Advice For Aspiring Singers

Jermaine Sain (When We Speak TV) asks Crissy Collins (Background Vocalist for Beyonce), what would be the best advice she could give to someone aspiring to be an entertainer......... Check out her response.

MORE VIDEOS OF CRISSY COLLINS

What are Back Up Vocals

Sometimes I wonder why you don't see many groups anymore.....I'm not saying that they don't exist because they do! I just wonder why there aren't as many...For example name some groups of the 90s.........(I bet you were able to name at least three!)   

Now, name a group of today!

(Want me to give you more time?)

It seems that everyone is only out for themselves now! I'm not saying that you shouldn't look out for yourself but I think that everyone always wants to be out front (ALONE!)

There's absolutely nothing wrong with that! But what I learned happened with this is: we stopped appreciating the value and harmonies that more than one vocalist can bring! I've seen and meet alot of great solo vocalists but can you name one that can sing harmonies simultaneously? ME NEITHER!!!! So although some people have great voices, their voice is at it's essence's peak when accompanied with other vocals.....That doesn't discredit them in any way!

I said that to say that I believe that's how we got to not understanding and appreciating the value of the background singer. Well I wouldn't say this is true for most "singers" and "artist" because I would hope that they understand the dimensions that great backup vocals can bring to a song or performance. I think is more so, non musical people that I'm referring to....I've heard so many people say stuff like..."She just sings background" or "The should put him in the background cause he can't sing"............ WHEN DID "BACKGROUND" START BEING "WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU NOT THAT GOOD OF A SINGER"?


.......With this in mind, I keep trying to think of how I could do my part to change that perception, so I started thinking about a few people that I've seen singing backup vocals on the regular that I know can "SANG!"....... Then I thought of one person I could talk to......... Crissy Collins!

I had no idea how I would get Crissy Collins to join me on When We Speak. I had never met her, I had only been to her shows and we had been in a few of the same places at the same time. So I just added her name in my prayer journal and went on.

Why did I want to speak with Crissy so badly? Well, she has been singing backup for a long time with artists like Kelly Price and Beyonce. Not only that she sang with B. Chase Williams and Shabach for many years too! Who better to speak with?

TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT....... God opened the door for me to finally meet Crissy one on one, and she accepted the interview!
NOW YOU TELL ME IF YOU STILL THINK THE BACKGROUND IS FOR PEOPLE THAT CAN'T SING!

Crissy Collins of Beyonce's "The Mamas" makes an appearance on When We Speak TV!

I have been an admirer of Crissy Collins ever since I saw her in Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes To Jail (the play), in which she sang one of the best renditions of Jesus Loves Me that I’ve ever heard…..

…One day, I was sitting at Philips Arena in Atlanta, at the Beyonce, I AM Tour and when Beyonce introduced her background singers, to my surprise she says….”and Atlanta’s own Crissy Collins”.  I was like, “what?”!  I didn’t know that she sing background for Beyonce!

Then to my surprise, in 2010, I was singing in a choir for a Christmas celebration and Crissy Collins was one of the featured vocalists….. I was so amazed to see her but was too afraid to speak!  Then, once again to my surprise, the group I sing with was invited to sing at a program for guess who?  Crissy’s mom!  Once again, I saw Crissy but was afraid to speak to her! 

…To make a long story short, I ran into Crissy a few more times, as well as, attended some of her shows.  Each time I was too afraid to speak.

Then one day, I decided that I wanted to attend a show that Crissy Collins was having at Acoustix Jazz Lounge and Restaurant in Atlanta, but the only problem was I had an interview scheduled with Gareth Asher on the same day (around the same time).  That didn’t stop me….I decided I would do the interview at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur and then go to Crissy’s show even if I have to arrive late.   Well, to my surprise I made it on time and to my benefit I was seated right in front. 

That night, Crissy did an amazing performance and she also did something else that I didn’t expect….I was aware that Crissy loves audience participation and loves to put the microphone in your mouth for you to sing….well gues who she spotted out!  Yep! Me!  I was so nervous that I didn’t sing…… (but that’s ok, the next show that she did it, I was ready!)

Fast Forward…….

One day I was online and I received a message from someone on my Facebook wall and guess what it said……something like this……”Jermaine, inbox me, I want to give you my number so we can talk!”

Do I need to tell you that I was extremely excited?  You already know who it was…Crissy!

I am such a fan of Crissy and I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to speak with her on When We Speak!  I wanted to share that story just to encourage you that sometimes things don’t happen the way you want them to but if it’s God’s will, It will be done!  Have a great day!

MORE VIDEOS OF CRISSY COLLINS

@CrissyCollins presents "Date Night" in #ATL

I just wanted to share an event with you that you don't want to miss....If you are in Atlanta, come out and enjoy Crissy Collins at Acoustix Jazz Restaurant and Lounge. She will be there on September 12th and 26th.

If you don't know who Crissy Collins is; she currently sings background vocals for superstar Beyonce. She has also acted in Tyler Perry productions such as Madea's Big Happy Family and Madea Goes To Jail.




Here are a few clips of Crissy Collins:

From Tyler Perry To Beyonce (Crissy Collins- Up Close and Personal)

On Thursday, September 15th, I decided to go to a Crissy Collins performance at Café 290 in Atlanta. (I guess I don’t have to tell you that I enjoyed myself, you should know that, because I’m talking about it!) 

If you aren’t sure who Crissy Collins is, or have not heard her name before, let me briefly run down a little about her. You can see her in Tyler Perry’s plays Madea Goes To Jail and Madea’s Big Happy Family. If you’ve seen the play Madea Goes To Jail, Crissy plays the inmate Chico that Madea refers to as “young man”. In addition, if you’ve seen the play, she sang the (you know what) out of the song Yes Jesus Loves Me in this play. She also makes an appearance in some of the Tyler Perry movies… I can’t think of exactly which ones off hand but I think it was The Family That Preys and Madea’s Big Happy Family

In addition to her work with Tyler Perry, you can also see Crissy singing behind one of music’s most noticeable names, Beyonce. Yes, she is also a background singer for the music superstar Beyonce.
I heard Crissy sing in person back in December 2010 when she sang at the SW Atlanta Soulful Celebration, in which I sang in the choir on the song she led but I had never been to one of her performances. I also remember seeing her singing with Beyonce in Atlanta at the I Am Tour. It was great to experience Crissy Collins as an individual singer, it was definitely time well spent!
When We Speak TV wishes Crissy the best that life has to offer and much success as she continues to grow and prosper!
For more information on Crissy Collins and her music:
www.crissycollins.com

Buy Crissy Collins Music on Amazon.com