3 minute read
Sara Baldwin
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on my upcoming album along with Nikki Stringfield and Katt Scarlett.
What was it like doing a photo shoot with legendary photographer Jack Lue?
Shooting with Jack Lue has been an absolute honor as has opened many doors for me. I’m super proud to be part of his mega talented roster of musicians.
What could one expect from a live Sara Baldwin show once the pandemic comes to an end?
If you catch us live expect high energy and badass drums and possibly special guests.
If you could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
It would be a dream come true to open for TOOL. music and work with such amazingly talented people.
What do you hope the rest of 2021 brings for you and for the music world in general?
Either way I’m enjoying this moment and I’m so grateful to have such a beautiful and blessed life that I get to create
Any final words of wisdom?
Dreams come true when you are sober. www.sarabaldwinmusic.com
Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.
present Blackbird: Lennon-McCartney Icons
Interview by Ken Morton
Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr., are the co-founders and lead singers of the original 5th Dimension, where they launched pop/soul classics such as Up, Up and Away, Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In, Stoned Soul Picnic, Wedding Bell Blues, and One Less Bell to Answer. After leaving the original 5th Dimension, Marilyn and Billy recorded You Don’t Have to be a Star (to Be in My Show), a chart topping number 1 record, which won them their 7th Grammy Award! And now in this pandemic age and through the social unrest of a nation, the legendary duo present to the world their passion project entitled Blackbird: LennonMcCartney Icons. Produced by the up and coming Nic Mendoza, Blackbird is destined to leave an impact on all types of music fans. Highwire Daze was honored to inteviewed Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. to discuss the creation of Blackbird during these turbulent times, a very ironic fact regarding the original version of Blackbird’s first single Silly Loves Songs and their own hit song You Don’t Have To Be A Star, working with the very talented Nic Mendoza, and other topics of interest and inspiration.
First of all, how did the project of Blackbird: Lennon McCartney Icons come about? Marilyn: Well, you know, we were working with a young producer…
Billy: …what we would call a millennial producer…
Marilyn: …by the name of Nic Mendoza. He had been brought to us by our management company. And we started talking together about concepts – and we just felt like the Beatles project idea was an interesting way to go for a number of reasons. One of which was we felt that the Beatles music has always been an interesting approach and we felt like that music would work well for us. Along with what is happening in our country – all of the struggles that we’re going through – it’s not really a civil rights thing – it’s human rights. And we started talking about Blackbird, and Nic was saying he felt that this concept was really, really powerful for his age group. Because they’re very much concerned with what’s happening in our country and the struggles that we’re going through. You notice how the younger people have been marching together with all of these different protests. So, we felt like this was an area where we are really connected together.
Billy: Nic also said his generation wanted to know where we stood with what was going on.
Marilyn: And we felt like this was a good way to say it because we have strong feelings about it. And after having gone through this back in the late 60’s – and we thought that we were coming through to a new level. People were starting to understand one another – and it’s like here we go again!
