Tune in to Experience Talks, our weekly “Radio Magazine for the Experienced Listener,” on Sundays at 5:00 PM PT on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles, 98.7 FM Santa Barbara, 99.5 China Lake, 93.7 N. San Diego, streaming live online, and now syndicated on up to 100 Pacifica Network stations! Experience Talks is produced by EngAGE, Inc.
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Sunday 7/12 @ 5 PM PT:
JERRY LAWSON
with host JOHN SEMPER JR.
JERRY LAWSON fronted the legendary a cappella group The Persuasions for nearly 40 years. He led the celebrated quintet as they recorded and toured with numerous artists such as Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Liza Minnelli, Joni Mitchell and Frank Zappa. Anyone who had the privilege to hear them knows that their signature sound was defined by Lawson’s sweet and smoky baritone. As music writer Rip Rense put it, “By any fair measure, Lawson is really one of the best singers of the last 50 years — up there with Sam Cooke, David Ruffin, Brook Benton, Jerry Butler, Roy Hamilton & Nat King Cole.”
Lawson says, “In 2003, I had a calling. It was time to branch out and make some dreams come true. As soon as I left the Persuasions, I met Talk of the Town (another a capella group) and we made some beautiful music together.” Four years ago, Talk of the Town appeared as a contestant on NBC’s “The Sing-Off.” They didn’t win the competition, but millions of people saw them perform on the show. One of them was Eric Brace, a former music journalist at The Washington Post and friend of Lawson’s.
Brace, who had become a full-time musician in Nashville with his own record label, contacted Lawson to see if he wanted to record the solo album that had been a long-postponed dream. The result: Just A Mortal Man, produced by Brace, with vocals by Jerry Lawson, now 71. The album was released to favorable reviews in May.
Experience Talks is pleased to present the interview done by host John Semper Jr. with Jerry Lawson soon after the release of his CD with Talk of the Town. About half-way through, you’ll hear Jerry explain what happened to his plans to record a solo album. And now, at last, that album is available for purchase directly from Red Beet Records; you can also find it on Amazon. Hear an NPR interview (6:58) with Jerry about making Just A Mortal Man. Samples of the songs are at each of the links. And you can find Jerry on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JerryLawsonMusic.
