The Questlove Show - QLS Classic: Stephanie Mills

Episode Date: March 17, 2025

In early 2021, Questlove Supreme interviewed one of the most spectacular voices of our time — Stephanie Mills. She set the standard in her debut Broadway role as the original Dorothy in the Wiz and then came the hits. As we celebrate Women's History Month, listen and learn about her life and everything in between only on QLS. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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My next guest, it's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best advice ever. He goes, just give it a shot. 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. 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. Yeah. Listen to Thanks Dad on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Questlove Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. March is

Women's History Month as we celebrate at QLS. And we're going to look back at this classic episode for 2021 with Stephanie Mills, who talks about her incredible music and theater contributions. I love this episode. Hope you enjoy. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of Club Supreme, I'm from West Love and Team Supreme. We got a Laia in a house. Yes. Yes.

Hello. Hello. Hello. We got unpaid, unpaid bill. Yeah. You back? That's it. Back.

Sorry. All right. Ticalo. You there? What up? What up? Man, man. Yes, sir.

And sugar Steve. My whole childhood right now, girl. I know, please. Sugar Steve, you there? Yeah, I'm here. I'm very excited. What can I say? Ladies and gentlemen, our guest today,

legendary singer is really putting it lightly. But for the past five decades, she's never lost a step in her powerful vocal range, be it as a Broadway, sensation that came into our lives in the original cast run of the whiz to our legendary run of hits working with some of the greatest producers ever named film Ramon for backerack how david james and to me reggie lucas george duke david david hawksinski nick martinelli robert brookens all my favorites ass from and censor she's of work with all my favorites she's my

favorite. I never thought this day was coming, but I'm happy to say, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Quest Love Supreme, Stephanie Mills. Yes. Yes. Thank you. I'm honored to be here. Thank you. How are you today? I'm good. I'm good in this crazy world we're living in. I'm good. That's good. That's good. That's good. Yeah, I had seen you like at the airport. it. Yeah, it was like three, three years ago, it was either the airport or the train station one and, and, I, I could not believe you knew I was alive. I was like, I came up to you and I said, hi, I'm Stephanie. And you said, hi. I was like, wow, you know who I am. Thank you. Of course. That is amazing. Yeah, we have a cagillion questions to ask you. So we're

just going to start. Okay. I always start with your origins. Where are you from? I'm from Brooklyn, New York. But I make my home in Charlotte, North Carolina, but I'm from Brooklyn. What? You live in Charlotte? I live in Charlotte for the last 28 years.

Oh, my God. Neighbors. How far as you do you? Neighbor, yeah, from me. So my hometown is Greensboro. That's where I'm raised in Greensboro. But home is Raleigh, me and my family. We live in Raleigh now.

Oh, wow. Yeah. That's home. Oh, wow. Okay. Stephanie Mills is playing in North Carolina. That's what's up. Yeah. Everyone's claiming in North Carolina, man. I feel like that's quiet. It's beyond the, not even a retirement town, but just everyone I know is relocating there.

Yeah, man. The living is easy. It's not chaotic, you know. It's just, I, and my mom and my dad were from here. So I spent all my summers here as a child and I have a lot of family. here. So I like that. Oh, back when you left the city for the summer to live with grandparents or it. Yes, like we would come and stay with my aunts and my cousins and like my cousin was here tonight, help putting this all together because I am challenged when it comes to all this kind of. Guess what? So are we. I like, you know, being able to call them. Come over to my house. Help me. I have

an interview tonight. So, oh, okay. That's cool. That's cool. What part, what part of Brooklyn? Where are you from? Jeff is Stuyveson. Bettsy, okay. Do a die. In the beginning, I mean, I know that you were, you know, practically singing out of the womb, but just musically speaking, like, when did you, when was that voice fully, not fully developed, but like, when did you realize that you had something that not many people had that voice?

Like, how old were you? I don't think I realized it even until this day. I just like to sing. I mean, I went to the Apollo and I won six weeks in a row. And the six weeks that I was there, James Brown performed, Roberta Flack, King. Isley Brothers as well, correct? Isley Brothers as well, yes. And then I got a chance to perform with the Isley brothers and do shows with them.

And then after that, I auditioned for Maggie Flynn, which was a Broadway show. I was about 11 years old. and that ran on Broadway about nine years. And then after that, I recorded, I knew it was love. And that's how they heard about me for the whiz. Okay. I know of your sister, Cassandra, in the industry, but like the rest of your family,

are they musically inclined as well? You know, well, Cassandra was my sister-in-law. She was married to my brother. Oh, okay. Oh, because of yours, Giant Records, Cassandra Mills. Yeah. Yes, because he knows. Oh, wow.

Oh, wow. Yeah, but she still keeps the, She still keeps the name, but she was married to my brother Alan, who's now deceased, may God rest of soul. But she managed, her and my brother managed me for a while. Yeah. Oh, okay. The rest of my family are not musically inclined. No, they were just really involved management-wise when I was younger in my career.

So all the talent went to you. I guess, yeah. That town. I see. All the talent went to you. Yeah. So can you just, what was, I don't think we've yet to interview someone that was part of Showtime, or at least amateur night of the Apollo, in the 70s at least. Like, was it as harrowing as the urban legend will lead you to think it was, at least for people that told me?

What did they say about it? Well, you know, everything. Brutal. Yeah, man, come out. He gets your body. Yeah. It wasn't brutal for me. You come out and you rub the stuff and everything.

And I sang my song. I sang, Who's Loving You by the Jackson Five? For Once in My Life by Stevie Wonder. And you sing those songs every time you go up. But it wasn't brutal for me. My whole family was around me. And I was very protective. And I was able to go up on stage and watch like James Brown perform and all

that. So it wasn't a bad experience for me. You could sing. You didn't know to be free. Right, right. She could really sing. So she had a great night of your follow. You had somebody else. Their story might be different. Okay. Not a, I see. Okay. So I guess your career as a recording artist happened after your first play? That's what you just said. Or? Yes. After my first play, um, after Maggie Flynn, then I was signed to Paramount Records. And I recorded a record with, not Bert Back, not Bert Back, because that was with Motown,

Burke Keys. Okay. And I knew what was Love came out, was a single. And Ken Harper, who was a DJ on A, what is it, A&M, not A&M, but, what's the morning station, not FM, but, but. AM radio? AM radio. He was a jock on AM radio.

And they were putting together the, Whiz and they heard my single. And I had gone up for a lot of different things that I didn't get. So I did not want to audition for the Wiz. My mother made me go that morning and she went with me. And then I auditioned three times after that and they told me I had the role of. You did not want to go. I did not want to go.

I hate auditions. I don't, I wouldn't. If someone called and said, we'd like to see you for so. I would not go. I'm petrify. I cannot audition well. But you chose theater so early in life. I know, but I love theater.

I love the stage. In fact, Melba Moore and I are working on something that we're going to do next year. And we're excited about it because I love Melba. I think she's like the queen. I'm on Broadway because of her. She paved the way. We talked to her yesterday, actually. She's just brilliant.

And we've been friends for a long time. And in fact, Melba gave me my first Yellow Brick Road party when I was in. Yeah, yeah. And how old were you when you did The Wiz? How old were you at that time? I was actually 17, but they said I was 15, but I was 17. Ah, gotcha. Oh, got you.

Yeah. Okay, so. Still a child. So the Wiz, yeah, I saw your run when you did it. Really? Yeah, he went deep with it. She has the tattoo on her arm. You still have that?

I'm sorry. What? I shouldn't have said that. No. You make me sound like a stalker. Very much a stalker. Very much. I think, you know what?

I got to say out of, I mean, you could have been one of those mindless people that just does the, you know, they do the, the Japanese characters, not what it represents. You have one of the most unique. I approve of your tattoo. And it makes something. to me because in full disclosure, it missed something to me because I said I wanted something that would mean something for the rest of my life. My godfather is Charlie Smalls. He wrote a lot of the music and Charlie passed. So I actually called this his angel and that's Charlie's angel. Oh my God, Charlie Smalls was brilliant. In fact, he was the one who actually sat down with me

at the piano and taught me my songs. Wow. Yeah, I can't wait. I kind of, I don't, I just can't wait for you to talk about like the home process and that song. And we're here already. Yeah. Let's go. I mean, first of all, I had never, that was my first time being around like someone like Andre DeShields who was a brilliant whiz and Jeffrey Holder and Gilbert Moses who was out first. Jeffrey Holder was in the original wins?

Yes. Jeffrey Holder designed the costumes. And then he later became the director because they fired Gilbert Moses. But Gilbert Moses was the original director. Wait, Jeffrey. Huh. Ha, ha, ha. Yeah.

Nelson. Nelson from Boomerang. Yeah. There you go. The banana. Marcus. No, we've got Annie. After Beth.

After Beth. See, I'm more at Boomerang. I barely remember he was pun jab and Annie. Okay. Yes. Yes. And the colon. Yeah.

He was there. He was the seven up guy. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah. So the process. So the process.

Yeah. Could you, what, I mean, I knew who you were when I was five. but I mean, what was it like to be in the eye of that storm? And, you know, because I feel like the whiz was just something that we've never seen before as black people. And it was, it was amazing. It was it, because, you know, being a black show and doing the whiz, of course, the, the, the, what do you call? The critics hated us. I mean, they hated, we got terrible, terrible.

views when we first opened. Really? Because my mother belonged to a big church, Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn, and Ken Harper's mother belonged to a big church. Before we actually did our commercial, they would come in busloads, and that helped us until we did our commercial. Once we did the commercial for the whiz, we were fine. But it was, it was, there was a lot of things working against us, but we prevailed.

We really prevailed because they did not want to. on Broadway. Wow. So you're saying that it was not critically acclaimed? No. No. You know how the movie wasn't either though. I get it now but I just it was too different right and it and it was it was too different and it was all black and you know Judy Garland was right did you leave that so people were being protective of their okay I get a white queen and I used to watch the wizard all every year when it would come on. Never did I imagine that I I would play, you know, Dorothy, because that was one of my favorite fairy tales. So can you tell the people who are listening, because everybody didn't get a chance to see

your version of, a lot of people have seen the movie version. What are the major, like, different breakdowns between the two? Well, first of all, I was a young girl. Diane was a young woman. And we basically took our way from the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It's just a black cast, you know, but the movie was different. It went somewhere, somewhere else, even though Michael was in it and I felt like he was brilliant. And I felt like Diane was brilliant too.

But ours was more like the wonderful Wizard of Oz. It was just called the whiz. The same musical numbers, though, right? Like, same songs. It's known because Charlie wrote all new, we had all original music. We had ease on down the road. They had followed the Yellowbrook Road. I had Home and she had somewhere over the rainbow.

So it was all the, that's right. Home wasn't in the West. It wasn't in the movie. It wasn't in the movie. She's comparing the original one. We're comparing the movie and the Broadway version. Yeah, I was talking about the yes. Yeah, but I'm comparing what you said.

But I do have a question, though. Your second label was Motown. Yes. So I would assume. that you were kind of in Barry Gordy's radar. So being as though you were Motown artist pre-wiz once you got it, how weird, was it ever up in the air

that you might do the movie version at all? Like, was it even a discussion or? When they had a different, there was a different director first. I forget his name. So not Sidney. It wasn't Sydney Lament. They had a different director and it was coming through

20th Century Fox. And they were going to have a meeting with me. But then once Sidney Lament took over, it was almost definite that Diana was going to play Dorothy. And she would come to the show all the time, all the time, all the time, all the time to study. You know, the show. So you knew even

in the run of the Broadway show that they were going to do a movie adaptation and yes. It was going to, okay. But rarely do they use. use the person that does Broadway. They wear the same person. So you took it like, is this business? Business is business.

I didn't, you know, I was such a fan of Diana Ross and all that. I didn't look at it as a bad thing. I just, that's the way it goes. I will say, though, because of how home is associated with you. And that's known as a showstopper. is there a pressure especially with i mean how long was your your initial one run was was it two years three years wow five years i was in the subway for five years holding that now understudy or no understudy whatsoever oh i did have an understudy yeah she went on maybe

for one week yeah yeah okay people were mad that week weren't there in five Right. One week and five years. Right. The one week I was, five years, yep. That's all they gave me. One week and five years. So is it, I mean, you know, I mean, of course,

when you think of like the showstopper song, along with, you know, with Jennifer, where I am telling you, like, home is sort of the, you must do a grand slam every night. Like, how much pressure was that to sing like your, like the audio? life depends on it. How much pressure is that on your vocals every like vocally how much how hard is that?

It wasn't hard on me at all really because I'm a sleeper. I always get sleep. I know I need a certain amount of sleep and because I started in theater it teaches you such discipline that you're doing eight shows a week. You can't do anything else. You know what I'm saying? You can't go out. No party and no nothing. And I'm not a partier anyway. So, you can't do anything else. But physically, sometimes when I'd get a cold, it was hard, you know, to sing above that. But the show must go on. You're taught that in theater.

There's no matter of you sick, I've had sprain ankles and everything, but the show must go on. And that's how I was trained and taught. So it wasn't that hard for me. I was just going to ask, did you ever get a chance to talk to Charlie about the lyrics of that song? My father talks about when he wrote that song, he had like nothing and was like eating apples and was going through the struggle. But I was just curious if he ever walked you through where it came from, like, lyrically. No, he never did, but we used to sit at the piano and he taught me that song. And then he also wrote a song called Opening Night, which was a wonderful song. They

didn't put it in the show, but he taught me that song. But sitting with Charlie and watching him play and create that music was just awesome. And I was glad that he taught me my song. He was the one who taught me be a lion is actually my my favorite song because it's so positive everybody everybody thinks home is mine but be a lion is is really my favorite song in the show thank you was ted ross in the original whiz absolutely ted ross and stew gillam was the original scarecrow scarecrows okay okay it wasn't debby allen in the chorus no the touring she she was okay Richard Rashad was in, she was a munchkin. Wow.

She was a understudy for Glinda. What? Oh, man. Yeah, that's perfect. You had a, yeah. That's her voice. That's her voice. Wow.

Wow. And the Tony for Glenda. Really? Too little to know that. Yeah. Okay. Okay. I was going to say at, at the height of what New York City was during that time period, how are you able to avoid or did you avoid the trappings of what was starting

to unfurl in the summer of 1977? I mean, Studio 54 is like a big thing. And, you know, like basically the culture is shifting during that time period. But, you know, if you're the talk of the town in like one of the most popular plays plays on Broadway like how does one avoid kind of the trappings of that life at such a young age? My mother sat in the dressing room every night. That's the answer. There you go. That's all you need to know.

My mother was with me every night when I did go out and I went to Studio 54, my brothers and my sisters went with me. You were allowed to go? I was allowed to go. What was it like? What was it like? I didn't mean you got out the house. All right.

Tell me what's like. I was allowed to go. Michael and I would go sometimes together. Right. That's right. And if people. Wait, Michael. Yes.

Oh, you just can't. You said Michael. Casually. Yeah. Michael Peters. Michael. Michael. Michael.

Michael Peters. Michael Peters was. in the Whist, too. He was the wing monkey. Yes. He was a young wood. Oh, okay. Okay. Wow. So you and Michael Jackson in Studio 54, what is that like? It's exciting. You know,

Diane Juan Furstenberg was there and Mick Jagger and Andy Warhol. We went out to dinner with Andy Warhol because Michael was being interviewed with Mr. Wallho and he wanted me to go with him. So we would go after Studio 54 and have dinner and he would interview Michael. Was it any truth to the rumor that you and Michael were seeing each other or were y'all just friends?

We were so young and you couldn't have told me that I wasn't going to marry Michael. I loved him. We were friends. I would braid his hair and I stayed with him. Wait a minute now. He had cornrows? You know, he had the big Afro. That's right.

Okay. I was wondering how he maintained that join. I was like, I wanted you to get a jail break. Okay. Yeah, he is from Gary now. And I asked you, Stephanie, what was the moment when you knew that you and Michael were going to be, we're going to be friends? Like, I, do you remember? Like, you know. It just sort of happened, you know, because I was always around. I was always around the family. I became friends with Hazel and Germain. And then I moved to California. And I was always at the home, at Jackson's home and always around. I mean, I saw the girls outside the. gate crying and just go.

Because Michael liked to drive. He didn't like to drive on a freeway. He liked to drive like right up and down Ventura Boulevard. So he would always go and he would always pick me to go get the ice cream or popcorn. He loved popcorn from the movies. But we weren't always going to the movies, but he would always send me in there to get it because he knew I would,

I would get it. I wouldn't let them tell me no. Damn, I thought it was the only human being that did that. Oh, that. We'll just get popcorn and not. I didn't know you're good. Wait, I don't want to buy a ticket. I just want to buy some popcorn.

Yeah, likely story. That's still $9.99. Yeah. When you are, you mentioned earlier, Stephanie, you mentioned earlier about your brothers and sisters. How many of you of you was it? It was six of us. Three girls and three boys. And where were you?

I'm the youngest girl. Oh, okay. And I'm the baby brother. So I was spoiled. That's why she stayed in the dressing room. Spoil. I get it now. But y'all was really, when y'all went to the club,

they really was protecting you. Like they were your entourage. Absolutely. Absolutely. The Brooklyn Mills? Yes. Absolutely. All right.

So it takes four years for your follow-up album. Well, first of all, you only recorded one album for Motown. And wait, I got it. Yeah. whose decision was it to work with Bert and Howe as producers? Because, you know, the last time that they worked with each other was with Dionne Warwick.

And they had, you know, they had like kind of a legendary split, a breakup. So you're the project that brings them back together. Like, what was the whole decision to work with? At that time, you know, everybody was making decisions for me. So I don't really know whose idea it was. All I know is one day I was at Burr Baccarat's apartment learning, you know, songs and how David and then were teaching me songs. And I'd go to his apartment.

Did you, did you know their legacy at that point or just like, these are the Dionne Warwick guys and I don't know. I didn't know. Well, yeah, because didn't they write? They wrote for, oh, what's the team, the girl and the guy team. Carpeters? Carpenters. Yes. Yeah.

Didn't they wait for the car? We only just begun that. So I knew about that because I love the carpenters. Okay. And I would listen to their songs and, you know, I just thought, okay, this is legendary. These are great writers. They're going to write. But I think it was, that album was definitely ahead of its time.

Yeah. Who else were you listening to, like, growing up? We didn't really talk about your influences. Like, what kind of stuff were you jamming at that time? Motown. Jackson, Five, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross. I just love, I wanted to be Diana Ross, you know, all the Motown people, you know,

a Sly and a Family Stone, Marvin Gay, you know. Wow, so when you hit Motown, you must have been in awe of your life. Like that was- Oh my God. Yeah. Oh, I can't believe it, I'm here. Yeah. Yeah.

Great. Wow. So with your, um, your third record, you'll work with the legendary James and two main, Reggie Lucas for the next four albums. Can you talk about at least the transition to what, I mean, I know, no, no of you with what you're going to do with my loving. My father had the Motown album, but I came to know you through your third album.

Yeah, me too. I mean, at that, at that period, was that where you took the reins and sort of wanted to have control over the songs you sang and the stylistic? No. That was like the last year and a half of the whiz, and I was signed to 20th century Fox. Right. And Alan Livingston was president of 20th century Fox. And the guy that was president of Grammys.

He was he was vice president of Nick Port now. Nick Portna. Yeah, Neil. Wow. And so they wanted, they loved in Tumay and Lucas. So they wanted us, they put us together. But I wasn't used to singing like love songs that what in Tumay and them wrote. So we sat down and I was like, well, what am I, how am I going to sing?

What are you going to do with my love? And what does that mean? You know, so. Tawatha would sing my demos for me. I was going to ask you about her. You ask you about her. Oh, Tahuatha sang all of my demos for me and she and most of the singers that sang with Luther. In fact, Luther Vandross wrote, can you feel a brand new day for the Wiz on Broadway?

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. So I was going to say, like during that period, like that whole crew, Tawatha or Lonnie, Lonnie Groves. Lany with Stevie. Gwyn Guthrie, like that whole. whole crew. Were you sort of immersed in that the background fraternity sorority of what New York

was offering at the time or was it sort of like you came after the fact like they I came after the fact but they all sing on on my record and I would be there when they would sing and and Tawatha would you know like I said sing on my demos for me but they all say all all the background What were M.T. May and Lucas, what were they like in the studio and kind of what was the division of labor between those two in terms of how they worked with you? Oh, my God. It was so loving and positive because, you know, they were working with Miles Davis at the time. Right. And they were doing the song with Roberta Flack and Donnie Hathaway. So they had a lot of things going on at that time, but they were so dedicated and so loving. It was the best experience. In fact, just before Reddy,

Reggie passed away. We were going to get together and write some stuff. He was going to, and I was going to try to get them together to do something with me. Wow. So was Reggie, was he more of the lyricist, then James was more music, or how did that? James was more music. They both were music. And I would say Reggie was more the lyricist, but they were both music.

Yeah. Gotcha, got you. Yeah, two hearts is like my favorite. I mean, I love that song. And singing with Teddy, it was good. Yeah. Yeah, what was that session like? Do you remember that day?

It was, well, they, because I was still, was I still doing the wizard? I don't think I was doing the Wiz at that time. But I was, Teddy and I was. It was like 81. 81? No, I was in California. So they did my vocal first and then they did his. But we were in the studio together to fill the fire.

I was like, he did that. He did that. in Philly International in Philadelphia. Talk about that, please. I'm just begging you. Teddy was a piece of work. Teddy was my brother. And, you know, when you're that famous

and that good-looking and all the women, you know, they really had to baby him. I didn't baby Teddy. I'd be like, look, let's do this song. Let's get it over with. Let's do it. You know, I really talked to him like a sister. But he was loving and I loved working,

with Teddy. We won the road for like eight months out of a year back then. Oh, wow. 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, 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 Clivert 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. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. L. Sond's, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for.

Sunlight's the greatest disinfected. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg Lespian and Michael Maranini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police.

As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 did. serves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Ago Wodom.

My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. 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 IHeart Radio 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 prospect. 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. It just hit me that I believe Shep was your manager at the same time. Because I was trying to figure out how you two hooked up. And Shep is a really good friend of my. Shep Gordon.

Yes. And I know that he's connected to Teddy. I was going to say, how did that pairing happen? Was that through him or just? That was through Teddy. I think I was out on the road with them. And I really liked the way they were handling Teddy and everything. And so I just asked them if they could manage me.

And they did. I know she'd been a part of a lot of historical, legendary things. I was going through some old pictures, and I just remembered that you were at something that just sparked history. And that was, oh, my goodness, Stephanie Mills, I found this picture of you at the White House, President Carter's White House for the first black music month.

I don't remember that picture. I know my dad, he's a sneaking photographer. He, you know, wow. I did. I went to the White House twice. I went to the White House when Carter was there, and I went to the White House when President Reagan was there. Wow. What was it like to sit out on the lawn, the White House and him dedicate?

It was wonderful to see, you know, the White House of what we built and just to be there and and have all those people around and sit and talk and a lot of historical people. You know, I remember being a young girl and going to Ebenezer in Atlanta and meeting, you know, Karenda Kratkin used to come and sing at our church at Cornerstone Baptist Church and do, you know, You know how they have revivals. She used to come and do revivals. And then Daddy King would come and preach. So I got a chance to go to their house and, you know, and hang out.

You know, Yolanda King was one of my friends. God rest her soul. So, yeah. And then, you know, with a lot of people coming backstage, like I got a chance to meet Ali McGraw and Steve McQueen and Jacqueline on NASA. And, you know, so many people came back and said hello and brought, flowers and but my favorite was Pearl Bailey. Wow. And Ella Fitzgerald. Wow. But not at the same time because that would be same time. But they all said the same thing that they always they all said there's

going to be some wolves out there but you're going be okay. That's what's up. Just keep going. That's what they said. You just keep going. It was just and then Pearl Bailey gave me a gift from bird duffs and I still have it in the box and everything today. So for your 20th century run with IntuMay and Lucas, because with the second album with a sweet sensation, I know that that was your first real, you know, pot. I mean, even though Black Radio was playing what you're going to do and put your body in it and all that stuff. Your breakout with Never Lou love like this before.

It's how, like, can you describe at least the song, not the song writing process, but at least the choice of songs because that was a major, major pop song. I didn't realize that that song actually did better on the pop charts than it did on the R&B charts. So just at the time, and you won a Grammy for it. Yeah. How did it feel, at least at that point in 81, like that being at that point, the highest point of your career.

What was that feeling like? It was amazing. But you know what's so funny is that now being 63 and looking back at that I didn't have time to stop and smell the roses. You know what I'm saying? Everything was moving so fast. So fast, yeah. I didn't have time to really, like, enjoy it.

Like, I wasn't at the Grammys. I was working. Teddy picked up the Grammy for me. Wow. When I won the American Musical Awards, I was there. But everything was just happening so fast. You know, I didn't get a time to, like, enjoy it and be in the moment. Damn, you skipped the Grammys?

Wow. Okay. Man. At that time, my family was controlling everything. So I guess they thought it was better for me to be on a road than. I got one question. Wait, I got to get this out. Let me get this out, please.

All right. So, all right, 50-year-old Questlove is not asking this question. Nine-year-old Amir-Thompson is asking this question. That kid. Nine-year-old Amir-Thompson. So nine-year-old Amir-Thompson has an aunt who owns a beauty salon. And where any beauty salon in America, there is an overabundance of Jet and Ebony magazine.

And so that's basically where you get all your information about any black artist ever. Very true. Right. Occasional write-on, Jet and Ebony. Now, I'm nine years old. I don't know. And I tried looking it up here and it's really not much on it. And you actually Instagrammed a photo this week as of this recording.

So all I remember. was did you have a shotgun wedding with Jeffrey Daniels? And why was it so controversial at the time? Again, I was nine years old, so I didn't get into, I just knew one day your commercial for one of your albums

had you in a hot tub. I forget which album it was, the tantalizing hot. Tantalizing hot. And I remember like the talk of the beauty shot was Stephanie Niels and Jeffrey Daniels got married and that was like and then I don't hear anything else about it and slight disclosure I'm an avid Soul Train watcher yes so I work for Soul Train so I'm going through your episodes and one of your appearances you're dancing with Cooley and Cool, uh,

coolie from a solid gold. Like Jeffrey's guys, the guys that taught Michael Jackson to the room. Yes. Casper and Coley. So I started putting two to two together. Like, okay, that really did happen.

Cause I was like, wait. I thought she got married. And then I looked on your IG. You acknowledged that because I guess his birthday was recently. What was that period like? And why were my aunts going out of their mind over that moment? I was nine years old at times. So I didn't understand anything.

Well, you know, Jeffrey and I dated for like six months. Somebody from RCA introduced us. They felt like, oh, Stephanie, you would like Jeffrey. He's so much funny because I was so, my family was very guarded with me. Okay. And when we, Jeffrey and I would go on dates, my brother and my sister had to go with us. It was that time. Oh, wow.

That's rough. So I was ready to kind of like get out of the house. And Jeffrey was just so much fun. And so we got married, you know, he said, do you want to marry me? And I said, yes. And we thought that I was going to have a big wedding and everything, but my family was very much against it. So how old were you at that time? I was 22.

Okay. I knew it wasn't crazy. Jeffrey was 25. I was 25. I was 22. So I ran away to, what's the preacher? River night? Cleveland's house.

James Cleveland? Yeah, James Cleveland married us. Wow. Me and Fante's face right now. Little known black history facts. Oh, my God. Are you serious? Yeah, James Cleveland married us.

Yep. He took us to Beverly Hills, bought our rings, everything. And that night, he was preaching at a church. I'm telling you to God's honest truth. He was teaching. Like James Cleveland, James Cleveland. Yes, that's like Reverend James Cleveland. The righteous Reverend Cleveland.

I know who that is. And we went to the church. He stopped the service of what he was doing. He married Jeffrey and I. And then we left. That's when you said that with the casualness of, we went out for ice cream and then Michael. And then Michael, right, right.

Was Michael there? No. This is like early age. This was after Michael. Wow. That is crazy. Yeah, I was saying that I'd never, I mean, my first foray into.

beauty shop, girlfriend talk, girl, the reason why I put, Jeffrey sent me those wedding pictures and, and because one of our friends had had them. So he said, I'm going to send you, because he lives in Nigeria now. He just had a beautiful, wow. Wait, what?

Just had a baby girl, yes. Dang, when it still work, they still use it. Jeffrey, he just had a girl. I'm sorry. Wow. Well, no. And the words, I thought I told you we won't stop. We can't stop.

We can't. I put it on because I heard that there was so much talk of who actually taught Michael the moonwalk. So I wanted to know that it was Casper and Jeffrey because I was at those rehearsals. So I know I was there. Jesus. I was going to say, I was going to say, and one of your performances of the medicine song, you actually broke out into the moonwalk. Yes, I did.

How could I live with him? In hills. How could I live with him? And they rehearsed all the time and not know how to do it. Of course he talked me. Yes. Yes. Oh, boy. I need to see that.

I knew thousands of hours of watching the Soul Train would help me eventually. Wow. That's crazy. Yeah. So, okay, I'm just trying to go through everything. So many questions. What else did nine-year-old Amir get into? I'm just interested.

Like nine-year-old Amir at the barbershop or the... Oh, I just... Dude, there's nothing to do, but sit there and read all the jets and wait for my... My grandma to get her hair done at at 9 p.m. so I can go home. I'm impressed you read them. I just went for the photos of the week. I would start them at the back. I would start reading them at the back because I want to see... You always read that backwards. Yeah.

I want to see the album because that's what they have the albums. I've never read the first 12 pages of jet ever of my life. Facts. You start backwards and then you end after photos of the... After the jet beauty of the week. Right. That's it. That's it. That's it. It's over. Not to deep dive, but not to deep dive. But Stephanie, you've been to that. You went to the Ebony and Jet building before, right?

Oh, yes. Can you tell people because they have no idea of the layout of the floors and the colors were kind of like the whiz, right? Where every floor... Yeah. In the kitchen. It was a different color every floor. It was a different color every floor. And they had big posters of all the jets in the magazines and the covers.

And they had lunch. You would go and have lunch. Free soul food lunch, free. Yes. I had it. It was good. I've been there a couple of times. Yeah.

There's a, I'm on the board of the museum in modern art of food. Well, there's going to be a food museum. coming in a thing like 2025, but they just purchased that kitchen. And that kitchen had to be delivered like in the state that it's always been in. Yeah. Wow. I mean, you hear of like people like tearing down Banksy walls just to get his artwork. Right.

So they literally delivered that kitchen intact from Chicago. to New York, like, in all of its 70s, tacky, psychedelic. Muster yellow. Ah, yeah, it's a very unique looking. You know something? All right, so you have a, you have a rarity in which, you know, Prince is well known for his disdain for anyone covering his music. Yet he loved your version of,

how come you don't call me anymore. Two things though. One, well, why did you choose that? But you also opened your album with that. I always have questions about artists that open their albums with slow songs. Especially with that song. Like, why did that have, especially when, Mercilus had pilot era on it?

Was it? Yeah, like the jams. Yeah. I don't think Stan back, but I think, yeah, Pilot Era was like, that was the lead single, but I always wondered, no, why did you open that album with how come you don't call me anymore?

Because I love the song. I love Prince. I got a chance to meet Prince and go to Paisley Park. When Prince was honored at the Soldier, Awards. Somebody else was going to sing how come you don't call me and he called me personally and switched it and wanted me to sing the song on the Chilchrain Awards. Yeah. So I

just think Prince is a genius and I wanted to open with that on the album. That was a producer you worked with on the Sweet Sensation album that I've, we've never had anyone on the show that has been able to talk about him if you knew. Her, Hubert Eves, who did all the D-Train stuff. Yeah. Hubert Eves played piano and stuff for all my stuff on Intumay and Lucas.

Yeah. What was he like? Because I, we've never, we've never had anyone that, you know, was able to talk to about him. He was just a cool dude, just for sit in the studio and just, because most of the time when I did all my stuff with Intumay, I was in the studio live with my band, with the band. Okay. Gotcha. I would be in the booth and they would be in the booth and they be playing. He was just a cool. He was an easygoing, beautiful brother. He was just easy going. That's what's up because all that D-trains. I mean, that was my, you know, I was a kid and I played that stuff. My mom used to play that stuff all the time. Yeah. He was cool. That's what's up. I know that you worked with Hawke Wazinski, David Hawke Wazinsky from Rufus. I have to, okay, so I heard a rumor

that were you supposed to be the initial recipient of Ain't Nobody? I know that according to Shaka, that was a last minute, like Rufus getting that song was the last minute resort because initially, I believe the talk was that Cymbelo, Michael Simbello and Hawke Wazinsky was trying to place it on Thriller, didn't make it. And then I heard that when, Hawke was working on I've got the cure he wanted you to do that is there a truth to that like were you offered ain't nobody first I wasn't offered I wasn't offered that I wish that I was though but I wasn't I wasn't offered that song no okay but you know Patty was supposed to do I feel good all over and um wow

and took the song you know songs are taken from artists every day are you aware of how of hip-hop's relationship to something in a way you make you feel how like me feel kid Kri would like cut it up. Fat Joe. I love Fat Joe. Fat Joe. But yeah, you know, they told me about it. Kit Kibre definitely told me about it and fat Joe.

You finally did it with him, I believe last year, like live where he. Yes, we were at, I was at my manager's charity event. And, uh, Indianapolis. The Expo? The Black Expo. The Black Expo. Thank you. I could see you.

Yeah. I know that's right. All they still got it. Good for them. And I did it with him. We went to, there was, there's a white party that they had. And I got on stage and did it with him. That's so dope.

We wanted to re-record it. We were going to record it. And Teddy Riley was going to do it, but I don't, I think it kind of just like fell apart. But I was going to sing it over with him and let him do his thing. So. At that time, they were just explaining to you what that song meant to the hip hop nation. Like you were just unaware. I was unaware of it.

Wow. I didn't know the classic. That's a classic Rick. So, yeah, for our listeners out there with the advent of like mixtapes and being as old Kit Capri was sort of out the gate as one of the very first like mixtape pioneers. What we know is mixtapes. it was just a radical idea back in the day to take acapella. Well, first of all, to find any acapella versions of songs was hard enough. So there was an acapella version of something in the way you feel on the 12 inch.

And then he would put it under the honey drippers and Pete's the President. Peace the president. Breakbeat. And that was like our first taste of a blend where you could take someone's vocals from here and put it under a beat over there. And like that's basically what inspired. like and the thing that was smart about yeah kid was smart enough to know that like you put that vocal under just a raw break beat and the key would match because it's just a raw

when you had other dudes coming they just be putting they be putting vocals under whatever and I'm like anything is not match it I'm like this does not match at all yeah so yeah that that became that was like one of Kit Capri's signature mixes no kicker pre party would be complete without him opening up his. For 30 years, he would open up his set with Stephanie Mills and impeach the president. Wow. Yeah, to see that happen, that was like super legendary. Did you know it was that long?

Goodness gracious. That's great. Yeah. Yeah. You know, it was super legendary. Stephanie, again, like we're also using you as the conduit to figure out like about our favorites. you worked under the tool of Lou Silas Jr. at MCA? Yes, yes.

What was working with Lou like? Like what was he like as, well, I mean, was he president of the Black Division at MCA? Was he just head A&R? Like, what was his position? He was head of A&R, but he did everything. He did all my mixes. He did the remixes of power of love and, and, and, and, and a lot of songs.

I loved working with little. Lowell had a great ear. I mean, he had a great ear. He was working with, you know, New Edition and Bobby Brown and all of that. He put all that stuff together. He put them all together and worked and get. And he was the one who chose my songs.

And when things didn't work out with one producer, Gerald Busby would come and take that song and give it to another producer. Gerald Busby and Lul worked hand in hand. I was going to say, what was, what were they like? Because it's hard to find anyone that was really, you know, in proximity to where they were at the time. I was with them a lot. I would go up to the office a lot.

They were just cool guys. I always had lunch with, with Joe Busby. And Law, I would go to the basketball games with him because Law later on was dating Cassandra. You know, Cassandra was my manager at the time. So I was with Lull and over Lull's house all the time and Joe Busby. We became close, very close. I also know that you worked with Richard Rudolph and also with Rod Temperton. Yes.

Well, I know that he did. I love working with Rod Temperton. Now, he was a genius with background vocals and making and blending things together. Oh, my God. And he was the nicest, nicest, most humble guy. He was so much. I was going to ask, like, how much of a task master was he with his background vocal stacking? Like, oh, was he super intense?

Yes, it was, it was intense, but he wasn't mean about it. He wasn't, like, okay, he was very nice about it. And I was used to working in the studio. And as long as you get me in the studio early, I'm good. I don't do nighttime studio because I go to bed early. sleepy. But early in the day, I'm good. So I love it. And I learned so much. So an average session, how long could your voice last before it's starting to give out? Like, are you good for two hours and then it's like stop? What I do. I don't, I don't beat a song. I do one or two takes

and that's it. Because I do my homework at home. So I'm not, you know, I'm not going to sing all day. I've never been one to sing all day. Most of my songs are done in one take or two takes. I love it. We got to fix with it. But other than that, it's one or two. Do it right, do it like? I love it.

Wow. Do you think that like, and of course, God-given talent is definitely a part of it? But do you think that like your theater background has a lot to do with that? Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. My theater background definitely, definitely taught me the discipline. You know, I was, they knew that when I came in the studio, I was going to be ready. I was going to know my songs and that's it.

But my theater background and being in theater and being around those, you see, because I was around like Liza Manelli and Rivera and all these legendary theater people. Broadway was like a community. So I learned and I was the kind that would just sit and watch. I wouldn't talk when other people was working. I'd watch the director because I found that fascinating. So I would just sit and watch and learn. And Cheetah became very good friends with me.

And I did the Sammy Davis Jr. show and Liza, Sammy gave me a gold bracelet. But Liza, Ms. Minnelli had given it to Sammy. So he had to come and get it and then buy me another one. Take it back. Oh, man. Did you have that Liza? I had it, but he forgot that Liza gave it to him. And she reminded him.

And so then he came to the theater and got it. And then he brought me another one. Wow. So you had a real, you had a relationship with Liza. Like y'all actually, I mean, Ms. Manelli, y'all had a relationship where you would actually speak to you? Well, we respect, you know, because she was, there was nobody bigger on Broadway than Liza Minle. Right, right, right.

She did Rivera, you know. And then Pippin and Ben-Varine and all those people, I just learned from all of them. I asked about Liza specifically because you remixed the role of her mother. So I was just curious if that ever came into conversation, or she ever let you know that she was aware. She was aware and she felt like I did a good job. And she told me not to worry about what people said.

Yes. We want to know your work with Nick Martinelli. Yeah, was that like, were you a fan of the loose end stuff that he had done? Like before that, like, how did y'all hook up? I think Lowell put that together. Okay. And Nick was in Philadelphia and I went to his house and we talked about it. But Nick allowed me to be free.

Like the first part of home, I wrote that. And I told Nick that I wanted home to be a little bit more urban because I was coming out, you know, I had done the whiz, but I wanted to be a little bit more urban. And I wanted people to remember how great Charlie Small songs were. I didn't want them to forget, you know. So when we went in the studio and Take Six, did the backgrounds. Oh, that's them? What? I did not.

Let's take six. Casual Flex. Damn. Wow. Yeah, I could hear you saying it because I, well, maybe ass was because, you know, I was thinking particularly about if I were you a woman and how that just sounds like nothing that he had done like previously before that. It sounds nothing like the loose-in stuff or like none of that.

Yeah, I was going to say that's his first foray outside of 808. Yeah. Jammin Lewis DNA. It talks a lot. I love Nick. I mean, even when Nick went to prison, I went to visit him. there. Oh, he was in prison? Yeah.

Yeah, that's why we got to interview Nick Martin. No. By the way, I missed that. Jimmy Jim actually told me, you guys got to interview him and find out why he went to prison. I got to Google that. Damn. All right.

I thought you all right. No, I didn't know myself. So, yeah, no, we're, we definitely got to get a Nick Martinelli episode out. Because, yeah, it's a story. It's a story. 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 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 Cliverts Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or we're wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Sond's, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the

case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for. Sunlight's the greatest disinfected. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg Leesbvre and Michael Marantini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted. on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona.

Listen to Love Trapped Podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. I'm Ego Wodom. 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. 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 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 Slical Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

I was going to say, why did you decide to reclaim or recover home in 89 when you for the home album? Because so many of the cast members had passed on. And I just wanted people to remember and I wanted to do a tribute and that was my tribute to the original cast members to Charlie Smalls and Ken Harper

and Charles who was our director and a lot of people had passed on. Even Michael Peters. Yes. Right. Yeah. Michael Peters. Yes.

So, okay. After I ask about Angela, well, I mean, there's so many other producers. Yes. You word it with. Well, first of all, working with Angela Wimbus. I know she wrote those songs, but does she actually produce power love and something to make me feel as well? Or? Well, I won't tell you the story about power of love.

I'm not going to tell that story. But power of love, they started producing it. And then Gerald had to come in and take it and give it to have mercy, Cursey. And he finished it. But yes, she wrote, power of love was originally power of God. Angela wrote and produced something in the way you make me feel. And another song on my album.

But I think Angela is a brilliant writer and producer. She's one of my good friends. That's what's up. And she's still, she's still like, like active and stuff. She's still like health-wise. She's still good. Yeah. She's born to the church now, but she's still active.

You know, I can't try to get her to do a song and stuff, but she's still active, yeah. She's singing at, uh, at, um, Fife's funeral. Oh, wow. Oh, man. I know that was a little weird. Yeah. Like me, me and DeAngelo were her impromptu band. Oh.

Oh. And. Oh. But we were at the Apollo. First of all, I was at the Apollo. And then like, oh, we're playing Angel. Do you know Angel? What key?

So we're like winging it. But she's also kind of quasi-thorn us under the bus because we didn't know the chord changes. I'm like, come on now. I was just here to look at the casket and leave. Now I'm playing drums with you. Okay. I was going to ask Stephanie, who are like you mentioned,

And Angela, you mentioned Twala and Elba, but who are your sisters in song, like the latest, especially you've been Kecking on during these times? Yeah, did you have a crew? Like, who were your BFFs, like people that you could lean on and? They're not in the industry, though. Wow, that's what I meant. I thought somebody who you were going through it, you were both going through the same, you know, similar.

The only person that probably would be Angela, it's hard to be friends with sometimes the women in the business because it's a different kind of thing. You know, it's hard. It's hard. Oh, yes. No. Who said that? Not me.

And you said earlier that the record label and your family kind of controlled a lot of stuff. So I thought about that. And I was like, I wonder if it was at times where it was like pitting against and whatnot. Because you know, the whole mentality of there can only be one and whatnot. Only one. But I never had that mentality. Not you, but, yeah. But I'm saying like there are some artists that really do have that mentality.

But I always competed with myself, being better for myself. You know, I never tried to be better or sing better than anybody else. I just did me. And that always worked for me. That worked because there is no like, well, you know, she just like Stephanie Mills. There's no. No, no. You know, there was, now that I think about it, there's a, there was a kind of

What do you call it for Christmas when they do... Christmas album? No, no, not a Christmas album, but a friend of mine took me to a church in Harlem. And this church... Reverend Ike. It was like 6,000 seats. Yeah.

I just remember it was you and Felicia Rashad. Black Nativity. I saw Reverendike. Is that when they had the real live animals and stuff? Oh, no. We didn't have real live animals, but we did Black Nativity. Oh, wow. Yo, I was going to say, okay, the night I finished master in Iledal Half-Life, I got off early.

And friends mine was like, yo, we're going to see Stephanie Mills go sing at a church. It's a nativity thing. And like Felicia Rashad was the narrator. And what was always wanted to know, because the thing was they were doing, it was the story of black nativity scenes. but it was a sold-out audience and you were incorporating kind of your catalog

I mean, you sort of had to bend the narrative so that it could fit the story of the nativity. So like, yes, you're going to do I feel good all over, but it was sort of bent into whatever the story of Mary explaining to

Joseph how she got afraid. It was the weirdest thing. It was the weirdest thing. Like it was basically, in my head, I was sitting there like, okay. So she's doing six songs. She's doing six of her hits. And they had to figure out a way how to incorporate those hits into the narrative of the birth of baby Jesus.

So it was like, but feel the fire, like all these songs that were not nativity ready. Right. Always wanted to, like, how did that come to be? obviously that wasn't the first time you did it. So was like, was that a something normal for you? Because literally, they felt like, I think I did, I feel good all over and I think I did home or something. I don't think I did feel the fire.

It, I swear, it was like three or four songs. And I was like, okay, how are they going to incorporate this one? But anyway, but yeah, how did they, how did that? come to beat. They, they wanted, they felt like if people came to see it, they'd want to hear me sing something that, that people know for me. Right, okay. That they're more familiar with than just that, and that's how they wanted to sell it. Okay. I was aboard. I was like, okay, to reinterpret all of your songs through the gospel filtering, I thought that was mad clever. So I wanted to know, was that something that you would return to or I didn't know if maybe at that point in your life you were just going

to do non-secular versions of your regular songs or that sort of thing. I did one gospel album and everybody all thought, oh, she's doing gospel now. But I wanted to do, you know, I eventually would love to do a Broadway album and sing different tunes. I want to do that. That was one of the reasons why I left MCA because they no longer, well, first I didn't want a record contract anymore. I just wanted to kind of do what I wanted to do.

And so I'd love to do a Broadway album. We got two Broadway show producer and composers right here on this, uh, here. We do. Zoom. You, you, that guy. You and William, Bill. That guy. I was just going to ask, so along those lines, Ms. Mills, how do you feel about being one

of the only that I can think of at the moment or at all? like Broadway folk who began as a Broadway person and then graduated into pop stardom. There are plenty who are pop stars who take on stunt roles and musicals, but you're one of the only people I can think of who began as a Broadway person and then became this sort of big pop sensation.

What does that like? I can't even think of anybody else who's along those lines. They always reminded me that they always, like Stephanie, it's really odd that you came from Broadway. Usually Broadway people don't have the voice to be commercial. And that's a different voice.

It's a different. It really is a different voice, but I don't really know how I did it. I mean, I have to really thank the producers. And I never really left, I never let, I never left my soul. Even though I was on Broadway and singing, I still kept my soul, I think. I didn't like turn into this Broadway singer. Right. Did they try to change you though?

Like vibrato, I mean like Broadway's, for vibrato and like epic whatever it is. And you don't sound like that at all. That little thin sound, you know, that whiny kind of sound. But I, they tried to change me later in my career. They wanted me to take some of the soul out of my voice because they wanted me to be more pop. So they would say you're sounding a little bit too black.

I mean, even my videos and things were never played on MTV or BH1 because they said I was too black. Oh, I was going to say, I remember you did a song. that I thought was kind of, to me, it felt like a comeback, so speak. When you did, I just want love. And it was on the Strictly Business soundtrack. I would never get that song. Oh, shoot. That was a good soundstack.

It was on the, it was on the Strictly Business soundtrack. It's the last song. It's the strictly business, the movie with Halliberry and Tommy Davidson. And I can't home from the Cosby show. Super classic. I can't remember that song. God, really? I can't.

Because we used to do. I just want love from you. I just want your love from you. It was the first song on the soundtrack, but it's the last jam in the movie. It sounds so 90s. Very 90s. I was in like seventh grade.

But I was, but the thing was because it was other people on that soundtrack. I think, I think like Mary was on that soundtrack. And it was uptown. It's MCA. And you know, it was Mary, Patti LaBelle, Jody Watley, myself. and we were all on MCA, we would always come out first quarter,

second quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter, release our records. Well, at least they're doing it at the same time. That's good. I thought that was just a good way of them kind of, you know, it was a voice that was familiar to me,

and I heard it and I was like, man, they found a way to, you know, make material that puts Stephanie in like a modern day context, you know, and it didn't sound like, like you said,

you know, it sounded like you were still, you were still doing you. You weren't trying to, to do like what the younger generation was doing. It didn't sound like you were pandering. It just sounded like, oh, this is Stephanie Mills in this context. And I always thought that's, I always really like that song.

My question is as a, quote, real singer or singer singer, how. What's you funny? No, no, no, I'm just saying, nine-year-old quest is even funny. As a real singer, really? How hard is it to me? make sense where we are now. This is not, not like to disparage anyone or bring.

No, no, no, no. I love it. Twitter, Stephanie Mills. I love it. Let's go. No. Oh, oh, wait, what am I missing?

Oh, Sam. I forgot. Oh, I forgot. I just love to Stephanie. She don't hold her tongue. I just love that she don't hold her tongue. That's what I forgot. Yes.

I totally forgot you bring smoke to Sam about Michael Jackson. I forgot about that. But I mean, just where we, where we are now. where we are now where I mean you know what music is now I don't have to auto tune everything yeah it's just

it could be frustrating sometimes I mean even me now like as a music fan and actively in the music business you know I don't have any expectations for people to blow me away what they're singing anymore or good songs to be written

or any of those things but how do you do you even make sense of what's happening today at all? Or is it just like R&B? Well, I think that they've just kind of like killed R&B. They're trying to. But we're trying to hold on to it as, you know, no. I think it's very easy for people today to become pop stars

and they use the word legends and icons and things very loosely. Loosely. And I think that's why. a lot of people can't sing live. I mean, a lot of shows are taped. A lot of shows, you'd be surprised. I've been on the road with quite a few artists and mostly predominantly their whole show is taped.

Yeah. So, but I come from theater, you know, and I'm so glad. I'm so thankful every day that, you know, I've learned how to sing whether I can hit that note that night or point to my background singer and hit it. But what I do before I go on the road is I sing all my songs every day so that I can sound somewhat like I sounded, you know, and people won't be scared to hear me. I do sing every day because I just love to sing.

But today's music, I don't think any of today's music, you'll hear five and ten, 15 years from now, like you do, Stevie and Aretha and the people from the 70s and 80s. I don't think that you'll hear this music today. Wait a minute, y'all. Now, how are you? Not one, y'all don't, I'm trying to think in my head, like, but you're, I'm sorry, I was trying to argue that fact, but. Okay. I don't know.

I mean, I love Jasmine Sullivan, but I, you know, I love her as a vocalist, uh, Deborah Cox. I think is a brilliant vocalist and, um. But that's still not in this, in the next 10 years, in this last year. That's not, that's not like immediate. Like, do you think that we'll hear Cardi B stuff 10, 15 years from now? Right.

No man. Or Lizzo, you know, that. And that's not to take away from anybody. I'm not, because I don't knock anybody's hustler. But I just don't think that, you know, their music is going to last 10, 15 years for me. Miss Stephanie, I was going to ask, so with your jam with hip-hop, when hip-hop, you know, kind of came. into the, just into the industry. You know, every episode of Unsung,

they all have the same story. It's like they, they were doing great and then rap. Hip-hop team. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? How, what was it like for you? You know what I'm saying? When you saw the industry kind of starting to shift, and you saw what hip-hop was becoming,

what was that like for you and what was your relationship to hip-hop, if any? I didn't have a relationship with hip-hop, but I enjoyed it. I mean, I don't know, I guess I'm different because I just, I just keep doing me. I just kept doing what I did. I didn't try to change and try to adapt, you know, I just, I just kept doing another version of me, whatever that, you know, just keep doing another version of me.

I love hip hop, you know, I, I would, I, on my Christmas album, I wrapped, I wrapped, I wrapped Rudolph the Red Nose. Okay. Bars. You know, I rap, bars. Yes. But I don't know, I just, you know, everybody has their thing to do and I think, you know, hey, you just keep on going and it would come back around.

I've seen it. But it didn't bother you like the unsung. It bother me. It didn't bother me. No, I didn't freak out about it now. Because I could always go and do theater or I can do other things. So I didn't, I didn't like, oh God, no, I didn't want to do it anymore anyway. If there was a show, what would the show, is there a show you have in mind that you would love to do as far as theater?

Yes. Melba and I are going to do that. Oh. Oh. It's a two-woman show. Oh. Make it happen. Yeah, we're writing it now.

Oh, yes. I'm here. We're here for that. We're writing. Melba is just wonderful on stage. We did a, we did a show called If Your Hats could talk and it was just wonderful being on stage with her. I can't wait. And we talked recently and she was like, let's work together.

I said, let's do it. We found a writer. So they're riding it now. Oh, it's good. Get my ears ready. Okay. Since I wasn't going to ask the question, but it might as well. Have you heard back from Sam Smith since you clad back out of?

Oh. I totally forgot about that. She's the arrest. She brought smoke. I love it. You know what it is. This is really what it is. Talk about it.

People don't really know my personality because I've always just been a singer and on Broadway, but I'm really just a hood girl from Brooklyn. You know what I'm saying? I'm really just that girl. And I love Michael. He's not here to take care of herself. And I, to speak up for herself. And I get tired of people who I know have copied sounds.

I mean, Sam Smith is nothing but. Vester all over. Damn. God. That's all the time. I, you know, when you say you don't like our music, how can you say that? So I really had to, I felt like I have to say something. And my manager's always like, okay, I'm going to let you say this, but you got to say

it like this. Because sometimes I just think people need to back off. I don't like when they need an education. And they need an education. They need it. And I don't think people should say things about people and they're not here to defend themselves. That part. I mean, if you wanted to, it's just like when 50 was talking about Michael and, you know, and then his, his daughter said, please, they'll talk about my father. And then 50 wanted to, you know, go. She's a child. Mm-hmm. You know, so I kind of, I said, why don't you talk to me? I'm more your speed. I'm more older. You know, so I just, I just don't like when people are bullies. I don't like bullies. I don't.

There you go. Stephanie Mills. Stephanie Mills, I'm telling you, Stephanie Mills, Dionne worked, they sat on Twitter on fire. Yeah. Deon definitely, she doesn't play. Dion does not play.

And you know who else didn't play? Aretha. Aretha didn't play. Really? Oh, no. Oh, no. What was she like? Did y'all have worked together than anything?

Or were y'all just colleagues? I lived in Detroit for a couple of years and she used to come. I did a play there and she used to come and see me. And towards the end of her life, we would talk. I talked to her about two months before she passed away. And she told me a lot of things about Motown and how Barry started it and how her sister was involved and her father. And it's a conversation I could never talk about. But I loved Aretha. But Aretha took no prisoners. When I tell you she didn't, she didn't.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I, you know, I guess in closing, I would just like to know from this journey you had, like, what is your in a career with so many highlights in it? What is your, like, your favorite? What means the most to you of your entire journey, your creative journey? That I'm still here. That I didn't get on drugs. I didn't, you know, because I think about Whitney and I think about Michael and I think about

prints, I think about Jeryl. And so many times as artists, we have so much pressure and weight on us that just destroys us. And people don't really understand sometimes what an artist is going through. So I think that I'm still here in somewhat my right mind and that I enjoyed it. I'm able to enjoy it and sit back and relax and just enjoy it. I was going to ask you early because you saying that, you know, when you look back over your career and just over your life, it was all kind of going really fast and you never really had a chance taken in. In what ways, if any, has 2020, like with us being kind of locked down with COVID and everything, what has that given you a chance?

What is this year giving you a chance to reflect on and, you know, kind of change or any shifts that you may be making in your life now? You know, when I turned 40, 45, I had my son. and I didn't have a it all changed for me when I separate my ties with MCA because I didn't want to be a recording artist anymore and what year was that around what time

oh my it was looking in the 90s okay the 90s yeah and I just I slowed down but it wasn't until I like hit 50 55 and I was like oh man you know I like this but my 60s have been the best Really? Oh, my 60s have I don't care

what they say. What I say? I don't care about nothing. Oh, I can't wait. So it's like, I don't care what you say about me. I don't care. You know, it's just, you don't care.

But when you're like in the 30s, you're caring about what everybody thinks. 60s have been just wonderful. My 50s and my 60s have been just wonderful. Yeah. That's so great. You don't look at there. for 21.

Yeah, I was going to say, I'll say you look amazing. Amazing. Three. I was 64 March. You look like that same lady I saw on stage when I was six. Yeah. Like the same. They're all in here.

No, you and Melbourne got something going on. I don't know. I want to hold you little secrets, but you're a Melbourne. They got something going on. No, you know what I think it is? I just think I get a lot of sleep. I don't really smoke or anything.

And I just started drinking wine at 60. Wow. Really? That's what? Yes. Yes. I just I'm here.

Y'all hear that? Shut up. What? They're crowned to me because I just started that earlier this year and everyone's drinking wine. Amir,

you're drinking now? Yes. The rest of us are doomed. I love it. I've been drinking since we was teenagers. Fucked. Yeah. I just started.

Normal. I just started. Thank you. Wow. You've been missing out. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. All right.

This is one, this one thing. Got to know. Okay. Seeing you in concert once. Yes. And you're doing, if I was your woman. Mm-hmm. And you always did it.

You had a chair as a prop. Yes. Four chairs. Yeah. Okay. This is why I got to know. I don't know if it was just the Philadelphia air, but you went extra on throwing that chair above your head.

Mm-hmm. In a way, it was almost like a no look pass from like, I just want to know in performing that particular song, was that a nightly ritual? I don't even know if you were remember, but you just, you, you pick this chair up. And it was like, you know chairs that comedians use when they do their routines, like them, those talk. Like literally, she hoisted it to the other side of. the stage. And I always wanted to know, like, was that a part of your routine where you Pete Townshend, Pete Townsend from the who, that reference? From the who.

Was that a part of your repertoire every night when you did that song? I was supposed to throw it, but not probably like that. But sometimes I get so involved and I go to another space on stage that was probably one of the nights that I was in another space or maybe. Maybe my boyfriend made me mad or something. I don't know. And I just took it out on the chair. That was Olympic level chair throwing, which I was like, wait.

Those chairs were really light, though. They weren't heavy. They were really light. What's your sign, Stephanie? I'm Aries. Oh, yeah. She threw that chair. Okay.

I'm Aries, honey. Calm down, Ms. Cleo. Relax. Yo, can I just ask before we go, because I ask Melba this, and I think we should probably just get in the habit of doing this. Like, for folks that are listening, that love you and been a fan and stuff, like, where do you tell them, especially in COVID, like how to support you and make sure they are tuned into how they can support you?

On my IG. I'm on IG. I'm on Twitter. Yes, you know. And I have Facebook. Thank you for sharing, too. On IG. You share your story with your son and whatnot.

And I just... I share my story with my son. And I talk. about people a little bit, but not too bad. I don't think I, you know, I just kind of keep them straight a little bit. Hey, that's what we mean. Somebody got to, somebody got to. Just a little bit, but people kind of get afraid or whatever,

don't want to talk to me, but that's cool. I don't care. We should have a council for this kind of shit. You should have help and tap somebody in. Yeah, for real. But I think people should say, I mean, this year has been so tough on everybody. I have crazy faith. You know, my faith has always gotten me

through situations. And I just think people need to wear their masks and wash their hands. You know, I guess some people will take the vaccine. I don't think I'm going to take the vaccine. I'm going to wait and see. We're going to wait and see. We're waiting. I'm going to wait and see what they're doing because I don't trust it.

That's a, so, you know, spring, we can't none of us take it right now anyway. Let's just wait for the fourth match. We tell everybody to get their second shot. You know what I'm saying? Even at iOS update. Or whatever, right. Exactly. Get that iPad.

Never first generation. Right, exactly. Right. Well, once again, we thank you for doing our show. And I'm happy you said you agreed to do it. I know. I'm happy. You invited me.

Thank you so much. I've had a good time. You live in North Carolina. I'm so proud. I had no idea all this time. Man. Yes. I love North Carolina.

I like New York, too. But I could never live in New York again. It's too fast. Yeah, it's too old for that shit. Oh, I'm too old for it. I'm too old for that shit. Look, Amir is too. West love is too old for that.

Amir too over that shit. And he rich. I didn't leave yet. Just We're not even, just wait until February. Then I'll join, you know. Then I'm having you know. All right, y'all.

Let me wrap this up. Okay. We have Fonticolo and, unpaid Bill and sugar Steve. Thank you, Stephanie. Thank you. Thank you for all the music. Thank you.

All right. Yeah, thank you once again to our special guest, Stephanie Mills, on Questlop Supreme. We will see you on the next group around. Have a great 2021 people. See you next time. Thank you. Yo, what's up? This is Fonte.

Make sure you keep up with us on Instagram at QLS and let us know what you think and who should be next to sit down with us. Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast. All right. Peace. West Love Supreme is a production of Eye, Heart Radio. For more podcasts from

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I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. 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,

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