Friday, June 1, 2012

Stephanie Mills, refuses TV show UNSUNG!!


Since its debut in 2008, TV One's hour-long music series, "Unsung," has been one of the network's crown jewels, covering the sometimes tragic careers of an array of celebrated music acts such as Teddy Pendergrass, DeBarge, Teena Marie, Melba Moore, Alexander O'Neal, Minnie Riperton and Phyllis Hyman. Earlier this year the NAACP Image Award-winning series earned its highest rated, most successful season to date as it started airing in 27 percent more homes via various cable carriers.

Though the African-American targeted network is set to premiere the show's sixth season with Sly and the Family Stone on June 25, one veteran music act who viewers will never see on the series is Stephanie Mills.

The Brooklyn-bred songstress, who catapulted to the top of music charts in the 1980s and rubbed shoulders with the likes of Michael Jackson and Pendergrass after acclaimed stints on Broadway in "The Wiz" and "Maggie Flynn," seems to have a story that's ripe for "Unsung," which is often considered "the black version of 'Behind The Music' -- VH1's longtime biographical series." But according to the sometimes reclusive Mills, the retrospective show is just not her cup of tea.

"I don't like that show," the Grammy Award winner revealed in a recent interview with The Huffington Post. "They have approached me quite a few times, but I [won't] do that show."

"I've always been very private and at 55 I don't want to open up my life to that," the "Never Knew Love Like This Before" belter continued. "They've done Angela Winbush and they even wanted me to say something about her on that show, and I love Angela, we're sisters. But I had to tell her, 'I don't want to do that.' ... I'm not that girl."

Winbush, who wrote Mills' 1985 chart-topper "I've Learned To Respect (The Power of Love)," made great fodder for "Unsung" with her revelations of domestic abuse, a nasty split with her longtime recording partner and a bout with ovarian cancer.

Mills, who herself has endured three failed marriages and is the single mother of a child with special needs, has no interest in being that forthcoming with her own story. "I don't want to get on these shows and open my life up; I don't think it's anyone's business."

The show's co-executive producer Mark Rowland of A. Smith & Co. Productions believes that the key to success of each episode is to profile amazing artists to create an "archival legacy."

"The show has managed to take a place of pride and honor in the community," Rowland stated in a 2011 interview with AOL BlackVoices. "There is a real sense of responsibility to keep it to that standard for us and to exceed it. We take our jobs very seriously. These are wonderful musical artists so there is fun involved, but we are excited to tell this ongoing story."

Although the series highlights the business and personal struggles that kept each artist from achieving commercial success, Mills doesn't feel that her career has gone unnoticed.

"I just think that it's not for me," she furthered. "Let me sing, let me do my concerts, let me do music."

On the other side of it, most of the acts featured on the show have met tragic fates (destitution, drug abuse, death). Mills, who still is a major concert draw (she's a headliner of New York City's Blue Note Music Festival next month), can't seem to fathom the thought of being considered in such company.

"I don't feel unsung," the pint-sized diva continued. "I feel like I've had a wonderful career. I've done wonderful things and met so many wonderful different people. So I don't feel like I'm unsung at all."

"They even called my agent and tried to offer me some kind of tour if I did the show, and I was like, 'I can't do it,'" she said. "It [goes against] everything that I believe in."

The UNSUNG series has lost its focus a bit, originally the show was suppose to be focusing on acts who were on the verge of major stardom, but got off track, when they showcased acts like Pendergrass, The Ojays, George Clinton, Freddie Jackson, Shalamar, Atlantic Starr and the Ohio Players, all of those acts had major success, so I tend to agree with Ms. Mills, she makes a great point. She has conquered two worlds of entertainment, 'Broadway' and the 'Recording Industry', she has a Grammpy Award for best R&B female for "Never Knew Love Like This" and 'AMA' not to mention gold and platinum records. - Kevin K.

17 comments:

  1. Stephanie has always been a classy girl, and can sing her face off. I have to disagree with her on uNsung its a great show, and I would love to know more about her. She needs to write a book or either give in to Unsung, for her fans.
    Terri

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    1. hey Stephanie you're in the entaintment field, so being in the spotlight, the public is going to inquire. See the punishment fits the crime, you're a fabulous singer, which makes us want to know more about you. You're not unsung, you're just VERY intriguing.
      Paul

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  2. I agree the focus has changed somewhat, but it's really a guilty pleasure of mine. Call me curious georgie porgie. I think Stephanie has a tremendous story to tell, but i think love kicked her tail, so it's probably too painful to revisit.
    She's a major force. Her vocals are always on point and she gives a great show.

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    1. i'm a curious fan too. i remember so much about her back in the day. then its like she must to fell out with MCA cause the shift in her music changed, then it stopped all together. hopefully she will change her mind.
      adel

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  3. sounds a bit defensive, the show would help move units. black folk don't have very many avenues to promote their product, certainly radio is a dea avenue.
    i respect her decision sadly but i do respect her.

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  4. I just read about this on another site. I don't think she is Unsung. I do like the series, but Mrs. Stephanie is not in that category.

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    1. I like Unsung and I love Stephanie, with that being said, it would have been awesome to see her on the show, especially because she is just so wonderful and the show would have shown more of that. Nevertheless, I can respect Steph's reasons for not wanting to do the show-I mean its all about what she wants or doesn't want to do. Regardless, I still love Steph and her music

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    2. Yes, the show should be intended for artists whose careers were derailed by major crises in their life that prevented later generations from hearing their music. Stephanie Mills was ALWAYS working regardless of her music being on the radio/charts or not. She STILL is working. So I can understand where she is coming from as well.

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  5. I totally agree with Ms. Mills and I totally support her decision. The one thing we have in this day and age is our personal narrative and the choice to share it or to not share it. Bravo, Ms. Mills for taking the path, which nowadays seems to be the least chosen!! Forever your fan, E

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  6. Kevin I agree with you, Stephanie doesn't fit into the unsung format, she really had great successes and sold out shows, platinum records, broadway. I think the hiccup was letting her sister in law (cassandra mills) at the time manage her career. that was a bad move.
    Love you Stephanie

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  7. if they want to sponsor a tour for her, i feel she should let them, it would give her new music an audience for exposure. Maybe the can do a segment on unsung of people who actually made it and had hiccups but more successes and show how they kept it all togeter. just a thought.
    wilma

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    1. Hi Wilma, yeah that idea I can get on board with. Maybe you should pitch your idea to the folks over at UNsung.

      Best'

      K

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  8. artists want success on their terms, I think Stephanie owes it to her fans, we missed her, we want to know her side of all the stories, so maybe unsung isn't for her, but we deserve something, maybe a book or a one woman play on broadway, a little talk, a lot of singing and some comedy, she could do it her way.
    Alex

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    1. All we deserve is what she gives her musical gift and all that she gives us on stage. Her personal life is hers and though curious I respect her choice to keep it that way.

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  9. I will see Stephanie at Essence this year, so that will be better than a unsung tv show. ms. mills dont play when she hits that stage shaky that ass like her life depended on it, she's the truth.
    al

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  10. There are 2 generations who don't know who she is. UnSung is a terrific show a good lift could take her through another 10.

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