Grammy award-winning singer CeeLo Green is a humble man filled passion and determination. The multifaceted artist made a splash last November with his fifth studio album Heart Blanche via Atlantic Records. Consisting of 15 tracks — including “Robin Williams,” “Mother May I,” “Sign of the Times” and “Music to My Soul” — the album represents “freedom and liberty and poetic justice.”
“I kind of did this album pretty privately and pretty intimately,” Green said in a past interview. “It wasn’t really about other namesakes or associations. It was about the intimacy and the personal plight of artistic expression.”
While Heart Blanche continues to soothe eardrums across the globe, Green is gearing up for his Love Train Tour, which kicks off on March 1 at The Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C. Green will make a stop in ten other cities across the south including Atlanta, New Orléans and Nashville, to name a few. The Love Train Tour isn’t just a typical tour, though. Green plans to create an experience that brings people from all walks of life together.
“I’ve been this mood of trying to draw an inspiration from 70’s, 80’s and the disco era,” Green tells Rated R&B. “I believe that it was causing unity. I just have an affinity for all people. The songs I write and sentiments that I showcase are basically an open letter to whom it may concern. Anybody who can appreciate these things…makes us bonded.”
He adds, “When it comes to [a CeeLo Green show], maybe one person may come not knowing they would see somebody that they would never share the same room or experience with — that can be a bond between two strangers.”
In addition to playing his own music, Green will also pay homage to some of music’s biggest legends including Washington, D.C. born musician Duke Ellington.
“You have to consider Duke Ellington a scholar and a master of class,” says Green. ”Not every artist can write and prepare — let alone play — sheet music. To not acknowledge him is almost like not telling your father Happy Birthday on his birthday. It’s a given.”
Over the years, Green has made headlines for his unique style from red carpet events to televised performances. His wardrobe choice for the tour will also pay homage to past eras to mirror the music he’s performing.
“You kind of have to look like the music you’re making,” he explains. “It makes it all worthwhile, effective and authentic.”
Green continues, “I have to be a fan first because someone had already come before me. Truly, there is nothing new under the sun. It’s no different from someone like Jidenna bringing back 20’s and 30’s style. I think that’s really great. I think he wears it really well.”
Even though Green is very transparent about his musical influences and has no problem paying homage, he also continues to work on his legacy and how he wants to be honored as an artist.
“I want to live a thousand lives vicariously through the characters that I am and the multi-personalities I have,” he says. “I want my legacy to be that in life I would have died for what I believed and I will die for it.”
Tickets for CeeLo Green’s Love Train Tour are on sale now at Ticketmaster.
