She’s an R&B singer in an era when rhythm and blues has gone pop. But that doesn’t mean Millie Jackson is any kind of antique piece. The 63 year old is still getting down and belting out songs that would make Beyonce blush. She arrived in Belize for the first time and she and I had quite a chat. Here’s how it went.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
She arrived in Belize like just another visitor passing through Philip Goldson International Airport but sixty three year Millie Jackson is no ordinary individual. She remains as one of the most controversial and uncut R&B artists of her time.
Millie is in Belize for a one time only performance at a Mother’s Day special.
Millie’s singing career stretches over four decades and it has been quite an interesting ride for this singer and song writer whose style of telling it like it is no matter who she offends has resulted in a string of successful albums and R&B singles. I had a sit down with this musical icon at the PGIA and as I expected Millie was nothing but herself.
Jacqueline Godwin,
The year I was born I understand that your career had just gotten off to a start and it all started off as a dare.
Millie Jackson,
“Well you are getting of on a very bad start.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
No man, no that is actually a compliment to you Millie. I mean to be in this business for forty three years and still going strong.
Millie Jackson,
“I have been in this business for forty three years! I guess I have huh.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
And it all started off as a dare I understand in a talent competition?
Millie Jackson,
“No, it was not even a competition. I was just being Millie. She sounded bad and I said she sound terrible and they said yo, I said yah, anybody can and so they bet me five dollars that I would not go up and sing and I went up and sing.
You know I just do what comes natural and it feels good. Hey, that’s it. Do what feels goods. Life is too short to be walking around with drudgery and all of this stuff on your back and moping and groping and frowning and being upset. Frowns make you look old.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
That’s true it gives you the lines.
Millie Jackson,
“But I still have the lines right here from laughing all the time.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
You have made so many hits throughout your career but I know Belizeans will definitely remember if loving you is wrong then I don’t want to be right.
Millie Jackson,
“Okay we still do that one. Don’t scare me by recalling all those songs that we do not do anymore.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Why? That is what made you Millie.
Millie Jackson,
“I said I still do that one.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So why should that scare you?
Millie Jackson,
“Because they were naming songs that I, my band don’t know that. I forgot that. We do not know that song. That one we still do know.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
I understand that Gladys Knight; you were inspired by Gladys Knight.
Millie Jackson,
“Yes, that’s my hero.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
But it must makes you feel good because people are actually comparing you to this person that you were inspired by.
Millie Jackson,
“Yes, it is good but she follows me you know because I grew up with her and you know she is my hero so therefore anytime I do a ballad she finds out and I am going in fact I try so hard to get away from her where I am recording and she comes out and get on my record. She is responsible, she is the reason why I am going to hell because I have to curse to get away from her.”
Louis Escobar, Avid fan of Millie Jackson
“This is my day because I’ve listened to every song from Millie Jackson and I didn’t know that today I would have met her.”
Millie Jackson,
“All this time you’ve been saying I need Millie Jackson, I need Millie Jackson and now you meet Millie Jackson and you go, ‘that’s what I’ve been waiting for?”
Today she still performs on the stage but for the past decade she has been a radio talk show host and she says it is all clean.
Millie Jackson,
“Oh yeah in Dallas Texas.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
What is that like?
Millie Jackson,
“Whatever I decide it to be. They play the music and I do the talking, whatever I want to talk about as long as I don’t use profanity so they’ll lose their license its cool. I haven’t used profanity on the radio in ten years.”
On Saturday Millie will be at the House of Culture. The show is organized by Bounce Enterprises in collaboration with WIN-Belize.
Jacqueline Godwin,
Why Millie?
Gweneth Longsworth Williams, Local Promoter
“Well Millie is a favourite of mine for many years. I love her, I really do, I love her music. I play it all the time and I think all Belizeans like her as we know.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So you are going to bring back some golden oldies for Belizeans?
Millie Jackson,
“Yes. A few of them medley whatever and some of the new stuff. I probably will talk until you all get tired of me and then I sing a song then I talk until I see people snoring and then I’ll sing songs.”
The special Mother’s Day show by Millie Jackson gets underway this Saturday at nine at the House of Culture. Jackson will be backed by the Gilharry Seven Band. Tickets are fifty dollars or sixty dollars on the night of show.
