FASHION & ENTERTAINMENT
RIDING OUT THE STORM WITH ANDY STOKES the Black Governor of Music WORDS BY | FAWN ABERSON
In 2018, Andy Stokes was riding on the high C of a three decade long professional music career after releasing the first single, ‘Best Day Ever’, off of the EP, Now. Inspired by his newly-wedded wife, the song was an instant hit. As the first Northwest artist to debut in the top 30 on both Billboard Adult R&B and MediaBase UAC charts, ‘Best Day Ever’ remained there for an impressive 25 weeks, climbing all the way to #11. The single was followed up by a second successful release from the same EP called, ‘We On Da Flo’, a collaboration with superproducer DJ Battlecat and superstar Snoop Dogg. “Let me be the poster child to all you musicians out there. Don’t ever give up on your dreams, it’s going to be hard, but it is all about your passion,” laughed Andy Stokes during an interview he did with Flossin Media in January of 2020, which aired on the PDXBlackRose Podcast Series.” During our interview, the “Northwest King of Soul” and Oregon Music Hall of Famer shared a storied depiction of growing up around the world, courtesy of his military father, who consequently instilled in him his deep love of music and performance. “Every Saturday afternoon while mom was cooking up something in the kitchen, my dad would pull out the records and I’d be in the room trying to dance like James Brown, while singing into a broom handle.” Throughout the interview, Andy spoke often and lovingly of his parents who supported him through his life. In his teens Andy didn’t take music seriously at all instead following the athletic route he was sure would lead to a professional career in football. He got close, playing College ball at Oregon State and then making a run at the pros, however, he didn’t make the cut. Disappointed, he recalls his mother assuring him that he was made for something more than sports. And she was right.
dance floors full of adoring fans. Although no longer a resident, he is still one of the City’s favorite sons, a love he acknowledges as mutual. “Wherever I go, I let other performers know that we have some of the best fans in Portland and the Pacific NW.” With the popularity and money generated by the ‘Best Day Ever’ single, Andy and his wife were able to launch their own Independent Record Label called New 5 Records, getting both attention and respect from other indie and major labels. In January of 2020, Andy was nominated for, and subsequently awarded, Governorship on the Board of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Recording Academy (PNWCRA), which covers Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. Andy is bringing a much needed and diverse voice and perspective to a Chapter that had been lacking active Black representation in previous years.
Since then Andy has been surfing on the high waters and low tides of all the turbulence that can come with a professional music career. He’s formed and split from bands with highly acclaimed and skilled musicians; He’s been signed and cut from a major record label, headlined at music venues and festivals all over the world and his vocal ability is on par with the likes of Pebo Bryson, Charlie Wilson, George Clinton, Bruno Mars and John Legend.
At the onset of 2020, Andy’s future was as bright as it has ever been. He had shows booked around the world, he was set to release a new single that promised to get people once again groovin’ on the dance floor, and he was still basking in the glitz, glam and glow of the 2020 Grammys, which he attended as both an artist and as an official representative of his Chapter. Then seemingly, in one fell swoop, the coronavirus swept the globe, slamming shut the doors of live music venues everywhere.
In Portland, Oregon during the ‘90s and early 2000s, his high energy, funkdafied musical performances created packed clubs and crowded
“Just as it is for every performing musician, the closing of venues has been devastating for me. I live to perform—not performing hits my ability to
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