For a woman who up until a few years ago was cleaning houses to make ends meet, to say Naomi Shelton’s success has been a long time coming might be somewhat of an understatement. After 40 years (yes 40 years) of making music, one of soul music finest undiscovered talents is finally getting her due, thanks to Daptone records and a new tour. Miss Shelton was nice enough to spare a few minutes to discuss the long road which brought her to Pop Montreal. After speaking with her, I have but one question: Won’t someone get this woman to Paris?
NOMAG: We were wondering if you could describe for us how you got started in the music business?
Naomi Shelton: Well I guess I’ve been singing since the age of 6 with my sisters. I grew up in Alabama, and my father who was a contractor had been hired to build a house in Tuskegee Alabama by the highway, and they had a studio so he brought us there at 6 in the morning each Sunday, then after that he took us on the road the various houses of worship in the area. And I just continued on from there.
NM: So you’re finally in the position to release an album after 40 years, why do you think it took you so long to reach this point?
NS: Well that’s always asked of me, and I always tell people that nothing happens before it’s time, we’d recorded a few albums before, but we never found a record label so we happened to meet Gabe Roth who’s behind Daptone, and he’s been my bass player for many years and we decided that we were going to do an album and just see what would happen, and that’s how it all came about, he even wrote most of the songs on the CD.
NM: And were you at all frustrated over that time period that things didn’t happen sooner, or seeing so many others succeed?
NS: No, no not at all, because I’m the type of person who whatever they wish for other, god willing it will happen to me. And I always knew that one day my dream was going to come. God says that “nothing will happen until I see fit”, and it may have been always around the corner, and when the lord says that when it’s my time, he will move me, and that’s what he did.
NM: So in some way do you see this as divine providence that you made it now?
NS: Exactly!
NM: And who were a few of your influences when you first got started?
NS: Of course, I was inspired by the Blind Boys of Alabama, Aretha Franklin, I’ve always loved and been inspired by her music, the Roberta Martin Singers, just to name a few.
NM: Aretha Franklin always get’s mentioned when people discuss the great soul singers, what do you think makes her music so special?
NS: She had strong roots, and a strong foundation, she was brought up [musically/spiritually] in a house of worship and she carried that influence with her all her life. And that strong foundation brought her to where she is today.
NM: During the years that you were trying to make it, did you ever think of straying from your gospel musical foundation and maybe trying a more ‘commercial’ sound?
NS: Well I did think about it many times, but I have to tell you we really don’t call it gospel, we just think of it as songs that you can be really touched by, I mean it’s not all outright gospel. But Like I said, we never know which way the world is going to take us. So far we’re trying to move up the ladder with this, but further down the road it’s hard to say what changes we may have to do to stay out here.
NM: Do you listen to any to the commercial, more digitized soul music that popular today?
NS: Yeah I listen to it, because you can always learn something from listening to music, no matter what the style. I don’t knock anything that anyone else does. Music is all about love. It don’t matter what the lyrics or style, it’s all about love. If we can take somebody and put a smile on their face, and they can feel better than when they came to the concert, that’s what we want to do.
NM: Is that what drives you then when you get onstage? I have to say you’re always dressed quite fine
NS: [Laughs]
NM: Well it’s true, is that part of making people feel good, making them feel the love you have for music? What do you want to give to your audience?
NS: Listen, I guess I want to get myself involved with the audience, to build a bond. And once you see that vibe build between me and the audience, then they can take it up for me and I can take it up for them, then we got it going on.
NM: One last question, you’ve been in Brooklyn for some time now, do you ever feel like moving?
NS: Well I’ve thought about it many times, people ask me all the time ‘are you going back to Alabama?’ and I say, ‘I don’t know’. I’ll be going out to Seattle Washington because I love it out there, but I never know where I’m going to land, I may be in New York the rest of my life, but I don’t know where I’ll be, I may end up Paris, I don’t know. I’ve always dreamed about going to Paris, and if God’s willing I’ll end up there. We went to the UK last year, and next time I hope he gets me into Paris [Laughs], and I’ll just keep dreaming.
NM: Thank you so much for your time.
by François Dupraz
