Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Billy Newton-Davis: Toronto Mike'd #891

Episode Date: July 27, 2021

Mike chats with Billy Newton-Davis about growing up in Cleveland, playing Broadway in New York, Scientology, his move to Toronto, his recording career, Molly Johnson, Celine Dion, The Nylons, Deadmau5, being a proud gay man, his activism, and living with HIV.

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I'm Mike from torontomike.com. And joining me this week is Billy Newton Davis. Welcome, Billy. Nice to meet you, buddy. Thank you, Mike. It's really nice to meet you as well. Now, the original plan, and you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men,

but the original plan was that we were going to be in the backyard, but the forecast did not cooperate with us. No, it did not. And we thought it would, and I waited and had second thoughts and it's still dreary out, but one day we will meet and we'll get to do another podcast i hope oh i have so much going on in my life and you want to get me again before i die oh my personally uh i i hope you live forever that's first i just want to put that on the record

and when i do finally get to meet you uh in the backyard here that will give me the opportunity to give you all these get I literally got a delivery of frozen lasagna just for your arrival. I was going to give you some palma pasta, some Great Lakes beer. I have a Toronto Mike sticker from stickeru.com. I'm teasing you now, but you will get all this in due time.

We'll get you in the backyard. I love that. I love to eat and I love good beers. Oh, fresh craft beer. You'll love it. And this lasagna is the best lasagna you can buy in a store. So you'll thank me later.

But this is for the sequel, the Billy Newton Davis sequel on Toronto Mike. Yes. My friend, where to begin with you? Can we go back to, I guess it was Shaker Heights. This is near Cleveland, Ohio. Can you tell me a little bit about growing up in Shaker Heights? Well, yes. Shaker Heights is a suburb in Cleveland, Ohio. My mom and dad came from the South. They migrated to Cleveland. My aunt somehow introduced my parents, and that's where I began. And Cleveland is a very, very interesting city.

My mom and dad worked very hard. And I think that, you know, it had me looking at a lot of stuff during COVID because I was an only child, but my mom and dad did everything for me, like everything. Like I was singing since I was five and my mom and my dad, they just loved, I was always singing at the parties, you know, the family parties, dancing, taking over. That was kind of like my beginning. And I started at five in a church, Second Metropolitan Baptist Church. And I sang a solo, Precious Lord. And it really kind of took off. My life, you know, at my age then was like watching a lot of Ed Sullivan as a child, watching Variety, watching, enamored with Sammy Davis, enamored with Frank Sinatra,

enamored with Sammy Davis, enamored with Frank Sinatra, enamored with, you know, all of that Black culture as well. Because when you think about it, you look at it today and how it was, then it was very special. I mean, anything I saw was really special. It was really special to see Nat King Cole, you know, like on TV. And that's kind of what my life was like. And I went to school. i got involved in theater in in a semi-professional uh theater caramu theater but i was busy i i lived in shaker heights because my mom and dad got me out of that kind of ghetto scenario. But my life changed when I moved to Shaker Heights.

And I got involved in choir. I got involved in theater. And that's just kind of how my journey started. I mean, you're a natural born performer. But you mentioned Sammy Davis Jr. You would grow up watching him on TV. And it's kind of amazing. And we'll get to this later in the story here.

But at some point, you share a stage with Sammy Davis Jr. Yes, I do. And it was thrilling and it was wonderful. And I get really excited when I talk about it because my dad took me for a birthday gift and I was 13 and I saw him and I was just in awe of him. And that's kind of, just to see this guy. He played drums.

He tap danced. He sang. He played trumpet. He acted. He just did everything. And I had like a third row front seat kind of thing. And I was just, my mouth was just wide open the whole time because I was just enamored with this performance at the Cleveland Arena.

The Cleveland Arena. But did you dare dream that one day you could be on stage with Sammy Davis Jr.? Like, did you even dare dream that? I obviously did. It was in the making. My father's mother, when I think about her, she was constantly pushing, you know, me to watch people and things, Nat King Cole, black actors at that time that you weren't even born, Mike. I mean, the Dorothy Dandridge's, the Marilyn Monroe's, you know, just my grandmother was just, she loved it. And she, she and I enjoyed those things together. So that's kind of how, that was my schooling and seeing show business. Was it in Shaker Heights? Your parents, I mean, I happen to be wearing a, like,

I guess you call these spiders or adapters for the 45. They're adapters. They're adapters for 45s because the spindle used to be very, very skinny. Right. Now, after they made a disc, a thick disc that you could just put on top of the skinny spindle. But before that, it was the disc that you have on your T-shirt,

which I love, by the way. And I was mentioning earlier, I have a metal one that I wear and I'm not going to take the time. But in the next one, I'm going to have that on so that you see it. And so two things.

One is I think I'm like the, the, the youngest cohort that remembers the 45 singles. Cause I used to buy 45 singles in the early and mid eighties where I would go to my local Sam, the record man and buy the 45 singles. So I had a whole bunch of these adapters, but you find like a,

I don't know, you find a 35 year old and they've likely never had to deal with this, uh, this issue. Of course my adapter. Yeah. They have this issue. Of course, my adapter. Yeah, they have no idea. Add that they were red. They were yellow.

You did buy them. They were like five cents, maybe, or 15 cents. You know, just very interesting. But yes, my mom and dad had a record store, and we had those. So they just sold records? Is this around the time? Now, I will tell you, I did a lot of homework for this episode and I searched far and wide for something I could find from the illusions.

So what can you tell me about A, the illusions, and anything you could share with me about having parents that run a record store? Like, you were destined for this life. Well, the record store was a very interesting thing because that was a job I had. I had to go and work for my mother. And my mom would go and shop. At that time, they had a one-stop. And so she would go and buy all the hits at the one-stop.

And people would order. And we had a business. It was right in Cleveland on a corner in a central part like of the city that was prominently black and ghettoish and fun and fabulous. And that would be my daily routine from school to the record store to whatever else I was doing. So if we move along and I get into around grade 10, I get involved with this band called The Illusions. And these guys basically went to Cleveland Heights High School. A couple went to Shaker Heights, but somehow they saw me and that was it. And we started. And it was an amazing, another amazing journey in my life because that was grade 10, grade 11. Now, before that, I had done, like I told you, some theater stuff. So I had been like a child kind of Cleveland prodigy thing happening with being 10 years old, 11 years old, doing

these things. But the band really was something fabulous because that led to also becoming a dancer on the upbeat television show, which was on WEWS. And every Saturday I would go do that. So I was juggling somehow at the time, the band and the dancing. And, but the illusions was a great, great adventure because we played at most high schools. We were, we were very well known people, you know,

sought us out to play at their, their proms, their parties, their, you know, whatever was available for like a teenage band. Right. But I think the best story, Mike, that I have that I love so much is we were invited to do the Cleveland Teenage Fair. And the Cleveland Teenage Fair was this big event where bands battled. There was Battle of the Bands. And finally, the Illusions got their chance. And you'll never guess who we were up against because I always find this so interesting. We were up against a band called the James Gang.

The James Gang was this prominent band that teenagers loved but the bass player was dominic triano oh wow i'm pretty sure it was dominic triano because when i think back and i look at because i've tried to find photos right um but he was in the band. They beat us. We were the first runners up, but the James Gang won. What a small world. But Dominic Triano, I'm very, very sure, was involved in that band. And later on in life, I get

to write with him in his studio here in Toronto with the great Dominic Triana. No, absolutely. I believe he spent some time with the guess who, I want to say. Yes, I think, I mean, we could, you know,

we could jump to our phones and find out information, but it is just a very interesting world. Yeah. And the other part of the world of me and Canada was I had a cousin who would come up here and get boots made at master john and he would tell me all the time you will love toronto you gotta go to toronto and i was like oh yeah i'm going to new york please i'm going to new york i'm not going to toronto you keep going and get your master john boots boots. I'm trying to think. Off the top of my head, I know of at least a couple of FOTMs. That means

Friends of Toronto Mike, which you are now. Billy Newton Davis, you are now an FOTM yourself. Oh, thank you. A couple that come to mind. Michael Williams, the VJ from Much Music, is a Cleveland guy. Yes. And another one that does come to mind. it's funny, you mentioned doing the dancing on a local TV show. Then I started thinking of Electric Circus. And one of the founders of Electric Circus is Joel Goldberg.

And Joel Goldberg is a Cleveland guy. I know Joel Goldberg. He went to Cleveland Heights High, I believe. Michael Williams went to Glenville wow Michael Williams is a very smart man he's a very smart musicologist Joel Goldberg is one of the finest producers on the planet and uh it was a we had an interesting life together when much music was really when he was there and I would see him and it was kind of odd he would talk about cleveland and i just always avoided it you know interesting but then

in these later years it's so nice every now and then i will chat with him on facebook and he'll tell me i went to cleveland you know he has kids uh he has family so it's always exciting you know uh not only co-creator of uh electric circus but uh he directed all those great maestro fresh west videos like let your backbone slide drop the needle and uh yes so he was which we're very proud of by the way absolutely so it's a very big deal for sure. Oh, it's too funny how the world works. Okay, so I got to get you to New York before I get you to Toronto. The big question, of course, is what causes you to leave Ohio for New York? Is it just that's where Broadway was, so you had to go there?

Well, I always think in my mind now that New York was always New York was always New York was always in my mind. It was always there was never there was no place else. I mean, I would go to Los Angeles eventually, but New York was always the goal. And I went to Ohio University for four years and I graduated and I was in the dance program there. was in the dance program there. And my last year, I got a scholarship to go to American University in Washington, D.C. And so I graduated in 73 and I went to Washington and I got there and I hated it. I just like it was I wasn't going to do that. I wasn't going to go and do a master's program at American University in dance. So I ended up spending my summer in Washington, D.C. It was fantastic.

I worked. I tripped around. I did some dancing. But I knew what my destiny was. So I believe I came home around June or July. Couldn't find any work in Cleveland. I knew it, though. I just knew. My heart was set on New York City. So I kind of got through that summer, saw friends from school,

party, drove my parents crazy like kids do. And one weekend, the long weekend, my girlfriend Stella said to me, I want you to come to New York with me and drive. Drive to New York with me. And I said, oh, okay, fine. I will do that. Hair dryer in tow because I had hair like yours and it was really long. Hair dryer in tow. I always love telling that part of the story. But hair dryer in tow, I told my parents, I said, you know, I'm going to New York. My dad said, well, I think, you know, you've tripped and traipsed,

tripped and traipsed around. You need to really, you know, get serious about some things. If you're going to go to New York, you go on, but don't be thinking you're going to come, come running back home and this and that and all that. And I said, see ya. Wow. And in 1973, I moved to New York, never to return to Cleveland, Ohio. And that's where my journey started with my New York stuff. My goodness. Okay. So you're now in the Big Apple, but when you say never return, you mean never to live again, but you would return, I suppose. Never to live again, never to work again, but to visit my family and to do family things. But New York was my destiny, and I did it.

I loved it. I worked hard. I auditioned. I got gigs here and there. And it was just very, very, it was an interesting ride. It's a very interesting ride to look at then and to look at now. Well, I can't wait to dive a little deeper into your New York years. But I got to ask you about your parents.

Were they supportive of this Broadway dream? You had these dreams and you were going to pursue them. Were they supportive of this, this endeavor? Oh, very supportive. My mom in particular, my dad, he had to pay for everything. So it wasn't always exciting for him. Right. But for my mom, it was just like, Oh, Billy's going to do this and Billy's going to do that.

And he's auditioning for this. And, you know, but that, because that was always my story, the phone calls, you know, the phone calls I'm auditioning for this. Because that was always my story, the phone calls. The phone calls. I'm auditioning for this. I'm going there. The little jobs at the dress store in Manhattan. Just, yes, they were always helping me, sending me money. Sending money.

No, I'm pleased to hear this. You had a calling and when you get a call like that, you need to accept the charges, right? This is what you... No, definitely. As I said, because COVID,

COVID has really put a real picture around life and things. If you're anything like me, I'm constantly thinking about this and that and the other and how that worked and this and that. And I, the COVID thing just sat me down to think about me and my life and what the things that we're talking about, how that all sits with me and how I functioned because I just, I went for everything. My mission was to get to the next step, to get to the next show, to get to the next TV show, to get to the next movie.

It was just constant. Now, we mentioned Sammy Davis Jr. earlier. So just so people know, you were in Stop the World on Broadway, and that starred Sammy Davis Jr. Yes. And the last interview, I couldn't remember where it was. We were at Lincoln Center. Lincoln Center, at that time, I was living on, I believe, 72nd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue or something like that. And I recall I finally got my own place and I got that job because I had done Yubi.

I had done Bubbleba Brown Sugar. I was a backing vocalist for Gloria Gaynor. That was my first big job. I toured the world with Gloria. What year was this? May I ask? I know I Will Survive comes out in like 74. That was like 76, something like that. But I was I was before I will survive.

I was more never can say goodbye. Casanova Brown. How high the moon. Right. Amazing. And you weren't I don't I think you were a toddler. And we did the world's largest disco at Madison Square Garden. We did the world's largest disco at Madison Square Garden. And I swear, the disco ball was so big. It was so huge. There were just hundreds and hundreds of disco balls. And Gloria Gaynor was the star of the show. And I was in that show as a dancer, pushing my way to try to get on the vocal mic.

Always try. Please let me sing. I'm the worst dancer in the world. Please let me sing. please let me sing i'm the worst dancer in the world please let me sing so finally uh she took the three guys because she had three male singers or two male singers and another girl i believe and um she she finally took us on she finally decided yeah it's good to have guys it's easier to travel with guys i may kind of flood up that story a little bit but for sure it was easier to travel with guys. I may kind of flub that story a little bit, but for sure it was easier to travel with guys for her, and she loved us.

So it was Ricky, Nathan, and myself. Wow. And you can actually see footage on Scandinavia 76, I believe it is. You can actually see footage of Gloria Gaynor, and you can see me in the middle, and it is just the wildest thing to look at. So that's before the sammy stuff well before the broadway stuff and then the sammy stuff amazing amazing amazing but here you are you know

you're working as a singer and a dancer on broadway now i should just let the listeners know that so i recently did an episode and she'll come up later in this program obviously but i did a show with uh melly fresh yes and during this podcast episode of Mellie Fresh, which was fascinating, it was just tremendous conversation about a dead mouse. I mean, wow, like, you know, what a great character in this city. And she mentioned, you know, you, of course, because you'll come up and it's tied again. This will come up later in the chronological order.

But she said, you need to have billy newton davis on your program and i i had this moment of like yes i need to have i need to have billy newton davis on the program then she sent me your email and we work this out but i just want to let everyone know that there's another program this is uh going to be distributed on the tmds network and another show on this network is called Bob's Basement. And my friend Bob Ouellette hosts that show. And because I listened to Bob's Basement, I got some insight.

He spoke to you on his program, and I got some insight into your New York years, which blew my mind because I had no ideas. And this is a word that starts with S, and I'm wondering how honest you'll be about it all. And this is a word that starts with S, and I'm wondering how honest you'll be about it all. But in New York, you get into Scientology. Yes. It's in Bob's basement, my friend. all this Scientology probably around 73, 74. Well, actually around 74, 74, 75, because there's another story within that story. Can I get that story? About Melly Fresh, but we'll talk about

Scientology. Okay. I want it all. So we'll start with the Scientology and then we'll... Yeah. The Scientology, I lived at the Alden. And at that time, the Alden was a hotel between 81st and 82nd on Central Park West. And it's still there. It's turned condo. On the bottom floor was the Church of Scientology. And they had this thing called the C organization. And they had an office in the lobby of the hotel building that I lived with and shared an apartment with my dear friend, God rest his soul, Ed Love. Ed Love was a prominent Alvin Ailey dancer, became a huge director, choreographer. He did What's Love Got to Do With It for Tina Turner. Wow. It's actually in the video. Wow. But anyway, he got involved in Scientology.

And of course, I got involved in Scientology. And of course, I got involved in Scientology. And, you know, Mike, the thing about Scientology, which I always want to share with people because I'm definitely not involved anymore. They're still trying. Trust me. up your life and seeing life differently and being on a path that it was to give you a journey on a path to lead you to success. That was their thing. You want to be successful, we'll get you there. But they didn't say the other part about, well, you're going to be successful, but you

got to bring everybody else along. And I was just like, oh, well, no, that's just not happening. I'm not bringing anyone along. I'm going to be selfish and take this for myself. So long story short, yes, I think for very good ethical purposes and cleaning up my party life, purposes and, you know, cleaning up my party life, that it was very, very good. And it gave some structure to how to kind of, you know, go from day to day, trying to be a good person, going and being ethical, doing your auditions, being clean and pressed and ready and just all of that stuff. You know what they say, if you can remember the 70s, it means you weren't there.

That's what I've been told. And it really is that phenomena. It's a very interesting phenomena because there are a lot of celebrities involved in Scientology. And so I got to meet the Stanley Clarks and the Chick Coreas and, you know, these these masters, Gail Moran. I met some really, really wonderful people in Scientology that I still I have some very close friends to this day that are not involved in Scientology. But those relationships I have nurtured. And they're just very healthy relationships.

And again, judgment-free zone. I'm not judging at all, but I do have a couple of curiosity questions here. One is, is it expensive to be in Scientology? Because I hear a lot of stories about like, you know, you have to pay money for this and that. And we hear this particularly with the celebrity members. But is that a pricey endeavor to be in the...

I think $30,000 is a lot of money. That's a lot of money today. I've invested at that time when I think about it. That could have been my first house. In the 70s? Yes, absolutely. But like I said, it brought me to you. Right now, I'm very clear in my mind about a lot of things. There are just a lot of things I could never be bothered with Scientology anymore. I'm just not interested. It's culty, it's churchy. I'm just, you know, I, and, you know, one of the things,

I'm a very prominent figure, Mike, in the LGBTQ community. And that was just not something that would be happening in Scientology because there are dynamics and definitely you had to have kids to, you know, to build that dynasty. That's part of their whole thing. You know, the church is built on getting people in. That's how it works. That's sort of like a multi-level marketing or pyramid scheme where you need to bring in others in order for this to go up. Definitely.

But you mentioned it. Definitely. to go up. Definitely. But you mentioned it. And I actually was, this was my next question was, and again,

I'm only getting to know you now, but I did listen to you talk to my friend Bob and you are a proud gay man. Yes, I'm very proud. I'm in a relationship for 27 years with my partner. I love him.

Beautiful. But I, one of my friends said, God, when pride comes, you just go crazy. I said, yes, it's Christmas. It's Christmas. Absolutely beautiful. I love your laugh, by the way. You have such a...

The smile on your face is beautiful. Well, because I'm happy for you. That's wonderful, that relationship. And again, I'm an ally. I'm a supporter. Be yourself. I love it. Love is love. That's wonderful, that relationship. And again, I'm an ally. I'm a supporter. Be yourself. I love it. Love is love.

It's beautiful. But Scientology doesn't share my opinions on homosexuality. No, they do not. So what? Did you just hit it? Or how were you able to do that? The part of the story that we haven't gotten to yet is coming to Toronto and being a part of the Celebrity Center here, which was a big deal. Because if a person like me, if I were coming here, you would definitely want to be involved in Scientology.

Oh, we have Bill and Ruth Davis now. So I would do big events at the Royal York with bands and do shows. And, you know, it was a very inviting situation all the time. It was very inviting and inviting for me because it gave me a platform that I was looking for, because at this point in my life now, I want to become a recording artist. Right. Right. Right. Right. Am I hearing correctly in the headphones here that Scient one of my closest friends and a real close friend. Like we became we liked each other. So Scientology was just kind of a part of our relationship at that point. And it was really very interesting because she said to me you know i've

known about you a very very long time and all i want to do is see you do well that's all i want that's all i want i want you to do well i want you to get what you want to get i want you to get that record deal i want you to get that tour i want you to have all that and seriously within her power she certainly pushed that are there any i'm now here i am being a little nosy but are there any like celebrity members of uh scientology in toronto that you can uh you can name drop i'm just curious who uh who was a part of that community. I think at one point Donna Christie who's a very, she's a

legend in Canada. Donna Christie. I'm trying to think who else. Amanda Ambrose came here. I believe Amanda was an American but she came here. But we never, we didn't get Tom Cruise and we didn't get those guys.

Right. You know, at that time, we didn't get those guys. John Travolta. Oh, Deanie Petty. Oh, I've had her on the program. She's an FOTM. I had no idea she was part of Scientology. Deanie Petty is a fine, fine woman.

Oh, yeah. She, you know, the pink, I think it was the pink helicopter. Yeah, yeah, C-K-E-Y. Absolutely, pink helicopter. So you know about radio. And, you know, she was very, very, very helpful in my career. I was on her show many times. But yeah, Dean would be the big one.

That is a big one. Honestly, that's a big, the big one. That is a big one. Honestly, that's a big, on Toronto Mike, that is a huge one. Okay. Cause we celebrate the, the old chum city personalities.

We already talked about electric circus earlier, but I mean, I speak to him regularly with the, you know, the Peter Grosses of the world and, uh, love it. Honestly,

Deanie Petty is a big one. So you're now, you find yourself in Toronto. I guess we're in the eighties now, but you're here in Toronto. How do you get the record deal? So I become a landed immigrant in 84. And surrounded by all of that, like Celebrity Center and just all that stuff, I met a guy by the name of Bo, Bo Tannis.

And Bo Tannis is a great music lover. Oh, you know, there was a guy actually, Mike, Larry. Oh, what was Larry's last name? He was famous in a band, Larry. Oh, I can't remember his name, but he was a dear friend of Bo's. Okay. Larry wore glasses, had long hair.

He was famous. Um, Larry. I'm drawing a blank. I know I feel bad. Yeah. We've, we've drawn a blank.

If it comes back to you, let us know if it comes back to you. If it comes back, you know, I'll email you. But anyway, Larry, what was it?

Like, do you remember the band or the, the genre or anything? We're in the mid eighties, I guess. Larry, he was it? Do you remember the band or the genre or anything? We're in the mid-80s, I guess. Larry Evoit. Okay. I'm glad you came up with that. Oh, my God.

Larry Evoit was a famous, I believe, rocker in Canada and famous, had a band. We'd have to do some homework on that one. Sure. But anyway, he was connected to Bo. And Bo loved my singing. And that was one of his missions. Edward Bear. So Edward Bear is the name of the band.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Phew. Oh, my God. I didn't know anything about them. I was around Stanley Clark a lot, just i was around stanley clark a lot and i was around chicory a lot and so those were kind of my connections you know within the

church but uh larry yes larry evoy edward bear larry's a wonderful man by the way he's just so special the big hit but for those who are listening, the big hit is the last song was the big Edward Bear hit. I bet. Anyway, you let me know. I have no idea. I could play it, but I don't want to take away from your story here. But anyway, so Bo was insistent upon getting me a deal. The game is still playing. Bo introduces me to Paul Farberman,

who introduces me to David Bendeth, who's a producer, and Paul Farberman is a lawyer at Sony Music. And that's how it all began. Are you ready to hear? So I did this. Go ahead. Go ahead. No, I was going to play,

if you don't mind, let me play a little, a song from Love is a contact sport that's your debut album right i guess that's like that's my debut album but before that i had a single called romance okay it was just one single but that was my but yes love is a contact sport is the beginning of the billy newton davis recording career well can can I play a big jam from that album and then we can talk a little more? Okay, so I'll play.

I'm going to give it a good minute here and then I'm going to fade it down and bring back you, Billy. But here we go. Wow. Baby, you don't understand Why I run for cover When you call my name Things ain't going like I planned I don't need another love Woo! I found the last thing that I was looking for. Here I am.

Deeper than I wanted to go. Love that song. Billy, I hear a hit in my headphones. This is great. That was a great song. I don't know who I wrote that song with. I don't know who I wrote that song with. Tim Thorny was in my life.

You know about Tim Thorny. Tim Thorny was a major, major force in the music business. We lost him this year. And unfortunately, but he played a great, great part in Alanis Morissette's career. But I had the pleasure of working with him and wrote, I think I wrote deeper with him, I'm not sure. Anyway, it doesn't matter. But yes, Love is

a Context for It was the first venture. And what an adventure and venture it was. I had no idea kind of what would happen in that. You know, like I knew I was new in Toronto. I had come in on the tip of theater because I had done shows and stuff. But now is venturing off into the music business.

And I just went for it. I didn't really, Mike, I didn't know any singers. I finally knew about Liberty Silver. Right. I finally knew about Kim Richardson, who's brilliant. She's from Montreal. Liberty Silver's amazing. There was another guy, I can't think of his name,

Glenn Ricketts was huge. So that was kind of what I was up against, you know, which we're going to cover this again one day because we're now bringing forward more Blackness to music in Canada. And I'm talking about brown people, Black people, Indigenous people. You know, it's a really big deal now. And I've been in touch with Karis. And we're going to, there's greatness. And there's always been greatness. But we just have to promote that stuff.

But when I came, it was like, I was sort of like a big fish in a small pond. But it was perfect for me because it got my writing skills together. I started writing. I started thinking about an image, a career, a person beyond being this Broadway guy. And it's life changing. And I'm saying it's life changing because it's still changing. I'm going to be very honest with you. This song, Deeper, is excellent. This is a song I would hear top 40 stations. It would be perfect

right alongside, I don't know, you name it, Lionel Richie or Billy Ocean or you name it. This song, wonderful. When I announced that Billy Newton Davis was coming on Toronto Mic'd, I got a tweet from somebody on Twitter who calls himself 51, get the right number, 5151photography.

And the comment was, and I hope you respond to this. He said, given that there's a lot of CanCon on repeat on boom style stations, and he goes cough, chilliwack, cough, how come nobody plays deeper? It's an amazing jam. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. And I think, you know, urban music is really trying to find its way.

You know, Maestro, I actually have chills on my arms because Maestro really, I mean, there are many of us here, but Maestro really, I mean, there are many of us here, but Maestro really took the balls by the... That's my man you're talking about there, Wesley Williams. Beauty. I mean, you know, and I don't know him really well, but I really love him. I love what he creates. He is still creating, you know, this sound and still bringing this hip hop and rap stuff, he's bringing it forward. There are so many, many, many, many artists and you're going to

hear about them now. And I'm going to be a voice to tell you about them. But I'm involved with Karis, like I said, and I'm going to bring this. And you really made a great point. Why don't we hear deeper? Right. Why don't we hear Right Beside You? Right Beside You is one of the most beautiful songs. Right, or even Find My Way Back. There are multiple hits off of Love is a Contact Sport,

which, by the way, congratulations, it won the Juno Award for Best R&B Soul Recording back in 1986. So why isn't, I'll just use Boom as the way, congratulations. It won the Juno Award for Best R&B Soul Recording back in 1986. So why isn't, I'll just use Boom as the example, because they like to do best hits of the 70s, 80s, and 90s or whatever. Why the heck isn't there high rotation for a Canadian song like this? I don't know, but we're going to hit them up. I know, I know. I have friends there, Stu Jeffries and May Potts.

Unfortunately, the on-air people have no say in what they play anymore. I love Stu Jeffries. Oh, my gosh. There's another wonderful guy. Names are, you know, I'm only talking to you, so names don't. But there are many, many, you know what, we have to do something about that because, yes, Deeper Should Be in Rotation, Right Beside You is a stunning song and Find My Way Back to You is such a Canadian song it's like it's so BC you know it's just so but still where is your Juno Award right now

do you want to see it which one do you want to see how many do you want to see? Actually, that's true. How many do you have? Four. Oh, wow. Right. Of course, because we're going to get into a few more of these. But how long would it take you to produce this for

me? Two seconds. Okay. Yes, please. All right. Billy Newton Davis has left the Zoom. He's going to get his Juno. I'm very excited to see this Juno award. This is a big deal to me. I likely will never win a Juno. Here we go.

It's coming here. I'm giving the play-by-play here of Billy Newton Davis. Junos are coming. Junos are imminent. They're coming. Wow. They're coming. Junos are imminent. Wow. Like they're coming.

Wow. They're still coming. Such different designs I'm seeing. That's different eras of Junos. Okay. Okay. Wow. So you got three of them there. Is there one missing? Wow. This is the screen cab I need to take for promoting

the episode it's Billy Newton Davis has a you see it now thank you so much yes that's great wow wow so you're accomplished wow so it's the critical claim here we go now I don't mean to

leave behind love is a Contact Sport, but there's a follow-up called Spellbound, and there's a song I need to play. So we're going to hear another song. It's a duet with somebody, and we'll kind of disclose who the duet's with and talk about it after we hear a bit.

Actually, you know what? Before I play this song, here, I'm teasing people now. I want to play a 30-second ad that I remember from my youth. And this is really not made for audio. It's really made for video. But I'm going to play it anyways because it's my show, Billy. So here's an ad.

Here we go. A perfect day for Billy? Well, he pops on his bike. He pedals halfway across town, and then he writes a new song in his head. Then he makes this lunch, this crazy penne arrabbiata, power pasta, he calls it.

Perfect. Delicious. And look at him. He's beaming. He's productive. A perfect Billy. That's the look on my face okay so that's a participation ad and they're talking about you oh wow so what they just approached how did that happen well i was on i lived on queen street

and at that time always i always lived downtown and um i was on my bike a lot and that was one of the big things is that well i didn't really have a car but i had a bike i lived on queen street and that was my exercise right and uh that people would just see me riding up and down the street and that came into play and i i can remember um the uh record or some, actually, I think it was around the, yeah, record company, Tim Thorny, David Bennett, all of it. They were just getting me things. And that was one of the things that I got. And I really, I'm very proud of participation because it's a government thing and it talks about health and greatness and goodness. And my hair, I had a hair there. I love the outfit.

I love the outfit and I love the outfit because it matched the yellow bike. The jacket was so cool. Do you still bike? I don't. And I have a bike here and I, you know, I could have lied. I could have just told the biggest lie on air. But no, I'm not doing that. But I can ride a bicycle and I'm very interested. I bought a new helmet.

I have gear. But now I just choose Uber. And again, I happen to be an avid cyclist. Every single day, regardless of weather, I'm out there on my bike. Really? This is like my medicine. This is not me bragging or anything. Yesterday, I did a 35K ride.

I go out. I think about things. I think about upcoming episodes, things I learned from the other episodes. My clients, I produce podcasts. I do my best thinking on the bike. And it lets me eat. You mentioned penne arrabbiata there. That's like, oh man, that sounds good.

I bet you Palma Pasta has a good penne arrabbiata. I can make the most fabulous penne arrabbiata. So if I want to eat a lot of that stuff, I need to do some exercise or I'll be a larger guy. I'll have to go to Palma's Kitchen with you sometimes because I love Italian food. Absolutely. You do need that. But I will have one for you when you do make your return

to the backyard on a nicer day. Yes, I will. Actually, I would love to do that. You had an interview with Molly Johnson, who's one of my favorite people. And I think she came to you. Yeah, Molly definitely came to me. It's actually... I was going to ask you about it at the end, but since you brought it up, I'll do it now. And I think she came to you. Yeah, Molly definitely came to me. It's actually, I was going to ask you about it at the end,

but since you brought it up, I'll do it now. And then I'll play this duet that I want to talk to you about that you did with somebody rather famous. But Molly Johnson did come here. I think it happened to be the day that Aretha Franklin passed away. Oh, my God. An unfortunate coincidence. And I, in hindsight, I made the mistake.

I didn't realize I was making the mistake at the time. But in hindsight, I opened the episode by asking her for her thoughts on the passing of Aretha Franklin. And I don't think that was a good move on my part. Like, I don't know. Have you heard Molly Johnson on Toronto Mic'd? No, not yet. But she's feisty, you know. Okay? Have you heard Molly Johnson on Toronto Mic'd? No, not yet.

But she's feisty. Okay, thank you. She's fabulous. She's one of my favorite, favorite people in the world. She and Molly, by the way, are two of my favorites. Because they're just wacky girls. I love them.

For the record, for the record, I was and am a big Molly Johnson fan. I think she's incredible. That's why I invited her over to my home. She sat here in the basement and I wanted to talk to her about everything.

Possibly in her mind because it was booked through a middleman, if you will, she might have thought this would be a typical seven minutes on the Kensington Jazz Festival. But as you're learning now, that's not how Toronto Mic'd works. No. But Molly Johnson can talk, too.

Okay, but you mentioned Feisty. And actually, now that you know her personally, my ask of you is that you listen to Molly Johnson on Toronto Mic. And maybe, you know, if you want, you can give me some feedback on where you think I went wrong. Because it's the only episode out of 891 that went sideways on me. Well, you know, it's very interesting. You know, Molly's my sister. She's my girlfriend. She's many, many things to me. She's

very conscious of Billy Neely Davis. And it's very appreciated because she has her own beautiful career. But with Kinsey to Market Jazz Festival, she started some trend of this whole thing, and really, she brought it big to the table. And I think the kind of thing with Molly, it kind of goes along with, it's the day of the woman. It's the day of the successful woman. It's the day of the mom.

She's a mom of two boys. She's an amazing, amazing woman. I'm going to tell you something. It's like, I think you don't ever ask her much about Billie Holiday. Like, you don't really get into it. Because she always says she is because of Billie. So many people want to, you know, put her there. And she's like, no, don't put me there.

Don't put me there. I am here and I have a career and I'm singing and I am who I am because of Billie Holiday. If Billie Holiday didn't have those songs, I wouldn't be singing those songs. Right. And that's kind of how I look at my girl. You know, she but I will I will look at that podcast and I look at my girl. But I will look at that podcast and I'll give you some feedback. And feel free to write me and say, Mike,

you fucked up, Mike. You fucked up. Give it to me straight because it is a, I would call it an outlier. I guess Malcolm Gladwell would say this is an outlier. We have 891 examples of Toronto Mike. Listen to this one. And again, at the end of it, we had a big hug, Molly and I.

We took a photo together. So I haven't heard from her since, but that's okay because. But I'll tell you that one thing, that was just great what you just said. You got a hug. Yeah. That meant something. Okay. Trust me.

Okay. Because otherwise she would have been out of there. I sure didn't mean any harm because I have nothing but massive respect for Molly Johnson, just like I have big respect for Billy Newton Davis here. Oh, thank you. Well, listen, that's why I'm so upset at the forecast. I said, oh, Billy in the backyard, what's a better way to spend a Tuesday afternoon? And then Mother Nature.

Oh, we would have had a ball. We would have had. And now look at it now. I mean, it's sort of like, anyway, we're here and we're doing this. We're here and we're going to have a sequel. So I'm going to play again. I tease this enough, but I'm going to play a duet. You and somebody who we'll

discuss after this, who is a rather big deal, a BFD, if you will, you know, globally. Just before I press play on this duet, I just want to thank the latest sponsor of Toronto Mic'd because McKay's CEO forums, they really help make this happen.

They have a podcast called the CEO Edge Podcast and that is fireside chats with inspiring CEOs and thought leaders. And I strongly urge you in your podcast aggregator, your podcatcher of choice to check out an episode of the CEO Edge podcast from McKay's CEO forums. Let me know what you think. Love the people at McKay CEO forums. And I just want to say hello to Ridley Funeral Home. When you do visit me in the backyard, I have a bottle of hand sanitizer that they sent over for me to give you so you can stay safe, Billy. Wonderful. And if anyone is looking to buy and or sell in the next

six months, Mimico Mike, his real name is Mike Majewski. He's been ripping up the Mimico real estate scene. And I urge you to have a conversation with him and just tell him that Toronto Mike sent you. Go to realestatelove.ca. Without further ado, here is Billy Newton Davis and an unnamed woman will disclose at the end. That look in your eyes The heat and desire Trying so hard To turn off the fire Oh love We're safe, dangerous friends I knew there would be trouble

If we ever met again But here we are I don't wanna know what's going on in your life And I don't wanna feel the way I'm feeling tonight here with you I can't live with you, I can't live without you Breaking me in two, I just can't stay away from you I can't live with you you I can't live with you I can't live without you

Any way I choose Hard as I try to be free You're deep inside of me It's a beautiful song. Do you know who wrote that song? I actually do. I know. I should pretend I don't so you can tell me, but I know that's

Dan Hill. He's so wonderful. I mean, Dan Hill, I have chills on my arms. I'm so really lucky and fortunate to have written with some of the finest songwriters. This song he penned himself, but I heard this song and I went to his place and we demoed it and it was just stunning. I said, this is my ticket guys. This is the ticket. So I'm in

This is the ticket. So, I'm in Vancouver with Brian. I can't remember Brian. From Chilliwack. Brian. Oh. He's producing my album. Brian, I can't believe this.

This is terrible. That's okay. You keep talking. I'll Google it. Anyway, I'm in Vancouver and I'm recording with brian who was a member of chilliwack brian mcleod brian mcleod and um we're on the boat and we have this song i had this song when i went here and my thought was, this is a great song solo, but I really would love to do a duet. And I wanted to do the duet at that time.

There was Regina Bell was on the list. Gloria Estefan was on the list and they were both busy. And a gentleman by the name of Vito Lupriani, I think his name was, came from Montreal to visit with Brian and me and to sell Celine Dion. Wow. And he said, I have this dynamic vocalist that you must hear. And I heard her and I was sold. I was just sold right off the bat.

Right. And I heard her voice and we were making changes because I had to leave Vancouver because things weren't going the way I really wanted them to go. And I needed to make a move and some changes and things weren't going fast enough.

And I knew I needed to get back to the East Coast to get to New York and to get with some new, just some new energy and some new stuff. Long story short, Celine was brought in and I just couldn't believe how fabulous she was. She was 18. We were in New York. We flew her into New York because we recorded, I believe, at Unique Studios. I think maybe there were so many studios I recorded in New York and she was just a doll. She was amazing. She was so there, so present. She was learning English. She had never done, I don't think an English song I'm pretty certain that this was her first English song wow I'm pretty sure with me but anyway we brought her in one of my friends at that time Joshua Latner who was a friend of Paul Farberman's said we you

know I said I need help to get her here he says says, we'll get her here. Don't worry. We'll fly her in. We'll do this. We'll get the studio time. And Joshua Latner, you know, just put on that hat and worn and we got her here and we had her here a couple of long story short, a couple of times we had her in New York. And we finally did that duet. And I really think it is one of the most beautiful songs that has ever been recorded. And I believe it's one of the most beautiful songs she ever recorded. And I don't think that anyone else, though, could ever sing the duet with her the way I did.

Like, you know, sometimes you can put people, people, Bryce and she did the Beauty and the Beast, I believe. People, people of rice and she did the beauty and the beast, I believe. I don't think he would have done the same treatment on can't live with you as I would have, you know, wouldn't have done the same treatment on Beauty and the Beast. Right, right. But just a phenomena, Mike, a phenomenon. She is a phenomena and she's a lovely woman. Lovely, lovely woman, lovely person. I don't know her now uh i'm in her book uh because i you know i was one of the opportunities that she had you know in in on her journey and uh her husband

loved the song he loved renee loved can't live with you so that's kind of where that was born okay a lot there's a lot there to unpack as they say but uh wow like i mean that's a significant role though that you are part of celine dion's first venture into english music right because that changes everything she recorded in french until then and then she's this is i think the album's called unison yes it is and that was like that's the first Celine Dion album. Again, like you said, very young, but this is an English album and she's going to, you know. And of course, the rest is history because I'm not sure Canada has produced a bigger superstar, but she's right up there.

And a question I did get from a listener was they wondered if you heard from Celine Dion after Can't Live With You, Can't Live Without You. No, not really, because she was on her journey and I was on mine. And the interesting thing about these journeys, there's male singers and there's female singers. They were launching Mariah Carey and Celine Dion, and that was the big deal.

Terrence Trent Darby had already hit it. So, you know, there was kind of a block in my way of him, us being kind of similar look, this, that. I never looked at him to get my look. I'm sure he never looked at me. But during that time, you know, you staged music. And that's how that staging happened. I've heard stories

like this from so many musicians where it all comes down to marketing. And I mean, I've repeated this a few times on the program, but I had Kim Mitchell on the show last year. And he talked about when they were pushing him in the States, they were also, the same label was pushing Twisted Sister. And they chose to favor, you know, we're not going to take it by Twisted Sister over Go For Soda by Kim Mitchell.

And the rest is history. Like so much of music requires timing and luck and all these things that have nothing to do with the actual singing. singing. You're so correct because like right now, I have assistance with my social media platform. I could not handle it myself because I just didn't have that youthful mind in the sense of where to go and who to be on and who to be with and this and that. So I have people working with me to do that. But that's what happened. She had that machine behind her. She had Sony Music behind her. She had Canada big time. And in Montreal, you know, she is Montreal.

Right. She owns Quebec. And there was no stopping us now with, you know, the birth of Selenium. Wow. And her husband, I have to say, he would do anything. He did anything to make her a success. He, you know, it was the right place, right time, right people. And I do think, you know, funny enough, with the Me Too movement, because I think that movement has changed a lot of that stuff. Girls don't have to go through that stuff. But, you know, there was this that female image thing all the time you know the the woman the and and and white men and i can say this

it's it's you know white men ran and run these companies at the time and i i just get it you know i get it it's it's i it's the eye candy of how it all works. I think women in that sense of music are kind of more successful. Bands are bigger. I think bands are big, then women, then guys. You know, that's how I kind of see it. And by the way, I'm not racist. I have not a racist bone in my body, but I will say the machine does always look like it is run by a group of white men that take on these jobs.

They held them for years and years and years. Not now. Not now. So not now? Okay. Did I take you back a little bit? Well, because part of that, the systemic nature of that racism is because people keep hiring themselves, right?

So you got some white, straight Christian guy who is now hiring somebody who will be like an heir apparent and an executive and they hired themselves, which is somebody else who's a white Christian straight guy who maybe went to the same university or something or has a similar background or whatever. So if you keep hiring yourselves, you'll never diversify the boardroom, right? And that's really, seriously, Mike, that is is how and it just happened to be white guys. I mean, it could have been black guys, you know, I mean, Jay-Z and those guys and P. Diddy, they have their own empires and structures.

Right. But that Sony machine. You know, those that Capitol Records machine, these machines really you're correct. It was just recycle after recycle after recycle. I have my thoughts about it, but really, really never want to be a victim. You know, of that, because I believe that your own destiny is caused by yourself. And that is just how it works. But in that big picture, it can look like that. Well, let me ask you this. On any level at all, do you think you would have been more successful if you were a straight white artist? Yes.

Well, that says it all. Right? I think yes. But that picture only, you know, it's that particular picture. But Billy Newton Davis is an exciting guy. He's a

fun guy. He sings pretty good. He can work exciting guy. He's a fun guy. He sings pretty good. He can work a stage. He's, I love my musicians. I love my team. I love always every member of my team. So I, you know, I'm enamored with that concept of William Newton Davis in that way. It's not narcissistic. It's just that it's an exciting kind of person and a fun guy. Because if it's no fun, it's boring and dreary. No, I'll bet you you're very fun. But I mean, I'm going to now reference something that Molly Johnson said to me in that infamous episode that you're going to listen to later. It was a very interesting part of the

conversation where she talked about how the American stars at her level were driving I think the term we used, they were driving Bentleys and stuff. Meanwhile, Molly talked about how she was living week to week and struggling financially.

Can you just hold that for a second? Can we hold for just one second? talked about how she was living week to week and struggling financially. Can you just hold that for a second? Can we hold for just one second? Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course. Of course we can do that. In fact, while we hold here, I will just shout out the other sponsors that help fuel the real talk here, which is Great Lakes Brewery. We're going to hold TMLX 8 on the patio of Great Lakes Brewery on August 27 at 7 p.m. And I'll have more information on that, but everyone's welcome. Even Billy Newton Davis is welcome. It would be amazing. Man, it would be amazing if Billy Newton Davis showed up at the TMLX 8 on August 27. That will also be the Pandemic Friday finale, and we'll be in my backyard Thursday night with a very special guest.

We're kicking out the Canadian hip-hop, actually. Speaking of Maestro Fresh West, we might hear some of him that night, so it should be fantastic. You're back now. So thank you, StickerU.com, and thank you, Palma Pasta. They're going to give the lasagna to my friend here, Billy. Billy, please.

That is such a good just kind of talk that up again about the molly conversation well molly was very it's very and i can't wait to hear this to get your feedback on it actually but she's talked the the american equivalent would be wealthy okay would would be yes yes meanwhile she's living in uh wherever maybe near kensington market i'm not sure but she spoke of, you know, working in selling clothes in Kensington Market and struggling to make ends meet. And she was referencing that she never got the financial rewards. She may have got the Order of Canada, and maybe there's Junos, and maybe there's critical acclaim and recognition, but her wallet wasn't compensated the same way as an American equivalent.

And I wonder if you experienced anything similar being a Canadian. Of course I do. Of course I did. Of course I do. Of course, it's a very interesting, you know, I recall when I had to work on Queen Street, you know, selling clothes and, Queen Street, you know, selling clothes and, you know, doing other jobs. I can remember bartending, worst bartender in the world. I mean, but I can recall these things. And I, I love Molly's take on it because it's always a healthy take. Right. Because like I said, I, you know, we don't want to be victims of the circumstance. We're very, very lucky to be able to perform on beautiful stages and great venues. We're we're very, very lucky. But like she said, we're not sitting in, you know, million dollar homes on the bridal path. homes on the bridal path. We work to earn money, which is very honest. It's very honest. It's a very honest thing to work and sing to earn your money. And so I do agree with her, but we are not victims. I think that in New York, that's what you do.

You wait tables. You bus tables. You do anything you can to make money for your career. These are very expensive jobs. These careers cost money. Photos, social media platforms, fashion, this, that. I mean, it's constant., fashion This, that, I mean it's just It's constant, it's always Always, always

And yes, we would like To see the Canadians Be able to Enjoy that a little bit More Of that celebrity, like you're supposed to be a celebrity You be a celebrity Like you got You got it going on.

You know, I have it going on because I keep it going. But some people get, you know, stuck. And that's where the problem is. Do you ever feel, I guess the word would be bitter. Like, are you ever bitter about that? Like just life would be bitter. Like, are you ever bitter about that? Like just life would be easier. You know, money doesn't make you happy, but it takes away some of the stresses along the way

and lets you focus on other things. Like money, again, I'm not a money guy. I've never done anything because of money. I do it for other reasons. But at the same time, I know I have to make X amount of dollars. I got four kids. I got a home in i know i have to make x amount of dollars i got four kids i got a home in toronto you you have to update that reference where you talk about the million dollar homes on the bridal path because today a million dollar home is is a bungalow in a uh in in a very

different neighborhood than the bridal path like quite literally the amount of money to live in this city i don't know how an artist does it if they're not named Drake or The Weeknd or Gordon Lightfoot. You are very, very correct. And you brought up that word, bitter. I never want to associate myself with being bitter because I'm a happy guy. But it would be nice to be able to do some other things sometimes that, you know, wealthier people get to do those things. You know, I'm, I'm in a situation. I'm very lucky. I record, I gig, you know, so I can care for myself and my family, but it's not that same thing. Like sometimes,

like when I'm hearing Britney Spears complain, I just wonder sometimes. Okay. You know, Britney. Okay. All right, Britney Spears. You go, girl. I understand. I don't understand.

When you have everything in the world and that you're just not happy. And I do find that a lot of, you know, celebrities are not happy because of, you know, what's that word? I'm looking for the word. Well, money, money, things, right. Cards, shopping, bling, shopping traveling owning properties you know they they fight for that and I

think I'm more now at my age fighting to write a great song fighting to sing a good song for the art yes and that's what Molly does for sure I know a great song, fighting to sing a good song. For the art. Yes. And that's what Molly does for sure, I know. And I'm so proud of her, for instance, with Kensington, you know, Kensington Jazz, Kensington Market Jazz Festival.

I mean, it's a phenomena. And she did that. She and her team made that happen. And she did that for us. Mm hmm. She did that for the jazz singers, musicians in, in Toronto. Like she, she created something that we all can be very, very proud of. So, okay. So we've talked quite a bit there about the legendary Molly Johnson

who's been on Toronto Mike, but let's get back to Melly Fresh for a moment here. Okay. So, and by the way, again, that, that duet you did with Celine Dion if we didn't mention it it won a Juno for best R&B soul recording as well so that's one of your four yes I did yes I'm looking at it here somewhere where's oh yeah this one amazing this one yeah that one and and a little Melly Fresh story yeah please let's talk about Melly Fresh here. So I'm in New York, probably into like my third show and I get this show called Got to Go Disco.

Yes. And I go audition after audition. After two or three times, they have to take you. I mean, they either have to pay you or they have to take you. There's always a phenomenon around. Little did I know, Joe Eula was the costume designer.

His muse was and is a woman. Joe Eula is no longer with us, but his muse, Melissa Gosnell, is still around. is still around. I auditioned and I'll never forget Joe and Melissa came into the audition. It was a small room in the Midscoff Theater. And so this show goes on. Irene Kerr is the star of the show. She leaves after the first night. I mean, you have to do background on that show. I'm not wasting my time on that show. But long story short, Melanie Melody was very close friends with Melissa Gosnell to this day. Wow. Melody was in my life and I had no idea.

Wow. Wow. Wow. In my life. So later on, when I did get my recording deal and I started working on my second album, there were always dinners and functions and things. And one night I was invited down to a dinner in Soho. And when I got to the restaurant, I was about a half an hour late, as I always was fixing my hair, getting ready. I always was fixing my hair, getting ready. Melissa's at the door.

And I see her and I said, oh, wow. I thought she looked familiar. But this is the story. She says, so you're Billy and you're from Toronto? And I said, yes, yes. She says, do you know my friend Melanie Melody? I said, no, I don't know her. I'd love to meet her. They're waiting for me, by the way, Melanie Melody. I said, no, I don't know her. I'd love to meet her. They're waiting for me, by the way, in the restaurant, record executives, big, big guys. I have them waiting.

And she says, I'm going to give Melanie a call. And if I, if I get her on the phone, would you like to say hello to her? And I said, yes, I'll say. So I went and I sat down and I had my dinner and finally Melissa came and tapped me. She says, can you just come to the phone for a second? And I met Melanie, Melanie that night at that restaurant. She picked me up at the airport on that following Tuesday, because it was like a Friday or Saturday night. We have been friends ever since. Wow. Wow. And I think her kid was like three, two or three years old, Zach. And that's how she came into my life. And to this day, one of my biggest, biggest and strongest supporters, Melanie Melody is fabulous. Well, she raves about you. And in

her appearance on Toronto Mike, she quite a bit about the the early days of Deadmau5 and Deadmau5 and you I mean I guess I could do you want me to play a little bit about this now because this is kind of a sure an exciting new chapter here okay yes so let me play a little of uh well let's let's listen let's turn that up a little bit before I fade it down. Actually, maybe we should talk about it and then I'll fade it up later because as you know, when you're on the dance floor, you want this to go long. So this is. You want that to go long. So this is. You want that to go long. And you want to look at this one.

This was. This is when they created the new. This is the new. Well, this is a design before the new one, which I really love. It's quite stunning. Yeah, yeah. It looks very modern. Very modern.

Oh, yeah. Oh, there's stuff on the bottom and everything. Oh, my God. But anyway, what a phenomenon. The dead mouse. Yes. Like, where do I go? So basically, what did your friend Melody?

That's Felix the cat. Okay, I'm ready. Does your friend Melody, I'll call her Melody Fresh. What was that? Melanie Melody? Is that her form? Melanie Melody. Melanie Melody, I'll call her Melly Fresh. What was that? Melanie Melody? Is that her former name? Melanie Melody. Melanie Melody. I met Melanie Melody on the phone, but now we do talk

about Melly Fresh. Melly Fresh. It can get confusing. But do you does she approach you basically and say that, you know, oh, I'd like you to sing on some Deadmau5 remixes because I have these masters from early recordings or whatever. Like how does it come to be that you're on these Deadmau5 remixes

that win you more Junos? She said to me, I want you to meet this kid from St. Catharines, Joel Zimmerman. He calls himself Deadmau5. And he's looking for songs and he's looking for writers. And that's where it began. She put us in a room together. And he came from St catherine's family grounded

himself and we sat down and we did all you ever want we did uh i like the music uh we did uh oh gosh we did several things because you see within these remixes that they've become remixes but we wrote real songs we all you ever want is a real song and he just took it and did his magic he is a phenomenon you know he is a phenomenon um he um he's very interesting person um but i was just one of the many writers you got to work with him. And I got success with this. It's still going. I want it to go bigger, though. It's still going. This is 2008.

It's still playing. It's still going. All you ever want is still a dance floor hit. And the remixes are amazing. Like, wow. Like, this is another kind of chapter in the Billy Newton Davis story here. And it was a great chapter because it was,

now, this is a whole other side of me, you know, Mike, as well. You know, I'm from the Baptist church. Dance music, house music really is the root of gospel music. Like those beats underneath are all, you know, it's all Pentecostally kind of born-again stuff that that they found the music on Saturday nights in the Black community as always. And, you know, so all music has come from like that genre of gospel. But house music and dance music,

the root of it, in my opinion, is gospel music. And that trans, you know, that whole trans kind of thing that you get into, uh, is the root of spiritual music. Well, well, let me hear it. Let's hear a little,

this is actually, uh, this is out of my life here, just a little bit here, but let's hear it. I love that. Wow. Now, when was the last time you spoke to Deadmau5? 2007. Okay. Maybe 2006. Okay. Well, I heard from Melly. In the dance world,

that's normal. Either you like each other or you don't. We got on with these songs. And after that, our relationship was over. I heard a similar story from Melly Fresh. So I won't, I'm not surprised by that. But just talk more about these collaborations. So you're, uh, you're and lived that dream and knew that dream, knew all about that dream. So when I met him, it was a very easy fit for he and I. And he loved my voice. He liked the voice that he heard, the smoky voice. And he just loved that R&B sense. My R&B sensibility just worked right with him. So we did Promise Land, I think it was. And Promise Land is killer's it's killer uh joe fresh tune um joe fresh always did that song so his version was always a bit above mine but like if i go sometimes when i'm in in europe and i and i get them to play that song people love take it take me to the promised land it's it's phenomenon. It's a big deal. And it's an anthem. It's as simple as that.

May I ask you a personal health question? Yes. I was reading about the activism that you do for HIV and AIDS awareness. Yes. A part of that story, which is your story to tell, not mine, but that you were diagnosed HIV positive in 86. Yes.

That's about, if I look, if I look at your career timeline, that's about, that's right there. That's the, that's that moment. That's the height.

That's, we played some jams from the mid eighties from you. And I'm just wondering, receiving that news, especially in the mid-80s, when I'm going to let you speak for you, I'm not speaking for you, but possibly you were feeling like maybe you got a death sentence here. It must have been scary. I wonder how that affected your priorities and your career and your art. Well, it was devastating. And, you know, that's where Scientology plays a great part in that because, you know, Scientology can give you the ability to think.

You can fix your thoughts. And you don't even need that. You don't need Scientology to do it. But in my case, it helped me kind of form those thoughts and think about my life and how I was going to do it. Yes, it was devastating. It was right in the prime moment of what I was about to take off and do. And I sometimes think I got in my own way a lot. And then I just started learning and I started reading things and I started understanding things about the disease. And I just decided I'm going to take this on and I'm going to

get through this. I'm going to live through this somehow. People are dropping like flies. AZT was the main drug, one of the first drugs. And I saw people taking that drug and they were dying and they weren't healthy and they weren't happy. And I decided not to take that drug. And I just kind of did a very holistic journey. You know, I started doing serums and this holistic thing and this naturopathic thing and seeing naturopathic doctors and meditating and just doing things, finding, looking, seeking planet to do things. My time, you know, previously, I did get very, very good. And I still am. But I started getting involved in this whole HIV AIDS advocacy of how to find a cure, how to make people feel more comfortable around it.

I myself personally remember when I was afraid to touch someone, you know, so COVID, like when you just kind of bring us up to COVID, it's just sort of like, oh, really? You know, I lived through the AIDS crisis. Right. I think I can manage COVID-19, I think. But that was a very, it was devastating. It was hard. It was, it was, you felt separated.

I always felt kind of separated. I felt, you know, I didn't want to get too close to people. Just, it was an odd feeling. I finally got through it. I got acknowledged for my work and I decided this is going to be my work. This is what I'm going to do. I'm going to be the voice. I'm going to stop hiding. I'm going to stop hiding behind this stuff. I'm going to stop hiding behind my gayness. It is time to come out and express myself and let people know who I really am so that I can walk through you, so that I can possibly help you or someone else in a crisis with that stuff. That's about 35, if my math is correct, not my strongest suit,

but that's almost 35 years ago that you received this diagnosis. Yes. You look amazing. I feel amazing. Quick story. I remember my partner, who my partner is negative, and I remember my partner said to me, we really need to get you some help. You're failing. You're so thin. We really need to

find out what we can do to help you. And I met a very, very fine doctor and then met a very, another very fine doctor. I have the finest doctors on the planet and we started, but the quick story was the immunoclinic at Toronto general hospital was in the basement of the Toronto general hospital when it started in the nineties. And I'll never forget. I went for my first appointment and I got to the reception and I said to them, do you think it's possible that you put me in another room? Can you kind of get me somewhere out of this public view, this public viewing? I just don't feel comfortable.

People are coming in and out of here. And I, and they did, they helped me. I'm telling you, it's the best thing I ever, ever did in my life was to become a part of the immunodeficiency clinic at Toronto General Hospital. Because I'm able now to introduce people to that clinic if they're interested. I'm able to be one of the most successful, you know, one of the successful patients there. We're all a success there. We're all connected there. We all are dealing with the same thing on many, many different levels, different heights, different lows, different drugs, different this, different that. But the fact that I gave up myself, I used Billy Newton Davis, I used that name to talk about it, to be proud of it. And it just really, really made me a, I'm a very proud gay man because of it. But yes, it hit me in the prime of my career.

Well, for this advocacy work you're doing and what you just described there, let me just say on behalf of the city of Toronto, I want to say thank you. Because you're using your name, your celebrity, and to basically not only to raise awareness, but there's a fight for equality here, right?

There's still, we talked earlier about systemic racism in this society, but of course there's also underlying homophobia and tied to how we treat those with HIV or AIDS. And good on you, my friend.

That's incredibly rewarding work, I can imagine. And, you know, the wonderful thing about it, there are other artists now. There are gay, black, brown, white artists that are dealing with these issues of HIV, of just coming out, you know, just coming out is a really big deal. And I didn't know how big of a deal it was, you know, to come out, because I've always been at this, but I didn't know from that viewpoint of being an artist, But I didn't know from that viewpoint of being an artist how difficult it is. You know, like we have many, many Canadian artists that we're very proud of. But me in particular, I decided I'm going to go and wave a big old pink flag.

Yes, I am. Well, the rainbow flag. Absolutely. No, absolutely. And I'm so happy, though, to learn and to see how great you're feeling like 35 years after that diagnosis. And what is the current science? And is it what is the treatment is, you know, that the cocktail exists and that you can suppress the virus to become undetectable. And that's what you want. Right. I want it to be over. I want a cure. Right. You know, I want a cure. I want this to be done with an over. And, you know, it well, you don't know. I'm telling you. When COVID hit,

I had a lot of second thoughts about COVID because I was just like I said earlier, you talk about COVID, I'm talking about HIV. You know, people just, I keep knocking on wood, but I knock on wood because I know my job is to talk about it, to be it, to be the face of it, to be proud, and to get other people to understand the meaning of being proud. And the support is just amazing. And I'm feeling now, and just lately after this Junos, I do feel a bit more of the support. I do feel that the community is hearing. They're addressing this stuff now because now with

non-binary, it's so beautiful. Demi, Demi DeVato, sometimes I thought, why did she do that? But I'm so glad she did that because she is changing the way for some beautiful people

to become who they really want to be i'm still a he him i'm a he him right right and i and i i i love that but just to think years ago we didn't talk about it we didn't talk about it. We didn't talk about he, him. We didn't talk about her, they, them. We didn't talk about these things. We hid everything. Right. And the more, you know, the more Billy Newton Davis's and Demi Lovato's out there being their true self, the easier it will be for that, you know, that 14 year old kid who's wants to tell their parents and be their true self, like the,

the easier it will get for the next generation to, to be their true selves. And so easy for us, Mike, because of who we are as a people, you know, our generation, you're a dad, you know, and I haven't shook your hand yet, or been in your face, but I just know as a person, I look at you, I can just see how you treat your kids. I see that your kids have a life. They have their life. They have a family life, but I see you as a parent and I see you being a great dad. I just see it. And when you told me that you had to get to your kid's soccer game, that was very impressive. That's right. That's right. Because I was trying to get you to come later. And then tonight you're trying to get me to come. Jarvis has a game tonight. Right.

And I love that. And, you know, that is those are that's that's a greatness. Oh, that is a greatness. Going to your kid's soccer game is a greatness. Oh, no. I mean, you, you're hitting the nerve here now. That's wonderful, these things you're saying. Hey, let's wrap up with this then. I want to just play a little bit of the latest EP, but I got to ask you two quick questions because they're on my mind here.

One is, Billy, how do you leave Scientology? Like, how do you cut the ties? I walked out. And I walked out, and actually I got a phone call from them a couple days ago. And I finally, I was actually sitting with two Scientologists at a fabulous restaurant having a great time. And I took the phone call, and I finally said to the girl, I said, you know, enough of this. Stop calling. It's not going to happen.

You know what and how the church feels about homosexuality. And she said to me, no, we don't think like that anymore. And I said, yes, you do. Yes, you do. So don't don't pull that wool over my eyes. And I said, really, on that note, stop calling me. Just don't call me i'm not interested i can't help anyone in scientology i can help real people real life right but that's not my job to do your job or be a part of you and then uh one last thing here because uh on toronto mic we talk a lot about the tears are not enough charity single for famine relief in Africa.

And Dan Hill is a part of the, uh, the Canadian, uh, forces there that recorded tears are not enough. And Dan Hill wrote that song. Of course you recorded with Celine Dion, great Canadian singer songwriter.

Um, I feel like the timing was just off. Like you're kind of mid eighties. Uh, you've got the, the singles, the hits. Do you feel like you just was just off. You're kind of mid-80s. You've got the singles, the hits. Do you feel like you just missed Tears Are Not Enough?

Billy Newton Davis should be a part of Tears Are Not Enough. Yes, I miss that. I feel sometimes, and this is just a personal feeling, I'm highly acknowledged and loved in the gay community. Sometimes I feel a little slighted or a little left out. But that's my own feeling, Mike.

And I have to fix those feelings. My feelings are only my feelings because I make myself feel that way. I am a proud gay man living a proud gay life. And I just have to kind of let that stuff go. Because, you know, you talked, the bitter word was earlier. You know, the bitter, you got to be careful about victim and bitter. Yeah, because it could eat you up. Yeah. Just like, you know, like an octopus could just take, you know, the tentacles and just suck you up in that world.

And I fight not being sucked up in that world. So my down to earth stuff is really genuine. to earth stuff is really genuine and sometimes you know it's it it can be a little too down to earth but i don't think it can ever be too down to earth i'm gonna close by i'm gonna play a little bit of more recent billy newton davis and talk about this ep and then uh again my friend this is not the last time you're gonna appear on on Toronto Mic'd because there's a lot. We didn't talk about the nylons. Like I have. Oh, my God. I guess, you know, if you have a couple of minutes, could you tell us quickly, like, like, how do you end up in the nylons?

What was that like? And then I'll play the more recent. Well, it's funny. You talked about that little bit of time in my career where, you know, tears are not enough. I mean, you know, just I was seeking to record the third album. I wasn't getting a lot of great support from Sony Music. I was being managed by the Nylons manager. And I said something very funny.

I said, wouldn't it be funny because Mark Connors had died and they were looking for a person to come in. And I said, wouldn't that be funny if I became an eyeliner? And the manager said to me, Wayne Thompson, well, maybe not so funny. And he says, maybe I should chat with the guys about you, and maybe you want to speak with them, and maybe they want to hear you. And I went in, and that's what happened. Maybe in that moment, but I did that moment, and it was over.

The Nylons showed me another life and another world and a lot of touring and a lot of traveling, but there's that Billy Newton Davis that just had to be that Billy Newton Davis without anything, but being that Billy Newton Davis and a band. So I left him. Okay.

But still again, this doesn't get you off the hook. You still have to come over for the sequel here but here let's listen to a little bit of something and then i want to wrap up by talking about this ep here because there's a recording with the nylons oh here let me sorry what were you saying there i'm trampling over you at the music there's a recording with the nylons there's an album called live to love that i did with them. Billy, don't you run so fast Might fall on a piece of glass Might be snakes there in that grass

Grandma's hands Grandma's hands Soothe the local unwed mother Grandma's hands Used to ache and sometimes swear Grandma's hands used to ache and sometimes swell Grandma's hands used to lift her face and tell her she's safe Baby, Grandma understands that you really love that man Put yourself in Jesus' hands, Grandma's hands

Well, Grandma's hands Well Grandma's hands Yeah. Well done, Billy. Thank you. Happily Met is my journey. It really is my journey. It starts with that Sammy Davis experience and through my later years of doing shows

and meeting wonderful people, meeting the Sammy Davises, the Lena Horns, the Diana Rosses, just being surrounded by all that, Have We Met just captures my love of those songs and that music and what I'm all about. those songs and that music and what I'm all about and how have we met has taken me on a whole nother journey. The next stop is when those R&B roots really start flourishing. And we're working on that right now.

But have we met was Met is my story. It's my new story of the songs I love, songs I want to sing every night. Grandma's Hands was my life. You know, my grandmothers raised me, when you think about it, black grandmothers from the South. One was from Alabama, one was from South Carolina. You know, just that whole... My life, when I look at my life

and how it all panned out, that's why I did Grandma's Sands, to acknowledge those women. that's why I did Grandma Says, to acknowledge those women. Had Bill Withers passed away when you recorded this? I know he passed away in 2020. Oh, I had recorded it before.

Okay, interesting. A wonderful song. And I'm so happy I did. I mean, he, that guy expressed a lot of my story. Like, lean on me, grandma's hands, ain't no sunshine. Those are our stories. Those are shared stories. Sammy's, it's Sammy's story.

It's Bill's story. It's a lot of our stories. Okay, so just so people know, this is essentially, this is sort of your favorite classics from the Great American Songbook, Have We Met? Yes. And you recorded it and released it in 2020.

So did you record this during the pandemic? No, I recorded it before the pandemic. I recorded this as I was journeying through the Kingston Market Jazz Festival. I met, well, I've known the fabulous Mike Downs forever. He's one of the finest bass players in Canada. He works with me on all my arrangements, but he pulled my team together on this one,

on this team, it was Stu Harrison, Mike Downs, and Ben Ball. And Mike is just on my journey with me. Like right now, we're doing, he's doing arrangements for me as we speak of some of the Philly sound is going to come out. Some of the Memphis sound. There's going to be some very, very interesting selections, let's put it that way, on this 12th.

I'm seeing 10 to 12 songs on this album that will be released within the next year or so. Okay, maybe we coincide your visit with that, which would be really amazing. Billy Newton Davis, if somebody wanted to pick up that new EP Have We Met and wanted to

learn more about you, where would you direct them on the internet? BillyNewtonDavis.com Just go to BillyNewtonDavis.com and you'll see it all. You can purchase the music there, you can see the story. There's an electronic press kit, which is really, really great. You get to hear me talk about my journey, you know, that we what this is all about. And hopefully, you know, down the years, someone will look at this and say, oh, wow, that guy. Wow. He, yeah, Billy Newton Davis.

Yeah, he was something else. You know, he, that's my job and that's my intention. I think that's going to happen numerous times over the next few hours, actually, because I'm going to put this online in 15 minutes and then I will tweet the link at you. But I just want to say thank you for giving me all this time. And like I said to you in the email, I'd rather Zoom with Billy Newton Davis than no Billy Newton Davis

because I know the sequel will be in person in the backyard and it's going to be fabulous. And thank you so much for being so open and honest about your story. What a story. Thank you, Mike. Really, really. Toronto Mike, you rock, baby. Thank you. And that

brings us to the end of our 891st show. You can follow me on Twitter. I'm at Toronto Mike. Billy is at Billy Day, but when you spell Billy Day, put an I instead of a Y. So B-I-L-L-I-D-A-Y. Our friends at Great Lakes Brewery, they're at Great Lakes Beer. McKay CEO Forums, they're at McKay CEO Forums.

Palma Pasta is at Palma Pasta. Sticker U is at Sticker U. Ridley Funeral Home, they're at Ridley FH. And Mimico Mike, he's on Instagram at Majeski Group Homes. See you tomorrow. And my special guest is Farah Nasser. Woo! Everything is coming up, rosy and green.

Yeah, the wind is cold with the smell of snow. This podcast has been produced by TMDS and accelerated by Roam Phone. Roam Phone brings you the most reliable virtual phone service to run your business and protect your home number from unwanted calls. Visit RoamPhone.ca to get started.