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Interview With Lou Rawls
Aired September 16, 2003 - 15:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: You'll never find another voice like his. Lou Rawls has done gospel, jazz, pop and soul. He's even, get this, considered a pioneer of all things hip hop. Can't wait to ask about that. But in any case the man with the million dollar pipes is now offering a great tribute to Frank Sinatra.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: His new CD, "Rawls Sings Sinatra" went on sale last week. Now the legendary entertainer joins us from Los Angeles to talk about this remarkable new project. And we're going to reminisce with him a little bit. Hi, Lou.
LOU RAWLS, ENTERTAINER: Hi, how are you?
PHILLIPS: Great to have you.
O'BRIEN: Good to see you.
RAWLS: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about this. Why Sinatra, why now?
RAWLS: Well actually, Frank kind of took me under his wing there for a moment and gave me some great credentials, I guess could you say. So I thought it was time to respect and honor him and give my touch to the songs that he had made popular.
PHILLIPS: So we've been looking back at a number of pictures, Lou. Take us back to Chicago. Take us back to the days of the Pilgrim Travelers when you were singing gospel and then moving on to play jazz with Les McCann. What do you miss most about the culture then when you see music now?
RAWLS: I guess could you say there was more of a closeness back in those days. We were all young, struggling, trying to make it into the business. There was, I guess you would say much more of a camaraderie than there is today.
O'BRIEN: Let me ask you this. On the CD there, you've got a quote there from Frank Sinatra. We have that picture -- I don't know where you were performing in this picture. Do you remember that was?
RAWLS: Yes, that was my telethon that I do every year for the college fund.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: ... when you do a concert with Sinatra, you might remember that happened, right?
RAWLS: Oh, yes.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: In any case, what was it like singing with him? Was that something?
RAWLS: It was scary. It was very edgy, because you didn't know -- I mean, hey, here is Frank Sinatra, you know, and you're up there with him. So you've got to be on your P's and Q's.
O'BRIEN: You've got that right. Now in 1966, and this is right here on the jewel case there and the liner notes there, "The kid's got the smoothest chops in the business. Watch out for Lou Rawls. He's going places." That's Frank Sinatra in 1966.
Boy, when you heard that, what did you think at that point?
RAWLS: Well, hey, listen, that was a stamp of approval. So, I mean, what do you say about that? You just be very glad that the man gave you that recognition.
O'BRIEN: I should say.
PHILLIPS: You know what, Lou? Not only did you make such a mark and still continue to make such a mark in music but, do you remember, Miles in the '70s. I know Lou remembers -- "Big Valley"?
O'BRIEN: Sure. Yes.
PHILLIPS: Lou, take us back.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: ... first time we saw an African-American cowboy, right?
RAWLS: That's right. I've got to tell you they asked me when they offered me the part they said, Do you know how to ride? I said, No. The closest I had been to a horse was a policeman's horse in Chicago.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Southside, right?
PHILLIPS: Yes. There you go.
O'BRIEN: That's -- so what, do you enjoy the acting still? Do you still look for parts?
RAWLS: Yes, very much so. Yes, I was fortunate to be in the picture that Nicholas Cage won his first Grammy -- his Oscar -- I'm sorry. "Leaving Las Vegas." I had a part in that. And I've done small parts in other movies since then. PHILLIPS: And of course all his credits earned him that star on the Walk of Fame. What was that like, Lou?
RAWLS: Oh, that was really exciting. That was very exciting, because I had been walking Hollywood Boulevard. I never thought that I would one day have a star there.
O'BRIEN: All right, now let me ask you this. The one think in reading your bio that I was not familiar with about you was your roots in hip hop. I'm sure a lot of our viewers are scratching their heads right about now going how do you get from Lou Rawls to 50 Cent? Give us the back story.
PHILLIPS: That's pretty good? Did you hear him, Lou? He said "50 Cent". He got it right.
RAWLS: Right. He got it.
Actually, I was working in the small lounges and clubs. And one night I was up there trying to sing a song and the people were so busy talking among themselves, I said, there's got to be a way to get their attention. So instead of singing, I told a story of the song with the music playing behind me.
So when I cut my first live album, I did the same thing on the at bum and became my little rap thing. My first Grammy nomination.
O'BRIEN: Can you do a little for us?
PHILLIPS: Wait, we got to get a little rap. We got bring down the music. Give us a little something, Lou.
RAWLS: Well, my first Grammy nomination was for a song called "Dead End Street." See, I was born in the city called the Windy City. And they called it the Windy City because of the hawk, the almighty hawk. Mr. Wind is mean in the wintertime. And the music was playing. Then I went into the song.
O'BRIEN: Yes. Wow.
PHILLIPS: All right, before we leave, you've got to do us a favor.
RAWLS: Yes?
PHILLIPS: Give us a "This is CNN."
RAWLS: This is CNN.
O'BRIEN: All right.
PHILLIPS: There you go. No more James Earl Jones. We've got Lou Rawls.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Lou Rawls, you're great. Good luck with the -- is it doing well so far?
RAWLS: Yes, well it came out just last week. So we're looking forward. We think it's really going to do good. We hope so anyway.
O'BRIEN: "Rawls Sings Sinatra," look for it. And, Lou Rawls, thanks for spending some time with us. It was a pleasure.
PHILLIPS: Absolute pleasure.
RAWLS: Thank you. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 16, 2003 - 15:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: You'll never find another voice like his. Lou Rawls has done gospel, jazz, pop and soul. He's even, get this, considered a pioneer of all things hip hop. Can't wait to ask about that. But in any case the man with the million dollar pipes is now offering a great tribute to Frank Sinatra.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: His new CD, "Rawls Sings Sinatra" went on sale last week. Now the legendary entertainer joins us from Los Angeles to talk about this remarkable new project. And we're going to reminisce with him a little bit. Hi, Lou.
LOU RAWLS, ENTERTAINER: Hi, how are you?
PHILLIPS: Great to have you.
O'BRIEN: Good to see you.
RAWLS: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Let's talk about this. Why Sinatra, why now?
RAWLS: Well actually, Frank kind of took me under his wing there for a moment and gave me some great credentials, I guess could you say. So I thought it was time to respect and honor him and give my touch to the songs that he had made popular.
PHILLIPS: So we've been looking back at a number of pictures, Lou. Take us back to Chicago. Take us back to the days of the Pilgrim Travelers when you were singing gospel and then moving on to play jazz with Les McCann. What do you miss most about the culture then when you see music now?
RAWLS: I guess could you say there was more of a closeness back in those days. We were all young, struggling, trying to make it into the business. There was, I guess you would say much more of a camaraderie than there is today.
O'BRIEN: Let me ask you this. On the CD there, you've got a quote there from Frank Sinatra. We have that picture -- I don't know where you were performing in this picture. Do you remember that was?
RAWLS: Yes, that was my telethon that I do every year for the college fund.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: ... when you do a concert with Sinatra, you might remember that happened, right?
RAWLS: Oh, yes.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: In any case, what was it like singing with him? Was that something?
RAWLS: It was scary. It was very edgy, because you didn't know -- I mean, hey, here is Frank Sinatra, you know, and you're up there with him. So you've got to be on your P's and Q's.
O'BRIEN: You've got that right. Now in 1966, and this is right here on the jewel case there and the liner notes there, "The kid's got the smoothest chops in the business. Watch out for Lou Rawls. He's going places." That's Frank Sinatra in 1966.
Boy, when you heard that, what did you think at that point?
RAWLS: Well, hey, listen, that was a stamp of approval. So, I mean, what do you say about that? You just be very glad that the man gave you that recognition.
O'BRIEN: I should say.
PHILLIPS: You know what, Lou? Not only did you make such a mark and still continue to make such a mark in music but, do you remember, Miles in the '70s. I know Lou remembers -- "Big Valley"?
O'BRIEN: Sure. Yes.
PHILLIPS: Lou, take us back.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIPS: ... first time we saw an African-American cowboy, right?
RAWLS: That's right. I've got to tell you they asked me when they offered me the part they said, Do you know how to ride? I said, No. The closest I had been to a horse was a policeman's horse in Chicago.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Southside, right?
PHILLIPS: Yes. There you go.
O'BRIEN: That's -- so what, do you enjoy the acting still? Do you still look for parts?
RAWLS: Yes, very much so. Yes, I was fortunate to be in the picture that Nicholas Cage won his first Grammy -- his Oscar -- I'm sorry. "Leaving Las Vegas." I had a part in that. And I've done small parts in other movies since then. PHILLIPS: And of course all his credits earned him that star on the Walk of Fame. What was that like, Lou?
RAWLS: Oh, that was really exciting. That was very exciting, because I had been walking Hollywood Boulevard. I never thought that I would one day have a star there.
O'BRIEN: All right, now let me ask you this. The one think in reading your bio that I was not familiar with about you was your roots in hip hop. I'm sure a lot of our viewers are scratching their heads right about now going how do you get from Lou Rawls to 50 Cent? Give us the back story.
PHILLIPS: That's pretty good? Did you hear him, Lou? He said "50 Cent". He got it right.
RAWLS: Right. He got it.
Actually, I was working in the small lounges and clubs. And one night I was up there trying to sing a song and the people were so busy talking among themselves, I said, there's got to be a way to get their attention. So instead of singing, I told a story of the song with the music playing behind me.
So when I cut my first live album, I did the same thing on the at bum and became my little rap thing. My first Grammy nomination.
O'BRIEN: Can you do a little for us?
PHILLIPS: Wait, we got to get a little rap. We got bring down the music. Give us a little something, Lou.
RAWLS: Well, my first Grammy nomination was for a song called "Dead End Street." See, I was born in the city called the Windy City. And they called it the Windy City because of the hawk, the almighty hawk. Mr. Wind is mean in the wintertime. And the music was playing. Then I went into the song.
O'BRIEN: Yes. Wow.
PHILLIPS: All right, before we leave, you've got to do us a favor.
RAWLS: Yes?
PHILLIPS: Give us a "This is CNN."
RAWLS: This is CNN.
O'BRIEN: All right.
PHILLIPS: There you go. No more James Earl Jones. We've got Lou Rawls.
(LAUGHTER)
O'BRIEN: Lou Rawls, you're great. Good luck with the -- is it doing well so far?
RAWLS: Yes, well it came out just last week. So we're looking forward. We think it's really going to do good. We hope so anyway.
O'BRIEN: "Rawls Sings Sinatra," look for it. And, Lou Rawls, thanks for spending some time with us. It was a pleasure.
PHILLIPS: Absolute pleasure.
RAWLS: Thank you. Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
