Always song by the. Serial. On the B.B.C. . And. That's. Good. Since. I'm. Young. That's. Period. And. On the P.P.C. . You A Muslim. Speech. Yeah yeah. Did you. Kill mum. Carol. Many years ago by. Never actually found. Saying it was just a few people like me. I don't know who else is going to Kofi actually before that it was a guy. Q. Miss. The monk staggers he's someone who's been playing on the radio something like . It was great to meet in person face to face last week because up until then we hadn't met face to face so he came into London for a few days a flying visit into London and we met up for a chat so here he is oh my show my special guest today missed among. The. I think there was none of us are you that came up on Facebook few weeks ago and I'm not sure if it was 4 years old 6 years I've been playing your music absolutely you've been. You've been a tremendous support and I couldn't be more grateful of filing me a face to face my friend tell us how you started because there is this great some resemblance to Lisa Ventura which you would talk about a bit lighter but how did you start off the music. Was encouraged more by my father my late dad. Heard something in my voice that I didn't hear because I didn't grow up singing like most artists who you hear started in church that's not how I got started I kind of stumbled into singing I still love the same that people would tell me to stop because I sounded horrible and then decided maybe it's time to go do some training and trained under a person for about 4 years and then kind of grew in confidence and just kind of find I found my style so that was your father a singer. He thought he was. He said of her. I think that's what we had in common starting out. My dad was involved in ministry and so I kind of started out singing gospel music. When I did start finally you know gaining the confidence to sing and then kind of moved into the arm B. Sing I felt that was more of my knowledge but that gospel background this is a such a great strong foundation for any singers and it is as you know you have to be passionate we should be passionate. You know when you're singing. And that's kind of the thing that I still live by that I hope comes through in my music is kind of the passion for singing and did your dad get to. See you be successful before he passed not to this level when he passed I was just singing in church OK. And then some time after he passed and I moved on to start doing RB music but at least you have made the sort of. Idea come to fruition which is nice I think so yeah I think you'd be extremely proud of yeah. There is this resemblance to your voice the tone of your voice to Luther Vandross I'm sure you've been told that by Lots of a fight over the years did you fight you remember someone saying you used to do well maybe you still a day to the Luther tribute show is doing yeah still do. Luther came along at a time when his sound was so unique. That I just wanted to sing like him and so not intentionally trying to sound like him I think I probably downloaded or bought or something almost every song he's ever done and I used to just sing in the shower in my car or wherever and maybe just over time I just kind of taken some of that on did you get to see Lisa life I did you actually I went. He was in Memphis Tennessee right and I went down and saw him and. The people were screaming and I was one of the people screaming. And he was just it. I felt like I was just lost the time when he started singing his voice is captivated the audience and I was just blown away by this you know. To. See. You. See. This this kind of cool full tribute shows here of whom I guess big artists have now left us what might be the why the audience can still connects to their favorite Is there a big call for in the in the states absolutely absolutely every weekend you can find a tribute show to some some person some group. So is what is live outside being a great inspiration while other singers to. Listen so enjoy listening to when you were learning to saying and growing up say Marvin Gaye Will Downing some people Bryce and James Ingram you know there were a ton of groups that I would listen to you know Earth Wind and Fire you know all the all the great artists and my dad Stevie Wonder because we grew up in a Motown house temptations Diana Ross supreme so on and on and on so when you hear mode sound you know it's like I'm back to when you were a kid probably Absolutely and actually do a Motown tribute show in the States with with a group I don't do any leads. I have fun doing the steps because I didn't think I had the coordination. But I felt I could actually sing in that step at the same Thing. You know I'm so grateful to carry then and Bush and Kerry Spence and Nigel and just the whole group because they're probably the ones that saved my career because I was actually going to walk away from music. Probably about 4 years ago where you know was I just kind of. Hit a wall where I kind of thought you know I don't know if I want to do this anymore and. Gary Spence introduced me to Gary van and Bush and you know the rest is history. And. We think. It's dreaming and all these other types of services you know have have really taken the profit out of it for a lot of money I was reading something I think it was Peter from someone on rock 20 the few weeks ago. Saying that there was 35000000 plays on one of his songs and he made a 1000 pounds but. It's just it's nuts and it is and and and and this is going to at some point it's going to have an impact on the industry because artists are going to be able to continue to sustain you know as long as the you know if there's no money in it how do you make a living do you have to combine your singing with other work as I do. And would it be your aim to some stage make the switch to full time singing. You know John I'm kind of at a place in my career where if it happens fine if it's not I've been blessed enough to do with other indie artists had not been able to do and I've met great people like yourself and others who've just been so kind and so I don't know if I had I'm not I don't worry about that anymore show and be used to getting great enjoyment from from your singing come by it has Yeah because if not I would have I would have to stop I mean there's lots of interest and you hear lots of love here for your music particular So stations and the SO shows is it the same in America I think it's hard to get some music playing in the States is now I keep hearing it is that it's all. Pre-programmed. And syndicated. If you're not a major artist you're not going to get played everything I think as we were kind of talking earlier has become kind of cookie cutter and so anything outside the boundaries of what they believe will sell. Is not going to get done and it's really unfortunate because they try to predetermine what the audience will like and doesn't like and so we no longer get to make our own decisions is being made for us and that's where the scary point because the one thing about the air that we talked about is you got to hear all kinds of music and you've got to make your own decisions and you know I would have never been exposed to some of the artists over the years that may have had a one hit but it was one great hit that you know carried over for years and years and you can still play that music today you know I talk to my kids who are young and you know and they tell me they don't really care for today's music they listen to things that were done years ago and so while they're trying to cater to an audience they believe that they're catering to long term I think long term they're going to find out that's a mistake I think the other thing is in or out of the studio those people could sing and they can perform you know some of these kids once you get them outside of the studio it's all it's either pre recorded or it's you know but if you think about you know I had the opportunity to sing. See Patti Labelle live right you know in some of these artists prints you know I got to see Prince and. They were just great performers Yeah you know it and everything seems like it's more staged big you know lights and fireworks and you know so it's more form than substance in my opinion I mean think about it you know you grew up with Whitney Houston from the time she kind of showed up on the scene until her passing. I don't I can't say that about any artists today that I've grown up with because the minute that they had a certain age they're done and they try to find the next great hit the only one I can think of that from the modern day which is who has had longevity could be maybe Alicia Keys who is YES been around for quite some story. And you mentioned Live it was the best live on since you think you say you went really into trains you on stage and you really love the show I would say Prince he he's so versatile and it was at a time when Purple Rain had come out and so you know how big that soundtrack was for him. Just put on. A great show but Patti Labelle. And I would say Luther also I don't because but he's just to me kind of in it for a category and a sad thing is Mark we look at prints we look at least I mean maybe slightly different circumstances we lose that but Prince a Michael Jackson arriving guy and George Michael who passed away so young but tragically and whether or not that has any bearing to the music business with the pressures upon them I don't know yeah I think. I think the pressure for them to continue to be so great. And as you age. I think you know then you know you become less viable in the opinion of a lot of record companies and so when you start to think that you're losing your I think that just kind of does something to them. And I think that's why you know we have to kind of get back to keeping things in perspective you know because you Good. If I'm. Good. And then some people can never shake their own demons you know Whitney Houston did you know always battling good and bad good and evil all through her life I want to mention your brother because he hopes she quite a bit doesn't absolutely name is Reginald and. You know without him. There would be no mark stackers you know yes Gary kind of recreate invigorated me in terms of getting me back to wanting to do music but my brother has been kind of been the staple force in my music career and does he sing as well no only in his mind. So he writes and he does all the instrumentation around he puts all the tracks together and we collaborate and. And that really kind of you know you mention my dad really was my dad's dream because he always wanted us to work together and now we do which is good because there's not many people he can touch the trust. You can set the trust. Of your brother Absolutely yeah. And I wanted to mention just to sort of really finish. Let's talk about your favorite What's your favorite monk status some of you have one day I think I'll do my latest CD on the screw out tonight I was sick crazy about a year ago it's kind of yeah it's a track I really like. Because I'm crazy about you. Know. Your. Waistline. And let's finish on you choosing some songs I'm going to put you on the spot we're going to do your 1st song so this is the 1st song that you might be but was a kid your. Your 1st you're last some new boat and you everything song which is your real time favorite song so I can we put those to you 1st so 1st song probably by Parliament Funkadelic. Probably flashlight Wow. Yeah that's a good one. The last song that I bought. Probably a Luther track. Off of his last CD I would say dance with my father yeah that was a classic was not and you know everything my everything I'm going to I'm going to go to my fallback song that's my superstar I just love that truck. Thank you very much thank you Joe It's been great meeting Absolutely. Song. My thanks to Mark staggers who's now back in Washington who could have Luther Vandross I've got a new version on one of his tracks from annoyance he's called her son Pattison on the why next. Blood. To. Come. those as well and we will contact you you don't have to come on the radio but we will contact you for those who'd like to speak on the radio and record something bad's you and then we'll play that out as I special treat for you on the bank holiday Monday show 4 to 7 which goes out low I have owned B.B.C. 6 a my address to write to Joan dot late shit baby Say don't you cry John don't leech B.B.C. Dot com Don't you care I ain't even know it's time we're going to be going there Freddy certain just after the news with the big noise he and Keith skis here with a light show at 10 o'clock. You. See too long you. Tube. Welcome back. To sleep. Sleep. Sleep sleep sleep. Sleep sleep. Sleep sleep sleep like food. We've had. Not long we've soon. You. Expect to see you. Soon. You'll. See. You'll. Lose. Some. Love. E-mail is coming in about. Discovered him and he's going off to the waveform I guess thank you to Kathy and enjoy who. I really enjoyed your chat with you've been checking out the Internet for any P.-I easy might be doing in the U.K. Well there's no moment but I am hoping to do something with Mark next year so if that happens of course I'll let you know and you can come and see me I might be. At a gig. Somewhere maybe next year we're looking at that. So hopefully we'll have more on that at some point thank you for your very kind common sense Kathy I don't try and. Not. Essex take you into the weekend with the biggest 60 in the impact here next Sunday afternoon for the soul show right out of the east of England have a good way whatever you're doing. You study cypher on until the next as I always keep. Thank you very much for being part of the show this week. B.B.C. News at 7 I'm Nicky Schiller extra funding for the no deal Bronx it preparations will be announced later this week sources suggest it will be more than a 1000000000 pounds it follows ministers saying now operating on the assumption that the European Union will not reopen negotiations on the withdrawal agreement the leader of the Scottish Conservative Ruth Davidson says she called support a new deal Broncs it while Scotland's 1st Minister Nicola Sturgeon says it must not be about to happen it's outrageous that you've got a government for saying no deal Michael Gove has said let you take catastrophic breaks it would be and for that to become government policy just beggars belief is going to the government will continue to do everything we can to prepare as best we can for a new deal but we can be under no illusions we will not be able to completely mitigate the impact of a new deal breaks police in Northern Ireland have confirmed that a loud bang hurting Craigavon on Friday night was mental offices into the path of the booby trap an explosive device was found next to a bus stop set up to look like a mortar which had already been fine at. A British teenager has been detained in Cyprus after accusing 12 Israeli tourists of gang rape the 19 year old is thought to be facing challenges of giving a false statement John McManus reports the 19 year old British woman told police in Iowa napper that she was raped by 12 Israeli men last week these are the youngest of whom was 15 were arrested the next day but I was before they were due to make their 2nd appearance in court 5 were released and allowed to return home now Cypriot police say that the remaining 7 men have also been released while the teenage accuser has been arrested she will appear in court tomorrow and according to a police source is thought to be facing charges of giving a false statement about an imaginary offense a 2nd role Navy warship has arrived in the Gulf it's to protect British ships amid heightened tensions in the region an oil tanker was seized by Iran spore Gareth Bale is staying at Real Madrid it's after the Spanish club blocked the Welsh football is moved to China rain caused havoc at the German Graeme Prix for drivers crashed out Lewis Hamilton who started 1st also crashed and ended 11th in the end Max for stop and took the checkered flag it was really tricky out there to make it right to really have to. Be focused of course to come out on top there it was all about trying not to make too many mistakes and a really tricky finish it was amazing tour and finally the actress who was the voice of many miles for more than 30 years has died and making I'm so happy you're here to share this one full day with. Cuts for you. It was 75 and she was actually married to the voice of Mickey Mouse Wayne all went to his death in 2009 on to the weather outbreaks of rain will move further north and east across the U.K. Should be largely dry in southern England with clisp else B.B.C. News It's 3 minutes past 7. Well a very good evening how you get afternoon and evening and wherever it might be and what time zone is say margins big night in the saving and welcome to the show we have Cambridge bands week prices coming into play live there's also a chance to Roger Kinsey who's searching for your memories about a free festival that was happening in Cambridge and also down home will be along after 9 to value a natural about your vital safe you've got to think that you found in the loft the other day when you going things wondering if it could be worth anything then give McCool a bit later on. Every Sunday night's Sumatran big.