Lenny Williams isn’t going anywhere. The R&B crooner, notably known for his hit song “Cause I Love You,” has released his highly awaited studio album, “Still in the Game,” via his own record label Bridle Ridge Records. The album features singles “Still,” “On This Day,” and “Grown Man.”
We recently had the opportunity to interview Williams. During our interview, Lenny dishes on his new album, compares today’s recording process to thirty years ago, shares his thoughts on singers who use Auto-Tune, reveals the biggest lesson he’s learned while being in the music industry, and more.
Check out our interview below.
Lenny tells us about his new album, “Still In The Game”…
It’s a collection of about 12 songs…it was produced by Derek Allen a.k.a DOA…different songs about love…various entitlement that one gets oneself in with love…all the way from bliss to the disintegration of a relationship. It was fun doing it and I’m real excited about it.
Recording in a studio today vs. recording thirty years ago…
You’ve got Pro Tools and all that kind of stuff like that. Of course, it’s easier because if you have a problem with timing, they can always take your vocal and move it over…if you do a great background, you can just do it once and slide it in where you want to place it… those things definitely make it a lot easier. In terms of economics, you spend less time in the studio because you can just move things around…I think technology has helped out…and I don’t think you really lose a lot in terms of creativity or ingenuity because of the technology
Lenny’s thoughts on singers using Auto-Tune…
I think if it works for them, it’s fine…If you can get an artist and you have a great engineer and producer that can go in and use Auto-Tune to make them sound better in the studio and they sell a million or two records, I think that’s the reason you make records, I guess to reach masses, or to sell a lot of records. So if that’s their objective, then I think they’ve succeeded in that. Then once they get on stage, then that’s another thing. Then they’ve got to be able to reproduce that…I think that’s when the rubber meets the road…In terms of making records, and doing whatever they need to do to make records and make them sell and appealing to people, I think whatever you can do is cool. I have no problem with it.
Lenny shares a memorable moment of recording “Cause I Love You”…
I was in Los Angeles when I recorded it. And so, we did the background first, I think. I laid down a dummy vocal…and then we did the background and the guys from Lakeside are actually doing the background on it. People have been dropping by the studio. So somebody had said Andraé Crouch and his sister Sandra are going to come by. So one day they were going to come by and they didn’t come by. The day I [recorded] “Cause I love You,” Andraé and his sister shows up. You’ve got the number one gospel singer in the world, the godfather of modern gospel definitely – Andraé Crouch – sitting out there… I had to really dig deep…A lot of times people always say where all that emotion comes from. I think the lyrics of the song dictates the emotion, plus the fact I’m on the microphone and I’m looking out into the studio and I see Andraé Crouch out there, just made me sing and just tried to get as emotional as I could…
Lenny tells us why he’s still in the game…
I love making records…I love people saying “ladies and gentlemen, Lenny Williams.” Walk right out there on stage, checking out the audience…just realizing after you’ve been out there for 45 minutes or an hour that you’ve made people feel good and they like what you do. They get excited about the songs you are singing. I guess I just like everything about it. Creating music and then going out performing it…I don’t know what else I’d be doing: just sitting around the house, cutting grass, changing the flowers. I don’t know at this stage of my life…it keeps a lot of excitement in my life.
Lenny tells us his biggest lesson he learned while being in the music industry…
I guess the biggest lesson that I’ve learned in this music business…it’s nice to be nice…if you’re nice to people, people will reciprocate and be nice to you. And I think that not only does your talent take you a long way, but just your demeanor and the way you treat people will take you a long way…
Lenny offers advice to aspiring artists…
Perfect your craft…try to be nice to people and have a good attitude…try at all cost to avoid substance abuse issues. When you’re under the influence of drugs and alcohol, you don’t necessarily make the right decisions. You’re more than likely doing something that you’ll be ashamed of…
Lenny’s last word to our readers…
I just would like to say I want to thank people for supporting me for all of these years…spending their hard-earned money coming to the shows…I want people to know that I don’t take it for granted and I’m definitely humbled by it and I’ll continue to make the kind of music that would want them to support me in the future
“Still in the Game” is in stores now. Support Lenny Williams and buy his new album today: iTunes/Amazon.