Clare Bathé has toured the world, mesmerizing everyone within earshot of her rich voice. From Broadway’s Jelly’s Last Jam, to off-Broadway’s “A” My name is Alice, Rap Master Ronnie, Stagger Lee, and Shades of Harlem, and serving as dance captain and vocal captain in Lena Horne: The Lady & Her Music, Bathé has graced the world’s most prestigious stages singing for the U.N., at the White House, Carnegie Hall.
A pop star, she was the lead vocalist for the band Machine, garnering a million selling record with the hit record “There But for the Grace of God Go I.”
Here, she shares insight on her upcoming projects.
How did you get started in the entertainment business?
I believe it was predestined. I have performed since I was a toddler. I performed for my parents friends. They would put me in the middle of the kitchen table and have me sing for visiting friends and family. When the time came to make the decision to move to New York, I took it. Moved to NY not knowing exactly which direction I should go in, so I did both. Actually, I did it all. Disco, pop, Broadway and cabaret.
Who are some of the people that you performed with over the years?
I am honored to have worked with legends of a bygone era. Lena Horne, Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Joe Williams, Billy Eckstein. Even Bobby “Blues Boy” Bland and Albert King. I also worked with Terrance Blanchard and Branford Marsalis while working with Mr. Hampton’s orchestra. That’s just naming a few.
What makes you want to return to the entertainment industry?
Music is who I am, not just what I do. I remember an interviewer asking Mr. Hampton once, when he planned to retire. Hamp was about 85 at the time and replied, “Retire from what? Real estate? Because I could never retire from music. It is who I am, not just what I do.” Those of us who have the music in us have to express it, whether by voice and musical instrument, we have to get it out.
In releasing a new single, what can we expect to hear from you?
Maturity. Life experiences expressed through song. A tribute to the artists who have come before me and not only paved the way for singers like myself but who have taught us the art.
If you were going to collaborate on a new project, what artists of today would you consider ?
Diane Warren. I love her work. There is a smooth jazz artist named Brian Culbertson. I would like to put lyrics to his lovely melodies. Marcus Miller. Babyface.
What made you pull away from the entertainment industry?
Life called. I had to answer. My husband needed me home, my daughter was going off to college. I had to turn down a Broadway show to get her situated. We moved from an area I had lived and thrived in for 20 years, to a city that was bigger, much more spread out and just as busy. I didn’t know the lay of the land. I lived in the suburbs. All the action was in the city. I didn’t have the eye of the tiger that I had when I was young and starting out in New York. So I settled to be a housewife, play tennis, and cook dinner for my husband every night.
Who did you enjoy performing with the most? Why?
As a vocalist, if you have ever felt the rush of eighteen instruments behind you, you know the feeling is mesmerizing. When I sang for Mr. Hampton, he had 19 instruments instead of 18. I became the 19th.
Other than jazz, what other music do you have an appreciation for today? I love soulful R&B. Crazy about Uncle Charlie. Old school. Funny to think of Luther Vandross as old school but love Luther. Pop. Soulful pop. Listen I love good music. I listened to a quintet of Caucasian men singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” a cappella and it was awesome. The African brothers who sing hymns — simply stunning. Pavarotti can still make me weep. Bocelli brings tears to my eyes.
