The Questlove Show - QLS Classic: Charlie Wilson

Episode Date: January 26, 2026

Travel back to summer 2017 for a Classic Questlove Supreme conversation with singer, songwriter and lead vocalist for The Gap Band, Charlie Wilson. He talks about signing with Snoop Dogg, showing Michael Jackson the moonwalk and other ways his work has influenced music and pop culture.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed human. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits,

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So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar.

This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd

was accused of fathering twins. But the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Ellen, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg, a lesbian. Michael Mancini.

My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trapped. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. When a group of women. discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist.

They take matters into their own hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that, trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

What's Love Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. Yo, yo, yo, what's up, y'all? This is Fonte, Fantigolo, here with this week's QLS Classic. This week, we talked to the man, Uncle Charlie, the legend, Charlie Wilson, a singer-songwriter, lead vocalist for the Gap Band. Uncle Charlie Wilson talks about signing with Snoop, showing Michael Jackson and Moonwalk in other ways.

His work has influenced music and pop culture with his shabbat-d-a-d-d-dwe-doo-y-a-dwe-doo- Sweetweed. Let's go. This one was originally released 719. This was July 19th, 2017, long time ago. But still just as good. Charlie Wilson, y'all, QLS Classic, Von TIGLO. All right. Peace. Suprema, sub, sub, sub, subprima roll call. Supremea, sub, sub, subprima role call. Supremma, sub, sub, subprima. Already called. Suprima, sub, sub, sub, sub. What's the funkiest letter?

Yeah. A or B? Yeah. C or D? Yeah. No, no, it's... No, call. Supraima roll call.

My name is Fonte. Yeah. It ain't no other. Yeah. I'm looking for my... Yeah. Wednesday lover. Roll call.

Supremma. Subrema role call. Suprema. My name is Sugar. Yeah. I don't take no crap. Yeah. I listen to the Gap band.

Yeah. And I shop at the Gap. Oh. Survema Roll call. Suprema. Subremal roll call. If you were wondering, yeah. What was that sound?

Yeah. It's just Boss Bill. Yeah. Humping around. Roll call. Supremma. Submina. Submina.

Subm. That's disgusting. Submoral roll call. Supremma roll call. My name's Laia, and I'm coming out. Yeah. Uncle Charlie makes me one shout. Oh, oh!

Supremal roll call. Suprema, sub, sub, sub, sub, sub, Supremeal, roll call. My name is Charlie, yeah. Last name, Wilson. Yeah. There's no other. Yeah.

Let's burn some rubber. Oh, oh. Suprema, S, Srema, S, Supremma, Rold Call. Supremma, S, Supremma, Rold Call. Supremma, Ro Call. Suprema Subma Subraima

Roll call Suprema Supremma role call All right I just wanted you all know from the top that Laiaea threatened us

if we use Shabbada Widi and our roll call Ladies and gentlemen this is another special educational extravaganza episode

of Questlove Supreme I am your host Questlove Jenkins and today I got Team Supreme with me We got Fonte cool caculac Evens, aka Fonigolo. In the house. We have the micmastor Steve Funk You Up Frazier, aka Sugar Steve.

Okay, okay Sugar Steve, that's right. That's you now. I'll take it. We can't forget a boss man over here. He's William Knuckles Samich Carter, aka boss Bill. Yeah, that'll work. And last but not least, we got the very lovely Laie Margaret, aka Clyde. rounding out the team

our our guest today I will say is simply without peer ladies and gentlemen no words will really ever describe the magic that exumes from this man's voice anytime he sings he's

he's basically the six star general of vocalization of his generation of any generation a few generations yeah yeah he is You know, he's literally inspired and, you know, he has R&B children all over the map on and off the books. You name them from Aaron Hall or Kelly, Wynie Marcia Boys to Men, Genuine,

Dina from H-Town. Yes, just name them. Literally, these are his children. He's the one-time member of one of the baddest funk bands ever of the 70s and the 80s, the Gap Band. He is still criminally underpraised, still out. still operating now better than ever

ladies and gentlemen please welcome the greatest Charlie, Uncle Charlie Wilson Charlie that's all wow thank you

man I've been waiting for this moment forever I don't know it feels like every episode of Questel of Super

you're going to start with I've been waiting for this moment forever no for real I mean but thank you for coming on the show

I'm going to ask you the one question I'm certain that you've been tired of answering answering your whole career, which is how in the world is Tulsa, Oklahoma, home to one of the funkiest people of all time? Hey, I grew up.

I was born in Oklahoma City, and I think... Oh, I thought it was Tulsa. It was Oklahoma City, which is 80 miles away. Okay. My mom, we was just over visiting my grandmother, her mom, and then she just actually just delivered right there in Oklahoma. Oklahoma City and we end up going back to the next day anyway. So you just cleaning it all?

Yeah, I mean, I went to school and Tulsa, Oklahoma, from Kenny Garden all away and to high school and then went from there to Lankston. But Tulsa is where I grew up and I went to school there and it's great. How, well, the history that I know of Oklahoma, especially the history of black people in Oklahoma from the Black Wall Street period to even now, like Oklahoma is one of the, the states that I don't necessarily think of black folk being, I mean, maybe I'm ignorant of that fact, but I mean, was there a high black population even despite the, the, the clan presence of the Jim Crow area? And was there a high presence of that? Like, how did you even manage to?

Oh, we had, we was, the N-word was used quite easily there. I was growing up little boy I couldn't go in I remember this running into Woolworth's we pulled up on the side

and I just opened up the door because the the milkshake stand was like you know the ice cream stand was you could see it through the door so I just jumped out and ran before we can get out and they was like

don't go in that door because we had our own interest you're supposed to go in the the Negro entrance Oh okay And so my dad fools up. You didn't know any better. We could just get out so we could go around there, but he couldn't.

That's a one-way street, so he couldn't turn to the right. So we got out. And I just ran through that door. The first door I seen, because the ice cream stand is there. Right. You know, so when I got out, I just ran that door, and they were screaming not to, even not to go in there, but I just ran and jumped up on the stool that spins around. And I was spinning around, and the white guy had his little white hat, white uniform.

And by the time my mom and them got around to the other door, and they was coming and knew it was going to be something because I went in the wrong door. So they was running. And, man, that man, I think he had his hand back. And my mama was screaming, don't you do it. And I remember when I look back, they was running. She was dropping purse and everything.

And my dad said, you'll draw back a nub. And so he was getting ready to hit me. He called me an inward little boy. And, oh, man, it was terrible. I was frightened of death. was all I wanted to was, you know, a milkshake. I ain't know no difference. And so that was the episode I would never forget.

And that environment was always true to that. Oh, yeah. You had your own interests and you had your own, you know, water fountains to drink out of. The water would barely come out. And the white fountains, the water was like a crisp and clean. It's like a waterfall jumping. So I would just, if this one didn't come out, I go to that one. My mom would always grab my hand and snatch me.

from it, but I didn't read. I was little. I just was, you know, this one didn't work because I went to this one. It was not good, you know, somewhat, but we had some pretty good friends that lived across the street, which was Mr. Reynolds. Right. And, you know, the word, the name Reynolds, and so they had the aluminum and all of that stuff that. So we would go play in his yard and his factory yard. And when it was thunderstorms or

tornadoes, we would go in, we could go in, that basement, the underground that one. Of course, we were standing in feet. So the Reynolds rap empires from Oklahoma? Huh? The Reynolds wrapped the family that are based at Oklahoma? That's weird. So we're now learning that all masters of the sole empire had their corporation,

the last one. When growing up, my dad would be standing in water like three feet, but we could use it to get away from it. My mom would not leave the house. Go ahead. I'm not going. I'm not going to stand in no water. She was pretty, very outspoken, but she wouldn't do it.

Were you guys, was it a musical household, musical environment? My mom played piano, and she taught us all how to play everything. So you actually play, you play piano as well. Yeah, the first thing I learned was that. Of course, you know, drums in church. So your main weapon of choice was piano and drums? Okay. So as far as like, it's just you and your three brothers,

in the house or did you have more siblings besides your have a sister. I have a sister. Okay. Okay. All together. So what was the, at least the band environment in your high school or your school period? What was, what was that into? Man, in band, we were, you know, of course my brother went first. He was through all of the schools first, and it was my sister to follow him through all of the schools. Your brother, Ronnie, correct? Ronnie was there, and then my sister Loretta was second. Then I was third, you know, so that already set presence of, you know, there was a musical family.

So when I got there, it was, you're Wilson? Oh, you can sing? Oh, yeah, just come on, here's the microphone. And it was just like, I just was just like that. End up being a pet, you know, the class pet, the teacher's favorite or whatever. And let him sing. And, you know, so it was like that all the way through school. But when I got there, you know, I had some friends who were very gifted and talented as well.

So we would form our own little group and, man, we was pretty, pretty, it was ingenious. Was there, was there a black radio presence in Oklahoma? At that time, no. So how did you? I mean, because your, your voice is, I mean, you just automatically assume that you literally came out of the womb being raised and brazed and smothered in soul. but in Oklahoma, how did you receive your education and information? Well, first of all, my mom sang better than me at that time. You know, I was, she had chops to wiggle her voice any kind of way.

And so when I first heard little Stevie One, I thought it was a girl. And I said, hey, Mom, let me say him. I can beat her. I can beat her, Mom. I swear I can beat her. Boy, go sit down. You ain't beat no girl. They ain't beat no one.

And then they found out it wasn't a girl. It was a little Stevie Wonder, but I was like, I can do that. I can do that. She was like, you're not singing the blues up in here. So, you know, so I was, it was, we went next door to hear the records of all of Sam Cooke, Hedera-Fonte, anything that was going on. Because at that time, you know, it was just one chart. It was one radio.

James Brown, everybody was, if you got on that chart, that means you was a superstar. It was like no black radio, no, it was just one radio and one chart. and all of the big artists was coming on down at radio station white or black. The pop radio station basically. It was like pop. So you're saying that your parents forbade you to sing secular music in the household? No, he couldn't do that.

Oh, wow. We had to go next door. My dad is a preacher. My mom was the state minister of music and you're not doing that in here. Wow. So what could you listen to? What would they let you listen to now? We didn't really have any, you know, wasn't too much to listen to.

I mean, we have had a record player. We hear some, Hayer Jackson. I hear some Shirley's, or something, you know, something like that. And, of course, I'll be next door and listening to what I want to listen to because they weren't in church over there. So I could go over there and listen to whatever I wanted to, them shiny records.

And, you know, so I had a great time, man. It was good. And we brought up really good. And the music scene was, like I say, next door was just great for me because I could hear anything that was on the radio. Okay. So besides, I know Leon Russell is from the area,

but was there, I know that you guys, you were his band at one point, correct? Yes. So how did that partnership come about? Well, we were playing this club, I think it was about 50. I mean, hold about 50 people. And we was playing late nights. We started about 11, 12 o'clock,

and leave out at about 5 o'clock in the morning. So it was, and they, came in the club one night and I was like, who was the white boys back there? Just, because, you know, and they was back there party. And there nobody seemed to know who they were. And then the next weekend,

they came back, all hair all slick and sitting up straight. So they wasn't drunk this weekend. So I went to the table and said, you want to meet Leon Russell? I was like, yeah, where's he at? He's like, right here. And I was like, why is his hair combed? And so easy. Right, right.

He's sober. So I asked him why I was, you came last week. You guys were pretty drunk. He said, well, we was drunk. We just wanted to make sure we heard what we heard last week. I heard it that it wasn't a fluke. It wasn't a fluke.

We weren't drunk. So what did you think? He said, we heard exactly what we heard last week. It's great. So were you performing as the Gap Band by that point? Yeah. Mm-hmm. Okay.

So he didn't too much like that name, though. He was trying to make us change it. What year was that, though? I was in the early 70 sometime. I think it's 71, 72. Somewhere in there. Okay. So this is like right when a song for you was just starting to...

Yeah, it was somewhere in now. So he was starting to make a name for himself. We were. And he just sort of like... We said, you want to go to the studio? So we went to the studio and checked him out. We played a little bit. It was, you know, quite late.

We was just, you know, recorded to about 10 and 11, something like that. And finally went home and went to sleep. But... And he had a show. coming up and he invite us to the show. And I went to seeing his show. And after the show, he said, what did you think? I said, man, you're band weak.

My band to kick your band. Ha ha ha ha. Shots fired. Yeah. So he said, really? I was like, yeah. So he says, OK, went to the studio. And he says, my father-milled the studio,

he gave us about, I don't know, five or six albums here. We're learning. albums, learn this song. I said, what's songs? Every one of them on all of the albums. But see, previously had told us which was what was the greatest thing. The beginnings, it's the beginnings and the endings of songs, what people remember.

They won't know what's in the middle. Whatever, if you can get them in the front, then you got them. So what we did is we just learned all of the intros of all of the songs. There were no bridges. You know what I'm saying? Just stop playing during the bridge. We just followed him wherever he went. You know, we was fast enough

to follow him. Right. And so he started off on one son's on. He went to a whole different album and we just like had the keys. And so when he started playing these different keys, we just followed us intros. And then he just stopped and looked at this like, you got to be kidding me. It's like, man, what else you want to do?

He said, I'm nothing. I'm good. He said, so let me can ask you a question? I said, yeah. He said, can I put a drummer with your band? And can I put another guitar with your band? I said, let's go. And so he fired his other band.

And then we was there and just killing, killing. Really? And you were on keys for that band? I was on keys. and I was up dancing, which he didn't like a lot. I was about that. It was dangerous. I was young, 21, fast feet, and jumping on his piano.

I would break all his hip and steal the microphones, and I would jump up on his piano and jump down doing the split and all kind of crazy stuff. And he started taking the songs away from me because I was stealing the show. That's similar to Jimmy Hendrix's stillness. the spotlight from our Little Richard. Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Little Richard was like,

you gotta go, bro. I can't have that. Yeah, I'll still. So how long was it until, did you guys stay with them until you recorded your debut record in 77? The one before when you went to, no, we was him, we did

one album on Gap and we did, which sold about maybe 16 records in the neighborhood. And then we did, then we did stop all that jazz. with him and and then and he wanted to he wanted me to

they wanted me to leave the band and so they was and Elton John was coming out and they wanted it they wanted me to to take to go off to him and I was like

can my brother's coming and they was like we just want you and I was like no that's okay so even then did you guys like have a pack like we're going to be a band and we're going to be a band and we're going to I was the pack leader with that vibe.

I don't know what everybody else's motivation was. Motives were, but me, I was like, let's stay together. And I was the only one that was sought after was me, and I'm the one saying, let's stay together. You see what I'm saying? And I don't think they really, really didn't get that for so many years. Timeout. Yes. You guys played on Stop All That Jazz.

Yes. Oh, my God. If you look at the album cover, yeah, it's a bunch of Africans on it. That's us. Wait, that was your album. Oh. Wait a minute, I have that record. Now I look again.

I'm the one that the little skinny went over him. That's me closer to him. Wait, I'm about to tell Steve, you wouldn't know it, Steve, because there's a bunch of Africans on the front cover. I did not know that was him. That's all of us, my brothers in the band that we all, all of us. And the white girl and other ladies, that was the background singers. There was all of us.

Now I gotta go to Philly to find that record. No, I have it. When Leon Russell passed recently, I went out and pretty much bought the entire catalog on vinyl, and that record stood out. And not because of the Africans on the cover. The music. Yeah, boy, tell the truth. No, the music, that's a superb. Yeah, it's a great record.

Yeah. Wow, okay, I did not know. Now I... Which one of you? I think I'm the ones right behind him. The most skinny ones right closer to him. You... Oh, skinny.

Oh, yeah. I was young. I think that's me right there. Oh, look at the baby. Okay. All right. All right. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way,

this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, the Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who

are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl.

You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of The Girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me?

The cops didn't seem to care, so they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the Girlfriends. Trust me, babe. on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Ago Vodam.

My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent.

He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, The cat, just hang in there.

Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to thanks, Dad, on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects.

From hidden traits, teams look for to the best. biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. So I could assume that all this activity happened inside of Oklahoma. So where does the association with Lonnie Simmons come into play?

Total experience, yeah. Am I to assume, well, for starters, hang on. The most obvious question. I know the answer. But Gap, of course, is the abbreviation for Greenwood, Archer, and Pine. Yes. Why were those particular three streets chosen as the name of the band? That was Black Wall Street.

And all of the Black owned businesses were very, very, rich black people, entrepreneurs, bankers, hotel owners, everything was just black-owned and very, very rich. And they had their own bus lines, they own cab services. They had they own everything. And on Greenwood, Archer was running this way. Pine was running this way, which made an H. So we was called the Greenwood Arch and Pine Street.

Everything in it was just super barbers. Anything you could, any business today was there in that particular area. And they didn't need anybody or anything. They ran their own thing. And just to, or Tulsa just didn't like that for them to have all these black rich people and didn't use any other system. Didn't use their system. They had their own system.

So they burn them out. So after that initial burning, was there ever an attempt to resurge it throughout time and history? I think I've only been to Oklahoma maybe once or twice. They tried to rebuild and they burn them again. Whoa. Damn. Yes.

When was the rebuild? It was in the 20s. After they burned it, Ash, they tried to rebuild again a few years later and just burn them out again as simple as that.

It's like, no, it was too, it was too, they didn't need the outside world. It's like they didn't need the outside Tulsa for anything. They had their own community, own everything.

And so there was like, the help was being taken from the white world, is what I'm trying to say, without, you know, cutting myself up. Yeah, so they had their own system. The cabs went everywhere.

The buses went everywhere. You know, all of the grocery stores, the banks, everything. They didn't have to bank with no, just they used their own banks. Can I assume that your parents and your grandparents and the parents before, were they all in Oklahoma at the time? My grandmother, my mother was a very, very, very little child. She was born in 23 stores around that time. So my grandmother,

knew about it really well and told everybody, but she, they weren't allowed really to talk about it. It was like a hush, hush. Really? Oh, yeah. Because, you know, that was too much information. Because the way they burn everybody out and it just wasn't, you're not supposed to talk about it.

Wow. Yeah, you could end up somewhere cut up in a sack or somewhere missing because there was so many people missing. And they never found those people. Okay. could see and actually say, you know, what was really going on because there was police coming to houses and, you know, and just get doing away with them families because... Getting away with it.

Yeah, they're getting away with it. So it was pretty bad. Well, I know that Singleton's Rosewood was semi-based on it. I mean, it's not official. That was in Florida, though. Rosa was in Florida. Yeah. But he said that he borrowed, you know, bits of history for.

from the Black Wall Street experience. So how does Lonnie Simmons come into the picture and you guys moving to LA? It was years later. We actually kind of was so heartbroken that we were trying to figure out what we're gonna do. Because I mean, you know, we've been on tour with the guy, we was the band, we cut the records,

and we just thought everything was gonna blossom from that platform. And it just didn't work out that way. And man, I was just so heartbroken. And the band was kind of like just nervous. I said, okay, we went to California. We came out to Los Angeles. And we was bumping around in there for a year,

just trying to figure out what we ended up on tattoo records, which was a subsidiary of RCA at that time. tried to MCA over there with Quincy Jones at the A&M Yeah, which was We did a single A deal and we was trying to get with him

But of course he had You know Brother Johnson He had the Austin And all that stuff your hands was full So we ended up we ended up with tattoo records And It was okay, did okay

It was not that much So tattoo records was a rule label Because I remember when Shaka Khan first signed her deal with Warner Brothers, at least for the first two records, Tattoo Records, was on it. So who ran Tattoo? I can't remember. But they had a deal through Warner or just whatever label would pick them up? Yeah, it was planned, yeah.

Okay, I see. It's actually weird. It's like confession time. So even though, at least by the second album with Oops Up being a national single, when I first heard of you, I thought you were a chef because there's a feature, one of your first features in Ride On Magazine wasn't. Yes. Right on. I was burning my hand trying to cook eggs.

Was it? Wait a minute. Wait. So, like, this is a thing. I mean, now, I mean, you know, millennials are very fortunate now to get, you know, a plethora of information on their favorites via the Internet. But, you know, in 1979, 1980, you really truly have three outlets if you're going to make it as a black person. Jet, Ebony, and Ryder magazine. I mean, occasionally black stars.

They had a, what, sepia? Blackbeat. Now, Blackbeat, that went to the 80. That was later. That was later. But, yeah, in Rydon magazine, they did this layout of Charlie Wilson in the kitchen. Like, but like a very extensive, like, 20 photo of, you know, first I take the cinnamon and I put it in the editor. What was he making?

He made breakfast. Yo, I told my mom, like, yo, I want to make this. And like, wait, what was for breakfast? I mean, he made a traditional breakfast. I forgot now, but, like, I was doing the cinnamon in my friend's toast list, like, Charlie Wood. Like, in my head, I wasn't connecting the oops-up side of your head guy with this is Charlie Wilson. I mean, he had a clean feather. He looked like Philip Ingram from Switch.

Like, he's feathered out, smooth goatee. I thought he was a chef. So, you know, like. Do you remember the shoot? I remember the shoot. I remember burning my hand, too. I was flipping the pancakes and my hand went too close to this. And I remember going up and I was and they caught the picture with my mouth for because I was burning my

Yeah, I was living in a pancake. I did that. Yeah, I got to give myself a reggae. Sorry. Yo, for real. Yo, for real. I burned my hand. I did that.

See, in your head, you probably think, like, I ain't nobody going to read this. Why can I just? talking about my new single, get him out of here. See, Cynthia Hornet changed his lives. Yeah, yeah. I'm telling you. So, well, I was going to say,

what was, because I know that in Los Angeles, that time period, I mean, you can either roll with Clarence Avant or Dick Riffey. Right. You know, I don't know what Barry Gordy's vibe was. I mean, I know that his sister, Iris Gory, were sort of taken over the reins of finding acts at Motown between like 75 and 85.

And with Lonnie Simmons. So at least what was the initial, like how did you guys hook up with him? Well, it was me. I hooked up with him. And like I said, everybody, the band just kind of fell apart. And there was everybody, after nothing worked, you know, the tattoo record thing didn't work.

And so everybody was like, okay, We was in Los Angeles a whole year. And, you know, those guys took a leave of absence. And I didn't know what a leave of absence was. I quit my job. Okay. I quit my job. And so did my oldest brother, he quit his job.

Because we was basically trying to do this thing for real. And everybody just, you know. And how do you, yeah, I was going to say, how do you survive? Yeah. Well, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, uh, do or die. It's like, you know, man, it was, it's, we, I had cereal and water. and you know whatever breakfast would be and we stayed 15 in a one two-bedroom apartment with a lady who already had four kids and and we were all on the floor yeah we was all on the one bathroom we was all on the

floor we was in the jungle there and it's like she must have believed in this harrison yeah she was the connection i went to school with her with two of her kids and and we were very close and that was the connection we had in Los Angeles because they moved from Tulsa to Los Angeles. So when we was coming out, we told him, we were coming, and she said, you come stay here. It was just too many of us.

And I think she got almost got kicked out her apartment because we was there. Were you all rehearsing in that apartment? Man, we played down by the pool and blew out the circuit system trying to get a man who owned the bill in her birthday party. He comes back, boy, we took him a tank,

jack, jack, and boom. Boy, he was like, get out. You know, get out! He was already mad at the woman, so that would just blew it. Get out. Wow. So that initial ban, I guess you guys had your first Soul Train appearance in 79. Yeah.

That initial band migrated from Tulsa to... No, that band didn't make it. That band didn't never make it to no TV shows, no other records or none of that. So, like I said, I met Lonnie. and his club and because DJ Rogers was there doing those times and and

of course DJ used to pull me on stage and let me sing and stuff like that yeah the crowd club being full we was at the Total Experience Club and where a lot of Shaka Khan Dramatics everybody used to play the Total Experience Nightclub.

That's where Dotomite was filmed filmed that we were talking about that. Everybody that was anybody played his club Yeah, I was going to say because I think even prior's that nigger's crazy album was that those minutes

was, yeah, was taped there. Yeah. Oh, so it's a nightclub too. Yeah, it was at his nightclub. That's the way he was, it was known for that. And him and Dick Griffey were cool.

You know, I also play Oh, oh. Wait, they were cool, but if you say him and Dick Griffey would cool, then that's, Yep. It was like, it wasn't cool to that part. Was he a nurturing guy or was he Shug Knightish?

Lonnie? Lonnie. Lonnie was, I want to say in the category maybe of a Shug Knight. He could have been the first one, but he was very a smooth one. He didn't get, if you got it upset, he wouldn't, come get you, though. He raised his voice. He just took action. Well, the guys are.

around him would because, you know, it was like, and it would just be like that. But we, that's how we started. It was from me and him. It was our relationship that we did this whole thing about, he would give me a contract and I'd keep it a week and I'd give it back to him and he'd keep it a week. He opened it and would be signed.

I was like, I don't know what that's saying. We did that for a month, two months. But he was like, man, why don't you come? Because he heard me saying. Right. And he was like, dude, that voice right. there and I won't say what he said about the other artist that was there but he was like dude me and you that we can make this happen and I was just like okay whatever I said I just got to get

my brothers out here and so and he was like how many I was like two so he says okay go get him so at the time were I guess like Robert Goody Woodfield and Yarbrougham peoples were they I'm becoming part of the family? Oh, so you have them too? I brought them. I found everybody that was on that label. I did. Wow.

It was me who got brought everybody. Yeah. He brought nobody. It was me. Brought everybody. What did you get for that? What did you get for that? Experience.

That's a total experience. That's all you got. You ain't getting that baby. It was indeed a total experience. That's what that was. But they were in Texas and I was on the road and I went to this club. and I seen Yerbaughan peoples and I

and a friend of mine that was connected on the total experience signs, his name was Rudy Taylor at that time, Rudy Taylor, and I asked Rudy to get on the phone and call Lonnie right away and he called him.

I said, I got a group just incredible and I think we should sign him like tomorrow. And he was like, well, I said, I've got to go. You can do it or not. But they're going to end up with somebody else. And then he asked Rudy, Rudy, how good?

He said, man, you know if Charlie's ears is good, and I'm telling you they're good. They're singing live at a nightclub. So he put him back on the phone. He said, okay, man, you know, I was just tired just waking up. So if they're good, I sign them. I said, okay, you need to sign them. Then goody came right after it, you know.

So it was all friends. And so I just put them all in there. You know what I mean is that? That at one point in time, if you had good ears and something sounded good, it was worthy of getting it. It was worthy of getting signed. Like, not once did he say, well, you know, does the girl look good? Like, what's she look like?

Can I market her? Who co-signed him? Have you had someone that he passed on that eventually made it, or? He didn't have anybody. No, no, I'm saying. Was there somebody that he tried to bring to the full that he didn't want? Yeah. There was nobody that I brought that he didn't want.

I mean, he just, it's like I had a guy named Dorian Williams who's. The actor? No. That's Derry and Hurwood. Okay. Yeah. His name is Paul Williams, actually, but we called him Dorian. And he was, it was like Luther Vandros at that time. And it was like, and I said this kid.

But everybody, he didn't, it was afraid of knocking, like if I was on the stand, something was going to knock me off the stand. But I wasn't looking at it like that. I'm like, this guy can sing, you need to just get it done. So we did the album on him. I did an album on some other acts that I had. And he just didn't put the effort. Okay.

Yeah, he just put the effort in. At that time, he was like rolling in money above ground. So, you know, it wasn't nothing under the table number. It was all up above. So he was like, ah, whatever. I don't want to do that. So I have to ask, how influential was Funkadelics, let's take it to the stage album to you? because I feel like

you know 79 to 80 was a transitional period that was really hard for a lot of the 70 bands to cross over and to maintain like you know Ohio players imploded you know at least a lot of the lead singers

of particular acts have left for solo careers and then the left behind group members implode it but you kind of just took the P-Fund Absolutely. I'll say baton and kept it alive. And so was there any feelings on their end of you guys sort of taking their modus operandi

and actually running good with it? It was a couple of guys in the band that, you know, say if you come up, George will call you up on the stage and if they didn't like it. start doing the waltz, you know. And so George made him stop doing the waltz one time. I came on stage, but I already knew what the waltz was because I was going with one of the girls. It was from the Parliament of Pockadena. You used to go with Dorn Silver?

Yeah. So I already knew what that whole thing was. So when the wall, what's the walt? They're just like, he's washed up or whatever. And so George would just go right over there and just like, don't do that. Don't do that on him. So everybody stops and I'll just take the mic and just rip the place apart.

And then I think after I I did that one time. They was like, oh, he's not a wimp. But see, we was on a row with the parliament Funkadelic for years before we really had the hit record. And then after we came off, that's what oops upside your head was sort of born. But the chant came from a crowd

that was in Pittsburgh and ourselves. But they was chanting something, but the rhythm was the same. So we came back and put the oops upside the head. Because they were, you know. Uptown. Yeah, I was going to say. They was chanting something.

And it wasn't what we couldn't understand it. So we actually chant the oops up side your head, say oops. Because they were saying gap band. I think they were saying gap side your head, gap band. Something like that. It was weird. But it wasn't, and it had the real, the perfect rhythm. So we had to go back and get that rhythm and put it to that.

But we were on a roll with them for a long time, man. And of course, we was watching them every night. and George became very protective and Bootsy and them became very protective of us and they made a pushback and give us room because I didn't have no room I said I can't, I don't have any room to work

so George said I haven't been seen yet what you mean? I said man I don't got no room so they said I'll make them push back so they pushed the stage back for us and Bootsie saw us a couple times and then you gave us some pointers and stuff so quite naturally man that funk that they had was infectious

and so it rubbed off and I just loved them and I took some of it and ran with it What were those audiences like? Man, it was incredible. And see, Bootsie was so strong that he was kicking George's butt. Okay. So George sometimes had to let Bootsie close. Really?

Yeah, because, man, he would, Bootsie would stump all over Parliament Funkadel. And they had the same horn section and everything. So, but Bootsie's, it was Bootsie's band. So speaking of which, we kind of mentioned it, What were your feelings to uptown funk? And how did you? Because, you know, I mean, there have been think pieces on these 12 artists could also get a piece of the... Oh, this song.

Right. Right. But you guys did it. So, technically, they had to give it to me. Are you a Grammy winner because it was a record of the year? Or is that only for Song of the Year if you're listed as Songwriter? Well, Song of the Year gets song. Okay, so it wasn't a song. It was a record of the year. So that's what you were. the performance. It was, it was my, I remember my manager, he's in there now. He was, I mean, he,

he called such a stink. That's what good managers do. He called, yeah, good manager. He calls such a stink man on everything. And so I think they was about tired of looking at him and saying he was, he was straight to the top with it. And, um, and then it was like, then they just like, uh, well, we can't, well, song of the year. Whatever it is. So they move things around. And so he was just saying it's not fair it's not fair to the gab band that they don't get the you know the recognition of it and so I remember

that part and so but anyway man it was it was our record simple and it was chatting it and so hey so it came to a quicker conclusion than the Robin Thick Marvin Gaye situation well we got paid for whatever it was he's happy

I do not recall he's unbopened right Mike A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve,

to be heard but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told,

and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scene, Follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield. And in this new season of the girlfriends, oh my God, this is the same man.

A group of women discover they've all. all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. They said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target.

He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Woodham. My next guest, you know from Stepbram,

Others Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo. Woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings.

I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but they're so. much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar

of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right. It wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to thanks, Dad, on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or we're wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's

East-West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits, teams look for, to the biggest mistakes franchises make, to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else.

If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. You know, 1980 also brought a another, what I would assume for you, a bucketless pairing. You singing background on I ain't going to stand for it with Stevie. so

I mean I'm just assuming that this guy's your hero assuming we can assume that you don't have to assume no more it's one of my heroes so what was that experience like for you to work with Prime Stevie

especially when like I know how some artists could have I've seen artist's ego trip and kind of shun out of the star anyone that's remotely capable of out singing them or out shining them.

And I always wanted to know because there's two versions of, I ain't going to stand for it. The version on 45 goes about maybe 30 seconds longer than the album version. And I was always impressed with the fact that you sang so disciplined, when you could easily just start it, you know, your vocal acrobatics. What was that whole experience like, recording with him? Let me tell you, that is not the version at all. That's not the best version.

There's another one? No, the version that we actually did in the beginning. You knew what's coming, go ahead. Yeah, that version that he did, he couldn't get that. We recorded that version in Bolic Sound, which is Ike Turner Studio. Wow, really? And that version with the... Oh man, that one right there, he had the thing

around his neck to make himself a microphone. And we all singing around him, that was the version. And I used to ask him, where's that version? He said, I couldn't get the version, the tape back from Ike. I think that's the, it was, it was. Chuck! Hey, I was looking for my gun cell. Yeah, I couldn't get that.

Anyway, it was something I never got the real story from why we didn't use it. So he was trying to recreate it after like years later. to try to recreate it. I said, where was the first? Wait, wait, wait. When was the first one? What year? Man, I can't, now I can't remember the year now.

I'm a little... Well, came out in 80. No, but it was in a studio. I assume he wasn't doing nothing between 76 and 80 besides... If it was 80, then it came out. We did it. We did it in 79. And 79 in the version.

Okay. I'm thinking, something like that. How did you guys meet? How did you guys meet? How did you? you meet? Stevie? Yeah.

I met Stevie from the album from when I was with Shelter with Leon Russell. We went out to Los Angeles to mix the record. Okay. Magician's Holiday. And he was still in the record plant, just running overtime like he always do. Right. And he was a begone. And he was, I would have two hours so.

They had the record and this guy Spike, who was one of the inch, Steve is in. he had heard the record. So it had told Steve you about this guy singing. So Steve heard the record. And that was my first time meeting. It was in 70-something, 75, someone like that. But anyway, I sit down. He's sitting at the piano with him, and he started playing,

and he asked me, sang this, and I sang that. And he sang the part, another part, and we was going off each other like that. And then he was like, hey, man, you bad, man. I like you, man. I like you, man. What was that like for you to keep that recognition? I was shaking like a leaf. I couldn't even sang apart, man.

I couldn't even get my licks out, man. I was shaking and like a nervous, like, you know, that was my first time and we've been friends ever since then. That's what's up. Yeah, I just was just nervous. And, you know, so that was my first time meeting him. And then, like I said, it happened again. And he wanted to get band on that record.

And we couldn't do it at the time. We was on tour. on tour, he offered to send a plane, a jet, and, uh, and, uh, and, uh, and, of course, everybody was nervous, I ain't getting on a, no, you're trying to get rid of Charlie Wilson. Oh, really? You had a fear of fun? I said, I was trying to get rid of those Charlie Wilson, you're stupid people. It was like, what they think about?

I was young at the time here, but those guys over there probably getting high and confused. I'm like, dude, he just wanted us to sing on the record, get out of here. So anyway, that next, uh, that next, uh, that next, uh, that next, that next, uh, that next, two days later, I just hopped on a jet. And then everybody followed me. And I guess right after that. I said, I'm gone. I see y'all.

I'm going to say with Steve. And so I got back and did the vocals. But I heard, I said, where's the other version? And he was like, that's a long story. I was like, okay. I think anything you've involved in icon is a long story. Oh, man, that version was a bomb, no. Wait, you know what?

It's everything's coming to me now as you're talking. I got to go back to P-Funk. Can you please tell me the origin of new spaceship? Oh, yes. Was that an old track that you sang on? Because there's no way in hell. And we're referring to new spaceship on the George Clinton.

George Clinton and the P-F-F-F-F-Ung. The awesome power of a fully operational mothership. But they called it T-A-F-A-O-P-M. Whatever the initials are. O-P-P. OPP. Dude, when that record came out, you know, we were skimming through it,

and, you know, I'd do the occasional 10-second audition. And, dude, I'm saying, like, I don't even know if you remember this, Steve, but when we were recording voodoo with DeAngelo, it's all he listened to, man. It was like a life. Where did Like was it a track that George just gave you to sing over or just

Me I personally don't even remember You don't remember new spaceship? I don't remember it Oh Jesus Christ Here let me see Ladies and gentlemen This is New Spaceship I have to hear it

From the ABC 1 2 3 OPP George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars Yes On Quest Love Supreme right here This is one of my favorite songs ever Remember now. Okay, listen, let me tell you the story.

Are you ready to hear the story behind this? Yes, we are ready. That was my version. We was talking about Sligh Stone. So I said, this is how that. So I'm going in, I'm like, I'm marking Sly and we're talking about this. So he said, man, Charlie Wilson does a great version of Slidestone. So I was like, when I'm around Slide back in the day, this is how he would be.

And that's where that vocal came, and I started doing that. So all of that. And they kept it? They kept all of that. And then because that's how we was doing it in the beginning before he got anything. I'm marking Sly. And then I do my own thing with the Charlie Wilson thing around it. So it was like, man, this is some great shit right here.

I think I'm going to keep this. And so he did. And I wasn't paying no attention to it. I'm gone. I do my thing and I'm boned out. I'm done. What year was that? I can't remember the year.

97. Well, I know that's when it came out, but was it the old song that they put out later? It had to be, it had to be in 94 or 94 because I got some of 95. But that shit sounds like 74. I know. I'm like, it sounds like Jerome Bigfoot Braley on Jerome. It's probably just an old backing track. Yeah.

Well, we was recording that for that particular. We was trying to get something. He was trying to get this thing. Y'all got it. And we got it. And we just started, I started acting like Sly. We was laughing about that. And he said, go, how would Sly sing it?

And I was just like, that's how I started. That's why that voice sounded like that. I was mocking him. So I've had the pleasure of. Wait, wait, that song's from the 90s. Right. No, right. Steve's here.

Steve. Steve was one of the engineers on DeAngelus voodoo. So like during the first month of us recording out Electric Lady, Dee had the CD George gave it to him before it came out and that's all he played for me all the time and like we were just

flabbergasted like flabbergasted at you guys nailing classic P-Funk in the 90s. 20 years after that time period. I just I just I just I just was going. Sometimes I have a problem moderating of, then I was, you know, you put yourself, you put just too much on yourself, put too much on yourself. And I just never, never liked the fact that the ad lives,

they just want me to just be, just, just be Charlie Wilson. Well, not. Well, I mean, I didn't. All right, thank you, Charlie. Okay. And so it was like, okay, what is the, what's the title and what, it was like, no, you just, you just, you just, you just give me some, some little stuff. Whatever. Yeah, so I was just never like that.

But then I noticed that everybody always liked that. So it's always either shop, but I would do it. It's just always just go off the top of your head with a field. You know what? But this is the thing, though. It's real. I'll be one of the, okay, I'll admit, I'm one of those people. That's okay.

I took I took you for granted Because the thing is that I mean when you grow up in a time period And you just see all this greatness You get numb to it It's just that's just what he do He's great

So you you've sat You've done The Fallon show with us Like maybe three or four times You sat him with us twice And there's one point where you're We can clearly hear you through the vents doing your vocal warm-ups

and we're all looking at each other like it it was the most it was like a monster movie like we just we're at the vocal event like listening to him and it was how do you

how do you warm up your your your instrument. How do you preserve your voice? Because like you, I saw, well, I saw clips of your, recently to show you to hear, and like all these songs you're singing in the same key. Yeah, when I was, back when I was young

and that's still saying, I don't, we didn't change the keys for me and everybody should say, man, my brother said, I need to change the key. I said, man, that ain't going to sound, right? So he's your key? I am. He's my key from when I was, when we was younger, I was in my 20s and that's, we wrote all the stuff in those keys and that was it.

So I still sang all the keys, the songs in the same key. that we wrote all of them in. And it's like, I said it won't sound right. I might push out. I have to push to get it out. But why would I change the keys? But I warm up. Then I can do that.

Then I can do that until it's clear. without breaking because clear you have to, there's some mucus and things that's in there, you know. Did you study with Seth Riggs? Yes, I did. Yeah. Michael Jackson. Greatest.

Yeah. All right. I didn't go that very long, but I did study with him, and he told me how to great foster. He was the one of the game of those warm-ups, and I never stopped using those warm-ups. And Stevie was going to him, and Stevie used to do a,

with a note at the same time. Mine is behind, but he used to do that. Like, my, my, my, my, my, but it was more, he was dead on accurate. Like, if he was hitting. Right, right, yeah. Yeah, wow. And so I used to try that all day and, and, um, why is Seth Riggs the go-to guy? This guy had, this guy was phenomenal.

Him and his daughter, too. They were just, he could warm you up and then he could have you doing things that you didn't ever think you could do. And I just didn't get a chance to go back. I was devious, too, back in those days. And so I started doing a lot of other things. instead of going on the vocal coach. But he was just the most incredibleest guy

I've ever been close to why he was warming me up and he started doing things that I'd never thought I could do. And so he would warm me up and then when we got through warming me up then he would start doing these things that he was doing before I got warmed up. And then he told me to do it and I would hit it and I was like, wow.

He said, see, it's just an instrument. We're going to get you to do everything. So from a non, me being an obvious non-singer, barely talking, what is, because I would think that if you activate your voice for 35 to 45 minutes, you might wear it out. So you have to get it in motion and exercise it just to keep the... Yeah, you get it warmed up. And then after you do the correct exercise and for 30 minutes, then you can go and hit the notes that you're, want to hit. Do you sing from your diaphragm as all singers are supposed to do?

What he's supposed to do? Yeah, they come sometimes. Were you initially singing from your throat? At the beginning, until I met him, and then he showed me how to, well, actually they taught me that in high school and in college, but again, you know, you're not listening to a lot of people. My mom used to tell me that. But this guy, Seth, he was telling me how he's supposed to sing.

and I always want him to come to the studios with me and work on my verses when I'm doing verses while I'm singing, you know, recording vocals because he would do that with a lot of artists, superstars. Make sure the breathing is right going into the next phrase and stuff. How do you preserve? So like after a show, what's your ritual?

Like after a show is done? I have no rituals about nothing. Okay. So you don't walk around with a scarf on your neck. I don't have rituals at all. And the only ritual I have is, if you want to use a ritual, it would be my wife is the ritual. She is the ritual.

That's right. And she makes sure that I'm warm and she makes sure that I'm drinking something warm and then my guy at temporal. He keeps some warm stuff with me, hot water and honey. And that's it, man. And when I get off the stage, I do the wrong thing. I'm talking loud and I'm hollering and I'm going crazy. It's never I'm talking soft.

You know, I come from one side of the family who talks loud and my father's side, my mom's side talks loud and my father's side talks soft. And so I just said the mom's side, I'm just loud. I was just going to say this is not like a manual for all singers because you're blessed. Yeah. Basically you're saying it's the Lord and your wife. Actually how I'm doing I'm blessed. Yes.

So it's not an Aretha Luther thing where you have to turn off the air. Well, let me tell you something about air conditions. It'll rip you up. And if you got a saying, I wouldn't be in this room. Are you serious? You're serious? No. Because this is the one thing that Tariq and I,

Tariq is the, it could be the middle of summer and he'll make the driver turn off the air conditioner. Oh, for sure. And make us all suffer in the car. And he's like, I won't have a voice for showtime. You're absolutely right. And I thought, man, that's just psychosomatic. That's real. But backward, okay.

Tariq hasn't smoked in about five years now. Really? Yeah. Okay. Okay, listen. That is absolute truth. right there. You do not, you want to have the temperature in the car off or just at least 75 degrees. Wow. Okay. At all times. If you want to sing, if you want to have good voice, now if I had to sing

the night, I wouldn't be in this room. Oh, you wouldn't, okay. Now it's too cold in here. I see. I see. But it's, it'll tell you out. You notice I'll keep clearing my throat because the cold air is getting to it. But I'm just talking. But it's not good. It's interesting because we're in a recording studio. Yeah, it's not. And it's always cold. You know, when I'm in recording, I ain't, we don't have that. You know, shut that down.

We won't be doing vocals in that studio. Not Charlie Wilson. So by the time that Gap in 3, 4, and 5 come out, when you guys are really fully operational, I always wanted to know because when I spoke of the let's take it to the stage character you like provoking people like, damn, suck it and you know, whatever. Yeah.

What was your relationship like with your band contemporaries back then? Like were there rivalries with confunction or, you know, all these other bands like, yeah, I'm going to show you all what's up and, you know, that sort of thing? Every single night.

So in hindsight What was a band that got under your skin Like yo man we're going to take them It's like this we were It was confunctioned basically because they wouldn't put Oh I was seriously I was hypothetically just throwing a dart in the air Let me tell you why is because they went put fringes on their uniforms

And it was like okay You know we've been we do cowboys we've been wearing fringes Yes Wokkelooma but they wouldn't put fringes on their uniform And so we were thinking like, okay, they already, you know, they got the big records from back in the day and all of that stuff. But it's, it's, we were still like this. But we were, when it came down to stage, it was like do or die. But the worst, the worst rivalry was Charlie Wilson and Roger Troutman, zap and gap.

That was the worst. Wow. Wait a minute. Wait, wait a minute. Because computer love. Yeah, how? Yeah. No, me and Roger were like this. I'm talking about when I say tight, me and him was like this.

I should hope so. Like the brothers. His brothers, my brothers, his brothers, his brothers and my brothers, they did not like me and Roger to be tight. They did not want it, period. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me.

Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football. or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space. For honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends...

Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care, so they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves.

Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Vodom. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live,

and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day and I was like and dad I think I want to really give this a shot I don't know what that means

but I just know the groundlings I'm working my way up through and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent he said if it was based solely on talent I wouldn't worry about you which is really sweet yeah he goes but there's so much luck involved

and he's like just give it a shot and he goes but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore it's okay to quit If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there.

Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest, the director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galko joins the SportsSliced podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects.

From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Can you tell us about Larry because that's...

Of every artist, of all the artists we've had on the show that could have told us Larry Troutman stories, we've not asked. Especially with, like, because I know that Zapp in the time had rivalries as well. What was it like with the Troutman clan and working with them and... It was great. It was, I mean, you know, just, like I said, me and Roger was so tight. It was, but Roger had the edge because he was using a talk box. And so, and I used to tell him, is you cheating. You ain't singing all every night.

And he would say. No, he had to be a talk box. So, I mean, so he would say, he just grabbed my throat like this. Tolls. Well, he would also do tricks. Like, he wore the underwear that lit up in. He had other stuff. They did crazy tricks in.

concert. Yeah. So why is it that when I want to hear computer love now, it's, I'm about to say Gwen Guthrie, Shirley Murdoch, Shirley Murdoch singing your parts. There's two versions of computer love. And for some reason, your vocals are not on the, they come in at the end, they come in at the ad libs at the end. Even, yeah, yeah, on the fade out.

Why is that? Well, it's like this. Oh, God. The beginning of the relationship with that record. And the way they took, basically, I went, had a tape, and I played it for the total experience line. And they was like, ah, that ain't never hit. What?

And so, wait a minute. So I said, okay. And I think he was kind of a little upset. Going on a clock. Chik, shik. So they didn't. There you go. So who told you to go say?

Yeah. But anyway, didn't like it. I said, so you don't mind if it coming out. It ain't going to be no hit. I was like, okay, we didn't have a hit at the time. So the record came out about a year and a half later. Yes, it did. And from the time I had got to cassette, it was a year and a half later.

Well, I thought the record was going to come out faster than it did, but it didn't. And then when it did, it's just shooting up the charts. But they didn't want to say featuring Charlie Wilson because they hadn't gotten any, no, you know, so no clearance in things. So it's just me and just so I'm on there. So it goes when it gets to like number four or three somewhere, they sued them and made them take my vocal off. Ah, yeah.

So and then of course they had to scrum around and try to get another version. And by that time, you get the top five, man. I mean, the record is already, it's out there, beast. And so they put the Shirley Murdoch version out. And then, and it stayed there for a minute, And I think it just started on the way, because people used to the other version. You just can't just throw another version.

Hello. And it doesn't matter who's singing it. And no disrespect to Shirley Married her because she was killing the version. She married you well. But the version was already out, you know. And people are already married to the first one. Yeah, it's married to their version. So it started taking a die.

But everybody always knew that record. It doesn't matter when they stopped. But anyway, the record ended up being such a great record. Every time Roger would see me, if he looked on the side and saw me while he was doing the record, he would stop the band, boom. Okay, this record would not be possible without this guy. It would not be possible without this man, right? He's looking at me and I'm like, don't do it, don't do it. without this man.

So what I further do, on a counter three, I want y'all to help me call his name. And so I would go up there and kick my own ass because we had to perform after that. So me and him, put the nail in the band coffee together. Because it was a rap after that. Me and Roger, come on.

We just slaughtered the place. Get up. Well, you talk about Shirley Murdoch, Incredible. Yeah, the producer for SWV, Brian Alexander Morgan, was a huge fan of him. And he talks about how his whole idea for SWV was that he wanted to take your melody and he kind of saw Coco as like a Shirley Murdoch. And like weak, he wrote weak for you.

Week was originally for Charlie. Yeah. Because we already had a song was that same melody. We had a record already that. He took that one and made it. Dang, that was high, too. Did you catch that at the initial inception, like, this sounds familiar?

Yeah, no, it was the same record. Did he tell you in hindsight, like, you know I wrote this as a tribute to you. You are my high, you're my star, you're everything to me, you are my pride. So he did, I get so weak at the knees, as a capital record. So, I mean, the last one of the last Gap Band records.

And so for total experience. Okay. I think six, six or seven, seven somewhere in there. So he just straight took that same melody and just made it so weak. But Brian wanted to write for me and we just never got a chance to get around to that. But he had great success with the SWV. Man. Good luck.

So with Gap Band 4 with early in the morning and you dropped the bomb on me. And very unlikely outstanding. because it's weird because I purchased I found my baby No no no I'm going to go back to that one No but I'm saying that You know at the time when I got Gap M4

I didn't realize that You know to me outstanding was just Quality Quality filler right I didn't see it as Oh this might be the biggest single of his career It's just like oh it's closed inside to Hmm when did you drop the bar

It's on side to let's get to that Yeah But I mean, how is that, when you wrote Outstanding, in your head, did you realize that this was going to dominate every two-step barbecue in the history of Black gatherings of all time? When that record was, yeah, when I went out, we was working on that record, me and the drama cat home, when we was working on that record, it felt so, so, so good to me that it was like,

I couldn't believe that the vibe on it that was that. man and had so much emptiness, love that was there. It was just, it was so, you know, it was, the spacing of it was just great. And I didn't know it was gonna be around that long, but I know it felt so good to me, and it would sound like the best record at that, when that album to me, it sounded like

that was the best record to me. But, you know, and then it just, everybody started sampling and using it. Did you, did you guys work on both versions, like the remix and this album version at the same time? Uh, no. So you did the remix in hindsight after the album was done. Yes.

Okay. That's what I wanted to know. Yes. All right. I have a question about you dropped the bomb on me. Okay. So American Music Awards, 1982, you guys are performing. You dropped the bomb on me.

Now I'm watching this on a small black and white television. Questlove Supreme listeners at one time. Wow. Everything wasn't in plastic. Wait, don't say wow. Like you're not part of my job. I'm just, I'm, okay.

I'm remembering. All right. Oh, thank you. I thought you're trying to disassociate yourself from my age. Anyway. Well. At the last 20 seconds of that performance. Mm-hmm.

Something so miraculous happened, and I cannot believe the world didn't rave over it. I thought it was you. I think he told me he was your trumpet player. Someone did the moonwalk. and I'm looking at my mom and my dad like do you see this he's walking like this is a year before Michael Jackson did

at Motown 25 I know at the very end either was it you was it no I was this kid that I found his name was Baby Gap and I named him Baby Gap and okay yeah because he's also dancing on beeper freak okay now it makes sense yeah okay maybe he had the same outfit on you but literally

he just grabs the mic stand and he does just the most exaggeration like even more exaggerated than Michael Jackson. Yeah. And I was like, how's the world not seeing this right now? Like why? And the next day in school was like, did y'all see this? They're like, it was like snuff-eleficus, like no one believe me.

He was walking backwards but from, okay. Yeah. In the way, it's like I don't want to deflate Michaels, but they used to come to the shows and hide in the corner on stage and watch all the great still. And watch and watch baby Gap do it and how he did it. and everything. But that told story was never, never told. So it's all good.

Y'all did it first. Well, wait a minute. That's a moonwalk battle then, because dude from Shalimar, he claims that he created it too. Yeah, I mean, he, yes. He did. Jeffrey Daniels went to his house.

But I'm telling you, if they did it on the American Music Awards, then I'm like, then they must have been doing it a lot. Yeah. And the world must have seen that. But that was the first time I saw a commercial artist, not like a dancer on Soul Train or whatever.

It was the first time that it was nationally a national scene was by us. Yes. And we was the first, on that particular show, was the first black artist that ever had pyro as well. We had pyro. And only somebody had paro was kids. And then they just were saying that we couldn't use the pyro. And then that's one line.

I said, well, why does kiss use the pyro? And the guy was like, hmm. So we're using pyro, you ain't get the band. So it was like one of those shook night moves. and so we had pyro. It was the first ones to have that on American music, black. I don't know if it's just contractual or whatever,

but for some reason, Gap Band 5 is nowhere to be found. Like, not on streaming, not on reissues. Was that just like a, in your eyes, like a steel-born child? Party trait was on that album, and it was like some, the big records was there. And I'm ready, you're ready? I'm ready, yeah. It's so hard to find.

Yeah, it's, I don't quite know. Oh, it's just, it's, yeah, it's like after with gold, it was just like, Wow. Is Lonnie Simmons still alive now, or? He is still alive for my, for us, for my knowledge. So does he still control the masters and all that stuff? No, no, he don't, so he's sold it off. Oh, okay.

It's probably through Universal, so. Now we gotta get to I'll find my baby on Gapin' six. Hit it, Fonte. Yeah, so was I found my baby, was that a song where was it like accidental where it's like you realize like, oh man, I did the same song already or was it intentionally trying to follow up outstanding? Well, it wasn't my idea to do that. But it was somebody's idea to try.

Finally, like, give me another outstanding. Of course, and I was like, you know that outstanding. And I was telling her like, dude, listen, that record's already too big. You don't want to fool or that shoe is big. Put your foot in that shoe. It's a size 22 now. You wear size 10 is not going to fit. He didn't understand what I was talking about.

But he tried it. So I tried it with him. And I don't know if you remember the video. Do you remember the video? Yeah, I remember where someone's kid was missing. They were handing out flyers. Yeah, yeah. But did you see the street version?

I mean, while we was in the street doing the choreography. Did you see the news clip when I got knocked out? You never seen that? Yeah, pull it up, man. Wait, see, I remember it long ago on video Jukex. Wait, you got knocked out? Yeah, man. So. What?

So listen, we're going down the street. All the whole group is going, I found my honey. So Baby Gap is flipping. He's supposed to flip, right? So he's flipping. And so when I back up, he comes right down on the top of my head with his flip. Boom. And I was just out.

I was more embarrassed that I hit this concrete than anything. And it still won the video? I don't know. They didn't care, but it was on the news. Oh, oh, okay. It was on the news because the news cameras there because we had shut the street down. And so the news was there. They caught it.

They caught it. I see. But anyway, I remember laying there. and I was like and I watched everybody feet come but I was more embarrassed to get up than anything

so I just laid there so okay there's another song on the Gap Band 6th record that I've been dying to know about probably Boss Bill 2 not Beepa Freak I love Beeper Freak by the way

you do? Dude that was a soul train staple that's my song however a very interesting song and an even more interesting video. Now, I had to do some purple investigation in. Purple investigation in.

Oh, yeah. Oh, you know I'm going with this, Uncle Charlie. I know where you're going. I forgot about this until just now. Yes. So there's a song called Disrespectful. That has a very interesting video. Yes, yes, yeah.

Depicting y'all killing the stage and this rather height challenged high challenged rock star with the Bufant and his two big bodyguards I completely forgot all about this acting disrespectful oh I would never forget this video

the second I saw Alan Leeds I was like yo did Prince and Charlie Wilson ever have beef or something because what's the have you ever seen the disrespectful video? I'm looking at it right now it's like it's animated it's not even lyric it's I don't even think there's lyrics to it sort of like

almost like their, let's take it to the stage song where he's talking to smack. And so I asked Alan Leeds, Prince's tour manager at the time,

I was like, okay, so the song came out in 84. I said, did something happen between Prince and Charlie Wilson that made the song come up like disrespectful?

And Alan couldn't remember. He's like, I don't know. Maybe Charlie wanted to sing on stage with Prince or something. What is the origin of disrespectful? And can I?

And I assume that it was directed at Prince. You had your chance, chance to dance. To disrespect, you won't let me on. So what happened? Well, I love Prince, man. We all love Prince. And this is in hindsight. This song, this song's 30 years ago.

Yeah, and so, hey, man. See, this beef we can talk about. Right, right, right. Yeah. I mean, we always talked about, he's always like, man, and my favorite band and all of that. And then once I saw him, I treated some young kids

and it was just like, how I was like, you're not going to even, you're not going to even take the picture or you're not going, I was looking. I was like, that's wrong. And then it was like, I've seen things happen and I've seen,

it was like, you walk past me and don't say nothing. And you're just like, and then we're supposed to do some stuff together and you change your mind. and it's like had me all hyped and it's like, okay, so. It's like, I got to get at you. I got, I got to go on and cut you now.

I'm out to cut you now, see. Because I know you, I know you, I'm out to cut you now, see. And so, you know, and then somebody from my clique, some crew members, he called, I think my room or something, and some crew members answered the phone. I had already left, and they said something that was to him that was not right. And I fired those guys because when they said what they said, I fired him right on the spot, but they shouldn't have said that. And I think he might have took offense to that too. So, and, hey, man.

Always one was like, but it's just we never not got along. Right. But he was just like Steve, you know, you got the big head. But anyway. Y'all never had to come to Jesus' moment either, though. No, not really. I mean, we could have. We could have.

But at the time, I was in my disease of getting high. And it was like, and he was waiting on me. And I said, I'm coming. I promise you. Wow. I'll be that. And you're coming for real. Tell them, I'm coming.

I'm on my way. I'll be there in five minutes. Five minutes. I'll be there in five minutes. So five minutes turned into whatever. So when I did get there, he was already gone. And so got me back. So when we played the Glam Slam, it said, Prince coming down.

I said, okay. I forgot about when I was getting high, but I was sobering in. So I'm waiting. And I think he part thought I was doing it. doing it on purpose that was not on purpose. It's like, hey. So I sit there, looked at the door, the body go still there with his hit phone.

I said, it's coming. See, yeah, he's coming. He's notorious for that though. Yeah. So finally, I looked at the hallway and gone, everybody was going in the building. That's like, then I thought back, like, 10 years ago, I was like, ah, you got me.

Payback. Okay. Okay. So I never got a chance to talk to him. I sent message to him about it after I was sober so many years, hey man, that wasn't done on purpose, man. That's a part of the process, right? If you're kind of sober, you're supposed to make it.

Yeah, yeah. So, hey. And then, but anyway, I'm going to leave him alone right now because I got cut up talking about him one time. The fans told me up, so I don't want to go back through that. I'm alive. I testify and tell people that I was on drugs and that. That's why I'm alive. I remember you, it was, this was a couple years ago when Casey and Jojo had their reality show.

And you were talking to them just about sobriety. Absolutely. Told them straight up, just like, listen, you're going to be out on tour, and it's going to be someone offering you a drink, and you ain't going to be able to say no, you're not going to be able to turn it down. How have you, because at the time when we met, this was years ago at the Grammys in 2010, and you were performing at the Pretails,

and this is when my band, The Foreign Exchange were nominated. And we met real briefly, and then you performed at the Pretails and killed it. And I remember at the end, you was like, you know, I beat prostate cancer, I'd be out 20 years old, but, like, you were just going in. So how have you, you know, you know, enable the tour and everything. How, what is that daily walk of sobriety like for you?

I got my wife with me, so she's, she's rehab. Plain and simple. And so we, we're just like, and for so many years, she was, I guess, known as the enemy. And because she was just stopping, they don't matter, family people don't matter. How long have you guys been married? 22.

Wow. Every single day, 24 hours a day. We were together. But it's like, it's like when she told, me she would be with me, you know, and whatever, no matter what. I was young when I heard those words, but, you know, within young being like wanting to be in love with somebody, for real love. So when I finally got it, I understood it. And so I just let her have the way of whatever it is. You know, hey, man, who is that? Mm-mm. No, mm-mm. There's no backstage. I don't

I don't care who it is. Mm-mm. So, and so people used to come and sneak things and hide them in my hand. I'm like, man, I don't get high no more. I heard that, but why are you putting it in my hand if you heard that? You know, so after that she heard me say that. So she cut everybody. It didn't matter who it was.

Kids, no matter. No, mm-mm. That's love right. So now y'all write it. Because am I tribut, or is she writing songs? You guys write songs together now? She writes. Because on the new record, she's like every song.

Yeah, she's writing with me now. She's like, because I sometimes, I sometimes. I have problems, you know, trying to figure out what I want to say. And she's, she has some things to say and she writes them for me. And like if I'm singing vocals or something, and I'm coming and I'm going down, getting my things on, I'm really, I'm getting going into it. For as I'm concerned, then I look up and she's talking to the engineer. And I'm looking, I'm like, dude, you're not stopping.

So you push the button, hey man, we gotta start over. I'm like, start over, man, you're serious? She's like, oh, man, hey, talk to your wife. She said you ain't putting it down right. You ain't going hard enough. So I'm like, wow. That's your better half right there. That's your better half.

So that was the first time when I first heard that, I was like, wow. Can I just get warmed up first? I'm just getting warmed up. She's like, no. You're going to sing, you sang. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying.

Yep, that's me. Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either.

We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends... Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands.

I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Wodom. My next guest, you know from Stepbrothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live. and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Farrell. Woo. Woo.

My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day. And I was like, and dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent.

He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. Mm. and he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit.

If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East-West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galko, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. So obviously, as music fans and geeks that we are, you know, a lot of the stuff that we're talking about with you, you know, these are like the highlights of our lives.

But I mean, for every person's highlight, that could have been your personal hell. how you know I've read the part of your life when you you were homeless and like how

how does it get to that point where it's just like like what was that first night light that first night like for you when

well first of all you don't think you that you're homeless because you might be at somebody house smoking all night or you might be somebody you're just there and some

some spot you know what I'm saying you're there And then the next day, you're like, I have nowhere to go. I left that spot, so I ain't got, well, I'm going to go. So you're just there. And because of who you are, you could be there. You follow me? So it don't even register that.

You don't register that way until you feel guilty and you're going to leave out of there. Now if you leave out of there, now where you're going? So now at nighttime, you can probably get in any of those doors, dope door, dope pimps, who's ever doors? Because they didn't know who I am. And so, and after you think you can wear, you're welcome out then you go somewhere else. And then pretty soon, at the end of the day, then where you're going? Because I didn't move by day.

It was about nine night, you know. Okay. And so if you left there, then where you're going? So after you found some cool place to lay down and nobody's looking at you, so that's what you did it. If somebody was homeless and they had some purpose, perfect spot in between some shopping carts and put that brick there and put a little piece of carpet and they said, go in there and put stuff around it so nobody can see it was me in there

and that's where I slept. And how does it go from? Because we spoke briefly off air when you were saying how y'all weren't really making a lot of money off the total experience stuff. A lot of money. Well, none. I'm sorry. No money. But so. So, so. So, was pretty much the only source of income just from touring and shows? I had an income. Wow. So not even the sampling of outstanding?

Back in the day, we didn't handle him to him. We handled him. We handled him. There was an income. Jesus. Wow. Man, I see. Wow. My blessings, I will read the fine print. One question I have for you was in regards to like covers of your songs when people cover your stuff.

Some of my favorite games, got band songs I've discovered through the cover. And then I went back and heard the original. And Mary, Mary Jay, she covered, I'm in love. And then Jagged Edge, they covered Wednesday Love her. What did you think of those covers? I thought they were great, but what did you as the songwriter? What did you think?

It's like it was, it made me feel proud. I mean, another generation is recording your records. I was just really happy about the fact that, and then Mary, so I don't know, me and the two really records are for that albums. And so my brother, he was the primary writer, so he was happy and because they actually he got paid but at that time some kind of way he was doing his thing but um um at jagged edge of course that was another group that was had i had i had i guess inspired so i was happy about that that somebody was recording now records i mean i couldn't

re-record those records i mean i can say that you're already done you don't go back and redo your own records. I just didn't feel that way unless you was doing it for the ownership of the songs. You can record them and just sit there now. They belong to you, you know. So, the re-recorded version. Yeah, but I was, I enjoyed, man. I was glad that people were doing it. I, you know, I wasn't angry at all. In 2004, I think it was 2004, you covered less chill. Yeah, I love fooling people with that. When I do my soul jam doing, I put it. I put it. on and they're like, wait, I don't remember his I know this, but I don't know this. Right, right.

Well, the reason I did it is because he had done yearning at one time. They did yawning. He did yawning in the future. I like, this is one of my favorite record, so I'll do this one and I just did it. Do you have, like, because I know you've done a lot of features, do you have, number one, have you said no? And is there requirements in your mind to what you will not do?

I've been pretty, I've I stayed in my lane pretty much, meaning, you know, R&B, adult contemporary, and that lane is, you know, I paved away of somewhat, nobody was really, you know, before that lane was just really, like, being used a lot. Now, I think we came in there and just busted the place up, and so I've been very happy there. I don't think I would just be trying to do hip hop record. Okay. So, although I've sang on a lot of hip hop records. But Charlie Wilson, I don't think I would be doing no hip hop record or something for some 12 years. I can't.

What is that for me? Right, that's okay. Like, I won't do that. So none of the creepy rap. I was like, wait a minute. Well, I'm thinking. I was young there. I was young then.

I was a kid, basically. But it won't be no young thug, Charlie Wilson, like, collaboration. No, we're not doing that. I wouldn't, I wouldn't cross that line. And to try to do it for what? You know, it's like to disappoint the fans that buy physical sales all the time for me are download or stream for me. They, I mean, why would I do that?

Now, I would go and sing with an email or, you know, you know, title, the curator or just, you know, because they asked me to come sing on some records. I'll do that. And basically, their fans are buying their records. My fans ain't going to try to look for a title. Exactly. See what I'm saying?

So in that moment, I'm going to be what Tyler want me to be at that moment. So whatever I'm saying, whatever it is, then that's what we're doing together at that moment. He's on the ground anyways. He's got his own following. Right, that's how's about to say. He's a little different. He's doing a record with Royaz and you.

So how surreal is it to, I mean, you've done something that not many rappers have been able to do. You've actually transcended generations of hip-hop artists. Whereas, you know, doing the stuff with Snoop and Death Row family then, and now, even 25 years after that, still going strong with stuff on Kanye's record and working. Ferell, Snoop, a girl, not girl, that girl, the Bush album. And Bush, yeah, yeah. So, I mean, how surreal is, are you ever surprised now when you get a call, like? From a 19-year-old?

Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I was, I've turned a few of them down. I was like, man, I know. I was like, he said, but he's up and coming. I'm still up and coming, but I'm not going to be, I'm not coming over there. So it's just like, just give me a minute to just take a moment to relax and breathe and let me see what it is. It's just guys doing. This kid's doing.

You know what I'm saying? I just don't want to be the hook guy for every up and coming guy. So it's like, you know, I mean, I'll, I mean, I got to understand what the worth is here. And then, and for people, you know, it's a man, you just. would you do it for me? And then when they ask me, would I do it for me? Then I think about, okay, what I'm lending to them. I was like, this would be great for the kid and he wants to, it's something he'll never forget. And that's the reason why I say, yeah,

because if I go to a room where a 19-year-old kid and her mama, his mama always talked about me and they listen to all the records that I've done with Kanye or Farrell or Snoop or, you know, whoever, you know, MasterPia back in those days, whoever it was, you know, so they get a chance to have that same thing. So then I start obliging because I would think about what I felt like when somebody was to turn me down. Right. And so that's the reason why I go.

This is also a good problem to have, though. It's a good problem to have because if they don't call you at all, then where you be? Do you now feel as though you're in somewhat of endangered species territory? Because singing right now isn't really a factor in black music now. Right. Because I mean, if you thought the talk box was cheating And auto tune is, you know what I mean? Like, what is that?

Then talent, I mean, words. Just basic things, melody, structure. Don't mean nothing. Yeah, it's almost as if it's kind of like the things fall apart story with it, the warrior, the very skilled warrior comes back to his homeland and don't even recognize it. It sees that, you know, it's changed. So, I mean, do you now feel, do you know, do you?

you sing with a sense of purpose that like there's only a few of us left there's you there's ronald isley there's stevie stevie i mean how do you how do you feel just in terms of your craft and where it stands now in 2016 whereas personally you're fine but just as the art and a craft itself and where singing and the traditional black singing is concerned might be an endangered species. Like, do you have thoughts about that? Well, I haven't really, really thought about it in that way, but I do, I do saying to protect the brand. I protect my brand and protect the R&B vibe of my life, that's what it is, and R&B.

I sing to protect that. And for those who are, who can't get that done, then I'm the only one out here to do. doing it and so I have to protect it. And I go hard every time I go and try to make sure I'm correct with it and not to try to let the our community down of R&B and what it is. You haven't, trust me, you haven't. You haven't let us down. You know, I'm just trying to protect the brand man.

It's my brand first. And then, of course, you know, I know how it is what it is now this day, even compared to like a couple of years ago. a few years ago or 10 years ago. It's totally different now. And if you're not smart enough to grasp what's going on now, man, you're going to definitely be left behind. And so, hey man, streaming is in.

And, you know, come on, man, anybody over 40 years or 50 years old, they ain't streaming, basically, they're screaming, but they ain't streaming. So what are they streaming? They're not even there. They're barely giving it stuff to their granddaughter to put this to see to them. Show me how to do it. Come on, man.

The technology is moving fast. And if you're not moving fast with the technology and things are where things are being done. I mean, I have a number one gospel record now because of the way things are done. Right. I was number one. With Tia?

I'm blessed. It was debut at number one. And you got these gospel. Some of these gospel are I've been on the charts for 29 weeks. They're peaking in number four. And then I debut at number one. Hello.

So is it safe to say on the back of his question that when you are working with certain R&B or soul artists, that they must be the shit thing because then you look at Layla Hathaway, you pick Layla, you pick Robin Thick. So in your mind these are people who to you might be on that line of longevity.

No, I only picked those people because they always wanted to sing with me. And I just never gave, I never had the time to put them on. And so when I was making these records, I started naming the people that asked me what I sing with them. And so that's what I did.

So you still got a little bit of a list left too then. I'm sure. Yeah, because a lot of people I have got. We ain't done the Charlie Wilson Reefical ever reason. I haven't got you that point. It's like I have a lot, a lot of people I still want to work with. It's like I've asked, I asked Quest.

He just, I don't know if you heard, he just said we ain't got the roots, Charlie Wilson. Yeah, that's, I asked him last one we did. Oh, it's going to happen. Oh. Yeah. I asked him when we did the foul in the last time. I said, man, we got to get this record done. He said, you got it.

We're going to get that done. So I haven't got done that yet. You got to understand that the first time he came and sat in with us. There wasn't even introductions. Like we were just rehearsing his songs, like recapitulating his songs. And then he just stormed in our room like the Kool-Aid man, like through the wall.

And just grabbed them. No, it's in the morning. Yeah. You let got their microphone. Oh, my God. Hey. It was something like that, yeah. Yeah.

You came in like the Kool-Aidman. It wasn't even... No, because you got to understand, you know, the way they play and this room is small and when I walked in, it was... Benaude, you should hear how it sounds. Oh, we've been in there. Man, everything is...

It would sound like a freaking record up in there. You know, I'm like, hey, man, I got right on top of that. I was like, hey, you know... Who's the engineer in there? It sounds so good. It sounds so good. It sounds like a record.

That joke had that thing sounding good. It ain't no lie. He do. He had it sounded so good. up in there. I got to go on and give him some props on that. And, you know, all those guys, you know, Quist got all those guys, man, those guys is playing up and then. They're not fooling around. Thank you.

And so to hear that back like that and then they don't have the vocal on it yet. I just went in, not even warming up, a little bit warming up down to that and down the hall. And I just went in on it. And so, and he's already recording. And then he hadn't said, get that. It was the greatest entrance of all time. There was no first name Charlie, last name Wilson. I always was curious about I'm going to get you sucker. And the records that you did.

Yeah, I'm going to get you sucker. And you're so cute. I really like enjoying it. Like never ever have like you before. So how did that come about? How did you go? Well, we were in, we was in the studio. Ooh, I forgot about that.

I'm going. I'm going. And they asked us to do a do, could we do this? But then they said, you only have a few hours. Oh, good God. Whoa. Oh, yeah, man. It's like, okay, we want you to do it, but I said, they don't really want us to do that, man.

To see you got like two hours to do it. Thinking you say no? They probably say, well, they can't do it. Right. When this one's about, this is not going to be able to do it. Everybody said, get the gap in. It's like, well, you know, the way and it's like, you know, the way and they, you know, it's like, get the gap in, you know, to do it.

They said, well, okay. but give them two hours to do it. I said, be back. And I was like, we started on the vibe, and I was like, be back. Be back in two hours. And so, boom. I'm going to get you son of God.

You're telling you, my mom. Don't she said. Oh, and she shut your mouth. Get your mouth. Hold on, bro. I mean, when they came back within an hour, the guy was like, are you kidding me? It's like, no, man, push play.

And then it was like, I didn't really mind. I just turned around and walked off because I knew that you, You're trying to, you know, you're trying to... Underestimate you. And underestimate me, man. So, me and my brothers were like, let's got the thing done. And then the next record, I said, can you give me another record? You don't know, no time frame on it.

Can you give me another record? I was like, yeah, I was at the house there and had the studio inside the front room. And I wanted to play Mug again so bad. To be it, be, to be, to be, you did, you know, that thing. I wanted to play. And, you know, and... You know, you're so cute. Yeah.

Never ever find. So I did that one and hand that one in and it was like we love them both. And so give me my damn money. Wait a minute. Before we stop, I totally forgot. We didn't mention Mercedes Boy. Oh, man. Yeah, yeah.

What was that experience like? Because I initially thought Ellie and Face did it. And I forgot that you were, you. wrote that. Was she your artist first or? That's mine. And we thank you for another I thought of thank you. It was so much in that smile.

So much. I've got to figure that. I didn't. I'm sorry. I just thought it was a great song. Listen to my sound. That was your first pop? I mean, your first top ten?

Yeah. And then, you know, bass was so cool. And then after she had went there. Right. I caught pneumonia. I called pneumonia and I went down

and then she had met them and then she was So she was initially your artist Well we were Yeah At the time Okay okay Yeah so and then

So you intended on producing that whole record I produced the whole album I did produce the whole album The only thing they put was Girlfriend And another record that Andre Simone had one on the two That was it Okay

No shade but baby face said it was another whole big dude Not that I'm just just It was a big She had another Never mind. She was popular. I knew we were. Yeah.

Yeah. Yo, the I roll on Fonticolo right now. That was so unnecessary. Yeah, she went from next to the bank of the bankers. I was saying. Yeah, the bankers was after me. Yeah, you know. Eye rolling right now is everything.

Right now. That was so unnecessary, man. Sorry. Why he just killed any chance we had to be getting pebbles on the show? Right. It's over now. Thank you. Yeah, so you did that record.

You did the whole record. I did the whole album. Have we asked everything? Any death roll questions? Oh, well, yeah, I was, yeah, the dog father. Like how? Oh, man, Snoke. Because you was all over that album.

And to me, that was when, I guess, I want to say comeback, but I mean, because that wasn't a very successful record for Snoop, but that was for me. It was great, though. Yeah, yeah. Shout out the boss bill for even bringing that back into my parameter. Because I think none of us gave the dog father a chance because of like, oh, Dre's not doing this. I ain't given a chance.

Yeah. Because Dre wasn't on it and because Snoop like consciously turned down the whole gangsta element of the record. Right. And it was late. And I went back to it. It's a great record. It's a really great record. And I was like, man, Charlie all over this.

He's singing his ass out. How did you you guys hook up at that time? Well, me and Snoop was, and of course, you know, we were close. And I met him in 95, 96. And I was, there was a red time. I was just getting clean. and I was just been in his life since then. But while I was getting sober, while I was sober and just, you know, my new life,

I'm living out this new life in the beginning parts of it, I'm with him and my wife, Snoop, I'm sorry, you guys can't smoke that around my house. I was wondering what she did when he came around. I'm sorry, he was like, what? It's like, you gotta put that out. Everybody, that was parking. She made everybody put it out. He's not coming in there.

You gotta put it all out. So, just do a beautiful thing. So we, I was there and I just started singing with him. And of course, I just took over where Nate dog, you know, left off and basically, you know, it was, that whole thing was falling apart basically. And me and Nate was to do a record together that never happened. Oh, that would have been great. Wow.

We never got a chance. And he asked me like a couple of few times. And I said, okay, let's do it. I was, of course, you know, I'm beginning to start working now. And I didn't get a chance to get back over there fast enough. And we talked on the phone. I said, we're going to do it. Let's do it next week.

And he said, okay. Then he had a stroke. Damn. Wow. I missed that, man. I missed that dude. He was very, and he had some great ideas of how we could do it, too. would have been the bomb.

His vocal sound and my vocal sound, it would just been like... Are there any other collaborations that we could have... I did... I was... Tupac that was there and the day I was in the studio and I think he had just mentioned my name

with like three seconds and I opened the door and when they turned around, everybody was jumping up and down and I was like, what's going on? I'm looking around and he was like, I just called your name just now. If Charlie Wilson was here, We could fuck this place.

And I was like, he said, I got this idea, listen to it. And I was like, wow, that's one of mine. He was like, yeah, yeah, we're flipping it. And he said, can you do this? And I was like, yeah, but I'm here with Snoop being three minutes. I can't do it in three. And I said, I'll do it. Right.

And I went over there with Snoop and, and again, that could have happened. After that, again, then Park got killed. Damn. That, you know, after that. Wow. So what's the future for Uncle Charlie Wilson? Do you like us when we call you Uncle Charlie Wilson? That's good, man.

I feel like you're everybody, Uncle Charlie, man. Yeah, Uncle Charlie, man. All right, well. Yeah, it's okay, man. Listen, Quest, man, I just, I'm just so blessed to be here now of what I'm doing now. It doesn't matter what it is. I'm the only guy that's ever come out of a great. that late to try to do something solo because everybody turned me down and it was like dude come on are you serious i'm like

yeah but i mean that was really west way past the actual you know of trying to do something that i thought would happen right and it ended up happening anyway and i've been having number one since then and since two thousand and seventeen already so every year i was putting out a record so almost you know so but but it's I don't know what's for me next, man. I just, I just thank God. I just go from day to day. And my management P music group, Michael P.er, led by him. And, you know, it's just, you know, and Sonia Muckle and that whole staff and Michael.

And everybody is just doing things for me. And I just get up, when they put it together, I get up and go do it. Now, I would love to do this movie, you know, the movie. and so I could tell all the other stuff that I didn't sell in the book and the other stuff that I didn't say today it's just like it's so much to this to me and that I haven't got a chance

to say and get out of my spirit and not just cut my own face off or whatever but hey the truth is the truth and so if I'm going to tell the truth on you can help somebody tell the truth on me you see so but I'm not like to point the finger I'm just going to tell the truth and just have and some of that's going to make me look bad.

Hey, I can't make me look bad because I'm looking too good right now. You're looking good, Uncle Charlie. You have looking good, so I can't make me look bad. Do you have children? You have kids? Man, the man, kids. I'm grown folks.

They ask you for that jacket on a cup of that new album? How many? How many? They ask me for cars. They ain't asked me for those damn jacket. They ain't asked me for shit. They ain't ask me for shit. They want houses and cars and shit.

I'm like, hey, god damn. Give my brother a break. How old are they old? Man, they're old. He's so old that he can't stay their age or he didn't get in trouble. All right. No, I'm just saying. What how do you doing?

They're 30. They're young, man. They're young, man. They're young, but, you know, I'm looking at them. I look at their kids and like, what you want. Gotcha. Now, I'll give you what you want. Can they sing too?

One of my daughters could sing and she just never did. And the other one just tone deaf and they act like she can sing. Oh, she's a tone deaf. I tuned that bullshit. I can't. I tuned that bullson. I'm sorry. That's like a dark skinned the boys.

Yeah, my mom. Man. She swept down. Dark skin the bar. Oh, I don't know. Oh, daddy. I'm like, okay. You can say, baby.

That's just worse. Yeah, I'm sorry. You just kill me right there with the dark skin. All right. Well, thank you, Uncle Charlie, for doing our show. Yes. Shut up. It's been a dream.

It's been a dream, man. Life goals. Thank you. Thank you. Should we even do reflections? I mean, I think... Just put an episode again. Yeah, that's it.

You know what I'm saying? I can't look bad because I'm looking too good. That's a life quote right there. That is. Well, on behalf of Fantigolo, Laia, boss bill, unpaid bill, and sugar steed and the great Charlie Wilson.

This is Questlove of Questlove Supreme. Signing off. We'll see you on the next girl now. Thank you. Yeah. And when we do this goddamn Roots and Child of Wilson Project, we ain't going to see y'all

next time until we do this fucking record. Hello. Talk to him. Talk to him. Yes, Uncle, Charlie. Of course, Love Supreme is a production of I-Heart Radio. This classic episode was produced

by the team at Pandora. For more podcasts from I-HartRadio, visit the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me.

Clifford Taylor, the You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilts of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft.

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