| Corinne Bailey Rae Speaks On Grammy Noms, U.S. Love And The Daily Grind |
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| Written by Ife Oshun | ||||
 27 year-old Corinne Bailey Rae has gone from being a little-known UK artist working as a nightclub hat check girl to a critically-lauded triple Grammy nominee... all in less than a year.
Her jaw-dropping self-titled debut, released June 2006, has garnered the acclaim and adoration of critics and music lovers on both sides of the Atlantic, was the first and only album to earn our 5 star rating, and continues to win over new fans with its genre-defying soul. The UK-born singer/songwriter whose influences include Led Zeppelin, Massive Attack, Jill Scott and Hole (Courtney Love's band) has been compared to Billie Holiday and other classic artists and, in March, made history as the first female British artist to enter the U.K. album chart at No. 1 with a debut album of original songs. Since then, Rae has toured the globe almost nonstop, as well as appeared on numerous U.S. television shows including "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," "Good Morning America," "Live with Regis and Kelly" and "The Tavis Smiley Show."
We recently caught up with the upcoming singer/songwriter (listen) to talk about a slew of things including her recent Grammy nominations, grueling schedule, the massive love she's received in the U.S. and her upcoming holiday plans. Corinne Bailey Rae AUDIO INTERVIEW
1. HiphopRnbSoul: First of all, congratulations on garnering three Grammy Nominations. How does it feel? Corinne Bailey Rae: "One of the best things of that day is I got to meet Mary J. Blige... she said 'I'm behind you I support you'... things like that are really amazing and quite surreal." Listen 2. HRS: What about the reports of you suffering massive racial abuse as a child?
Corinne Bailey Rae: "We were called half-caste... mixed race and mixed heritage and all these things. I just think the terms "mixed" and "half" are nor really accurate or logical in describing human beings. It's not like mixing two kinds of dogs or something. I think humans are kind of all the same." Listen 3. HRS: It's rare for a new artist from outside the States to become extremely popular and get such massive radio, audience and critical love with a debut set. How does all the love feel? Listen 4. HRS: Your delivery on "I'd Like To" reminds me of Bill Withers. Is there a connection there?
Corinne Bailey Rae: "I think he's going to be making some sort of appearance at the Grammys this year and if I get to see him play that would really be a dream come true... Something like "Lean On Me" sounds to me like the song that's always existed... I think he's one of the greatest that have ever been." Listen 6. HRS: With all the gigs and appearances you have, what are some of the ones you most look forward to? Listen
7. HRS: What are your plans for the holidays? Listen 8. HRS: Your journey as an artist is so inspirational, what words of advice can you give the many indie and unsigned artists out there who may feel they're not exactly where they want to be? Listen
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