NONA HENDRYX
'LABELLE' LEGEND TALKS ABOUT
HER ILLUSTRIOUS MUSIC CAREER
AND LATEST PROJECT WITH
GARY LUCAS
'THE WORLD OF
CAPTAIN BEEFHEART'
Nona Hendryx is an
American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, author, and actress.
Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third
of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady Marmalade." Her music
has ranged from soul, funk, and R&B to hard rock, new wave, and new-age.
Her family's last name was originally spelled with an "i"; she is a
cousin of American musician Jimi Hendrix.
Nona Hendryx was born
in Trenton, New Jersey where she met fellow New Jersey native Sarah Dash and
later met Philadelphia-born singer Patricia Holte (Patti LaBelle). After a
short-lived tenure as a member of the Del-Capris, Hendryx and Dash formed a
singing group with Holte (once the lead singer of a girl group in Philadelphia
called The Ordettes). In 1961, Cindy Birdsong, from Camden, New Jersey, became
the fourth member of the group, who became the 'Bluebelles' and signed their
first deal with Newtown Records.
After the release of
their debut hit, 1962's "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman", their name
altered again to Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. Hendryx's husky alto
differed from Dash's sharp soprano, LaBelle's mezzo-soprano and Birdsong's
second soprano. During this tenure, the group became known for their emotional
live performances and their renditions of classic standards such as
"You'll Never Walk Alone", "Over The Rainbow"and
"Danny Boy". The group often found themselves competing against girl
groups such as The Chantels, Shirelles and The Supremes. In 1967, Hendryx,
LaBelle and Dash were shocked to discover that Birdsong had secretly joined the
Supremes after Florence Ballard was ousted from the group by Motown. Different
members of the group were in touch with Birdsong over the years. Birdsong's
relationships with the Bluebelles healed and they came together again for the
ceremony when the group won an R&B Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award in
1999.
Back to the current
release in question: Gary Lucas and Hendryx starred in a symphonic Captain
Beefheart Tribute with Amsterdam's famed 65-piece Metropole Orchestra at the
Paradiso a few years ago. The album was co-produced by Gary and
Jesse Krakowand recorded at EastSide Sound in NYC. The World of
Captain Beefheart is being released by Knitting Factory Records on November
10th.
The World of Captain
Beefheart strikes a fine balance between the more bluesy and
groove-accessible songs in the good Captain's oeuvre and the more extreme,
darker and weirder side.
Nona Hendryx is a
longtime fierce admirer of Don Van Vliet's music, and possesses the huge voice
and the commanding stage presence necessary to do full justice to repertoire
that originally featured Beefheart's unforgettable multi-octave voice. Although
she's best known as a funk/soul great thanks to her long tenure with
international hitmakers Labelle (as well as the group's antecedent, Patti
Labelle and the Bluebelles) as well as her own excellent R&B-rooted solo
outings, she is no stranger to experimental rock territory, having been
featured as guest vocalist with cutting-edge ensembles including Talking Heads,
Bill Laswell's Material, and Jerry Harrison's Casual Gods.
To this day, Don Van
Vliet remains a cult hero, relatively unknown in mainstream circles. If any
album is able to change that, it's The World of Captain Beefheart.
THE WORLD
OF
CAPTAIN BEEFHEART
Featuring
NONA HENDRYX
AND
GARY LUCAS
available now
at
amazon.com
The World of Captain Beefheart featuring Nona Hendryx and Gary Lucas from Knitting Factory Records available NOW at amazon.com
For
more information about Nona Hendryx and concert dates visit www.nonahendryx.com
N O N A H E N D R Y X
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