Latest / The Steve Harvey Morning Show / The Mother of Black Music Month, Dyana Williams, talks about serving on the board of the National Museum of African-American Music

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The Mother of Black Music Month, Dyana Williams, talks about serving on the board of the National Museum of African-American Music · The Steve Harvey Morning Show

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Speaker 1: Take to take the samples or the examples that they
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Speaker 1: are putting in front of you and use them. Because
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Speaker 1: you're an entrepreneur, you're an industed decision maker. My next
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Speaker 1: guest is an industry decision maker. Her name is Diana Williams.
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Speaker 1: She has an entertainment powerhouse who is a beloved advocate
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Speaker 1: and authority in black music. The legendary on their personality
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Speaker 1: is a trailblazer and broadcasting music activism and celebrity media strategy.
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Speaker 1: Her celebrity clientele includes Grammy Award winners, executives, actors, and athletes.
2:33
Speaker 1: Some notable names of clients include Rihanna, Charlie Wilson, got
2:36
Speaker 1: another hit song out now, Janelle Morte, she acts to
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Speaker 1: now if y'all don't know about her, just to name
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Speaker 1: a few. She's also serving on the board of the
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Speaker 1: National Museum of African American Music in Nashville. That is
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Speaker 1: why she's on the show, among other wonderful things we're
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Speaker 1: gonna talk about because this is Black Music Mom, where
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Speaker 1: she chairs the Music Industry Relationship Collective, Please working with
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Speaker 1: the money making conversations. The mother a Black music Mom,
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Speaker 1: Deanna Wheels. I saw I thought I sneaked that in
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Speaker 1: on your girlfriends, biological mother, three children that you you
3:12
Speaker 1: look here we go old school shoppers attack. Thank you.
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Speaker 1: I appreciate that because I'm trying to go down there.
3:18
Speaker 1: I'm trying to I'm trying to maintain because my world
3:22
Speaker 1: is so crazy, it's so busy and pulled in so
3:24
Speaker 1: many different directions. When this is kind of like calming.
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Speaker 1: When I do the interviews with people I care about,
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Speaker 1: people I respect, and giving you a voice in this business.
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Speaker 1: And sometimes because of the fact that you know whether
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Speaker 1: you're playing music, we don't know you. And then I
3:37
Speaker 1: try to pull back that curtain and let let people
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Speaker 1: understand that the different layers that you have currently and
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Speaker 1: then some of the things you position us to to
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Speaker 1: celebrate currently and tod to this week, especially today. In
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Speaker 1: eighteen seventy nine, forty two years ago, you know, you
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Speaker 1: went to Jimmy Carter you actually can gamble, and I
4:00
Speaker 1: were dressing. We were home excited that a dream that
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Speaker 1: Gamble initiated with the conception of Black Music Month. We
4:10
Speaker 1: were on our way to the White House to participate
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Speaker 1: in a picnic on the South lawn of the White
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Speaker 1: House that President and Russell and Carter hosted for two
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Speaker 1: hundred members primarily of the Black Music Association, with performances
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Speaker 1: by Billy Eckstein, Chuck Berry, Andre Crouch, Sarah Jordan Powell,
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Speaker 1: Evelyn Champagne, Kid MFSB under the direction of Dexter ones
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Speaker 1: that it was a heavy day. I was a young girl.
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Speaker 1: I was excited, it was wonderful. So today is the
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Speaker 1: actual forty second anniversary. As you mentioned, well you know
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Speaker 1: the points of music. Wow, when I think about music,
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Speaker 1: and especially in the African American community, you know how
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Speaker 1: music is such an emotional is used to motivate people,
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Speaker 1: is used to inspire sports, sports and sporting event as
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Speaker 1: you used in weddings, is used at funeral, uh, celebrations,
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Speaker 1: and some of just to just to set the tone
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Speaker 1: on the elevator. Talk about us by music? Why why
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Speaker 1: does music resonate so much in a person's life, lifestyle period. Yes, great,
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Speaker 1: great question. I think all music resonates. But my focus
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Speaker 1: and concentration is on black music, America's indigenous music art
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Speaker 1: forms established here in the United States, from the blues
5:32
Speaker 1: to gospel to American classical which is jazz, R and B,
5:38
Speaker 1: rock and roll people all created by Rosetta, Thar Chuck,
5:44
Speaker 1: Barry bo Didley. Don't get it twisted. Elvis was an imitator,
5:49
Speaker 1: not the originator. And so we have a rich legacy
5:53
Speaker 1: in America with this majestic various genres. And what's important
5:58
Speaker 1: to Rashan is that, you know, when you're talking about
6:01
Speaker 1: money making matters well, Black music generates billions of dollars
6:07
Speaker 1: annually and right now the number one genre in the
6:10
Speaker 1: world happens to be hip hop. So music and black
6:14
Speaker 1: music in particular, it's a universal language that has felt,
6:18
Speaker 1: if not overstood, by billions on the planet. You know,
6:22
Speaker 1: when you say hip hop, you know say you know
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Speaker 1: because I grew up. You know, I grew up to
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Speaker 1: you know, the forty five single, you know, with the Franklin,
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Speaker 1: the old J's, and then the Mothership landed. You know,
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Speaker 1: oh my god, when he landed, he changed the whole music.
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Speaker 1: You know, that's when bands existed. Now you don't see
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Speaker 1: bands anymore like you used to talk about that little
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Speaker 1: transition from because I rememb when I was growing up
6:46
Speaker 1: in college, you know, it was nothing for me to
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Speaker 1: see eight to ten guys on stage, even local bands
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Speaker 1: were like that deep. It was like enjoying that moment.
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Speaker 1: Then then hip hop came away in the instruments went
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Speaker 1: away and the DJ replaced them. And now I don't
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Speaker 1: see that at all and then any musicians. Well, blame
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Speaker 1: it on technology. With the invention of garage ban and
7:07
Speaker 1: pro tools, people were able to have a computer a
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Speaker 1: laptop in their home and be able to access all
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Speaker 1: the instruments. And also the demise in many school districts
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Speaker 1: of music. I don't know about you, but I remember
7:22
Speaker 1: when I was growing up in Manhattan, in Harlem and
7:25
Speaker 1: Washington Heights, we had to take ban, we had to
7:29
Speaker 1: have jim these were required subjects. However, now many school
7:33
Speaker 1: districts because of economics, have cut back music programming. So
7:39
Speaker 1: I would blame the lack of bands. And mind you,
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Speaker 1: they are still some bands, but not what century are
7:45
Speaker 1: we talking about. You and I grew up in the
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Speaker 1: twentieth century, so our generation we had no choice but
7:52
Speaker 1: to play instruments and to sing. But now with the technology,
7:55
Speaker 1: things have changed immensely. And as you mentioned the rise
7:59
Speaker 1: of hip hop. You don't you don't need a cool band,
8:01
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Speaker 1: by the AD Council. Welcome mile in the machine right
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Speaker 1: and the hype man Gotta Gotta ken include that hype man.
10:03
Speaker 1: I don't have no talent, but hype is their their talent. Now,
10:10
Speaker 1: when we look at music and I look at my
10:12
Speaker 1: life tied to music, I can tell you it's certain
10:15
Speaker 1: songs right now. You know because you know music videos
10:19
Speaker 1: played a major role and our visual part of music.
10:23
Speaker 1: You know because now I will go to a music video. Uh.
10:27
Speaker 1: In certain points of my life I go to if
10:28
Speaker 1: I hear a song, I go to a party, if
10:31
Speaker 1: I go to if I hear brick cars, I knew
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Speaker 1: exactly I was at a frat party. Right now, I
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Speaker 1: know exactly if it has zoomed. I would go to
10:39
Speaker 1: a pool party where I was trying to sing. I
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Speaker 1: know exactly where I was at. I remember when when
10:44
Speaker 1: when Pete Funk landed, I was on the basketball court
10:47
Speaker 1: trying in. The basketball was so cold that almost broke
10:50
Speaker 1: my fingers when they passed me the ball. All these
10:52
Speaker 1: things are so important. So now we're get into June
10:55
Speaker 1: being black black music man. And then you guys went
10:59
Speaker 1: to President Card at the time. What was the inspiration
11:03
Speaker 1: behind that? Okay, the inspiration was Kenny Gamble, who is
11:09
Speaker 1: in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with his
11:10
Speaker 1: partner leon Ah. They are the co architects along with
11:14
Speaker 1: Tom Bell of T S o P. The Sound of Philadelphia.
11:18
Speaker 1: Gamble visited Nashville and saw what the Country Music Association
11:22
Speaker 1: was doing in terms of branding not just a genre
11:27
Speaker 1: country music, but also a city and thought we need
11:32
Speaker 1: to do that. So came back and established the Black
11:35
Speaker 1: Music Association the b m A, and from that he
11:39
Speaker 1: conceived of a month much like we have February Black
11:43
Speaker 1: History Month and other months that put a focus on
11:45
Speaker 1: highlight on different things. Cancer awareness Month, HIV Awareness Month,
11:51
Speaker 1: Asian Pacific. You know, all those months are an opportunity
11:55
Speaker 1: to highlight and celebrate the individuals involved in that month.
12:01
Speaker 1: So Black Music Month, he reached out to Clarence Avant,
12:05
Speaker 1: who reached out to the White House and President Carter's administration,
12:08
Speaker 1: and hence the first celebration of Doune Black Music Month
12:12
Speaker 1: took place June seventh, nineteen seventy nine. And so that
12:17
Speaker 1: was the origin story of that is what happened. And
12:21
Speaker 1: Gamble and I were a couple at that time. We
12:23
Speaker 1: have three beautiful adult children and a very handsome six
12:27
Speaker 1: and a half year old came over here and broke
12:29
Speaker 1: some of my art the other day. But that was
12:33
Speaker 1: the beginning, and he and I were a couple at
12:35
Speaker 1: the time. So in the Black Music Association, I worked
12:38
Speaker 1: to get Black Music Month, worked hard to get it recognized,
12:43
Speaker 1: and it wasn't until two thousand that President Bill Clinton,
12:47
Speaker 1: after I lobbied Congress for three years, officially recognized it
12:52
Speaker 1: in the American government and from the perspective of the
12:55
Speaker 1: White House. So every American president since Bill Clinton has
13:00
Speaker 1: signed to proclamation. President Biden just released his recently recognizing
13:05
Speaker 1: jew as Black Music Month. You know, it's really interesting
13:09
Speaker 1: you say that, because you know, I've been fortunate to
13:11
Speaker 1: be a part of radio in the early nineties and
13:13
Speaker 1: Houston Magic one oh two, and I didn't you know,
13:16
Speaker 1: I know it's seven night and it has been recognized,
13:19
Speaker 1: but I didn't get a field for it until two
13:21
Speaker 1: thousand when Steve Harvey now was on radio on two
13:24
Speaker 1: point three to Beat in l A. And then all
13:26
Speaker 1: of a sudden it became like, you know, advertisers wanted
13:29
Speaker 1: to advertised doing black music mark and then you started
13:33
Speaker 1: having events tied to that in black music Marth and
13:36
Speaker 1: so when you when you you said something notably that
13:38
Speaker 1: you know, Gamble he went to Nashville. He saw what
13:40
Speaker 1: they were doing with country and Western music. Now the
13:44
Speaker 1: National Museum of African American Music, it's in Nashville. We go.
13:53
Speaker 1: What I didn't know when I first accepted involvement with
13:57
Speaker 1: the museum and the acronym is named now, I didn't
14:00
Speaker 1: realize that Nashville has such a rich legacy in history
14:04
Speaker 1: as pertained to black music, in gospel music, in R
14:08
Speaker 1: and B and rock. Jimi Hendricks lived in Nashville for
14:10
Speaker 1: a period of time. Last check he was a big
14:13
Speaker 1: time rocker of one of the fathers of rock music.
14:17
Speaker 1: And so Nashville it just happened to be the city
14:20
Speaker 1: where the private sector, wealthy individuals, government, the city as
14:26
Speaker 1: well as the state government came together. And it's a
14:30
Speaker 1: twenty two year in the making project, which is astonishing.
14:34
Speaker 1: I've only been involved the last seven years, but you
14:37
Speaker 1: figured when I first got involved, I was looking at blueprints.
14:40
Speaker 1: Now as about a month ago, I walked into a fabulous, modern,
14:45
Speaker 1: very contemporary American history museum that is dealing with our
14:51
Speaker 1: contributions to all genres starting in sixteen nineteen when enslaved
14:57
Speaker 1: Africans were kidnapped and brought to the shores of what
15:00
Speaker 1: is now the United States of America. So, yes, we're
15:03
Speaker 1: in Nashville in the heart of now and listen, you've
15:06
Speaker 1: got to come. As my guests. I'm inviting you all
15:09
Speaker 1: to come because it is amazing. I literally cried the
15:14
Speaker 1: first five minutes that I was in the lobby of
15:17
Speaker 1: the museum. It is spectacular. Seven galleries over fifty six
15:21
Speaker 1: thousand square feet, and galleries filled with artifacts and information
15:27
Speaker 1: and inspiration about our contribution to global culture. There's a
15:32
Speaker 1: monumental shift in power at work, employees are speaking up.
15:36
Speaker 1: Turnover is rising, salaries are increasing, hiring is tough, and
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Speaker 1: burnout is real. It's time to unleash growth. It's time
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Speaker 1: to transform your HR from powerless to powerful. Join a
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Speaker 1: DP on February. Reserve your spot now. Go to get
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Speaker 1: the plan dot ADP dot com to register for the
15:59
Speaker 1: work into up in summer. Look for your children's eyes
16:03
Speaker 1: to see the true magic of a forest. It's a
16:06
Speaker 1: storybook world for them. You look and see a tree.
16:10
Speaker 1: They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms
16:12
Speaker 1: outstretched to the sky. They see treasure in pebbles. They
16:16
Speaker 1: see a windy path that could lead to adventure, and
16:19
Speaker 1: they see you. They're fearless. Guide. Is this fascinating world?
16:24
Speaker 1: Find a forest near you and start exploring. I Discover
16:27
Speaker 1: the Forest dot org, brought to you by the United
16:29
Speaker 1: States Forest Service and the Council. What grows in the
16:33
Speaker 1: forest trees? Sure, No. What else grows in the forest
16:37
Speaker 1: Our imagination, our sense of wonder, and our family bonds
16:41
Speaker 1: grow too. Because when we disconnect from this and connect
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Speaker 1: with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is
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Speaker 1: closer than you think. Find a forest near you, and
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Speaker 1: start exploring. I discover the forest dot org, brought to
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Speaker 1: you by the United States Forest Sir and the AD Council. Well,
17:02
Speaker 1: you know, I would when you say you've moved to tears,
17:04
Speaker 1: I would have to believe that's on this statement because
17:07
Speaker 1: you've been so associated with music, and like I said,
17:10
Speaker 1: music is tied to memories, and and I know when you,
17:14
Speaker 1: in your case, you played music some of these artists music.
17:18
Speaker 1: You've been on stage, You've introduced these artists, You've had lunch, dinner,
17:22
Speaker 1: shared great you know, celebration stories and sad disappointing stories.
17:27
Speaker 1: What was the most what was the biggest takeaway when
17:29
Speaker 1: you walked into the museum which is now based in
17:32
Speaker 1: Nashville and is open. Uh, you know, the ceremonies gonna
17:36
Speaker 1: We're gonna talk about the ceremonies in a minute and
17:37
Speaker 1: the notables who are gonna be there, but talk about
17:41
Speaker 1: that moment really, because I have to believe it was
17:45
Speaker 1: really breathtaking for you, and also in a level of disbelief, Diana.
17:51
Speaker 1: The disbelief not so much because we all worked very hard.
17:54
Speaker 1: I worked. I chaired co chaired Phil Thornton two functions
17:58
Speaker 1: where we raise money for the museum, but more astonishment
18:03
Speaker 1: at what we can do when we really apply ourselves,
18:06
Speaker 1: because again this was an idea at some point and
18:10
Speaker 1: snow bald. And so what was my big takeaway from
18:13
Speaker 1: the museum is that we are wealthy black folks. We
18:17
Speaker 1: are wealthy in creativity and it is obvious and demonstrated
18:22
Speaker 1: in this museum. And as a woman who is dedicated,
18:25
Speaker 1: I've dedicated my entire life to the promotion, perpetuation, the
18:29
Speaker 1: preservation of black music. Uh. We are are slogan now
18:34
Speaker 1: as black music has a home, and I feel like
18:37
Speaker 1: my work is in that building. A great deal of
18:40
Speaker 1: my work is in that building. So I am elated
18:45
Speaker 1: to be involved, and I'm encouraging everyone to come and
18:48
Speaker 1: get that emotional feeling. If you look and go to
18:51
Speaker 1: uh National Museum of African American Music AYMAM dot org,
18:56
Speaker 1: you'll see videos, You'll see images, and you'll also see
18:59
Speaker 1: test mornings from families that have visited the museum and
19:03
Speaker 1: had a very visceral experience, much like I did when
19:06
Speaker 1: I first game. I know that I talked to Celeldre
19:08
Speaker 1: as the creator and executive up of Cafe Boca. I
19:12
Speaker 1: know she told me that Radio UH was hosted by
19:15
Speaker 1: Lonny Love and u angel Leaque and Yo Yo, they're
19:18
Speaker 1: gonna be done that broadcasting. And then June seventeenth is
19:21
Speaker 1: the grand opening. Well, you know you'd be honoring Quincy Jones,
19:24
Speaker 1: Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Shaka Khan, the Fist, Jubilee Singers,
19:28
Speaker 1: gospel legends right there. So when you start a grand
19:33
Speaker 1: opening celebration with Quincy Jones, then you slide over to ease.
19:38
Speaker 1: That's I said, Zoom Richie, then Smokey Robin, the Cruising
19:42
Speaker 1: you know, Chaka come on now, you know it's some
19:47
Speaker 1: history walking out. And that's just some of the names
19:50
Speaker 1: that are just being mentioned in this press release. But
19:53
Speaker 1: talk about the grand opening with your June seventeenth. That
19:56
Speaker 1: whole weekend is like just just each day it has
20:00
Speaker 1: a forward moving to the next day. Talk about that.
20:04
Speaker 1: That's the weekend you want me to come down. You
20:06
Speaker 1: want to come down, and we want you to come.
20:08
Speaker 1: I'm coming down that weekend. I got both my COVID shots.
20:12
Speaker 1: I'm still gonna wear my mask, but I got both
20:14
Speaker 1: my COVID shots. I'm gonna be down there so I
20:15
Speaker 1: can hook you know, I want you to come. Yes,
20:19
Speaker 1: you mentioned our esteemed honor reads. These are all people
20:22
Speaker 1: who have made when we talk about sizeable contributions to
20:25
Speaker 1: our music and our lives and our memories, all those
20:29
Speaker 1: individuals that you mentioned. And I think I should also
20:32
Speaker 1: say that Angela Yee from the Breakfast Club, who is
20:35
Speaker 1: part of my music industry Relations collective, is going to
20:39
Speaker 1: be hosting that evening and the Fist two Belie singers
20:42
Speaker 1: were the first global ambassadors of black music around the world.
20:47
Speaker 1: They were super popular and you know, well received in Europe.
20:52
Speaker 1: So we're honoring the legacy of the Fifth to Believe
20:55
Speaker 1: singers as well. And I want to shout out our
20:57
Speaker 1: president and CEO, Henry Beach or Hits the Third, who
21:01
Speaker 1: has done a phenomenal job as a leader moving us
21:05
Speaker 1: towards this day. We had an actual ribbon cutting back
21:08
Speaker 1: on m Okay Junior Day, but the official grand opening,
21:13
Speaker 1: of course restricted opening earlier this year because of COVID
21:18
Speaker 1: and now that people like you me are getting vaccinated,
21:22
Speaker 1: we are opening the doors to the museum and our
21:26
Speaker 1: block party will also be the day of Juneteenth, and
21:29
Speaker 1: we're celebrating Juneteenth and inviting the community to come in
21:33
Speaker 1: and see the museum. Now, Jo gotta ask all these
21:36
Speaker 1: courtions a fear of their donations, you have to give
21:39
Speaker 1: the into the museum. In general, there are and and
21:43
Speaker 1: again people can go to Black Music Museum dot com.
21:46
Speaker 1: It's very reasonable. If you become a member, obviously it changes,
21:50
Speaker 1: uh the membership. However, during this weekend of the grand opening,
21:55
Speaker 1: the museum is going to be open on the block
21:58
Speaker 1: party day when we're celebrating juneteent than open to the
22:00
Speaker 1: community at large, but there is a fee. And the
22:03
Speaker 1: day that I was there, my first visit to the
22:06
Speaker 1: museum after you know, seeing it just dirt and the
22:09
Speaker 1: construction process. I live in Philly, so I go to
22:13
Speaker 1: Nashville for our board meetings. Uh, it was quite amazing
22:16
Speaker 1: to see the construction and the completion of the museum.
22:20
Speaker 1: But children, school groups were there the day and just
22:24
Speaker 1: tons of them, and it really warmed my heart because
22:28
Speaker 1: this museum is for families, it's for everyone. It's not
22:32
Speaker 1: just for black folks. I want to go on the
22:34
Speaker 1: record and say, you have a pulse, you have a heartbeat,
22:37
Speaker 1: this museum is for you, seriously, because the reality is
22:41
Speaker 1: most of us, all of us, regardless to your musical preference.
22:44
Speaker 1: As you stated at the outside of our conversation, black
22:48
Speaker 1: music is an integral part of our experience here on
22:51
Speaker 1: this planet, not just here in America, but around the world.
22:54
Speaker 1: So our expectation is that we will be an international
22:58
Speaker 1: donation of location, expecting people from everywhere to come see
23:03
Speaker 1: this is this is pretty amazing. When I when I,
23:05
Speaker 1: when I look at you and I talked, first of all, uh,
23:08
Speaker 1: it's this board got a lot of the great talkers
23:10
Speaker 1: like you a great talker. Field Thornton is a great talker.
23:13
Speaker 1: Do you talk about it? I didn't know. Highest ranking
23:17
Speaker 1: black man, Oh, my god, ranking black man is joining
23:20
Speaker 1: our board. Um, Vince Gill Country Artists is joining our board. Fantastic.
23:26
Speaker 1: Just you know, some pretty dynamic people are have signed up, Monique,
23:31
Speaker 1: I'd let some great folks. So I'm honored to serve
23:33
Speaker 1: on this board. I want to I want to piv
23:35
Speaker 1: it a little bit about you as a strategist, as
23:38
Speaker 1: a as a media planner, as a person that as
23:42
Speaker 1: he said, I whisper whisper because thank you for that
23:49
Speaker 1: New York time. You know the thing about it, when
23:51
Speaker 1: I because I've been fortunate to manage talent right town
23:53
Speaker 1: and produce talent. And you know, every talent is different.
23:57
Speaker 1: And I think when a lot of people make a mistakes,
23:59
Speaker 1: especially age se they try to sign up a bunch
24:01
Speaker 1: of people and then they try to treat them all
24:03
Speaker 1: the same, and you know that's not the case. You
24:06
Speaker 1: know they'll be successful with anybody. You have to hear
24:08
Speaker 1: their story here, their paying here, their joy, and then
24:11
Speaker 1: try to disseminate the right course of action for that person.
24:14
Speaker 1: So when it comes to that, because as a strategist,
24:18
Speaker 1: you really managed your too, because I know you and
24:20
Speaker 1: I need to sit down and talk about some projects
24:21
Speaker 1: because we have a similar lane that we always cross
24:24
Speaker 1: when it comes to strategy. And people ask me all
24:27
Speaker 1: the time how I must how can I generate so
24:29
Speaker 1: much success for certain people? First of all, I was
24:31
Speaker 1: telling them they have to be talented one. Secondly, they
24:34
Speaker 1: have to be willing to work hard, because you like
24:37
Speaker 1: them myself down that you're hard work. You know, twenty
24:40
Speaker 1: four hours in a day's twenty four hours a day,
24:42
Speaker 1: you're gonna use every hour in it. And and the
24:44
Speaker 1: other person is that I think in my side of it,
24:47
Speaker 1: they have to be a caring person. They have to
24:49
Speaker 1: care about something and those three qualities of the type
24:53
Speaker 1: of qualities where I work hard for because I care
24:55
Speaker 1: about people, I'm a hard worker. And then I'm also
24:58
Speaker 1: I have a strong leave at my talent that I
25:01
Speaker 1: want to share with that person to to to develop
25:04
Speaker 1: their talent. What are your thoughts when you talk to
25:06
Speaker 1: when people approach you or you approach them about your
25:09
Speaker 1: strategy planning. Well, I've had the blessing as you mentioned,
25:13
Speaker 1: for the last twenty seven years, concurrent to me being
25:16
Speaker 1: on the radio and television to coach a plethora of
25:20
Speaker 1: emerging and established talents, not just recording artists you mentioned
25:24
Speaker 1: Rihanna some of my reporting artists, but I've also worked
25:27
Speaker 1: with CEO suh managers, actors, directors, all manner of talent.
25:33
Speaker 1: And the first thing I'm looking for is personality because
25:36
Speaker 1: that is part of what attracts other human beings. Is
25:39
Speaker 1: do you have the capacity and the talent UH and
25:42
Speaker 1: the knowledge, the expertise in your particular area and the
25:46
Speaker 1: willingness to learn. That is so critical to me and
25:50
Speaker 1: my process when I'm coaching individuals. So um yeah, twenty
25:54
Speaker 1: seven years my company, I'm the CEO of Influence Entertainment.
25:59
Speaker 1: You can go to the website Influence Entertainment dot com
26:02
Speaker 1: to learn more about us and part of what my
26:04
Speaker 1: company does. In addition to media coaching and artist development
26:09
Speaker 1: very much in the tradition of Mrs Maxine Powell, who
26:13
Speaker 1: was Marry Gordy's artist development and media coach person, UH
26:17
Speaker 1: is also we produce events. I produced the Marian Anderson
26:20
Speaker 1: Award in Philadelphia at the Kimmel Sent Up for the
26:23
Speaker 1: Performing Arts for years. I did it with Pat Moran
26:27
Speaker 1: and UH last year we honored well not during the pandemic,
26:30
Speaker 1: teen Cool in the Gang the year before that, Patti
26:33
Speaker 1: LaBelle Gambled and Huff John bon Jovi, Berry Gordy. So
26:37
Speaker 1: I'm a creative producer and I love I love conceptualizing
26:42
Speaker 1: and actualizing. I'm big on that. My parents taught me
26:46
Speaker 1: anything that your mind can conceive and believe and achieve.
26:52
Speaker 1: So that's what my company does. That's what I've been doing.
26:55
Speaker 1: And again, radio has been important, and you know this
26:59
Speaker 1: from your years in media. Have the platform to be
27:03
Speaker 1: able to reach hundreds of thousands, millions of individuals with
27:08
Speaker 1: feel good and information that's of value to their lives.
27:13
Speaker 1: The following of their lives is what I'm all about. So,
27:16
Speaker 1: you know, Diana, when I when I listened to you,
27:18
Speaker 1: and you know, I do bow down to you, you know,
27:22
Speaker 1: because listen to what she just said. She said athletes,
27:26
Speaker 1: she said, actors, she said singers, she said executive. Each
27:31
Speaker 1: one of those lanes is unique. Now, I tell you
27:34
Speaker 1: I can't mess with music. Okay, it is so complicated,
27:39
Speaker 1: you know. Uh, you know, comedian, I got you after
27:42
Speaker 1: I got your athlete, I got your executive music. She
27:45
Speaker 1: throws that in like it's nothing. So so if you
27:48
Speaker 1: go to that website, it's a beautiful website. I go
27:50
Speaker 1: to the website. I've been stealing ideas. Can you make
27:52
Speaker 1: my website look like her website? Because it's so pretty,
27:55
Speaker 1: you know, it's so flow, It flows, It looks big,
27:58
Speaker 1: it looks grand, it looks like you want to know
28:00
Speaker 1: more about this brand. When you go to her website,
28:02
Speaker 1: it's amazing. But I just want to slow it down here.
28:05
Speaker 1: When we start talking about you know, her be on
28:07
Speaker 1: the board or the Black Music Museum that's that's opening
28:11
Speaker 1: and the grand openings July June seventeen in Nashville, I
28:15
Speaker 1: want to talk about the individual, her brand, she says, executive, Like, Okay,
28:20
Speaker 1: you do executives, you know, I do athletes. I do
28:24
Speaker 1: actors and actresses, which is both you know what I'm saying,
28:26
Speaker 1: male and female. Okay, these singers, but then the singers.
28:31
Speaker 1: Then she throws into the rappers, which is a total
28:34
Speaker 1: different world than you have the old school. Then you
28:38
Speaker 1: have the new school, and then Janelle Mona, she kind
28:40
Speaker 1: of like pop and then she then you have Rihanna,
28:43
Speaker 1: she kind of like pop black. But what is she?
28:46
Speaker 1: Come on, girl, you are just something special. Listen, I'm
28:51
Speaker 1: with you in terms of anything. Like I said that
28:54
Speaker 1: the mind can conceive and believe, you kind of achieve.
28:56
Speaker 1: My parents raised me to squeeze this lemon and to
29:01
Speaker 1: get everything out of the experience of living. I am
29:05
Speaker 1: living every second in fullness. I am. I love life,
29:10
Speaker 1: and I love people. I love my fellow human beings.
29:12
Speaker 1: Sometimes I'm a little annoyed with their behaviors, sometimes downright,
29:17
Speaker 1: you know, angry with people who are not righteous, kind,
29:20
Speaker 1: loving and considerate. But for the most part, I am
29:24
Speaker 1: grateful to be alive. I'm I'm elated to have this
29:28
Speaker 1: opportunity to speak with you and your audience about my
29:31
Speaker 1: passions and you know. The other question I get is
29:34
Speaker 1: how can we celebrate like music, stream the music of
29:38
Speaker 1: the artists you love, by the music now things are
29:41
Speaker 1: opening up. Go out here, live music by the merch
29:44
Speaker 1: of the artists that you love. Sit with young children
29:47
Speaker 1: and tell them about the artists that you listen to
29:50
Speaker 1: and loved when you were growing up, and it conversely,
29:53
Speaker 1: listened to them about who they're listening to. Having intergenerational
29:57
Speaker 1: moment when you're hearing what they like. You know, it's
30:00
Speaker 1: not just all about what you like. Be exposed and consider.
30:04
Speaker 1: So there's so many ways that you can engage. My
30:07
Speaker 1: grandson was here this past weekend, read books on famous musicians,
30:12
Speaker 1: teach learns. Celebrate Black Music Month is for all of us.
30:16
Speaker 1: And it's not to say that we do not celebrate
30:18
Speaker 1: the music beyond June. It's an everyday celebration. Dune just
30:22
Speaker 1: happens to be the concentrated moment. Okay, Okay, Diana, I
30:26
Speaker 1: got that. I'm talking about you. Okay, you just you
30:29
Speaker 1: just broke off with this a little speech about the museum.
30:32
Speaker 1: I'm talking about you, girl. You know see, actually we
30:36
Speaker 1: would say gamble and all that we talk about feel
30:39
Speaker 1: thor I'm talking about you your talents so unique, identifying
30:44
Speaker 1: and helping other talented people. That's part of the Jadavi
30:47
Speaker 1: that I think to be able to prevay that to
30:49
Speaker 1: other people. As part of my talent. My talent is
30:52
Speaker 1: being on the radio talking, being on television disseminating information.
30:57
Speaker 1: My talent is not cooking so well, which is why
31:00
Speaker 1: my man was like thee. But what what I just
31:07
Speaker 1: try to say is in my interview with you, and
31:09
Speaker 1: I've interviewed you before, and I'm always amazed at the
31:13
Speaker 1: humbleness of of your talents and and and and sometimes
31:18
Speaker 1: the humbleness is good and bad because sometimes because when
31:21
Speaker 1: your humble, people don't recognize you for your gifts because
31:24
Speaker 1: they can they can just assume it's just part of
31:26
Speaker 1: your your resume. And I just wanted to slow down
31:29
Speaker 1: and say I brought your own here to talk about
31:32
Speaker 1: the museum, the grand opening, Black Music mone and June
31:35
Speaker 1: seventeen is when the three days celebrations gonna start your
31:38
Speaker 1: work as a board member and all those great things,
31:40
Speaker 1: but also to acknowledge your brilliance, and that the brilliance
31:44
Speaker 1: is being able to go in the room and being
31:47
Speaker 1: able to not be intimidated about communicating, and that's what
31:51
Speaker 1: you just said. It's about communicating. It's about your parents
31:54
Speaker 1: giving you the will to be great. And that's what
31:57
Speaker 1: this That's why I will tell people, you know, when
31:59
Speaker 1: you be the kid you can you can change their
32:02
Speaker 1: lifestyle by either supporting them or telling them what they
32:05
Speaker 1: can do. And that's who I see you. You are
32:08
Speaker 1: a person who ne's never heard that word, and you
32:10
Speaker 1: promote that and that's why you immediately defer to Rushan.
32:14
Speaker 1: I hear you, but let's support black music, let's black merchandise,
32:19
Speaker 1: let's let's buy the music. But you are, you are
32:22
Speaker 1: a renaissance woman, and I wanted to just say thank
32:25
Speaker 1: you and take these few minutes because you know you're
32:29
Speaker 1: special and and this platform allows me to say that
32:32
Speaker 1: publicly to you. And I said it with a lot
32:34
Speaker 1: of honesty because you know you you you're You're the
32:37
Speaker 1: reason this museum is here. It started four to two
32:40
Speaker 1: years ago, Okay, it did start fifteen or twenty. It
32:43
Speaker 1: started forty two years ago, and you were part of that.
32:46
Speaker 1: That's why it exists today at Nashville. Thank you, Dana Williams. Okay, cool,
32:53
Speaker 1: if you want to hear any of our interviews on
32:55
Speaker 1: money making conversations see please go to money Making Conversation
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