Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: This is incredible to me because I have someone in my studio that I have been listening to forever.
Vanessa Bell Armstrong. How are you?
[00:00:14] Speaker B: I'm just great. And even better now that I'm here with you.
[00:00:17] Speaker A: I'm so glad to have you here. You know, I have been in different places where you have been. And the one thing that remains constant is if someone calls you up to sing, you gonna tear the paint off the walls.
[00:00:31] Speaker B: Oh, God, I hate. I got that reputation.
[00:00:35] Speaker A: It's a good reputation.
[00:00:37] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:00:37] Speaker A: It is.
[00:00:38] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:00:39] Speaker A: So, from the very beginning, I remember the peace be still project. And, you know, it goes on and on. What people don't know. You've been a recording artist for a while, but you've also been on the stage, you have been on other people's projects. But it's always good to have your own, right?
[00:00:58] Speaker B: Yeah, I guess. And I still have folks that's asking me to sing on their projects. And so I guess they thought I was. Probably wasn't going to do this anymore. Cause it's been like 14 year gap.
[00:01:08] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:01:09] Speaker B: And honestly, I thought it was too. I thought I was like. Cause, you know, I got 14 grandkids and two great grands. And so. And they all. They can sing.
[00:01:19] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:01:19] Speaker B: So I said, I'm gonna get them together. But.
And they are coming. As a matter of fact, we getting ready to do a three generational thing. Cause me and my daughter and her daughter. My daughter and my granddaughter can sing. So we're gonna do a generational project. Yeah. It's gonna be great.
[00:01:37] Speaker A: So. But you're not done until God says, you done, huh?
[00:01:40] Speaker B: And that's what the prophets kept telling me. Cause I kept saying, no. I'm getting ready to get into my family. And they said, no. He said, you went through, so. And he said, this time, this round is gonna be bigger than the first. Wow. I'm saying, like, at 70 years old, you know. But, I mean, I'm not scared. Cause God can do anything.
[00:02:02] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:02:03] Speaker B: So I'm not all anxious about it or anything like that. Matter of fact, I'm just relaxing. I'm relaxing to Jesus. I'm just gonna ride. Let him just drive me where he want me to go.
[00:02:13] Speaker A: I absolutely love that. Because a lot of people wanna rush God and to, you know, try to manipulate the situation. And you can't do that because it won't turn out right.
[00:02:25] Speaker B: Right. If you don't move me, tell me to go somewhere. I'm not going.
[00:02:29] Speaker A: What am I going for?
[00:02:31] Speaker B: You been and got in trouble getting mixed up might be in that wrong place to get hurt, killed, anything. So wait on God, amen.
[00:02:41] Speaker A: Amen. You've done stage work.
You've done. My favorite is the jingle to the show. Amen. The comedy.
[00:02:50] Speaker B: Amen. Oh, thank you.
[00:02:51] Speaker A: I still love that today. It had a resurgence, like last year, people were playing it again, just like out of nowhere.
[00:02:59] Speaker B: They just play it, and I like it. Cause I get the checks.
And, I mean, folks really honestly didn't know that was me at first. They thought it was one of the ladies that worked on it. Cause she could sing. Okay. But I was on Broadway at the time, right? And my manager at the time was Barry Hankerson, and he said that Andre Crouch and the producer of that play was trying to figure out who could they get to sing that song, you know, shine on me. And he said, you know, we really need someone with Aretha's soul. You know, that soul she got. And we need someone with the height of Pettit Labelle that can hit the height.
[00:03:40] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:03:41] Speaker B: And they said they both. When they said that, they both looked at each other and said, vanessa, that was history.
[00:03:49] Speaker A: Well, I'm in the studio with Vanessa Bell Armstrong. I'm so thrilled to have you here. And you have a new project that is out right now. Yes, I got it in my hands right now. It is called today. Today. And how did you come up with this idea to name it that and the project?
[00:04:09] Speaker B: You ain't gotta go no further. I did not come up with it because I was nervous as I don't know what I didn't think. Like I told you, I didn't. I didn't believe I was gonna do anything else, but Donald Lawrence called me and said, hey, I have a friend on the line that's looking for someone that's established. And that's what they call. They call me legend, vintage, whatever it is, it really just means older. Okay. But I'm good with it. Cause if you don't grow old, you'll die.
[00:04:42] Speaker A: Yes. Okay, so there is an old.
[00:04:44] Speaker B: That's why I could appreciate your gray hair, too. I love it. I'm coming out. I just got the braids today. Cause I'm going to Las Vegas for the. Stella's hot.
[00:04:53] Speaker A: It is gonna be very hot.
[00:04:54] Speaker B: So I put this stuff up. Okay. But now getting back to the. He said, I got a friend on the phone that I wanna introduce you to because he's looking for someone and he wanna do a project with. And I thought about you, and I said, okay. So I talked to the guy he talked pretty good. I had never heard of him in all my life. But because I knew Donna Lawrence, right, I trusted his word absolutely. We never did meet. I had to just go in the studio. He met me there, and I shook his hand, I hugged him, and he said he knew me, but I didn't know of him. And I gave him a hard time, I believe, because I was, like, skeptical, because he was taking me to me out of my comfort zone, you know, I'm used to doing the songs that I like to do and what have you. Even with Thomas Whitfield, the late Thomas Whitfield. He would bring me in and say, okay, what you got? And when I brought in my daddy's song, I don't want all my labor to be in vain. He said, okay, so let me work with it for a minute. And we got it. He said, but hit this note right here. This is the highest note in there. And let me say. Let me see what you sound like. And I do that. And he said, okay, go on. And I wouldn't hear the songs no more until we got in the studio. Wow. Thomas knew exactly he had to where I was gonna go. He could hear where I was gonna go with that song. Yes. And Donna Lawrence is the same way. Yes, he is. And so I said, okay, well, then maybe this guy, too. But it wasn't. He asked me, what keys did I sing in? I said, I don't know.
I said, you have to ask my musical director. So he called him, and they told him. And if I tell you, every song on here is so high, I don't know how I got up that high. I was like, it's time to come down lower, baby. You 70. But I did it. And he was just. Walter was God given for this. For this album. He was, like, in awe, really. Matter of fact, he said, this is the first in his history that he's ever been in a studio and had to be there at 07:00 for me to sing. Cause that's when I like to sing. Oh, wow. I am a morning person.
[00:07:05] Speaker A: Ooh, we God bless you.
[00:07:07] Speaker B: I got more energy, you know, and that's how I believe I could hit them notes, because I was ready to go, you know, so. And he said, oh, you were just an inspiration. And we got through them songs, and now that I listened to them that whole album, I'm not bragging on myself. I'm bragging on the producers of this project.
Walter is awesome. Okay? We know that Thomas. I mean, not Thomas or Lord Thomas. Benaiah. Came back here and did not.
[00:07:39] Speaker A: He might have been in the studio.
[00:07:41] Speaker B: A little bit in the spirit.
[00:07:42] Speaker A: Right.
[00:07:44] Speaker B: Donald Lawrence is just incredible. Yeah. And you know, my friend John, as he writes, as you in the studio, I've never seen that like that.
[00:07:55] Speaker A: Right.
[00:07:55] Speaker B: He said, okay, I'm gonna finish this up. All right, but try this. Sing this part right here. I'm in here singing a song that he writing right on the spot.
But that's the kind of talent that he has. His song was forever yours, and I forgot what the other one is. It was a little slower song, but it was talking about my life. I'm glad that all of them took heed and knew what my life was about, because my father told me before. Well, he just died four months ago. Long time ago. He told me when I first started singing, he said, vanessa, watch what you sing. If you ain't writing it, you gotta really listen to it. Cause if you don't find yourself in it anywhere, you could sing a lie as well as tell one. Wow. And I said, daddy, you getting real deep on me. He said it, but it's true. He said it. And the Bible said, all life. I said, oh, God. He getting ready to preach on me now. Have that part. He said, they not even gonna tarry in his eyesight. I said. He said, no. Cause they'll be up there trying to argued with Jesus. Jesus been saying, look, this was you. No, no, that ain't me. That wasn't me. No, no, no, that wasn't me. That was somebody meant to have. Yeah. You know. And he said, just go on. Where you gonna go? To hell.
Hilarious. So I said, okay. So now I try to make sure that I can identify myself somewhere in that song. That's why everybody think that I've written most of my songs, but I haven't. The first song I ever written was desire my heart, and that was the title album. And that was a nice selling album.
[00:09:28] Speaker A: I remember the album cover for that.
[00:09:30] Speaker B: It was live. So I think I do my best live, too. But studio's good. Studio just working so hard. Cause if it's a real particular person that's producing, that's doing it, like John Key, he'll be like, I think you could get that to me again. I said, I really can't. I'm a one time hitter.
He said, no, no, no. I said, but I felt the holy ghost on it. He said, okay, well, do it again. And feel the holy ghost on it and do it again. I be like, okay, so that's our unc. He works me. Okay, but it's okay. Cause he brings out what's in me. Cause a lot of times our artists don't really know what they have. Like, Walter Hawkins was the first person that did an album on me, but we had to put it on the side because it was so contemporary.
[00:10:13] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:10:13] Speaker B: And so then that's when they went to Thomas Whitfield, and we did peace be still. Nobody but Jesus. And then we brought out following Jesus that Walter Hawkins did. But I used to always ask Walter, why wouldn't you see me at a program or just look see me? You don't do nothing but just smile. You give me this great big smile. He said, you want to know why? I said, yeah. He said, cause you don't know what you got.
[00:10:35] Speaker A: Ooh, wow.
[00:10:36] Speaker B: Now that was. And I had to just stand back because he didn't say the word. What he said just blew me away.
[00:10:44] Speaker A: Yes, it. Yeah. And it still does today, evidently.
[00:10:48] Speaker B: Yeah, it still does. So, I mean, I thank him for even encouraging me like that, because all I wanted to do was sing. My mama told me when I was in her stomach, my daddy wasn't even in the church yet, and he became a minister, though she was pregnant with me, and me and her was in a dark pit, and my dad was standing in a bright light. And she asked the Lord, well, how can me and the little one come out? And he said, promise me the little one will follow in his footstep, which was ministry, my dad. And she said, yes, lord. That was history. I've been singing ever since, like, four or five. They said I sound like a grown woman.
And they had to stand me up on top of the piano stools because they couldn't see me. I was so sure. I'm still sure. I've been trying to grow, you know what?
But, yeah. And so that's how it happened. Then I started singing with choirs at the church, and my mom would dress me up and take me to all the different programs that she heard, and they would ask me to sing. Wasn't about money, not what these kids are coming out with now that want to get paid. Just getting out here, they want to be top dollar.
[00:11:51] Speaker A: Oh, boy.
[00:11:52] Speaker B: I wasn't getting a penny, but I just love to sing.
As far as my records winning, I was nominated seven times for a Grammy, for Soul train award, for stellar. Yes for James Cleveland. For all of them. I never won a Grammy, and it never bothered me. And I think it's because. I know it's because God don't want me to get all caught up in that. First of all, I'm ministry, okay? And ministry can get it. But some people, he's just hiding.
Like, even this time to go around, a lot of people ain't gonna get this time, this chance. I waited 14 years, and I thought I was through. Cause that rhyme was wonderful. But he said because he could trust me.
Oh, God, oh, God, I love that he can trust me. Yeah, I ain't perfect, but he can trust me. That my heart is right means right. And I just want to sing. I just want to sing. I want to give him all the glory. And on this record here today, it's a song that says satisfied. And at the end it said, I just want. I got to hear him say, well done. You know, that's when that final curtain closed, baby, you can sit there with all the money you want to, all the trophies you want to. But when you see Jesus face to face.
[00:13:20] Speaker A: Come on.
[00:13:22] Speaker B: I want to hear him say, well done, Vanessa. And it ain't. He ain't even gonna give you titles. Everybody gets so caught up on titles. Honey, I got several titles. I got Lady Vanessa, I got Doctor Vanessa, I got madam. I said, y'all can call me. But when I get before God, all he gonna say is, my daughter. Come in. That's what I wanna hear anyway. Come on in here. You've done. You've been faithful. So that's where I am. This is not a game to me.
It's not. Who could sing the best? That's why sometimes I don't even like the award shows, because it makes people feel like they're not good enough. The ones that's been. Especially if they sing it from their heart. They singing to please God. They're singing to raise him up. They singing to bring the backsliders home. I don't need an award for that. I said, if the award said, how many souls that you brought in that came in because of your song? Because I used to get phone calls and letters, people saying, something in your song. This one guy said, I was just getting ready to end my life. Oh, Jesus. But it was something about he looked beyond my thoughts and saw my knees, and it turned me around. Now, that's a trophy.
[00:14:36] Speaker A: That's a trophy.
[00:14:37] Speaker B: You hear me? That's a trophy. I don't want no award. I want my reward. When I get to heaven has a big difference. Yes, God.
[00:14:44] Speaker A: Let's listen to the new single. It's called today right here on the Detroit praise network, while we collect ourselves in the studio.
[00:14:52] Speaker B: Let's go.
Whoo.
[00:14:57] Speaker A: It has been an honor, praise God, to have you in the studio with me. I knew something special was gonna happen in this studio when I heard that Vanessa Bell Armstrong wanted to come in here with Randy Miles.
It makes me feel good to be able to see you in person, first of all, and secondly, hear your story, because it's not unlike other people's story, but the fact that you have remained true and the fact that you have been kingdom minded from the beginning makes all the difference in the world. And for people who are young in this crazy industry called recording and artistry, you got to know that paying your dues doesn't always mean, you know, you come up from the rough side, or it doesn't always mean that you're gonna make it to the tip top. Sometimes it means that you're gonna fail. And sometimes it means that you gotta look at what God is telling you and listen closely to what God is telling you. And I don't wanna preach, but you're.
[00:16:07] Speaker B: Doing a good job, though, baby.
[00:16:09] Speaker A: But I'm just saying you're a testimony of your steadfastness. And I just want to say thank you so much.
[00:16:16] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:16:17] Speaker A: How do we get ahold of this new project called today?
[00:16:20] Speaker B: Today.
That's the one. That's the one. I believe every song on there, I've been told from even young people, they like, from the beginning to the end, they said they can't figure out which one is their, you know, the best, that they like their favorite. And I said, well, that's a good thing. Well, I mean, Walter, the producer, had told me that already anyway. Cause when he started trying to let the company that I'm with hear which one we gonna put out first, they kept saying, oh, my God. So he said, you got a good problem. And I said, what? He said, yeah. He said, you got so many nice songs on here. It's hard. It's hard. They gonna love all of it. And that's just what's happening.
[00:17:00] Speaker A: Yeah, well, you can get it on all digital outlets, and it's even on cd for those of us who are purists. And I absolutely love that as well. And how do we keep track of you?
[00:17:12] Speaker B: You can keep track on Instagram. It's doctor low score Vanessa Bell Armstrong. And then on a. What's the Facebook? It's just Vanessa Bell Armstrong. I have my own.
What you call that? YouTube?
Vanessa Bell Armstrong. So you can find me.
[00:17:31] Speaker A: I follow you on Instagram sometimes. You crack me.
[00:17:34] Speaker B: You know what? Don't tell nobody. I know. I be acting up so bad. So do I.
[00:17:39] Speaker A: So.
[00:17:39] Speaker B: Okay. All right. That's why I never wanted to sit down. A reality show, too. And they keep saying, yes, you need one. I said, no, I do not. Because I know, no, I'm just gonna be real.
[00:17:49] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:17:50] Speaker B: I'm a real person. Absolutely, you know, absolutely. So, yeah. But I enjoy, you know, doing what I do. I'm an invert. I don't deal with people a lot. That's probably why you never heard too much about me.
In trouble with any, said anything about somebody, whatever. Because my mom and dad, they kept me on straight street anyway. They kept me very humble. They told me, I used to, every time I go out to sing, and the people would get happy and they'd just be, ooh. And I go back to my mama where she's sitting at the seat, and I say, mama, how did I do? She said, you did all right, you know, it wasn't, you know, keep you humble. And then she told me, why you don't sing like other people. Why you gotta do all this?
What is that? She said, well, you just can't sing like other people.
You know, just straight. She hurt my feelings so bad. I said, mama, I don't know. She said, where you get it from, mama, I don't. It must have been God. And all I listened to was Aretha Franklin, Shirley Caesar, Mahalia Jackson, and I don't think none of them was doing that. I believe it was a gift from God. And I didn't write all my songs, but I can hear where you're trying to go.
Take it there. And most of the time, people be saying, that's what I wanted, you know. So I thank God for the gift, you know. I'm glad. I'm glad.
[00:19:10] Speaker A: I'm so glad, too. Thank you so much for stopping by.
[00:19:13] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:19:13] Speaker A: I appreciate you so much, and I love you, too.
