was her person who was, was it, Diddy, who was back? Timberland. Timberland. Yeah. So would you have, would you got Timberland behind you? Ain't much, you know, but I was alone. You was by yourself.

Yeah, I was by myself. So with Timberlian said, hey, this is Mrs. She's going to tell you what to do. Yeah, who are your peers in that way then, Bernie? Like, who are the other sisters that have been through the same thing? I don't know. I don't know. You know what?

I got a story when I was forming climax. I asked Sheila E to be in it. Okay. Wow. She said, only if it's Sheila E. In climax. Well, I mean, y'all both drummers. But, you know, she wanted to be.

But she wanted Billing. Yeah. But you know what? You know what? She's bad. Yeah. Okay. I get my props to.

Sheila. Yeah, but that's just a story. Nothing bad about it. Yeah, yeah, no, no. It don't have to be bad. Right, right. You know, you guys want to dirt. We just want the good stuff. We don't want to. You know, no, I got a lot of stories, but I'm just so, like, I'm protective of a lot of people, and I don't want to say too much, but there's a million stories. All right, so I kind of say this, not for last, but because I, I never knew.

Even though I know that that VH1 thing was on the air, I didn't see exactly what went down. Oh, but I do not know how Climax imploded. You guys, have you anybody read that recent Billboard article that just came out? No. About you, about you. What was it about?

Anybody right now, if you want to Google it, Billboard and Climax, you'll see what just happened. It just came out? Well, so it's probably last month. Okay. Two months ago. Did you hear about climax being inducted into a woman's songwriting house of Hall of Family?

It sounds familiar. Okay. We heard about it, too, when it was, and then I'll get back to the VH1 thing. But wait a minute. Let me start at the VH1 thing because it's a prelude to this. Okay. During this particular time, go ahead. I'm sorry. No, no, I want to know what the straw that was, that broke the camel's back that led

to the breakup of the, the group. Or for you to leave because I know the group went on without you, like good love and whatever the other songs were, but what was it like to leave the band that you started? There was power struggles and when you is very difficult for individuals to say, and this would be a better place if we were able to do this. I'm jealous of the fact that I put in equal amount of is you. All right? I've been in this band at the same time of you, but all people want to do is focus on Bernard R. Cooper. I'm jealous. I'm angry about it and I'm mad as hell. Okay. At that point, we could talk about it and we can get through it. But what happens with people is they start to nitpick

and they start to get in groups and go against you and all of those kind of things like that. which makes me being from a family of women who have attacked me, when I'm in a corner, I come out fighting for survival. So I kind of felt like there was nothing big major blow-up or fight other than the fact is I got frustrated with having to compromise my creativity for people who really didn't want me to be successful or wanted me to be. to move forward and life past them. So I made a decision after being, I would say,

that sometimes bullied or feeling bullied, that I didn't no longer want to be in this situation. And it was the biggest move in my life, but I just asked you because I wasn't happy and I had to move forward. That's pretty much it. And I tried to stay, but this particular member in the group was a treasurer of the group.

And I said, I would stay if we got a real church. and not you know we've gone we've gotten bigger and um this particular treasurer of the group i would like in the outside treasure i'll stay if i get my money and my things individually because i don't want this particular person to handle and they were like no wait i have a question so at this point in your career where there's platinum singles and yada yada yada yada you guys are still operating on that sort of level where like I'll collect the payment at the end of the gate. Like you don't have a business manager or?

Well, we had, but we had a treasure in the group. And I didn't feel good about this particular situation. And I was like, no, we need to go to another level. Because it's about levels and it's about vision. It's about growth. Everybody doesn't, sometimes you just simply outgrow a situation. That's pretty much what it is with climate. I just simply outgrew the situation.

It's like a relationship. You're married. Do you want to go back to your ex? wife? No. You know, because you guys are going, you know, because you've outgrown the situation. You know, it doesn't mean anything other than that. But yeah, we were still operating on that level. And this particular individual ended up being the problem who still to this day is collecting royalties that we don't know about. Now, let's get to the VH1 situation. So the group has disbanded for a while. And, you know, Joyce, you know, had to have. say, hey, let's get the group back together.

No, no, no, I don't, I wasn't feeling that. If everybody was going to make that first move, I felt it should be me. So I didn't go forward with that. And I never got a call from this person at all. And next thing we know, she was trying to trademark the name and it got, we found out about it. And it stopped it. But that's when the VH1 came in. And then after the VH1 story came in, in the, when I saw how people were,

was still very, very much focused on climax and wanting to do things and shows and things like that. We decided to move forward to do some touring. Okay, here we are, 2021. If you will, read the, then we got to. Yeah, I'm in it. I'm reading it. Yeah, without Cheryl. The headline is Climax members.

Don't say the name. Please, Lord, you don't like to look. Okay. You want me say the name? Okay. I won't say it. Climax members. Well, it's up to hear whether you want to say it.

It's in Billboard. Okay. You're right. Yeah, Cheryl Cooley. That was your quote. But, you know, so this individual has been doing all these and savory things, bringing our brand down to your typical band that plays at the local food market for $500, you know, and using the name.

So we tried to get her to stop, and she admitted that she would stop and that she would only go out because, you know, as Cheryl Cooley for a little, of Climax or Client. We have that on tape. All right. So then I get a call one day that all of our, all of our publishing on ASCAP and when ASCAP specifically had been changed or a publisher split, including Rod Temperton, including a bunch of people. All the splits, all the splits, all the writers share had been changed in to Cheryl Cooley's name. How can you do that legally? That's interesting.

Nobody knows it. Yeah, you can just go in the system and log in. It's easy for people to turn away from the farm. Listen, listen, people are not paying, people just weren't paying attention, you know. So anyway, let's move forward. Sony gets involved because they own half of that publishing from a public. So they get involved. There was Sony and ASCAP trying to figure out how this person got in and changed Jimmy Jams publishing.

Red writer splits. Climax, not just us. Why temperton? All of these people. Come on, ask cap. They got to fix this system. Cheryl Cooley. Yeah, Cheryl Cooley.

So, anyway, moving on. We called them. I sent them a letter. They fixed it. She changed it back somehow. Then we got, we woke up to, wow, Lorena said, because Lorena and I, we speak all the time. Shout out to Lovina, who's recovering from a cancer scare.

All right. We just did a project together. It's really good. So Lorena, she goes, hey, you got, you know, look at this article. The article states that climax. Climax will be inducted into the women's writing hall of fame. All right. And we were honored.

We finally came together as a group as being honored. Oh, my God. I don't, you know, we don't get along, but oh, my God. So we waited around. You know, a week or two, I sent a letter. Thank you. We're honored. Lynn sent a letter.

Thank you. Joyce in a, wow. No response. Finally, we got a hold to the people. And they were like, well, we're giving the honor to Cheryl Cooley. So we were like, wait a minute. Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. You know, in kind, wrote a letter, no, this climax, this group, no, you have to show us who owns the name.

Cheryl was telling people that she owned the name. And apparently this individual who's over this has some connection with Cooley. And she was dead set on giving Cooley this award. The Cooley does a right. It's the songwriter's award. Right. I put her name on. I put Cooley's name on Hardbreaker just because we're in the group.

We did write none. We did write none. And it looks like you guys are abandoned. Right, right, right. I've been in this situation. I'm trying to get out the situation. The one song that we did was never underestimate the power of a woman, Cheryl Cooley and I did that. Excuse me, the very first song.

But other than that, Chia Cooley is just not a writer. I'm not saying, you know, she's not a hit writer. Let's put it like that. And if you look at all the names of Cheryl Cooley. So she happily went up to accept this award. Right? So it was on such a big platform of Billboard being announced. People were calling me, hey, congratulations.

And I'm like, okay. So I called Billboard and I'm like, you guys have to give us a chance to respond for this because, you know, it's not right. You know, they didn't say we're given an award to Chiro Cooley of Climax. They said climax. And that's a big coming from. So Billboard, we did a, you know, we responded. We responded in Billboard, you know, to try to set the record straight to make people understand.

And also, you know, Billboard grabbed onto that ask that story because that was a big story with all the changes being made. So that's it. So I just sent out a C-Synthesis and hopefully, you know, because she was intent on going out as climax in the original climate, you're not the original climate. You know, so let's just hope that we can at least, you know, with the truth and music act. You can go out and you can perform. Nobody's trying to stop you, but you got to pay fair. And playing fair is Climax. You said Cheryl Cody, but that's what you want to do.

Truth and Music Act. Okay. Yeah. Are you familiar with that? I wasn't until you said that. I feel like I should be, though. Yeah. I think I heard about this with Dennis Edwards.

Well, Mary, Mary Wilson. Wilson. Wilson. Of the Supremes. Uh-huh. Yes. She helped to enact that law. That if you are in an individual member of a group that was

successful, you have the right to go out using that name to make a living. Wow. Okay. Yeah, yeah, but you have to be an original member. Shut up with me. You know, and that's why you see so many groups kind of like, you know, going out and doing so many different versions of groups. I was going to say, I'm just saying like a lot of climaxes on the internet. There's a lot of climaxes on the internet.

I'm trying to separate that now. And I'm really evolving into Bernadette Cooper and putting out. music, but you know, I can't, they're synonymous. Bernard Cooper is pretty much synonymous. So I can't escape it, but it is what it is. There's nothing that can be done about it. I like the presents, right? Climax presents.

Yeah, yeah. Presents the climatic divas. Right, right, the climatic divas. You know, so and when we go out, you know, climax is much bigger than just Bernardette Cooper climax is coming with the hits. So Bernadette Cooper has a whole, a whole other album, drama according to Bernardette Cooper. Yes.

So it's, um, you know, so. yeah so Joyce is going out with her concept Cheryl Cudy's going out with her concept and you know everybody's allowed to do it and the main thing is we're doing the hits and people are it's keeping the hits in people's memories so that's the way I look at it I'm not tripping about it no more

I really just want to my life there's just no ice cubes chance in hell that this can come to a place where you guys will just I'll say never say never, but I love your optimism.

I have a clear vision of where I want to go. You know she got a vision? Yes. With the second half of my life. You know? Talk about it. Which includes, because when you go back into the group scenario, it becomes that whole compromise thing. I don't want to compromise.

Auntie. I don't want to compromise anymore. You know, life is short. I want to be able to do it my way. And at the end of the day, go, oh, you know, Frank Sinatra, I did it in my way. way, you know? And it kind of like no disrespect. But, you know, that's the way I feel about it. And I don't want to shed, you know, history is history and everybody has history and everybody

has things they say about the members of the band and all of that. But I would never, it's all good. We had a great run. We created history. We should be honored. You know, I don't understand how they could do these rock girls alive and girls on. Listen, I was curious. I was like, Did Beyonce ever come? Does she know? Because that whole girl band that she had going on, I was like, I'm curious that she knew the, the girls in the band now.

The women who play instruments, if you're mad with that. That's what matters. Okay. That's what matters, you know. But, you know, not to, you know, not to come out of vain or egotistical or any of those things, because, you know, I'm just, I'm pretty even,

but I'm cool. I'm cool. I just want to move forward. And the girls are entitled to, use the name. And if anybody is out there and you go see Climax, teacher, and whoever, and if we're all playing fair, enjoy the music. You know, because, yeah, so when I'm long gone, that music could still be going on, you know? Yeah. Right. Yes, ma'am. And that's pretty much it. I don't know that's right. Like, when they shut down, I interview themselves.

Yeah. Yeah. And I'm going to, can I ask myself a question? Yeah. Yeah. Yes. No, I'm just playing with you guys. Thank you. I mean, you know, no. Oh, hey, say it. What's your own saying? No, I'm good. I'm just, you know, just moving forward.

That's it. That's a beautiful. We didn't talk about drama according to Bernadette Cooper. I'm about to go there. Okay. That was a question. No, I was going to ask. When you finally got to, that came out in 1990, I believe,

and you got to drama of Bernadette Cooper, how liberated did you feel in it falling on you? and, like, being your own artist, being your own voice. Oh, my gosh. Like, was it a breath of fresh air? That much freedom can also be scary. So for you, what was it like? Freedom.

You know, I equated very much to what's happening today, even though a lot of people, I mean, we're able to put out music freely and, you know, put it on, you know, CD Baby or whatever and put you music out. But back then it was freedom to me, you know, being in a band. And, you know, probably that's why the album was such a cool album because it was my first taste of freedom.

Wow. Okay. Freedom. And a lot of people was on that album. Lenny Kravitz. There was a, Paulino DeCost. A lot of people played on because Jerry Brown was bringing in all those major musicians. That's funny, because I was going to ask Lenny Kravitz and you went back from the scene of being in California back in the day.

Because I know he was a little younger, but I know he was out and about before he was supposed to be, too. Yeah, I met him through Tina. He used to hang out of Tina's other. You said you was going to give us a Tina story. Well, they come to me slowly, but sure. But no, I met him, you know, through Tina. He would hang out at Tina's house, you know. He was dating Lisa Bonnet at that time, you know.

So I asked him if he would play. He came and played. But he then immediately got a deal with version. Right. And records, and he told me he couldn't, he didn't want me to credit him. So you won't see his credit on the album. Oh, wow. Yeah, he played on it.

He played on, um, let's be the screen about it. That's Lenny, fully funky guitar, yeah. Okay, now I've got to revisit that. Okay, yeah. Wait, can you explain, okay, had the cassette long, long time ago. the Howard Hughes song can you like the way that your mind works like how do you even go

like what was I know that the whole that album elevates your your personality and even more but like from the beginning like who was the who conceptualized that record as far as really bringing your character to life I did I remember I had the free

I had the freedom to do that. And taking things from a song by song by song basis and looking at what I had and what I needed. You know, to, yeah, I just took it, you know, I would listen to the song of Jerry and I, Jerry and I did a lot of that talking about it and conceptualizing what's needed. Oh, you need something really funky now.

Okay, let's be the street about it. Many crevices is coming. Okay, what do I need? I knew something about a woman just, you know, who's looking for a wealthy man because that's the reality of the world. You know, women, women love to be, they love the security. So that's how Howard Heel's Sifcom came up. Yeah, that's how that came up.

It wasn't from experience. It was purely from, you know, just thinking about what's missing and what's needed. Well, you also mentioned Lu Silas, who, you know, of course, has had major success and has left us. What was he like as an executive? Oh, my gosh. Luo. Oh, going out on the road with him the first time, he was a point person who would take us around to the radio stations and things. And he got a fixation on Lorena.

So, you know, so we would go out on the road and deal with that all the time. And he was very, very, he had great vision. And he would have, hey, Bernardette. Come on down to the studio. I got a concept, and I want you to put a concept on this. I think, you know, just talk. I'm going to put the microphone in from you. He was very good at bringing people together.

And as a businessman, you know, Louis signed me as he signed me as a solo artist. So he was wonderful. He was at MCA. He says, you're one of the first acts I want to sign. And he signed me. That's what I was going to say. Like, I know, like, was he more of a suit or was he really? a music guy.

He was a music guy. Say it again? He was a music guy. He had ideas. He had vision. He knew how to bring the right people together in order to achieve a certain song, a certain thing on an album. Because, you know, after I

did the middle of pause, he says, okay, you got to come back with that same thing on meeting in the latest room. Because that was so popular. That was one of the things that people remember. I need that same thing on this particular album, meeting in the latest room. So we went to Larrabee and he turned the mic on and I said I had to leave my condo to come to this

you know and that's how that happened. Probably talking to him. Yeah. You know what. Exactly. Wait, how did you, how did you even know, it's so weird because, you know, if you really look at the character that you built, I mean, it's so, it's such a precursor to what, hip hop became 10 years later. Mm-hmm. Like, you are probably the first person I ever heard name drop, like Versace. Yeah, it's kind of cold. Yeah, names I've never heard of before that rappers would start just, that became their

birthright 10 years later. And diva. And diva. And TV. I was fearless. You have to understand. She is. And I was in, and I was into clothes and they started sending.

in clothes and I just kind of like I just kind of spoke my mind I wish I really allowed myself to have you know now you have to be a little bit more reserved because everybody's so sensitive and the things that you say you know but that's what age was for so you don't have to do those you know you know I even think about it I you know I because I even think about my demographics what they want to hear from me you know they you know and I don't want to continue and be a caricature of my old self you know right I was going to say, do you get tired of having to turn it on in a snap? Or there are there days where you just wish, like, you never had to invent that character to?

You know, I'm naturally a comedian. So I'm always, that comes very easy for me. The character is easy. The character is more easier than me being myself, you know? I could bring the character and I'm much more comfortable on stage than I am. anywhere, you know, so I don't struggle with it at all. I don't struggle with it. I'm working on now in the products that you hear me putting out is kind of the, the, the, the, uh, me, the evolution of Bernadette Cooper and me who has evolved into the woman and kind of like slowing down a little

bit so that I can perform my songs way until, you know, I get older and older. My songs will be able to And I wish I could do an album on Janet Jackson because I think she would be good at doing that so she doesn't have to get up and do rhythmation and all of those things. That's a lot. They'll be dancing and all that, you know. Now's the time to kind of slow it down

and go into the new you and your demographics will follow because they're there too. They're there too. They're the same age, you know, so that's what I'm doing right now with the projects that I'm working on, you know. One more thing.

It just hit me. Did you, at any point, did you ever consider the sort of going down the acting lane? Because you were so charismatic. You know, I never. You should have done movies. Yeah, and you had the face for us. You know, I've had many people come to me. I've even gone to auditions.

I've flubbed. Oh, my God. My mouth won't more. It's not for me. What? You got to have your ultimate. It's an ego, do the audition. I'm just like, you know, panic.

That's for somebody who has studied. I've gone there and literally couldn't read the lines. My mouth wouldn't move. I was so afraid. I said, this is not for me. I don't have a passion. I don't have a passion. I don't have a passion for it.

But you know what I have a passion for? And that's coming out. And here's a commercial. Yeah, you go and drop that. I'm going to drop that. I'm doing audiobooks. Oh, okay. Yeah, I'm doing fiction.

And I'm doing the characters with soundtrack and all of that. Oh, Farte. Yeah. Yeah. It's really, really episodic adventures. It's really, really wonderful. I love that transition. Yes, and I love it.

I love it. What is this coming up? I've done a couple. I love it, though. The newest one where I've written, I've written several books. I haven't released them because I'm creating the audio book from these concepts, but the new one called The Strokes is coming out. Probably in Jerry is mixing the last song.

Probably maybe December, if not December, first of the year. And it's really, really cool. Because I'm looking at our demographics and women now being a majority of the breadwinners. But we're busy. We're taking the kids to school. We're going to work. Then we've got to get off work. And we've got to go pick up the kids.

And we've got to come back home. And then we got to cook and get them to bed. We don't have time to read a book. So these episodic adventures are things you can put in and you can listen to on your way to soccer practice, you know, and come back. And they're so funny and exciting. The first one is the strokes.

It's a racial thing about a woman who's transformed by a racist white woman who's transformed. Something happens to where she has to be transformed by a black woman who's in her proximity. And she changes for the best. And they're all situated into a nursing. home and you also get the characters and because if you ever go into a nursing home, which I've been in a lot of them because I've been dealing with my grandmother and my mother's health, there are some old souls in there, some unresolved souls. And if you listen to those people who are 90 years old, they're putting these racist white people in with black people

and there's a lot going on in those homes. But it's interesting because you learn about the souls and the things that they've gone through. So this, this, this, This particular, the first audio book kind of explores that, you know, that pretty much if you don't take care of and resolve those negative spirits and those spirits inside of you, now they follow you until the rest of your life. So that's what this book is about. Wow. Yeah. Yeah, it's really, I love it. Now, that's an evolution.

I like that. Yeah. Okay. I've been talking to, you know, I've been talking to some heavy hitters about it, you know, Harper Collins. Oh. Yes. Talk about it. Yeah, and Patrick over at Harper College,

we've been discussing it for a while. And it's just so, it's such a new concept. It's not your typical audio book, that he doesn't know what to quite, we're trying to fit it into it. Because the beauty of it, Quest, is also the soundtrack is available. Right.

Okay, okay. Wow. I'm glad to know that you're still, having dreams and you're you're still manifesting it. And the fact that you know, you allowed us to gave us the honor of being your audience to really learn of your story and your history. Thank you.

You know, because again, like there weren't platforms like this when I was a kid wanting to know of my favorite groups that I saw on television. And, you know, like if you weren't in the Rite-on magazine, It wasn't like Rolling Stone was going to take the time out to give you guys the same billing that they would give like the go-goes or that sort of thing. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. Absolutely. Wow. Absolutely. I'm honored to be here really. And I did that you invited me onto your show. This is like really a cool thing for me.

Wow. Well, I'm glad you did it. Man, thank you for being here. Yeah. Ladies and gentlemen, the immortal, Bernard DeC Cooper on Questleft Supreme. Thank you very much for coming. Thank you. On behalf. Need another gerald band.

Need another girl. On behalf of... Wait, why do you have to... Sugar Steve and Fon Ticelo and Unpaid Bill? Wait, why do you have to say on behalf? Can we say goodbye for ourselves? Goodbye, everybody. Look, dude, this is my love, peace and soul, dude.

All right, Sugar Steve. Steve, that was a liar. On behalf of Fon Ticcolo, Laia, and unpaid bill. Bye, y'all. You got any last words, Sugar, Steve? Yeah, bye. Anyway, so goodbye, y'all. And we'll see you on the next girl.

around. Oh, my God. Yo, what's up? This is Fonte. Make sure you keep up with us on Instagram at QLS and let us know what you think and who should be next to sit down with us. Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast.

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Joy 101. It's a new podcast hosted by me, Hoda Kotby. If you're craving inspiration to maximize your joy, tune into these candid, uplifting, and moving on-air chats. Open your free Iheart radio app. Search Joy 101 and listen now. Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby is presented by CVS. It's that time to put on your jersey and Wave your flag, whoever you root for. Why do I watch the World Cup? That's like asking me, why do I breed? And it's beautiful.

The guys are young and cute and fit. It's not just a game. It's your culture. I like watching it with my dad. It's a connecting force. From Futuro Studios, I'm Fernanda Chavari, and this is American Football, a show about soccer culture in the U.S. and its underdog roots.

Listen to American Football on the... I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My first guest is Terrence Hilton, Shakira, Luke, and Yerrin. Have surprises? Many surprises. Welcome to the Sweet 305 podcast where the group check comes to life. What on? You're the only person I know that loves a yellow starburst.

It's lemonade. This is Sweet 305. Here, oversharing is encouraged. Listen to Sweet 305 with Lele Pons on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcast. podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. Everyone sees me as a football player, but before anything else, I'm human. Every single day I'm still learning how to live with problems, mistakes, relationships, emotions ever since I was born.

This isn't a normal podcast. Everything here is spontaneous, real, and genuine, just honest conversations about what it means to be alive. I'm Javier Chichariot Hernandez and listen to Learning to Be Human on IHard Radio, Apple Podcasts, or whatever you get your podcast. Here at the Happiness Lab, we're serving up some hot takes. for the summer. Big ideas that just might reshape how you think about your well-being.

Like the radical notion that we should get rid of small talk completely. We talk about current events. We talk about what you do for a living, but not do you love what you do for a living. Is this your dream job? For more surprising ideas backed by psychological science, check out our new series. Happiness Hot Takes. Listen to

the Happiness Lab with me, Dr. Laurie Santos, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.