K.Lipsey Performance

Sunday afternoon, at the WalMart on Hwy 18, a group of 40-50 people stood outside on the asphalt and waited for the show to begin. Let me tell you it was hot. Not only was K.Lipsey's performance incredible, but, seriously, it was hot outside. The summertime weather has officially kicked in!

Singer OndreaNicole opened the show with a couple of songs. She's got a pretty voice and lots of raw talent.

OndreaNicole and Kevin

Then it was Kevin's turn.

He started his set with "Trouble," and finished out his set with two songs on the guitar, the last being his radio hit, "Mississippi Po Boy."

The crowd went crazy and we all sang along. Kevin's performance was dynamic as he worked the crowd. His stage presence is truly magnetic.

Before you do anything else, go immediately to his MySpace page and listen to his songs and show your support - and watch his video!

His album, The Treatment, will be out this summer. If his hit radio single and performance on Sunday taught us anything, it's this: Prepare yourself. Kevin Lipsey is going to be a smash.

You can follow this link to watch footage of Sunday's performance.

Before Kevin hopped a flight to go back to Los Angeles, he stopped by Malaco on Tuesday to visit some old friends.

His old friend, the control board

The Big Ks: Sound Engineer, Kent Bruce, and Kevin

Legendary Songwriter, George Jackson and K

K. & Tricia "Momma" Peel, Tommy Couch, Sr.'s right hand gal

K. & "Kiddo" aka Anna,

Stewart Madison's Girl Friday and blog writer

...all comments or complaints, well, i'm not sure i want to know!

New Commercial for Guitar Hero

A brand new Guitar Hero commercial features the song Bob Seger made into a classic, "Old Time Rock And Roll."

David Cook, the newest American Idol, recreates the famous Tom Cruise scene from "Risky Business."

We just watched it on YouTube and so can you! (or you can see it on TV, of course.)

It highlights Malaco's own hero, songwriter, George Jackson, who is very excited to see his song reach billions of viewers.

George wrote and recorded "Old Time Rock And Roll" at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. He is thrilled to see his composition still going strong and being loved by audiences around the world.

(For those who don't know, Malaco bought Muscle Shoals in its entirety, physical studio and publishing catalog, in the mid-1980s.)

The Pilgrim Jubilees

"Standing in the shade doesn't help when it gets hot in Mississippi. As the temperature climbs through the nineties, the air grows heavy and the summer heat attacks from all sides, radiating from every surface and exerting a physical pressure that slows movement, thought and speech." ~Alan Young

It's an opening paragraph like that that will whet your appetite. Not for Mississippi summers, believe me, but for a vibrant, one-of-a-kind perspective about one of the most popular and hard-working gospel quartets in the United States. The Pilgrim Jubilees.

Published by Jackson's own University Press of Mississippi, it is a book you will want to add to your collection and it is hard to put down. Young's writing is dynamic with interesting historical detail. He is true to their story, complete with extensive interviews and conversations. Young travelled through Mississippi with the Jubes which helps convey his genuine account of the American South and black Gospel audiences.

The Jubes' story is compelling and real; and, true to their vision and God's call, they are still travelling the "gospel highway."

Congrats To Our Friend, Kevin!

Former intern turned employee (and subsequently songwriter, producer and video director), Kevin Lipsey, can now add a hit single to his resume.

His song "Mississippi Po Boy" is burning up the FM radio waves at WRBJ 97.7 - Jackson, MS. and other surrounding stations in the Jackson metro area.

Cyrus Webb of Conversations Book Club and Shadow Play Entertainment posted a conversation on his blog about the single that is getting the city of Jackson's attention:

When many artists are feeling the pressure to confirm to a popular style in order to make it, 29 year old Kevin Lipsey has set out on his own path with his eye on the prize. A native of Canton, Mississippi he now lives in California and is getting major attention for his new single "Mississippi Po Boy".

Being a student of the business, Lipsey is dedicated to perfecting his craft yet remaining true to himself, knowing that looking ahead will guarantee him the success he wants. Lipsey is a proud supporter of the 25-state "Hiphop and Books" initiative that kicked off in April 2008 with the purpose of encouraging reading and the importance of staying in school. Look for him to join the project when it makes stops in Arizona and California in July 2008 (see http://www.hiphopan dbooks.com for all the details.)

In this interview he talks about how his love for music began as well as why he takes nothing for granted when it comes to his career.

What started you in the path towards the entertainment industry?
My uncle use to work with the Canton Spirituals, and occassionally he would let me in on the studio sessions. I was only about 5, but that's when the bug bit me. I ran with it. When I was 13 I hooked up with my friend's big brother Gino. Gino was working with Ghetto Boys and some other artists. He had a home studio before it became popular. So he gave me my first lessons on the equipment.

Have you been surprised at how quickly your single "Mississippi Po Boy" has taken off, resonating with so many people?
Yes... It is a surprise. Not so much surprised about how it is taking off but how fast it is taking off. The song was released as a mother's day dedication. And it connected far past Mother's Day. I have been getting messages from a variety of people who have connected with the song emotionally. It's a real life song that many people can relate to.

For many artists success is defined by radio play or being on television. What is success for K. Lipsey?
I've had previous radio play and in 2006 I made my BET debut as a video director, which I also played the role of one of the characters in the gospel music video "You Held On Even When I Let Go" by Eddie Ruth Bradford. Even after that I didn't feel like I had achieved my goals. In 2002, I walked away from a career as an Electrical Power Engineer to start my musical journey. So my standards are extremely high. My success will be measured by the leverage I create as a company. The leverage that will give me the clout and finances to give other creative artists an outlet. So to accomplish that goal, I must first take care of some of the objectives like: how many lives we inspire, how many units we sale, and making sure we stay true to a quality brand of music and entertainment that will stand the test of time. It doesn't happen over night so, I'm in it for the long haul.

Being from Mississippi do you think the state gets a bad rap when it comes to its reputation?
Most definitely.. . Even with my life experience and college education, I find myself having to go above and beyond to prove my points. I even had people tell me that they thought I couldn't handle big city marketing repsonsibilities. It threw me for a loop for a minute. It's not my personality, but sometimes I have to get ugly to get my point across, even after I have proven myself.

What about musicially?
We have produced some of the most talked about artists, from Leontyne Price, B. B. King and David Banner.

Do you find that the love is there for these accomplishments the way you want it to be?
I like them all... I've been a supporter of David Banner since the beginning simply because he was reppin the Sipp. Now looking at my situation, I feel I'm getting similar support. We just want to see someone from Mississippi make their mark in today's culture. So I can't complain. I say "Thank you" as often as I can. THANK YOU.

I contacted you after hearing your song in rotation on a Mississippi station about the Hiphop & Books project. As you know, it's mission is to encourage reading among lovers of the hiphop community. You have taken up the charge of joining our cause of encouraging reading and the importance of staying in school. Why do you think these are important, especially for our young people?
First of all we have to realize that the entertainment industry is still a business industry like any other industry. A sound education will give you a foundation when an opportunity presents itself. Investors feel more comfortable knowing that you have some sense of direction for you or your company. To stay up on the trends of the industry I'm constantly reading. I read the Billboard and other industry publications on a daily basis. It helps me be a better marketing professional within the industry. I always encourage people who want to be in this industry to learn the business. That comes from picking up books that explain the diffent components of the industry and when you're done with that one, find another one. If you don't understand a subject matter, do research on that subject until you have enough information to make you comfortable.

Kevin, after such a hot debut I know you have alot of events planned to promote your music. Where can we go online to find out more about you and the work you are doing?
I'm online at www.kLipsey. com and www.myspace. com/kLipsey

Thank you for your time. What would you like to say to your fans andthose who might be just learning about you through this interview?
Thank you for your support. This one is for the HOME TEAM. So let's push forward together.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU, KEVIN!!

Back To The Daily Grind

Well, folks, after all the hoopla surrounding the Blues marker, it's business as usual here at Malaco...sort of!

We've had quite a few out-of-town visitors lately. The week of March 30 - April 4, Nicolas Teurnier and Julien Crué from Soul Bag Magazine were in town to visit, interview and witness the Jackson. MS experience. It was great getting to know them (and put a face with the name). They were able to get interviews with Marvin Sease, Floyd Taylor, George Jackson, Tommy and Wolf, to name a few...

We visited "Peaches" on Farish Street for lunch one day where we had some soul food and then the other nights we got other local Southern cuisine (aka fried catfish and coleslaw).

They are great guys! We already miss "The Pièrres."

Julien recently let me know that there is a Bobby "Blue" Bland interview in the current MOJO Magazine. So if you haven't seen it yet, buy a copy!

Friday, May 2, the staff here was excited to see a couple of tourists stop and take pictures of the Marker. We gawked at them through the windows of the lobby and then invited them in for a look around. After all, Mississippi is the mecca of Southern Hospitality!

Paul and Sue are from Manchester and were touring the area, going to Jazz Fest in New Orleans, then off on the blues trail to Clarksdale, Memphis and Atlanta. We hope they have safe travels back home!

Peter Tladi from Bula Records in South Africa was here for a brief visit as well. Bula has been releasing a lot of our master recordings (mostly Gospel) in South Africa for the past few years and they have been quite popular.

We have the new Soul Stirrers album in the works and are very hopeful about its release (which has yet to be determined).

That's all I can think of right now. There will be more soon, no doubt!