Chrisette Michele’s
Epiphany
Images by John Walder for Steed Media Service 11:19 a.m. Upon arriving at Detroit’s Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Chrisette Michele is transported by staff to a speaking engagement at rolling out’s Female Success Factor seminar. As she unwinds from the short Delta flight from New York, the singer lowers her passenger side window and breathes in the morning air. Inhale … Exhale … Seemingly rejuvenated by the fresh spring breeze, Chrisette pulls out her laptop and begins jotting down her thoughts in preparation for the long day that lies ahead. We drive on.
2:35 p.m. The crowd at the Detroit Public Library’s main branch restlessly waits for Chrisette to speak. Now that the first single from her sophomore release, Epiphany, has become a mainstay on local radio, her swelling fan base is openly pining for a glimpse of the beautiful New Yorker with the big voice and equally great songwriting skills.
2:53 p.m. She takes the stage. Seated on a small stool, Chrisette hypnotizes the audience with a passionate account of her drive to stardom, and the valuable lessons learned along the way.
3:21 p.m. Chrisette hands the microphone back to rolling out’s publisher, Munson Steed, and takes her seat while receiving a rousing standing ovation from the audience.
4:49 p.m. “Chrisette, my daughter just loves you,” a smiling mother exclaims. “Is it possible for you to take a picture with her?”
“Of course,” Chrisette dutifully responds as she smiles for the camera. The process repeats itself until Chrisette personally greets nearly every person in attendance.
5:36 p.m. When Chrisette finally slips out of the side entrance and begins walking to the car, she shares a valuable lesson that many artists overlook. “You can’t miss an opportunity to love on the people that love you,” she confides. “Just one positive encounter can make all the difference in the world to someone.”
Agreed … now it’s time to eat.
10:36 p.m.
“You know we forgot to do your closing interview for rolling out.” She looks up, sighs, and her shoulders slump momentarily. “If you’re too tired to do this Chrisette, just say it. We would totally understand. It’s been a long day for us all.” She reaches into her bag, grabs a compact mirror, and quickly checks her appearance. 10:52 p.m. Chrisette On Love … “I’m so excited about what I’ve been thinking about lately. I’ve been thinking about how afraid a woman is to receive love. It’s always something that’s based on a past love or a past circumstance, and she brings it into her new situation, and is so afraid about what may happen that she won’t allow herself to receive love. So that’s something that I’ve been thinking about lately — especially with everything that I’ve been writing.”
10:59 p.m. On Receiving Love … “I believe that you should receive love openly and freely. I’ve been focused on the concept of receiving love. You should receive love openly and freely. People like to give, but you can’t be afraid to receive. If you can’t receive it, then how are you able to give love back? So, I receive love openly and freely. It’s a new confidence of mine to be able to receive it.” 11:04 p.m. On Loving the Wrong Person … “Love is so simple. It’s the ability to receive good [love] from someone else, and the ability to give good [love] back. You can love anybody, but we get hurt so often because we love the wrong person.” 11:11 p.m. On Songwriting … “Most of the songs that I’ve written have come from times where I’m sitting with someone having a conversation. As soon as we finish, I’ll run to my room or wherever I’m at and get a pen and pad and write down what the conversation was about. Then I’ll go to the studio and I’ll hear something really cool, or something that I enjoy, and I begin to flip through the pages of my book to see what fits. Then there are times where I will just go in the booth and write the song right there on the spot.”
11:19 p.m. On Technology … 11:39 p.m. With the interview finally wrapped, and an early morning flight still looming, Chrisette stands up, gives everyone a hug, and trudges to the elevator. Oh, what a day.
My Must-Haves in a Man The bulk of singer-songwriter Chrisette Michele’s energy has been dedicated to the release of her highly anticipated sophomore album, Epiphany. Now that the album has finally hit stores, Chrisette — who is an avid love enthusiast — took the time to discuss the attributes she prefers in a man. Here are her top three. 1. He has to love the Lord. “What would happen if someone like myself — who is passionate about my spirituality — was with someone who didn’t care much for it? It’s such a major part of who I am. If you can’t even understand me, then you don’t even know how to love me because you don’t even know who I am … you don’t even agree with who I am.” 2. He has to be stable. “I want you to be comfortable being the larger provider for whatever family that we decide to have. And I know that there are hard times and there are good times, but I want my man to think that it’s important to provide for his family. “
3. He has to care about his appearance. |
