My next guest is Russell Oliver Stone is a British heritage artist best known for his 1976, No. 5, UK charting duet “We Do It” as part of R & J Stone.

Russell began his professional singing career as a member of the James Last Choir and has worked in all areas of the music business such as TV, radio, touring and cabaret. He accompanied a wide variety of artistes including Marvin Gaye, Adam Ant, Tony Bennett, Twisted Sister, Sir Cliff Richard and Right Said Fred.

More recently Russell has been on a conscious spiritual journey since attending a clinic for alcoholism in 1992, and he has been sober for 29 years. He continues to study the great wisdom traditions of the East – Yoga, Buddhism and Sufism – as well as the Western tradition of Transpersonal Psychology.

Sheree Brown is best remembered in the UK for her 1981 single It’s A Pleasure, released on Capitol Records. She is also recipient of a prestigious ASCAP Award for songwriting and holds multiple gold and platinum record distinctions for “Groove Thang” sampled by Zhane, and songs co-written with Grammy nominated composer and multi-instrumentalist Patrice Rushen (Forget Me Not,  Haven’t You Heard, Remind Me and Looking for You, which was a #1 hit sampled by Kirk Franklin).

Join me as I chat with Sheree Brown, about the songs from her childhood with which she has an emotional connection.  Hear Sheree discuss growing up in LA during the Race Riots, being the eldest of 8 siblings and how a relationship inspired which song, and why.

#TheMusicMyLife

My guest is Habaka, the 2019 Black Music Award recipient of 'Best Performer', jazz, Las Vegas.  She is also known as the Panther of Cremona.  It was unavoidable, following in the family’s footsteps as a singer/songwriter. The family’s heritage is steeped in music. Her grandfather Jeri Jackson was a pianist and promoter, grand mother Irene Jackson a dancer and her mother Mary Ann Jackson a dancer and jazz vocalist. Her own father Melvin Jackson was band leader to Bobby Bluebland for 10 years and saxophonist to BB King for more than a decade. Music was in her blood.

Her early life was spent on tour with a cabaret and aged 11 her mother declined an invitation for her child to join the legendary Alvin Ailey Dance troupe and at the age of 13 Habaka spent three years in a psychiatric hospital; a major turning point in her life and faith.

Find out how this talented musician over came the feeling that she was ‘singing the devil’s music’ to now appreciating how the music she sings, has a message and how her faith, discovered aged 7, has never failed her.

My guest on “The Music: My Life” features the Ghanian born, London based writer Frances Mensah Williams, who was awarded a CBE in the 2020 Queen’s New Year’s Honours for her services to the African community in the UK and Africa.

In her frank interview on Chocolate-Radio.com, Frances discusses growing up in Ghana as one of six children, living a semi-nomadic life.

Find out which tracks bring back memories of her father, the civil rights issues of the US and the UK, and which song brings back recollections of the brother with whom she was close, and why.

#TheMusicMyLife