Music….it is a staple of most people’s lives. How many people do you know that don’t have a radio, stereo, IPOD, MP3 or music on their computer? I can’t think of any of my friends. Our tastes in music also changes as we age, travel, and experience life. I am convinced a great party game would be putting everyone’s IPOD’s or MP3’s into a bag, mixing them all up, and having to identify the owner just by looking at the play list!
I don’t think it would be that easy! I remember a friend of mine being amazed at a song that he saw on my play list. He actually couldn’t believe it would be a song that I had even heard, let alone downloaded. My taste is very eclectic. Of course, growing up in the rock and roll age, my IPOD has rock (now it’s called “classic” rock to make us feel older), pop, jazz, classical, rap, gansta rap, hip hop, r & B, blues, dance, reggae, gospel, island, musicals and movie soundtrack, you name it, I am sure it is somewhere on my IPOD.
I am a big music junkie. I’ll get a tune in my head and it will stay there for several days. Since I am currently in a “happy funky upbeat mode” one of my latest uploads is an incredibly catchy dance anthem “Louder (Put Your Hands Up)”. Great to dance to, work out with and quite frankly just hum and be happy…….it creates feelings of joy, excitement and brings out the “life is good” Tigger in me. It’s a nice place to be!
So who is this guy Chris Willis? After all it is his creation? He, with the commanding voice that refuses to be ignored and the songwriting hooks that will not leave your head?? “Louder (Put Your Hands Up)” is the Atlanta –born gospel singer’s first solo offering. But he has been around for awhile. Chris has been the voice and songwriter of hits with uber-hot French producer David Guetta including “Love Is Gone”’ “Every Time We Touch” and “Just A Little More Love”. He has worked with pop, R&B, and hip-hop A-listers ranging from Ne-Yo, To Fergie to Kelly Rowland to Will .I.Am to LMFAO. Chris remained front and center as the master-mind behind the single “Getting Over You”, (featuring vocals of Fergie and LMFAO). It recently was #1 in Europe and was featured in the soundtrack of MTV’s Jersey Shore after steadily climbing the US charts this summer.
I had the opportunity to meet and chat with Chris earlier today! It was nice to learn about his influences…. He grew up in Atlanta in a very musical family. Gospel singing was a family staple. A grandfather directed a church choir. A grandmother performed in Carnegie Hall. His parents are musical. His mother played the piano, and she and his father would travel and perform in choirs. They exposed Chris, his two sisters and his younger brother to all types of music, not just gospel. Chris inherited his mother’s piano playing and can play by ear. Holidays with the families end with sing-a-longs; acapella included! I hope they have some of these sessions taped as they must be spectacular!
So….with the holidays approaching, lines getting longer, tempers getting shorter, I find myself singing “take another sip of the premium, keep the drama down to a minimum, just turn the music up to the maximum, spin the bottle down, down, down…….” And life is good! Thank you Chris for restoring my mood! And I am so looking forward to your futures endeavors!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh7xQD43Igg
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