What an uplifting interview with Mickey Stevenson, The First A&R Man of MOTOWN, this is history of music, especially SOUL MUSIC in America. Stevie Wonder, Supremes, Four Tops…
Featuring the personalities and cultural significance of
Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Dorthy Dandridge, Lena Horne,
Josephine Baker, Mahalia Jackson, and Eartha Kitt
This tremendous theater piece offers audiences the opportunity to peer into the lives of eight women who gave unselfishly to the world some of the greatest soul-stirring music, regardless of their personal lives. These “Legendary Divas” spent their lives pleasing audiences through their music, while deep inside they were going through hell trying to fit in and be accepted as women with dreams, ambitions, needs, wants and desires.
It is imaginatively packaged in the modern day story of a beautiful 21year old young black woman (Michelle Harris) and her 23 year old Jewish boyfriend Joshua Greene. The year is 2024. Michelle is a talented artist and a graduate of New York University. Josh is in his last year of New York University Law School and is being interviewed by major New York law firms.
They met at a college social gathering. It was “love at first sight”. They are deeply devoted to each other’s lives and involved with their respective careers. Josh is on the road to success as an “A” student in both undergraduate school and law school. Michelle is a very bright young college graduate having great difficulty getting her theatrical career off the ground. She has a callback to audition for one of the great famous black singers in a show.
Joshua wishes he could help but he can’t….until he comes up with an interesting idea.
THE INTERNET!!!
He suggests that she go online and research these famous singers. Look at their videos…listen to their music. It will be a great experience for her. Michelle loves the idea.
As she begins her Internet journey the artists appears. They have discussions with each other about the trials and tribulations, they had to go through, to be recognized with the great gifts God had given them in the world of show business. The show is set to original music written by “Mickey” Stevenson.
The Musical travels back in time to meet these famous black superstars focusing on their trials, tribulations and determination …and yet it all happens in real time as the audience watches.
To enhance the story, projections take us to Paris, London, Hollywood and New York City. The Michelle character actually sends us to Detroit and adds the sounds of Motown music, too.
HERE IS A SONG THAT MICKEY CO-WROTE FOR THE GEORGE FLOYD TRADEDY. it is a very powerful song 🎵 words, arrangement, visuals and performer who brought it together as though you were the one who couldn’t breathe
https://youtu.be/qf6LPgf1h-A?si=uD-HPk2O4NIVZd16
Mickey Stevenson is a member of the Song Writers Hall of Fame and was the first A&R Executive at Motown. He was intimately involved not only with the development of Martha Reeves and the Vandellas career, but also influential in discovering and developing the careers of The Four Tops, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and The Temptations.
Mickey also started Motown’s in-house band famously known as the “Funk Brothers,” and was always on the look-out for young writers who he brought to Motown including Ron Milner (originally a pizza salesman in Chicago) who went on to write the mega-hit, “For Once In My Life” — which both Stevie Wonder and Tony Bennet made famous.
Mickey Stevenson’s own “Dancing in the Streets” remains a pop classic that not only Martha and the Vandellas recorded but so did The Mamma & the Papas, David Bowie and Mick Jagger, Little Richard, The Grateful Dead and The Carpenters.
Without a doubt, Mickey Stevenson’s talent and pioneering impact on the music industry will be felt in spaces and places for many years to come
#mickeystevenson #singitfromtheheart #motown #a&rman #music #soulmusic #BessieSmith #BillieHoliday #DinahWashington #DorthyDandridge #LenaHorne #JosephineBaker #MahaliaJackson #EarthaKitt #motownmusic
