Jimmy Jam & Donnie Simpson

Jimmy Jam (L) & Donnie Simpson (R)

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Donnie Simpson Talks To Jimmy Jam & Reveals How He Found His Radio Voice & Broke Onto The Airwaves | Up Close & Personal

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The legendary radio DJ Donnie Simpson and songwriter-producer Jimmy Jam survey their long friendship and chop it up about the entertainment business hustle
Morgan Enos
Membership
Feb 10, 2021 - 6:58 am

Last October, the radio giant Donnie Simpson was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame alongside The Breakfast Club, Sway Calloway and the late Cokie Roberts. Naturally, he’s in the mood to survey his half-century-long career and assess the road ahead.

In the Recording Academy's latest edition of Up Close & Personal, Simpson links up with his old friend Jimmy Jam—who’s made waves since the '80s as a songwriter and producer alongside fellow GRAMMY-winning icon Terry Lewis—to discuss their meeting story and the arc of his remarkable career.

Therein, Simpson describes how puberty delivered his signature announcer’s timbre, how he got his foot in the door as a DJ and how success found him at just 15. He also looks back at his fertile TV career—in particular, his legacy with BET, for whom he hosted the primetime music video show "Video Soul."

"I don’t care how much money you make or how much you pay me. Nothing could ever surpass what we created—the history of BET," Simpson declares. "I don’t care what Bob [Johnson, BET’s founder] paid me. To know that we created this country’s first Black television network and grew that thing into what it became—there’s no price on it."

Check out the entire 80-minute video above and marinate in the history of a true American radio and TV original.

Radio And TV Legend Donnie Simpson On The Key To His Decades-Long Career: "I Don't Have To Be Great––I Just Have To Be Me"

Donnie Simpson

Donnie Simpson

Photo: Aaron Davidson/Getty Images

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Radio And TV Legend Donnie Simpson On The Key To His Decades-Long Career: "I Don't Have To Be Great––I Just Have To Be Me"

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In honor of his recent induction into the Radio Hall Of Fame, GRAMMY.com highlights the broadcasting icon's celebrated career, his impact on media and culture, and his ongoing advocacy for Black representation in radio and TV
Eliza Berkon
GRAMMYs
Jan 6, 2021 - 3:43 pm

About five years ago, Washington, D.C., DJ Donnie Simpson emerged from retirement after a little coaxing from his wife, Pam.

"She framed it really [nicely]. She said, 'Donnie, everywhere you go, all you hear is how much people love you and they wish you'd do something else. And God has given you a gift that you should be sharing with people,'" Simpson tells GRAMMY.com over a Zoom interview. "That's what she said, but what I heard was, 'Get out.'"

The affable radio and television icon ultimately returned to the airwaves in 2015. Five years later, he received one of the highest accolades in the radio industry: Last October, he was inducted into the Radio Hall Of Fame, an honor recognizing his contributions to the radio medium over the last half-century. 

The honor is the culmination of the legend's celebrated, decades-long career in radio, which launched in the '70s when a teenaged Simpson got his start on the Detroit airwaves. At the time, he looked to a handful of local DJs as mentors, including the high-spirited Ernie Durham. 

"I did not adopt his on-air style, but I try very much to adopt his off-air style. He always carried it with class," Simpson said of Durham. "And that was the example to me: to always be kind to people, to look people in the eye, no matter who they were."

It wasn't until Simpson left Detroit, in 1977, and logged his first few years at WKYS 93.9 in D.C.––a station he would reformat and lead to No. 1 as program director––that he found his stride on air, he says. 

"It's something I always say, and it's so true: I don't have to be great––I just have to be me," Simpson says. "Being you always works because that's the spirit that connects us. That's the thing that makes you real to people; they feel you when you are you. When you're trying to be something else, they know that, too."

Simpson says he's long avoided listening to recordings of himself for fear that the inevitable analysis would disrupt the "magic" of what he'd helped create. That approach also extended to his TV career, which started—not counting a role he now laughs about on a short-lived dance show in Detroit—when he served as backup sports anchor for WRC-TV in the early '80s. Not long after, he began hosting a relatively new show on the then-burgeoning BET network. Simpson had concerns about whether the show was the right fit for him.

"BET, in its infancy, wasn't a very pretty baby. The quality wasn't there. I've always been protective of image, because that's all I have," Simpson says. "But after thinking about it for two days, I decided this: This is our first Black television network. If you have something to offer it, you have to do it."

The two-hour show, "Video Soul," which spotlighted Black artists at a time when MTV was almost exclusively focused on white musicians, became BET's highest-rated program at one point.

Jeriel Johnson, executive director of the Recording Academy's Washington, D.C., chapter, remembers watching "Video Soul" as a teen in his Cincinnati home. Simpson, he says, was a "steady presence of Black excellence."

"He was the face of BET," Johnson says. "He was just a staple, and he had such a calming voice and he was super smooth. I just looked up to him as a young, Black kid who loved music ... And I remember seeing him and being like, 'Wow, I could be on TV, too. If he can, I can.'"

On the program, Simpson interviewed artists who were already riding the waves of success or were well on their way: Jodeci, SWV, New Edition, En Vogue, Mariah Carey, Take 6, Whitney Houston. Regardless of the star who graced the couch each night, Simpson took the same approach.

"For every guest I ever had on 'Video Soul,' they would bring me a bio with all this information on the artist … I wouldn't even read it," Simpson remembers. "That's the point of the interview, for me to get to know you."

Elise Perry, a producer and the president of the Recording Academy's Washington, D.C., chapter, worked behind the scenes on "Video Soul" in the '90s, a pivotal decade for both R&B and hip-hop, she notes.

"All of these different subgenres of R&B really started to have an uptick in the '90s, and the fact that BET was present visually at that time, representing Black music in that way—it was a very special time," Perry says. "There were a lot of Black folk there, and it was just like a party. It was where I got my 'master's degree,' I call it. Everybody was family … It was just like a mecca."

Read: Meet The Recording Academy D.C. Chapter's First Black Female President, Elise Perry

Simpson treated the crew like family and has continued to provide unparalleled support for the D.C. community over the years, Perry, a D.C. native, says.

"He's our family. He's our brother. He's our uncle. He's that dude next door. He's our neighbor. He's our friend," she says.

"Family" is also how GRAMMY-nominated producer Chucky Thompson describes Simpson, who had a big impact on him when he was growing up in D.C.

"I've learned so much about people from him, just the way that he's been excited about their careers," he says of Simpson. "It transcends to you. It's like, 'Wait a minute, Donnie's excited? Now I'm excited.'"

For Thompson, who helped craft hits for Faith Evans, Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Blige in the '90s, "Video Soul" was formative.

"It was almost like another version of what 'Soul Train' meant," Thompson says. "But [Simpson] got even more personal with you because he was able to talk to the artists and give you a little bit of insight on what their journeys were … He gave me a lot of information on how to make it in this business."

"Donnie Simpson is the standard," Joe Clair, comedian, radio personality, on-air veteran and host of "The Joe Clair Morning Show" on WPGC 95.5 FM in Washington, D.C., adds. "My mom and dad loved him, my siblings love him and people from a generation after me love him. That is a testament to who he is as a broadcaster and what he means to us as a voice for our community. I've worked with him throughout  the years, and he's given me valuable advice both for career moves and for negotiating my worth. He is a shining example for a life in radio and television on your own terms."

Yet becoming successful in the business, including achieving financial success, wasn't an easy journey for Simpson. The DJ has been vocal about the need for equitable pay for Black DJs. In recalling his own path to multimillion-dollar contracts, Simpson turns to a lyric from Elton John's "I've Seen That Movie Too": "It's a habit I have / I don't get pushed around."

"I've walked out [on deals], because you're not going to get me for half [the] price because I'm Black; those days are over," Simpson says, adding that in Detroit, he made one-fifth of what white DJs were making. "That was a very significant part of my career, to be able to be a part of changing that narrative, to letting them know you have to pay Black talent."

Simpson has also advocated for stations to put more of the DJ back into DJing. In the past few decades, he notes, many DJs have watched their curated playlists and airtime drift away due to technological advances and the consolidation of station ownership.

"So much of its personality has been stripped from it," Simpson says of the art of DJing. "I play whatever I want to play every day, but that's the magic of it to me … I don't want a computer programming music for me, because every day feels different. And I like to be tapped into that feeling."

In 1974, Simpson played Elton John's "Bennie And The Jets" on his show in Detroit, a decision he says he fretted about because "Black folks didn't know Elton John." He played the song twice that evening and got an overwhelming response from callers. John himself was soon on the phone with Simpson to discuss the record's success in Detroit; he handed Simpson a gold record for the single six months later.

"It's music that you wouldn't traditionally associate with Black radio; it's Elton. But that was a lesson to me," Simpson says. "It's all music to me; I don't care who made it. I just care what it sounds like [and] if it fits what I'm doing."

The fact that most DJs no longer have the latitude to craft their own playlists is a big loss for radio, Simpson says.

"You have young people out here with great ears that will never get the chance to express themselves musically because it's all programmed for them," he says. "I used to love it when wheels would touch down in Atlanta or New Orleans [or] L.A.—wherever it was. I couldn't wait to pull out my little transistor radio and hear what they were doing in that city, because it was always different."

After Simpson learned he'd be inducted into the Radio Hall Of Fame this year, he took a look at its roster of honorees over the past three decades. When he didn't see New York DJ and “Chief Rocker" Frankie Crocker and other Black radio icons on the list, the announcement gave him pause.

"These are voices that you should know about, some great talents through the years ... legends that have gone largely ignored," he says. "But I also, in my acceptance speech, acknowledged that the [Radio Hall Of Fame] is trying to correct that. You look at the list of inductees this year, with Angie Martinez, The Breakfast Club, Sway Calloway and me––man, it's like #OscarsTooBlack. It's a lot of people of color that went in this year. So they have recognized that, and I applaud them for that."

At a time when systemic racism and police brutality against Black people have come to the forefront of the national dialogue, Simpson says he feels compelled to speak out.

"If I were not on the radio, if I didn't have a microphone, I think I would still feel that responsibility to whatever people I encounter that I could talk to, to tell them how important this moment in history is for us," Simpson says. "I am so honored that I have had a platform for, now, 51 years to allow these voices to come on the radio or on TV and talk about these matters that make a difference to our community."

In 2010, Simpson retired from WPGC, where he'd hosted a morning show for nearly two decades, after contending with a "toxic" environment. But five years later, he was back at the other end of the dial on D.C.'s WMMJ Majic 102.3. Now, another retirement seems like the furthest thing from his mind.

"What's there not to love about it? I sit there kicking it with people I love. We have all the fun we can stand," Simpson says.

As praise continues to roll in from industry A-listers for his Radio Hall Of Fame induction, Simpson has advice for the many artists and listeners who now look to him for guidance as he once looked to his own mentors: "Be kind."

Each morning, Simpson takes a walk or run beside the Potomac River. While he says there's a health benefit to the ritual, he's got an additional reason to step out of his door.

"What I'm really doing is collecting smiles," Simpson says. "That's kind of my purpose: to bring warmth and joy."

Tune in for a special Up Close & Personal conversation discussing Donnie Simpson's career and life in broadcasting. Moderated by Jimmy Jam, the event premieres Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 4:30 p.m. PST/7:30 p.m. EST via the Recording Academy's official Facebook page.

Beyond The Beltway: A Closer Look At Washington D.C.'s Vibrant Music Community

Grammys Newsletter

Remote (Controlled) Pt. 1

Courtesy of The Recording Academy on Facebook

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How Do I Record My Own Music? The Recording Academy's Brand-New "Remote (Controlled)" Series Is Here To Help

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In the first installment of our three-part webinar series, "Remote (Controlled)," studio professionals break down what you'll need to record at home—from preamps to pop filters to the best set of headphones
Morgan Enos
GRAMMYs
Jan 28, 2021 - 3:00 pm

​If you're a budding musician or producer, there will come a day when you realize it's time to step up your game. When you've poured thousands of hours into your craft, substandard audio won't cut it. To transfer your creations to a stranger's ears cleanly, you're going to need quality, affordable gear and a little bit of know-how.

That's where our brand-new "Remote (Controlled)" series is here to help. Launching today, the three-part virtual webinar series from the Recording Academy's Membership team reveals the ins-and-outs of home recording. Our first episode, premiering below, consists of two conversations with our Producers & Engineers Wing members. P&E Senior Managing Director Maureen Droney introduces the series; Washington, D.C. Chapter P&E Committee co-chairs Dan Merceruio and Carolyn Malachi lead the conversations.

In the first half of the hour-long clip, recording engineer Jake Vicious and multi-instrumentalist/producer Asha Santee discuss how to record acoustic percussion instruments, such as Cajon, bongos, and shaker. Helpfully, the pair doesn't bombard the viewer with technical jargon but rather starts with the basics: Get yourself a decent interface, microphone, cables, mic stand, a MIDI keyboard (if you need one) and a DAW (digital audio workstation) such as Logic Pro X or Pro Tools.

Whether you're an absolute beginner or already know a thing or two about recording, the discussion abounds with helpful tips, from measuring mic distance by making a hang-ten symbol to the differences between dynamic and condenser mics. (Bonus: The tips and tricks featured in the video also apply to audio for podcasting.) Because it's a lighthearted chat between friends rather than a dry dissertation, the pair illuminates and clarifies what can be a confusing subject.

"I think it's really awesome for artists to understand what happens with sound and the equipment that they use inside of studios—just so they're aware," Santee remarks at one point while adjusting a noisy condenser mic. "When situations like this happen, we know what to do."

The second half consists of an exchange between singer/songwriter and Howard University student Samiyah Muhammad and producer-engineer Marcus Marshall. While Vicious and Santee are seasoned professionals, Muhammad has a bare-bones setup—VTech headphones, a Blue Yeti USB mic and a MacBook Air loaded up with GarageBand.

Read More: Remote (Controlled): The Recording Academy’s Guide To Making Your Livestreams Look And Sound Good

With a breezy, supportive air, Marshall encourages her to research more advanced DAWs on the market. "I always suggest for people that are getting into recording to kind of try all of them and see which one works best for you," he explains. "For the most part, all of them will get you to your end result. It really just depends on what you like, what you prefer, and what some of the workflows are." Marshall also offers tips about using pop filters, eliminating background noise, and communicating with engineers to avoid headaches during the mixing and mastering processes.

"Remote (Controlled)" teaches everyday people to explore the tools at their disposal and make what might seem like a tedious act a creative opportunity. "This is great; this is great!" Santee exclaims at one point while pointing a cardioid mic at a pair of bongos. "I already feel empowered and like I'm going to get a better sound this time. Let's give it another shot!"

See below for a resource guide containing every device and system mentioned in this week's episode of "Remote (Controlled)."

Equipment Checklist

  • Microphone(s)
    • e.g. Neumann TLM 103, Sony C100, Manley Reference Cardioid, Peluso 22 251, etc.
    • Budget-friendly Recs: Shure SM58, Aston Spirit, Aston Origin, Rode NT1-A, Blue Microphones, Sennheiser MK
  • Pop Filter (Optional, but highly recommended for recording vocals)
    • Especially for condenser mics
    • e.g. Stedman Proscreen XL
  • Audio Interface 
    • e.g. Universal Audio Apollo Twin, M-Audio Fast Track, etc.
  • Headphones
    • ​Recommended: Closed-back headphones (rather than open-back), especially ones made for studio recording (rather than for listening experience, which may be EQ'd differently)
    • Look to companies like Shure, Audio-Technica, Sennheiser, AKG etc.
  • Studio Monitors (Optional)
  • Cables
    • e.g. XLR cables, 1/4-inch cables, etc.
  • DAW (Digital Audio Workstations)
    • ​e.g. Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Presonus Studio One 5 Prime (free), etc.
  • VST Plugins (Optional)
    • ​e.g. Native Instruments Komplete, etc.

Best Practices

  1. Make yourself comfortable in your space: That is how you will get your best work
  2. Find the sound sweet spot in your room. (If possible, have somebody play while you listen around the room for the best sound.)
  3. Know what kind of mic you're using and what it is typically used for; this could affect how you choose to position your mic. (Mic types: Condenser, Cardioid, Omnidirectional, etc.)
  4. Spend time with mic placement: If you don't like what you hear, move the mic—placement is key
  5. Name your tracks before you record
  6. Name your sessions in a way that gives you or somebody else a lot of information (find suggested naming conventions in the Producers & Engineers Wing's "Recommendation for Delivery of Recorded Music Projects") 
  7. Identify and eliminate environmental noise (AC, heater, television, maybe even loud jewelry, etc.) while recording

Room Treatments

  1. The biggest problems in your studio are sources of reflection (parallel walls)
  2. What can help:
    • Foam panels (cost-effective)
    • Diffusers

Delivery

  • Best session notes are detailed
    • Mic/instrument/placement (i.e. "Track 1-TLM 103, Cajon, front")
  • Know your engineer's specifications (what their sample rates are)
  • Send .wav files, don't send MP3s

TRUST YOUR EAR!

  • Do a rough mix so the engineer has a sense of how you want it to sound

Remote (Controlled): The Recording Academy’s Guide To Recording Music Remotely With A Producer & Engineer

Grammys Newsletter

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Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

Photo: Marselle Washington

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35 Years In, Legendary Duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Finally Release Their Debut Album, 'Jam & Lewis Volume One'

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GRAMMY-winning superproducers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis detail making their first full-length album, 'Jam & Lewis Volume One,' their Midas touch, and their groundbreaking involvement with the Recording Academy
Christopher A. Daniel
GRAMMYs
Jul 9, 2021 - 11:23 am

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were actively writing and producing for their musical alter ego, The Secret, in 1986 when a demo they'd just completed caught the attention of an A&M Records executive. That minimal dance-pop track went on to become Janet Jackson's first Top Five hit, "What Have You Done For Me Lately," and put Jam and Lewis' personal recording careers on the backburner for awhile, their hit-making production and songwriting skills suddenly and incessantly in-demand.

The GRAMMY-winning Minneapolis natives' induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017 encouraged them to revisit their dream to make their own albums. The prolific twosome is finally releasing their debut full-length project, Jam & Lewis Volume One, today, July 9, via BMG in collaboration with their revamped label, Perspective Records. At approximately 50 minutes, the Oscar and Emmy nominees' 10-track effort features The Sounds of Blackness, Toni Braxton, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Babyface, Boyz II Men, Usher, Charlie Wilson, The Roots, Heather Headley, Morris Day, and Jerome Benton.

"We would love it if people listened to the record from start to finish," Jam said. "The thought process for all of the artists on the album is if you say the artist name and mention it's a new song by them, what would you want that song to sound like?  We use the word 'newstalgia,' which is the discovery moment of hearing something new but that comforting moment of familiarity."

Jam and Lewis originally pivoted and morphed into accomplished songwriters and producers after departing from the Prince-produced funk outfit The Time in 1983. The fedora and sunglass-wearing pair's knack for tailor-making tunes regardless of genres under their imprint, Flyte Tyme Productions, resulted in timeless classics for Klymaxx, Cheryl Lynn, The Human League, The S.O.S. Band, Alexander O'Neal, Cherelle, Herb Alpert, Force MDs, Robert Palmer, George Michael, New Edition, Michael Jackson, Yolanda Adams, TLC, Vanessa Williams, Patti Labelle, Barry White, Elton John, and Gwen Stefani.

The multi-instrumentalists, who originally met as teenagers at a college readiness program, have placed 41 songs in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100; earned more number one singles (16!) than any other songwriter and producer in history, and received over 100 gold and platinum plaques. The winner of five GRAMMYs, Jam and Lewis earned 11 career Producer Of The Year nominations, more than any other in the history of the Recording Academy. In 2007, Jam became the Recording Academy's first Black chair of the board.

GRAMMY.com recently caught up with Jam and Lewis to hear details about making their first full-length album, their Midas touch, and their groundbreaking involvement with the Recording Academy.

What's that like coming full circle as sought-after producers and artists?

Jam: Being outfront feels interesting. We really are the assist guys; we set the artists up to score, so it's a little different being the scorers this time. We're prepared for it because we started out as artists with The Time 40 years ago, but our artistry is all really based on just making everybody look really good. So with all of the artists involved, they're the inspiration for what we do. The difference [on this album] is our name is in big letters instead of little letters, but we pretty much do the same thing.

Lewis: We're used to being Nostradamus for everyone. All of the artists that we work with, we're fans of those people: their art and of them as humans. The hang factor is always high there. This project is a reflection of that; we got to hang with the people that we love and make music.

The long story is after the music stops being created and you let it part from your hands, then the other things begin. That's the part I'm still trying to get used to because I'm used to it for someone else. People love the songs, but now they're asking about videos, who's doing the artwork for the album cover, or who's the stylist. I hadn't thought about that. We can see everyone else from a 360-degree cycle, so we have to incorporate other people to help us see the vision for what we can't see. That's a little strange because we've never had management or too much of the other fluff things that make successful artists. Being an artist is no joke; it's no day at the beach.

How did you decide on which artists to collaborate with for your debut project?

Jam: We made a wishlist, which is ever-evolving, of people that we wanted to work with. Terry always calls it "hang factories:" the people we enjoy just being around whether we're making music or just hanging out. Then subject to their availability or other factors that go into it, that's how we determined the ten we thought were good enough to have. We also thought we wanted to have something that was long enough.

It was a combination of people we've worked with before and really loved working with, a few people that we've never had the chance to work with before, so it was a good opportunity to do that. There's a volume two already in the works and hopefully a volume three and four. One of our goals overall is we want to leave music in a better place than we found it; we can do that by creating music with great artists. It elevates everything, especially Black music.

Did your track record with Janet Jackson influence this album in any way?

Jam: The Control album days that we worked on with Janet helped us realize the palette we had to work with was endless. It wasn't that we had to say we couldn't do uptempo or downtempo, in this key, a rock song or a sensual love song. Everything was open, and we got a sense of trust with each other right away. That's been the key.

[Her] albums up to All For You and later Unbreakable, we did the whole album. Not only were we able to do the songs on the album, but we were able to arrange them in the order with the little interludes in between, so it was almost like telling a story or reading a book. That's how great records were done.

What's Going On by Marvin Gaye is probably our favorite albums of all-time because of the way the songs are sequenced and how they flow together with continuous thought. That, to me, was always the brilliance of making albums. That's what we love about doing this Jam & Lewis album; it's an actual album. There's something that's very special about that.

Watch For The Record: Inside Marvin Gaye's Revolutionary 'What's Going On' At 50

Is there a story that you're telling with the album sequencing?

Jam: The Sounds of Blackness was our musical foundation. It's very good for us to see our label logo for Perspective Records also. When we started Perspective 30 years ago this year, our idea was to give people the music that they needed, not necessarily what they wanted. The first foray into that was signing The Sounds of Blackness and the song, "Optimistic," which to this day is our favorite song that we've ever been involved with.

Our theory was if you're gonna build a nice tall building for success, the first thing to do is dig that foundation deep. Thirty years later as we come back to that Perspective label, it was that same idea. Let's dig that foundation deep. The Sounds of Blackness start our record with "Til' I Found You," which is appropriate to start off anything that you're doing. That was really important to us to try to do as the first thing you hear sonically. It sets the tone.

Lewis: It bookends. "Babylove" with Morris Day and Jerome Benton [who were also in The Time] as the last record is the beginning of our beginning. We have the beginning and the beginning at both ends of the record. That was very special to us and important to have that inclusive nature. Sounds of Blackness was the beginning of our record label 30 years ago, and [Morris Day and] The Time was the beginning of our artistry 40 years ago.

"When we started Perspective [Records] 30 years ago this year, our idea was to give people the music that they needed, not necessarily what they wanted. The first foray into that was signing The Sounds of Blackness and the song, 'Optimistic,' which to this day is our favorite song that we've ever been involved with." Jimmy Jam

How did the coronavirus pandemic and social climate affect plans for the album release?

Lewis: The last year was a little inconvenient. I used the last year to learn about things and to do things that I never had time to do. When people started talking about getting back to normal, I always say normal was overrated. Normal was not having enough time to spend with your family, running from here to there, being in meetings about meetings. I'm just not that guy.

There's always been racial unrest; it's magnified now because everybody slowed down enough to visualize it. The world is paying attention at the same time. When does that happen with the way the world works now? People had time off from work, so they had time to march. If those things happen six months from now, I don't know if the same results will come. How we handle that is we stay diligent and get over people's preferences. If you can't want for someone else the same things that you want for you and your family, then you don't deserve it. I want everybody to have the same opportunities that I have. If you got the goods, bring it on. It's enough for everybody.

Jam: Ditto. What he said.

What's your relationship like with the Recording Academy?

Jam: When we got involved with the GRAMMYs probably around '86, we were told if we joined the Academy, then we could vote for ourselves. We got nominated for Producer Of The Year [in 1987], voted for ourselves, and won. It was great, and it set us on a path where we have to live up to that.

Someone asked me about being on the board. I'd always thought of the organization as a one-night-a-year awards show. I didn't realize that year-round work was going into advocacy, music education, fundraising for schools and instruments, and MusiCares. When I got involved, I felt the music community was my community. I ran and ended up becoming vice chair, took that experience and ended up becoming chair. I ran uncontested. It was great, and it ushered in the 50th anniversary of the GRAMMYs.

I was the first African American chair of the GRAMMYs. One thing on my agenda was always diversity; membership was important because we're a member organization. There's nothing like receiving an award from your peers. What was cool was after becoming chairman, Harvey Mason jr, the new CEO, said the 50th anniversary when I was honored planted the seed in him. He knew someday he'd like to get involved and do something.

To have that inspiration for people is really the best thing that came out of it: for people to see me and know they can make a difference and get involved. I love the organization, but we're only as good as our members, and we have great members. That's the beauty of the Recording Academy. We're more relevant now than we've ever been. We're on a great path with great leadership, and I couldn't be more proud to be involved with the organization.

"It's great to be a part of the fabric of something great, and music is that great thing... As Jam said, it's a connector and what connects us all. To be a part of that is one of the most awesome feelings in the world, to think that we've added something to the world that no one can ever subtract. I know we've added some good music to the world because that was our passion; that's the gift that God gave us." Terry Lewis

What crosses your mind anytime people call you legends or icons?

Lewis: With music being the soundtrack of life, it's just great to be a part of people's lives. It's great to be a part of the fabric of something great, and music is that great thing. I really don't understand for the life of me why people don't wanna buy music anymore, but so be it. We just gotta figure out a new paradigm. Music is part of the fabric of who we are. We would live in a terrible world if we didn't have music. If we didn't have melody or just couldn't hear it, that would be tragic.

As Jam said, it's a connector and what connects us all. To be a part of that is one of the most awesome feelings in the world, to think that we've added something to the world that no one can ever subtract. I know we've added some good music to the world because that was our passion; that's the gift that God gave us. It feels really really awesome.

Donnie Simpson Talks To Jimmy Jam & Reveals How He Found His Radio Voice & Broke Onto The Airwaves | Up Close & Personal

Grammys Newsletter

Remote (Controlled) Pt. 3

Courtesy of The Recording Academy on Facebook

 
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Remote (Controlled): The Recording Academy’s Guide To Making Your Livestreams Look And Sound Good

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In the third and final installment of the three-part webinar series, musicians and engineers reveal how to make your livestreamed performance shine
Morgan Enos
Membership
Feb 11, 2021 - 1:08 pm

If you’ve been following the Recording Academy Producers and Engineers Wing’s dynamic new virtual webinar series, Remote (Controlled), you now have a solid foundation as to how to record music at home and work remotely with a producer and engineer. (And if you’re new to the series, be sure to catch up before you continue!) With those two videos under your belt, now you’re ready to share a livestream performance that looks and sounds fantastic—not a tinny, blurry nightmare from your bathtub or dining room table. 

For this third and final episode of Remote (Controlled), the P&E Wing pulled out all the stops, congregating musicians, engineers and technologists to help viewers navigate complicated software and make clean, classy, camera-toggling videos to remember.

After a brief introduction from P&E Wing Senior Managing Director Maureen Droney, the clip begins in earnest with a sobering juxtaposition that illustrates our changing musical landscape. A nest of onstage cables gives way to devices now familiar to anyone making online audio content: a condenser mic, an Mbox, a ring light. Then, Greg Carter of Black Fret—an Austin-based membership-based community of art patrons that provides grants for artists—explains how the Zoom-based musical landscape has improved since the pandemic began.

Read More: How Do I Record My Own Music? The Recording Academy's Brand-New "Remote (Controlled)" Series Is Here To Help

With improved technology often comes a hit to the wallet, though. You might be wondering: Doesn’t livestreaming require a litany of fancy tech upgrades? Not necessarily, as the video’s participants point out—and the first software you should reach for is free and open-source.

OBS Studio lets you stream easily on Windows, Mac and Linux. And to guide you through the learning curve, a tutorial for the software appears in this video. Chris Shaw, the committee co-chair of the Texas Chapter of the P&E Wing, is your guide through this process.

But how does livestreaming work when you’re a band, not a solo artist? Meet David and Joseph Dunwell, the guitarist/vocalist and lead singer of English pop-rock outfit The Dunwells. The brothers recall how they had to act quickly and decisively when COVID hit, grabbing equipment from their studio and setting up a livestream directly to their Facebook page. Then, their evolution accelerated when they discovered StreamYard, which allows for cross-platform streaming. 

Afterward, StreamYard’s Head of Marketing Dana Bentz joins a conversation with Shaw and singer/songwriter and Texas Chapter P&E Wing committee co-chair Lisa Morales. The video concludes with a demo from Austin musician Roger Blevins about making those grid-based, "Hollywood Squares"-style, one-man-band videos for a compelling visual experience. As he underlines, you don’t need a $4,000 computer or a cutting-edge smartphone—you just need time, persistence and imagination to make a superb livestream that sticks out from the rest. 

Check out the third episode of Remote (Controlled) above and read a list of the equipment mentioned below.

EQUIPMENT:
Used by Joe Barrelas McGonigel’s Mucky Duck (venue):
OBS software
DSLR
iPad, iPhones, Macbook Pro
Ida PTZ cameras
Avapass controller
Custom-built computer
Midas PRO1 house sound and monitors (matrix out for streaming)

Used by Chris Shaw (OBS Demo)
Webcam: Logitech C920
iPhone 7S
Microphone: AKG 414 UBS
Interface: Behringer UMC204HD

Used by The Dunwells:
StreamYard.com
Behringer UMC22 interface, Beringer UMC404HD interface
AKG studio K240 studio headphones Rode NT1 mic
AKG 214 mic
Taylor acoustic
Fender electric
Surface Go laptop
Macbook Pro laptop

Used by Roger Blevins:
Hardware: Mac MIni, UA Apollo interfaces, Canon M50, Canon T2i, Canon T5i, USB 3.0 HDMI capture card, pedal webcams, MIDI pedal
Software: Ecamm Live, Logic, Loopback, UA Midi Control, MidiPipe

Used by Jon Muq:
iPhone

Options for Streaming:
Zoom, StreamYard, YouTube, Blackmagic, Restream

Streaming Set Up Requirements

1. Bandwidth is the most important thing you need to have good audio and video quality. Plug an ethernet cable from your internet router to your laptop/desktop or perform as close to the wifi router as possible. Ask everyone to stay off the internet during your shows.

2. Video quality Built-in laptop cameras don’t have great resolution. Use a USB HD webcam or phone as it will give much better video quality. Good lighting is important.

3. Configure Audio Settings on Zoom Turn off original sound, choose the input device you are using, suppress background noise to "low," leave echo cancellation on "auto" and select "high fidelity music mode."

4. Backing tracks Use two laptops for best results (see link below for more best practices).

For detailed Zoom instructions, click here.

Remote (Controlled): The Recording Academy’s Guide To Recording Music Remotely With A Producer & Engineer