It was May 15th, 2008. Jully Black, fresh off the success of her single "Seven Day Fool", played a concert at the Grande Theatre. The high-energy star’s tone changed when she spoke of the loss of her sister, Sharon, at the age of 24. Dedicating the song "Catch Me When I Fall", Black caught the crowd in the emotion of the song. It was especially significant to me in the audience – days earlier I had lost a dear family friend. After she show Jully met fans in the lobby and, when I told her about my friend, she inscribed a message on her CD about her to me. There is a disconnect between artists on stage and the fans in the audience, who rarely get to have a moment with those that write the music we love. Eight years later, this event is still significant to me.
"I remember talking to someone who had had someone pass away recently at the show. I am getting goose bumps; you are bringing tears to my eyes. Thank you for that reminder because it means everything to me. Writing songs is not a hobby of mine – I am a storyteller, but I also realize that I have been called to be the voice of the voiceless. Sometimes a lot of us are afraid to be transparent but, for me, that has been therapeutic, and has been that way since I was six or seven years old. Before I could string a sentence together I was always writing something. It means everything to me; it really does," Black said, when I recalled to her that moment. I was stunned when, a few days later in a post on her website, she dedicated the song to me there.
"It is important for us to remain connected and for people like myself, who have the opportunity to connect with and reach people, I think the most important thing to do is share the moment and let each other know that we are not alone. It is amazing that you say that because, at the time, I wrote a lot on my website, and had a lot of traffic to my website because I was so open. I am rebuilding my site. For the longest time Universal held my domain. I have been going through some stuff, and even something like a website domain – and being able to put something out there and reach people – I think this is confirmation that I am going in the right direction. I said that to my web designer yesterday – that I need to be able to go on there and speak. I know we are living in the era where bloggers become the star, but I just want to continue to connect with my fans, [whom] I consider my family. Thank you for sharing that; thank you so much for sharing that. It means so much to me that we made that connection and, eight years later, we are still able to talk about it."
GayCalgary recently spoke to Jully over the phone in advance of her appearance at Edmonton’s Pride Festival. A lot has happened lately in her life and career: after a decade with Universal Music she left the label, in December, to refocus her career as an independent artist.
"One of the reasons why I decided to go independent after 13 years is because of lack of support. The new experience has been being able to form authentic relationships with people, like media and fans, and form brand partnerships. As much as it is work, the value of the one on one is how you build a career. Even though I have had great relationships through my record company, these now are what I call ‘legacy relationships’."
Part of that relationship is cultivated with fans through social media. Black is constantly posting updates on Facebook and Twitter.
"Social media means power, especially in being an independent artist and a new CEO, as far as my record company is concerned. I have been able to connect with people all around the world. It sounds a little cliché but it’s true that social media is literally getting rid of the middleman. It is about getting it done; to come full circle. That is what social media has confirmed: that you can get it done if you really want to. You have to put some time into it – even one hour – I consider that a part of my work day. Let me hit social media even for 30 minutes and connect even with just one person; that one person’s day is made and they make my day. Wow someone cares in Belgium or Australia and is listening to my song as I am sitting in Markham, Ontario? That gives me inspiration and motivates me to keep on. There is no retirement and expiration in music; being relevant or not relevant. Music is forever. If you listen to the songs of the past – The Beatles, Tina Turner – there is no expiration on there. Music has become this thing, like add water and stir. No matter how long it takes or how long it is taking... according to whose watch? I am right on time, right on schedule, according to my watch. Social media has helped me stay on course."
In addition to her music career, Black has been a correspondent for CTV’s etalk, mentor on Canadian Idol, and acted in Da Kink In My Hair. Through it all she has been an activist and supporter of the LGBTQ community, and appearing at Pride events means a great deal to her.
"Pride means love; it means power and fearlessness. It is amazing to support it. It is interesting when I look at the various Prides I have been a part of, and the whole concept of acceptance for the LGBTQ community – it starts in my family, in my bloodline. What people didn’t realize is it is personal. At the same time, I am not walking around having hetero pride so my goal is inclusion. It is important to celebrate those that have been confident enough to come out but, at the same time, I want the whole world to celebrate the concept of just love. God is love. Be you and be free. Being an activist or lobbyist for pride to me, it almost creates separation at times. Ok, I support and love the LGBTQ and they love me back. But really we are just supposed to love each other anyway. It is amazing to see now my non-pride concerts and the inclusion – everybody is one big jambalaya of music lovers and people lovers, and it’s not about religion, it’s about relationships of all races and genders. It is amazing, so I found my purpose to come full circle and land right here in this conversation. I found my purpose in connection and being a connector," she said, adding that at 13, seeing her sister lose a friend to AIDS, and then eight years later losing a friend of her own to the disease, impacted her. "It impacted me even moreso as an adult because, for the longest time, we had to say that both of them had cancer. They didn’t even know each other – it was when I was 13 and then 21. The fact that we couldn’t even say it was AIDS is a problem. Both of their lives were a lie. It still bugs me to this day. I do have friends now that are living with HIV, not dying from it. That is my message: you are not dying from this thing, even if it’s cancer, we have to really put life lived instead of this whole bounty on their heads of death. It has really given me that much more motivation to spread the gospel of life."
In 2015 Black performed at Toronto’s World Pride.
"Last year’s World Pride memories will stick with me forever. One of my artistic directors [who] is confidently gay and out and about told me World Pride was coming, and we need you on that, about six months prior. I mentioned it to my agent and it was kind of just quiet. We took to the Internet and started using social media. Then another friend of mine knew people and we made it a campaign – Jully is getting on World Pride on the biggest stage in Toronto; that is what we are going to do. And we did it. The power of words and actions. Being out there and watching people hold up signs that say ‘we are all human’ and t-shirts – it wasn’t just about me playing "Seven Day Fool", bye, got my cheque. We wanted to touch each and every person in that audience. I felt like I was looking each person in the eyes and saying I love you and them saying I love you back. It was amazing."
Black told us about being on set for the "Seven Day Fool" video shoot and being taken aback that the dancers admitted they could not usually be openly gay on video sets.
"Some of my dancers now were in the video and, at the time, they said it was the first music video set where they can be openly gay because most times they have to pretend they are not. That really hit me hard. That would be like me pretending I’m not black or not a woman. I didn’t get it – you know? A lot of video sets, depending on the genre, they have to kind of play hard. If it is certain music they cannot just be themselves. If they are a little flamboyant, or they’re with their guy or girl or holding hands, they just couldn’t do it – it was taboo or shunned, or they were uncomfortable. The two-day shoot for the "Seven Day Fool" video, everyone was just comfortable. So for us to celebrate on the World Pride stage together, I don’t even know if my wedding day is going to top that."
Black credits her family for raising her to believe that everyone is free to be themselves.
"I give my mom credit for that. As a 79-year-old woman she was raised in a certain generation, but she didn’t teach that. She wasn’t about exclusion. When I was told that, at the end of day one on the set, I was pulled to the side and told thank you so much for allowing us to be ourselves I was like, I am not giving you permission to be yourself, you are giving yourself that permission. I just want you to have a good time and be great and do what you were called to do. I just appreciate what you are contributing to this video and my purpose in life. It is pretty cool. I think that the LGBTQ community knows first hand what its like to be in the valley, and really just continue to climb. That’s definitely helped me a lot in support and being able to stay on track"
The night before our interview Black hosted an event for The Canadian Centre for Gender + Sexual Diversity.
"It was a tribute to Rufus Wainwright; he got the youth role model award. He has been doing a lot of work with youth. That is another thing about being welcomed into the LGBTQ community; to get to know who the leaders are and were, to really provide that platform of inspiration and to know that Rufus took the baton, not just in being openly gay, but in the music business! That is one of the biggest leaps somebody can take, and to still garner success internationally. He mentioned not really being about being married. Even though he is gay he thinks marriage is a heterosexual thing, but being able to find love and be ok with marriage – he is a translator. What is amazing is being involved in that event. Really I was able to be educated, not to mention be able to just be a part of the fabric of what true love really means in our contemporary world. We need to take the labels off and leave that four letter word right there."
Black has opened for Celine Dion, wrote with artists like Destiny’s Child and Nas, and collaborated with many artists. One of my favourite Jully Black videos on YouTube is a collaboration with Dallas Green covering Rose Royce’s "Love Don’t Live Here Anymore".
"I am so happy you mentioned Dallas. We made a connection in Winnipeg, probably nine years ago, as two unknowns in the hotel lobby. There was a piano that wasn’t plugged in and he wanted to play it. We didn’t know each other, but we found the plug and sang. Fast forward, he asked me to join him for that special moment. It is one I will always remember. He is so humble and talented. I also admire him as a business person. I have watched him build that with City and Colour and Alexisonfire, and build an empire, which is a beautiful thing. That collaboration led me to really think differently about my business. Writing for Destiny’s Child was a moment in life that, at the time, I was so focused on what’s next I didn’t really enjoy the moment. I think that’s important for people – to just take a moment and look around the room at where you are. Be grateful, because hindsight is 20/20, but it is better when you are living it in the moment. I opened for Etta James before I recorded "Seven Day Fool". I shared the stage with her in 2004. Three years later I did "Seven Day Fool". That was special. There are so many, but last, but not least, I did the Montreal Jazz Festival and Patti LaBelle had lost her voice. I had a little bag of tricks and she came up to me and I gave her some concoction for her voice. I gave Patti LaBelle a concoction! She sang that night and she called me out and she said You people are going to know this lady’s name. We sang "Georgia On My Mind" together. I will never forget that moment together. She held my hand and said you remember this woman; you are going to know her name. It was awesome. I watched her work that room and say hello to everybody. I have always been about the personal touch; you never know who you are sitting beside. When I was at Universal I would go to the mail-room and thank the people that were sending my CDs out. Everybody matters, and she confirmed that in how she dealt with the sound people, craft services – she said hello to everybody and shook their hands."
At the 2008 Juno Awards in Calgary, Black closed the broadcast with "Seven Day Fool", showing she could look at home on the Saddledome stage. It was a breakthrough moment for the artist who had been nominated for Junos since 1997.
"It was another incredible moment, being on that telecast with my friend and mentor Russel Peters – who was the first person of colour to host that telecast – was a beautiful thing. That year in itself, being nominated not just for R&B but single of the year, that has been part of my activism as well – to not have people be labeled by the colour of their skin or genre. She’s black; she’s R&B. He’s black; he’s hip-hop. That year Canada spoke, and I really appreciated that they looked at the Revival album and "Seven Day Fool" to be in the category with Feist and Michael Buble."
With her incredible talent and stage presence, it says something about the music industry that Black isn’t headlining arenas.
"I often ask myself the same thing. What I have realized is that I wasn’t ready. I say that in that I didn’t have the right people around me and wasn’t ready mentally. Age doesn’t equal maturity, and what I believe is, where this is headed is back to building a legacy and legendary status. Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner – that is where I see myself and so, therefore, even one bad apple is going to spoil the bunch. For many years I haven’t had the right management that understands who Jully Black is and the magnitude of this gift. I am so fortunate to be speaking to you today because last night, as I was winding down my night, it just started to dawn on me that the magnitude of my gift and my talent, my mind wasn’t there. Just last night I was like, Jully, your mind needs to match your gift. Because any time I step on stage people say you have such energy and presence and personality. What I feel in my body is like I am in yoga; it is so calm, but on stage what it comes out as is big. Now I am like, ok; God I know I just need to be surrounded with the right people. In the past six days five people got let go from my organization. What is interesting is I am loyal to a fault; usually I don’t let people go, which I think is typically Canadian. There are people at my former record company and I am like, you aren’t doing your job but you still have one; I don’t get it. If this was America, you’re fired if you aren’t producing. So now it is really time. I spent two and a half years dancing four days a week, two hours a day, just getting the dancing perfected. Yes, I am independent, but now it is about seeking out distribution rather than direct label signing, where you don’t have creative control or can’t speak to people for interviews. Arenas are in sight, but what I do love is that whether it is singing "Hallelujah" last night or packing the Phoenix in Toronto last week, that is my arena. Every stage I treat like an arena; I don't think I would have gotten there mentally or spiritually had I just been elevated there right away."
The youngest of seven children, raised by a single mother after her parents divorced when she was young, Black has overcome many obstacles. One of Canada’s greatest voices, she continues to inspire people, and being a role model is something she takes seriously.
"Being a role model is very important; to celebrate my sacrifices and really celebrate the fact that we all basically – even if you are born into tangible wealth – we all come from nothing because we have to create something for our lives. You can hand somebody a bag of money, but if you don’t have purpose, talent, maturity, guidance and leadership, you have also come from nothing. That is what being a role model has helped me to celebrate and use as my anchor to say, you know what? I was raised this way, you were raised that way, but where are you now and where do you see yourself? Are you able to be kind in the midst of your circumstances? I have recognized times in my life where it has been really challenging, and I might not have been the nicest person in those circumstances. As I journey in life I really admire my goal as a role model; it is not about what you do, but who are you? Who is Jully Black? That has helped me a lot in these various platforms that I have been called to speak at and on. People are getting to know who I am, and what I do is a byproduct."
Those in attendance at Pride will not only get to see the incomparable Jully Black perform live, but also get a copy of her first album since 2009’s The Black Book.
"We did what I am calling a soft exclusive release last week at my concert. I will have the brand new CD at the show. That is how I am doing it for the next few months; only selling the new CD at my concerts before we go digital. I want to go back to the old school and have people have that unique, special experience hearing the show, seeing the show, hearing the new songs and going ahead and popping it into their CD player when they get into their cars. New music is definitely on the way. I recorded 77 songs to get to this point, and the turning point, and the decision to leave Universal was none of them were good enough. Because they are chasing what’s on radio right now. Had I been in another region, it’s a radio song. It is interesting because I have peers and various executives around the world that say this fits what’s going on over here, but you don’t live here. So now we are planning to hit the UK in the fall, but what I am happy about most is that Canada knows that I didn’t just pack up and leave. Now I am ready to fly and go to those arenas. How is it that my parents migrated from Jamaica so that we could dream and have a better life than them, but now I have to pack up and leave? It has always bugged me. I am happy that I have stayed this long. Canada knows I am theirs no matter where I end up."
From that night at the Grande Theatre to seeing multiple TV performances, I can attest to the fact that when Black takes the stage, there is an amazing performance.
"It is going to be so much fun bringing the full band and dancers. Expect to be entertained and have your emotions going. Be prepared to laugh and cry, and sing and dance. I just really encourage everyone to come with an open mind and have a good time."