They say you’re only as relevant as your fans and when you have been off the scene for quite a few years, resurfacing should be well crafted and executed. When I was asked to interview Morris Day at the 2013 UNCF Gala last week, I mentally did a cartwheel into a backflip and started singing in my head and yes, the dance moves accompanied the songs. Morris Day hasn’t pushed out any new hits and he isn’t blowing up on social medias but he was an 80’s classic…at least in my mind, so he got a pass. His catchy lyrics and dramatic stage presence with his trusted side-kick, Jerome, were always entertaining at best.
As I approached his team of people (is a posse still needed?), they were surprised by my request as if it had never been discussed. I was greeted with, “No, Morris will not be doing any camera interviews and you cannot take pictures. You will have to wait until after the show when he is did up.”
Did he just say “did up?”.
My mind was calculating time. It’s 4:30 p.m., I’ve arrived at the scheduled time for this interview per HIS team, which was 3 hours earlier than the commencing of the gala and I was being stonewalled. “Do you mind if I ask him a few questions?” is what I tossed into the conversation. What occurred next blew me away! The men walked a few feet, turned their backs as if to prevent me from overhearing, and started whispering among themselves. I stood there but my mind was having a conversation which sounded like, “are you kidding me? There are no groupies in here and no Time members in sight or at least none that I can recognize due to time passing.”
The conversation took a wee bit too long and I noticed Morris leaning against a table doing absolutely nothing. I’m guessing that the men were to pose as a shield of sorts so I decided to interrupt. A man turned to me, and while tapping my shoulder for emphasis, said, “uuum, sweetie, we will be with you in a minute. How long did you say this was going to take?”. I wanted to shake my head in dismay. It’s amazing to me that when you see things as they are, no response is necessary because it would be a waste of effort. It was clear that someone’s position has gone to their head and was being translated in an unprofessional manner.
After I introduced myself, I immediately let Morris know that I was a fan of his music and that not too many artists can claim much success over so many decades. As we talked briefly, it was revealed that he wasn’t working on any new projects and he was also not on anyone’s performance schedule. If wearing shades during the interview was to prevent any visible display of emotion, his face was the tell after mentioning the lack of activity on the calendar. I was disappointed by his lackluster responses and I knew that was my cue to end the Q & A. I quickly brought our exchange to a close, thanked him for taking the time to speak with me, and exited stage left to allow my paparazzi to capture pictures of the evening.
>Morris Day, thank you for showing me that ego trumps being a class act. No longer will I think of your tunes as timeless pieces of musical history. Oh, Baby, you were definitely not Cool and the Color of Success has you Daydreaming of visions of grandeur. I understand that A Man’s Pride may be Tricky and have you in Dreamland, but this Sexy Socialite won’t be Standing on the Line for any of your performances.
