For me, meeting Kim is what I consider to be serendipity; what is known as a “happy coincidence.” As it turns out, Kim Fleming’s mother was my absolutely favorite nursing school instructor at Tennessee State University, in the mid to late 70’s. She was also the Director of Nursing when I was hired for my first job after I graduated. This is the awkward period when I waited for my Board scores, which would determine if I would, indeed, be a Licensed Registered Nurse. It is with distinct pleasure, that I write this post. A few facts that I find most interesting about Kim Fleming’s career are these: that she sang at two of Wynonna Judd’s weddings, at Ashley Judd’s wedding in Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. There she sang “Ave Maria.” She sang at Tammy Wynette’s funeral & Carl Perkins’ funeral (with George Harrison of the Beatles) She has sung for four Presidents of the United States. What a decidedly rich and diverse career.
Nashville’s Music Industry is all the richer for having Kim Fleming She has toured with Amy Grant & Wynonna Judd. She has worked with luminaries such as Patti Labelle, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel and Stevie Wonder. The list is too numerous for the purpose of the written portion of this post. I will give a link to Ms. Fleming’s bio at the end of this post for your perusal( her WordPress blog) Suffice it to say that her voice has been heard on hundreds of recordings, jingles, film scores and on Broadway. Kim appears on BET’s Bobby Jones Gospel.
Kim is a native of Nashville. She attended Fisk University, Belmont College & Tennessee State University. Ms. Fleming sang with the Fisk Jubilee Singers, studied Music Business at Belmont college and earned a degree from Tennessee State University in Music, Vocal Pedagogy. Kim Fleming is a singer, songwriter, artist, independent contractor & the vocal contractor for the Stellar Awards. She is continually being called upon to lend her voice to recordings in Nashville as well as perform. She sings with regularity with Nashville bands/venues such as the Smoking Section, where A list session players get together to delight all of Nashville & Still Waters, a Christian Light Club Event which takes place every four months. Kim is asked to perform at different venues all over the country and the world. I recently saw Ms. Fleming perform in the Fisk Memorial Chapel at a benefit concert for the Fisk Spring Arts Festival. She just returned from performing in the New Orleans Jazz Festival 2014.
Currently, Ms. Fleming is working on her debut album which we, who have been privileged to witness her performances, are waiting for with joyful anticipation. She has been able to garner standing ovations at almost all of her performances and commands a room like a rare few. Her record is being produced and co-written by Aaron Mason, Chris (Big Dog) Davis and the Hamilton Brothers; Tim, Tyronn, and Walter Jr. It will be a blend of smooth jazz and smooth R&B with a Neo-soul edge. Her mentor & inspiration for the album is jazz saxophonist; Joe Johnson & jazz trumpeter Rod McGaha. I will be announcing the album release date.
(Dr. Matthew Kennedy’s 90th Birthday-Fisk Jubilee Singers)
America’s B.B. Queen CAN play the blues! There are others who lay claim to this name, but no one else but OUR B.B. Queen can deliver the goods. BB is a Detroit native now in Nashville. She started her music career at the young age of five years old; playing her clarinet and entertaining at juke joints with her younger sister and father. She picked up the guitar at thirteen years of age after watching B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix perform on television. She was able to watch the fingers glide, like a time frame within time. It was destiny for B.B. Queen. She was born to play the blues. As a female guitarist/ vocalist/ entertainer, there is no equal in the blues genre.
Touring extensively from the Midwest to the East Coast to the west coast, 22 city tour in Italy, playing such prestigious venues as The Monterey Bay Blues Festival, Lincoln Center, Universal City Hollywood, BB Kings Club, Appearing 3 times on The Jenny Jones Show, House of Blues Chicago, Motor City Casino, Greek town Casino, Hollywood Park Casino, The Bay Area Delta Blues Festival, KoKo Taylor’s Banquet Hall, Buddy Guy’s Birthday Bash at Legends, Hot August Jam, Shirley Mae’s Kentucky Derby Festival, Dothan Alabama Civic Center, University of Michigan Auditorium, Magic Bag Theater, Bert’s Warehouse, Shaw College Blues Festival, 100th Anniversary Celebration of Idle wild Resort. Hearon Media Employee Retreat-Las Vegas NV, Daisy Theater Memphis Tennessee, WDIA Juke Joint Tour. I Can Play Da Blues Tour.
The legendary Koko Taylor had been a mentor to BB and they co-wrote a song together on B.B. Queen’s Album, “Everybody’s Favorite”(Qualified and Able) of the same title as the album. Koko Taylor performs with BB putting her signature vocal style on a song entitled; “Nowhere Road” on this same album. Her current album is entitled, ” I Can Play Da Blues” B.B. Queen has won a Tennessee Rhythm and Blues Award 2014 and a Midwest Video Nomination 2014; Category: best video blues from the” I Can Play Da Blues” CD for the crowd pleasing song, “Wobble Wiggle.” B.B. Queen is currently working on a new album co-writing with award winning songwriter/ producer Marshall McQueen in a collaborative effort with Rowe Entertainment in LA.
There are some great things going on for our favorite female guitarist/vocalist/entertainer. Such as: ” The Lady Fingerz Project.” According to B.B. Queen, “the Lady Fingerz Project’s mission is mainly to draw attention to the fact that I (we) women guitarists are not just novelty items to make the band look good….we are serious and capable players. We sell tickets and are and can be headliners. The Lady Fingerz Project wants to increase the visibility of women guitarists in the music industry. The Lady Fingerz Project will be used as a vehicle to increase our visibility such as Lady Fingerz Concerts, Guitar Retreats, recording opportunities and so much more.”
Within Nashville, Tennessee aka Music City, I have found a jewel. From every angle of turning, this gem is equally fascinating. I am speaking about Devine Taylor aka the Music Biz Mentor. Devine Taylor is a music management consultant. He has spent 27 years working with a diverse array of professional level artists and independant musicians from around the world. He has the knowledge that is helping aspiring artists and musicians navigate their way through the bumpy, ever-changing terrain of the music industry of today.
In his earlier years, Devine Taylor started as a professional musician and tour manager. Mr. Taylor has worked directly with artists such as: Muddy Waters, P. Funk, Tom Cochrane, and Grammy Award winning “Taste Of Honey.” Mr. Taylor was able, through his part ownership of Du North Records, Inc., to hone Canadian musicians and artists skills & artistry. Some acts have gone on to enjoy their success in Europe and Japan. He is actively involved in the Juno Awards (Canadian Grammy Awards) not only as a judge and also as a management factor.
Devine Taylor has captivated audiences through the R.E.D. Sessons and Library Music Series (Nashville ) as host and Executive Producer . Today, Devine Taylor is contracted by various music chains to deliver keynote addresses across the United States and Canada. Devine Taylor is Nashville’s own Music Biz Mentor. Mr. Taylor is one of those rare individuals who does not horde his knowledge or make music enthusiasts knock three times on the door as a code acceptible for entry. He freely shares information on his Spreecast live chat shows every Sunday night 9:30 p.m. EST. Don’t miss out! Great stuff!
On Devine Taylor’s Spreecast live chat shows, anyone can sign up and participate for free. Mr. Taylor has guests such as the straight talking, super producer Dave Carlock, who has worked with various artists such as: Eric Clapton, Blink 182, Snoop and Pink. A few show titles include: Music Marketing 101, Managing Your Music Career and Creating A Hit Record. Participants can submit chat questions for the interview guest.
Of course, this is not the end game. He will have received richly-deserved, paying clients from those who would have drunk freely from this well of comprehensive music business information. Devine Taylor aka Music Biz Mentor’s mission is “to help empower musicians, artists & novices who want to make money and have a career in the music business.” Music Biz Mentor’s motto is: “Empower, Educate, Motivate.”
“Enlightenment is not a credit economy. You must pay in advance.”
Rumbling dissent ripping open the ground, rippling echos upon merciless winds, rhythmic drums pounding out the heart’s anguish over murderers. Mothers Against Murderers Association has taken to organizing for their MAMA March 2014. How many more young lives must be violently ripped away? How many more bloody, gaping, jaws-of-death must rip out the lives of our children before something is done? That movement is here. Mothers Against Murderers are on the move. MAMA March 2014.
You do not have to be a mother to join this movement. You do not have to be a mother affected by violence to join this movement, You don’t have to be a woman to join this movement. But whoever you are, by all means, join this movement. If you care about the ‘killing fields’ expanding within our nation, in front of our eyes, then you must join. If you care about or love someone affected by senseless murder, then join. If you care about your living children, then join. If you care about your neighbor’s children, then join. If you care about the future of all of our children, then you must join.
Women have great voting power, which is greater still, in swelling numbers. Make a difference in this mid-term election year of 2014. Join all of us with Mothers Against Murderers Association against all of them- who don’t give a damn about these soulless, relentless, bloody assaults. Join MAMA March 2014. Website will connect to Facebook and Twitter.
Rains of blood soak the gaping grounds. Silent are the screams of stoic mothers forced to wear crow-black dresses, to bear bloody gashes upon their hearts.
To grieve at depths where no sound can be heard; utterances of sorrow & despair. To bear loved ones upon shields of resolve, while scarlet slashes remain upon the soul.
This is the testimony of mothers against such murderers: we will find you, hiding in your lair of laws. We are gathering. We are on the move. We are coming. We march for justice and peace.
Title: Exodus 20:13 NIV Dedicated to Mothers Against Murderers Association Alice Parris
We want to read a book that transports us, that makes us an eye witness to events. We want detailed characters, clever sequences, & various twists that lead to near catastrophe.
We want villains to pay for their ruthlessness, we want our heroes and heroines exceptional, yet able to compliment each other. We want quirky characters. We want a guarantee of non-stop, page-turning intrigue & mystery.
All of these qualilties that we want in our ‘good reads’ can be found in the new novel: THE RENAISSANCE OF ASPIRIN, a medical thriller, by Dr. Glenn Parris. He has created lurking shadows; an underbelly in medicine.
In Glenn Parris’s book, Dr. Jack Wheaton and Dr. Anita Thomas are exceptional. Khandi’s ebullient personality provides us with the ‘quirk factor.’ Lucy is villainous. She is ice-cold in her ruthlessness. The people she works for are even more so. Pharmaceutical/industrial greed is fatal as a cure for Fibromyalgia is within reach, yet is used as a bargaining chip.
The rich send out killers and mercenaries to silence Dr. Jack Wheaton & Dr. Anita Thomas. And so, a great medical thriller has been born. THE RENAISSANCE OF ASPIRIN will enthrall readers & nudge its way onto the silver screen.
Soulgasm is currently available in eBook format in Kindle Edition and in Google Play. This is a book of poetry which has had tremendous staying power both in written word and audio CD. This autobiographical poetry book has sculpted a life of its own; its verses wearing themselves.
Mercurial amulets melting, flowing lava-like towards unknown paths. What was once feared is now desired for its mesmerizing beauty and quick-silver movement.
Fickle are the minds that must be titilated by blowing winds, ever moving in directions unseen, unknowable.
Just as dangerous are the minds that will never change.
Time, the great mystery, is but a purveyor of fortune; blessing or cursing. Hours march as disciplined soldiers.
Minutes heal or slay victims who do slumber; whisking away to other realms those who will never escape sleep.
Yet, a moment of decision is the seed capable of glory.
The Trouble With Being Alice 