My chat w/Thelma Houston...Part 2
Second of two parts..If you missed it, start with PART ONE.
Thelma Houston has a mutual love going on with the gay community which has stuck by her through thick and thin. She has repaid that love so many times over by appearing in countless pride parades and festivals and on behalf of many causes, such as the AIDS Project Los Angeles gala on Saturday.
"I've loved them forever and it''s mutual. I love them. My strongest base of support has been the dance market, They've always been very, very supportive of Thelma Houston."
And her dedication to such groups as the APLA and the Pediatric AIDS Foundation runs deep: "The reason is because I lost so many friends - who I call close, close, close supporters from back in the day - to this horrible disease. They didn't even have a name for it back then. Then things got more organized and there was more focus on putting money to do certain things. We're not perfect but we've come a long way. People are able to live and the quality of life is so much better for patients with HIV. But there are still people who can't afford the treatments, like in Africa. The medications are there, but they can't afford them."
"Whenever I can, I do whatever I can. Even if I'm in a smaller club in the Midwest where they like to give you tips, I take the money and give it to an AIDS hospice."
She will be doing about 30 minutes of songs at the APLA gala including the classic "Don't Leave Me This Way" and some numbers from her first new album in 17 years.
But it wasn''t like Houston was searching for a record deal after all these years. She just wanted to record a self-produced CD with some of the popular numbers fro m her act to sell to supporters after a gig.
"This was fun because I was executive producer and I got to do exactly what I wanted to do. We did it over a period of a couple of years. I did it because I'm doing live performances, people come up and want to know if you have a CD. My agent thought it sounded good and said, 'I think we can get a record deal.'That deal came with the label Shout Factory which, Houston says, "seemed like a good spot."
About 4-5 times a year, Houston joins such acts as The Village People, Maxine Nightingale, Peaches & Herb, Evelyn "Champagne" King and K.C. and the Sunshine Band for "Solid Gold" summer concerts and corporate events. She enjoys singing with acts from her generation and feels a lot of the newer acts could learn a thing or two from them about being grateful.
"These people haven't come up the way we did, we didn't feel entitled, Some of us who are still doing this have had careers for 40 years almost and we have an appreciation for what we've come through and grateful that we're still here. We love our work so much."
Houston does stay with the times and loves te Internet and what it can do for music promotion. But still prefers the personal touch.
"i think there's nothing like going out and shaking those hands and meeting the people personally. When you have that personal thing with people, that is what builds longevity."
Greg Hernandez has covered the entertainment industry for the Daily
News since 2001. He's considered a bit odd by some for his obsession
with box office numbers, has been known to camp out near the kitchen
at premieres for first crack at the hors d'oeurves, and Greg's never
seen a red carpet he didn't want to stroll down.