I was just listening to satellite radio and hearing a radio station personality ask Trey Songz about his influences and it prompted me to think about this question that has been asked to artists for what seems like 50 years. I used to see the interviewers on Soul Train ask this same question about 15 years ago. It goes like this: “What music do you listen to? Who are your influences in music?” Can’t someone think of a new question to an artist?
I mean seriously. Who cares about who they listen to or are influenced by. The entire human race is influenced by music. What difference does it make if someone is influenced by Michael Jackson, or Tito Jackson or Soul II Soul? I was influenced by the rock group Journey and Don’t Stop Believin’ which propelled me to run and help me push through and keep fighting forward. But who cares about that? What kind of detail does that provide to my audience that they know this?
I believe artist interviewers should invest more time to know an artist and truly find out what makes them tick. Most times artists are not influenced by music itself but a life changing event in their lives and music was just something used to get through life as an outlet. I truly wish radio personalities would dive deeper and find out more. This is why I began my Beyond The Bling Radio program. I wanted to find out deeper stuff and get out of surface discussion with artists and movers and shakers. Artists are much deeper than people think because they are simply human beings.
