Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
[Music] he [Music] [Applause] [Music] he [Music] well good morning good afternoon good evening wherever you are in the world it’s Dr Jan Fortman with the Relationship Matters TV show. I hope everyone is having a beautifully blessed morning, afternoon, or evening. Well, we are here in Chicago now. This weather is crazy. Two days ago it was in the 20s and I had on my gloves and the windchill I think was in the um single digits. My fingers were getting cold. So let me tell you about today, it was 56 degrees. Now tomorrow, what they said, it’s going to stop. We’re going to start off in the morning with rain and probably end up in the evening with snow. I don’t know what you know what all you can do really is like in the trunk of your car keep some sandals, keep some shorts, keep a jacket, keep some snow boots, a down coat, it doesn’t really matter because no matter what if it’s spring, winter, fall, summer, who knows what the weather is going to be. So now I always talk about relationships, so we’re having this schizophrenic relationship with the weather here in Chicago. Well, I don’t want to prolong my introduction because I have a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful young lady on. She is a singer, a songwriter, a recording artist, and she has one of the best bands here in Chicago. When I met her, it took a while for me to see her perform, but once I saw her performing, OMG, she is just amazing. So let me tell you just a little bit more about Rhonda High Browne before I bring her on. So let’s talk about Rhonda. Okay, Rhonda, and I’m pulling up your bio and of course since we are doing some technical difficulty things here today on oh my good on both ends, um, I’m going to go to a different computer and I’m going to read the bio from there. Now crafting a unique name for herself in the musical world, Rhonda High Browne is a singer, songwriter, recording artist, and leader of one of Chicago’s hottest bands and the band’s name is Pieces. With her enriching and soulful prowess, this artist empowers Pieces, a collection of talented musicians and I’ve seen them oh my God we’re going to talk about them and of course like a lot of wonderful singers she developed her talent in the church and but we’re gonna talk a little bit more about oh and she was a model but let me bring her on so you can see. All right, so hello Rhonda.
Rhonda High Browne
Hello Dr. Janice, how are you dear?
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh, I am doing very well, thank you. Thank you so much for having me.
Rhonda High Browne
Oh girl, yes, you know and even though you are the leader of the hottest band in Chicago, hopefully after our broadcast you will be the hottest band internationally.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
All right, I like that. So this is where I want to start. I see that you started modeling but you know what, I want to go all the way back.
Rhonda High Browne
Okay.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Why did you even start modeling? Someone, some wait, so you were sitting somewhere or standing somewhere, someone walked up and said OMG you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve seen, got to be a model. How did that come about?
Rhonda High Browne
I think it was more time and location. I did some work for Soft Sheen, that’s where I really got started, print work with Soft Sheen and with the Carefree Curl. Are you familiar with that? So they were looking for models for Carefree Curl and so I was at the right time at the right place and voila, there was uh I got the ad, and that was back in ’82, yeah 1982.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So were you on TV? I kind of remember Soft Sheen.
Rhonda High Browne
Right, it was print work so it was mostly on buses, billboards, in stores, point of sale items like that, um on boxes, posters. Yeah, it was one of Soft Sheen’s biggest campaigns.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Really? OMG, wow. So how long did you do that? Did you ever walk the runway or anything like that?
Rhonda High Browne
Yes, I did some runway. Usually, what happens is once things like that happen, someone will say hey I’m doing a fashion show. So they flew us to California and I did a fashion show in California with a lot of the models. We did Salem, we did some Jewel food print work, so all of these models, all of us, you know we were able to also do the runway and promote other clothing items, things like that. So it was pretty fun, it was really nice.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah, and so how long did you do that?
Rhonda High Browne
Oh, let’s see maybe for about maybe about five years, five to six years, something like that.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah, yeah and so you didn’t continue your modeling and was that so because you wanted to go into music?
Rhonda High Browne
Absolutely, that was my first love. I went back to school, I studied Jazz vocalism and got my degree at Columbia College and started my own band, my own business, Wedding Love Notes Forever where we do weddings. I love weddings, I think those are the most exciting time in a person’s life and I enjoy seeing people have a great time and dancing and just being happy and enjoying themselves. So yeah, music, that’s my first love.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, so I saw where you started in church, you started singing in church.
Rhonda High Browne
Well, I did some singing in church. I did a lot of community. I had one of those moms who oh come over here and sing the Star-Spangled Banner for our community activity this month and come over here and sing a birthday song for Miss Jones or you know. So I started doing a lot of different things like that and then I started singing in bands and just anywhere that I had an opportunity to sing.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah, okay and so do you consider, okay so you said that you studied Jazz vocalism, so explain that to me.
Rhonda High Browne
Okay, at Columbia College, that was one of the academic categories if you will and so I chose jazz vocalism or vocalists and so what you do is you learn a lot of the great artists, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, a lot of great jazz greats and you learn about different techniques and just a lot of how the music was back then during that time. So it’s a wonderful experience. I’ve met a lot of great people. My coach as a matter of fact, Bobby Wilson, I went to see her today at the Promontory and she is just simply fabulous. She was performing a lot of the songs that she taught me to sing so it was great to see her and to hear her do those songs. But yeah, that’s what I did, Columbia College, that’s my school.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, so what made you decide to start your own band?
Rhonda High Browne
Because you know, let’s see, I love music so much and there are a lot of songs that I do. I don’t only just do jazz songs, I do pop, I do R&B, I do a variety of songs and so I wanted to pick and choose the kind of songs that I wanted to sing and present at the time. So I wanted to do love songs or I wanted to do dance songs or I wanted to do songs that I thought people would be moved by. So I just love all kinds of music.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh okay, but you prefer Jazz?
Rhonda High Browne
I prefer the variety, I’ll be honest with you on that. I like, I do, I like to do it all, I really do.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah, yeah so how do you keep your voice, how much do you practice?
Rhonda High Browne
Oh, how much do I practice? All the time, every day. I try and do, I try to learn new songs. I sing with other bands too as well so I’m given songs to learn so I have to practice them and sing whenever I can to be able to stay strong.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So now do you prefer like a huge arena or smaller more intimate kind of setting?
Rhonda High Browne
That’s a good question. Well, you know it’s nice to have a whole big arena, right? A lot of people to enjoy what you do in your music and what you do but I also like the intimacy of a nice group of you know two to three hundred people in a nice setting, listening groups and parties and things like that. So I’m pretty flexible, I just love good music and I just love to see people enjoy themselves and have a good time.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, so you said, you mentioned like Ella Fitzgerald and so who of the great jazz singers, who is your favorite?
Rhonda High Browne
Okay, yeah Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, yeah. Geez, there’s so many really fabulous ones but those are the two that I studied pretty much in school and that I enjoy their technique. I love how they stylize, I love how they scat, I just love the things that they do with music, word painting.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
What’s word painting?
Rhonda High Browne
Word painting is when you’re singing a song, say for example if you use the word sad, I’m gonna sing that word sadly like sad.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh okay, okay.
Rhonda High Browne
You know, so that’s called word painting.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh okay, so can you scat?
Rhonda High Browne
Well yes, you can but you know I have always been just really fascinated when I was especially if you see old Ella, you know music movies with Ella Fitzgerald and you would see her scatting and I always wondered how do you do you just whatever comes into your head?
Rhonda High Browne
Well for the most part yes, but there’s also a rhythmic line and it’s also following the melody as well. When a musician or keyboard player or a horn player, saxophonist, they’re playing a line and what the artist is doing, the vocalist is doing is emulating what that musician or that jazz player is doing or they play around with the melody and you still hear the melody in the scatting. So it’s and it’s a feel so when you’re listening to it you can you know you feel good about what you’re hearing because you like how they work together.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, so do they teach you that or is that something that you have to just learn on your own?
Rhonda High Browne
It can be taught, what can’t be taught of course is the feeling. That’s something that you develop and you gradually move into where it’s natural.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh okay, okay. I’m asking you all these questions because I’ll say I used to sing but wait and I have a brother who’s has a jazz trio in Texas and I keep telling him I don’t know why he doesn’t come and let me like sit on top of and sing and he won’t let me. I’m like but I can sing, I said I can sit and sing My Funny Valentine, he said no.
Rhonda High Browne
Uh oh.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So yeah, that’s why I was asking you these questions. I never took singing lessons and but I just would sing, I sang in a choir and then when I was in high school though, I had this we were in we had a singing group called ourselves The Sweet Tones and it was four of us then it was three of us but one day Jerry Butler came to our school to one of our programs high school. So he wanted to for us to he was looking for background singers and so he wanted us to come and audition to be background singers. Well you do not see me right in Hollywood or anywhere on album said well my mother and the other two mothers said absolutely not and it was like but we could be famous you know no you are going to college and the other one you are going to college and you are going to college you are not going to Hollywood and like keeping me from being a star.
Rhonda High Browne
And your brother is still saying no huh?
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah and he’s still saying no I’m like you know come on now but yeah that’s why I was interested you know in asking you those questions. So now you have a band, how do you choose your band members?
Rhonda High Browne
Well let’s see, I’ve had the group that I’m with now for oh maybe oh at least 10 years and they’re really great musicians. David Flowers is my, his name is David Flowers Jr and he’s my music director and he helps me out with RASP. Every time this is RASP, this will be RASP 11.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Well you saying RASP, tell people what RASP is.
Rhonda High Browne
Okay, RASP stands for Recording Artist Showcase Premiere and this is this would be the 11th one. I started it in 2018. What I wanted to do was to be able to put recording artists out there who have their own original music and they may do some renditions but they’re all recording artists. They’ve taken the time to go into the studio, use their monies, we’re DIY do it yourself artists right now. That means we do not have a label so that means we have to promote our own music and to sit around and wait for somebody to do that for us is kind of crazy if we want people to hear our music and see that we are just as worthy as the ones who are on the radio now that are popular who can afford to have their music pumped into our heads where you can say oh I like that song because you’ve heard it a million and one times. But to be able to just get our music out to let people know what we do and to appreciate what it is that we do. So RASP has been going on, this is the 11th one, people tend to love it. We sold out last time which was in April and that was the first time so I’m really excited about that. I’m hoping that RASP 11 will do the same. It’s just we have food, people come out, some people haven’t seen each other in a while or people meet new people, they just sit back and they enjoy listening to the artists and that’s what it’s all about for the artist to showcase this is my song, I wrote this song or this is my rendition of a cover song. A cover song would be a song that’s already recorded by a famous artist and that’s what pretty much we do because that’s how a lot of musicians make a living. We go out, we do gigs, we do weddings, we do private events, you know parties and different things like that to some of us to supplement our incomes and so you know we have to do a lot of cover songs but I think a lot of musicians and singers and songwriters would love for people to hear their music and what they do and be able to put themselves out there as a unique individual artist.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, so now you’re getting back to your band, you said you have a musical director so what does the musical director do?
Rhonda High Browne
The musical director, he keeps up with all the music and the musicians. Usually if there are some changes to be made he makes sure that everyone is on point with the music for the most part. So he directs the band and he keeps up with whatever material that we’re doing at that time.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Does he suggest songs or suggest things?
Rhonda High Browne
He could, he can but for the most part no, they just direct whatever the artist is asking of them to do in terms of the music.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, so now that’s the musical director. So what else or what other band members are a part of?
Rhonda High Browne
Okay, so you have drums, you have your drummer.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
And who is that?
Rhonda High Browne
Glover Washington has been with me for the most part. Sometimes I have to do substitutes in case you know one of the guys are unable to be there but Glover Washington and then I have right now Tito Thomas is playing bass and for the first time this time Dave Jordan is playing guitar with us so it’s going to be really a nice showcase. The artists are we have Michael Ross, we have Carolyn Fitzhugh, we have Vince Ags and we have Lady Sax who’s pretty popular. A lot of people know who Lady Sax is. She’s actually from Gary but she plays in Chicago a whole lot but she’s fabulous.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah, um hello oh you know what I’m talking girl wait a minute taking me off so I can look at well anyway what I had said was uh with the uh different RASP that you have do you have the same the the same artist all the time or do you have different artists each time?
Rhonda High Browne
Mostly they’re different artists. This particular RASP is kind of like a getting together for the holiday so I asked the guys and the ladies to come back and do a little holiday cheer so that’s exciting.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
And so I see Vincent Abrams on the horn so that’s a saxophone?
Rhonda High Browne
That’s a trumpet.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh that’s a trumpet and Carolyn Fitzhugh on vocals is she a jazz singer also?
Rhonda High Browne
Yes, she is a very outstanding vocalist, yes.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay and then Michael Ross guitar and vocals?
Rhonda High Browne
Yes, yes, Michael Ross is he’s played with Ramsey Lewis. These people some most of them are have been out here for a while and they’ve played with a lot of prominent artists so so um he’s played with Shaka Khan um she’s a number of artists that he’s played with or should I say shared the stage with.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay, okay and I’m putting it uh on the screen so people can see it says presents a holiday special special featuring RASP Performing Artist join us for an end of the year delightful evening smooth jazz R&B and a oh a holiday music sing along along yeah okay so if you all are in the Chicago land area or even if you want to fly in yeah it’s Friday December 15th from 7 to 10 pm $50 per person a buffet included and the location is the clubhouse at Dolphin Lake and that’s in Homewood Illinois so uh for my viewers they can see it and um they can either take a screenshot of it they can tell people and for more information they can call 78417 1929 and I’m G to I put it up here again so that just in case for people who like oh I got to run and and get my phone or or or they can be like me and like how do I make a screenshot you know that was that’s kind of one of the best things ever right screenshot it really really is you know but this a new computer and and they were saying well just hit the Sprint screen button like where is the where is that I did find it so Rhonda I’ve got to take a brief commercial okay and when I I come back I got some more questions for you okay okay all right okay we’ll be right back so this is I uh I enjoy music and uh maybe one day uh I maybe Rhonda can be my music coach and uh teach me how to uh be a Jazz Center but anyway yeah right right um so uh this is what I want you to pay attention to there’s a new show coming up on e360 TV and here is a little [Music] preview [Music] we all come from [Music] somewhere a place with a name but in our longing Hearts we’re all the same m M we can make it happen turn things around Let’s Be the Change we want to see about we are links in the chain LS in a chain we are links in a chain un important Wagon on a moving train in this we’re all the same we links in the [Music] ch go I [Music] am [Music] I [Music] cutting the ties is now out you can purchase it on amazon.com and either the hard copy or Kinder if somebody in this uh Studio next door I guess they’re cooking dinner but anyway um let’s come back here with Rhonda hi Brown hey Rhonda we’re back.
Rhonda High Browne
Hi Dr. Jan.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So tell me about songwriting. So you know what inspires you to write a song, what all does it take?
Rhonda High Browne
Well usually it takes sometimes a situation, a person, an environment, and you just kind of well I have one song that’s called Just Say It and I tell people it’s about my husband and because sometimes he you know has a look on his face that he wants to say something but he doesn’t say it and you want them to say just just say it. So a lot of my friends and family really like this song because they go yeah you know what my friend or my husband they do the same thing and I don’t understand why don’t they just say it. So if you go on to the live stream if you go on to Spotify or Amazon or any of those platforms you can listen to the song Just Say It and it’ll give you an idea of how I’m inspired to write songs or write this particular one.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
And so what other songs have you written?
Rhonda High Browne
I have another song that’s called Don’t Play With Me I’m Serious. I have another one that’s called Stalker.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So wait a minute, how did that song come about, Stalker?
Rhonda High Browne
Oh wow.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
I hear, is that your husband I hear in the background?
Rhonda High Browne
Yes, that’s him in the background just say it. Well Stalker is it’s not what you may think it is, it’s not a bad thing, it’s a good thing and it’s kind of like back in the day when you’ve met you see somebody for the first time and you go oh wow I really like that person you know so you kind of follow them around or you know keep up with them. We didn’t have Facebook or anything like that at the time but you know you had an interest in that person and now it would be considered you know a bad thing if you constantly calling or following but this is just to let a person know I like you you know I’m interested in you so if you listen to the lyrics you can hear that it’s it’s it’s a fun song and it’s a it’s a it’s a nice song it’s not a bad song so you wouldn’t get arrested for it.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
You should okay okay so you take so so do you just like get a thought I mean or are you in a particular space or a place or something and you oh that that could be a song?
Rhonda High Browne
Yes pretty much so yes or sometimes there are some phrasings that I come across and I’m like oh and I and I put together that phrase and then I come up with a storyline and then a melody which is usually sometimes the hardest part is coming up with the melody once you have the concept of the idea of the song. It’s great when I can put both together the lyric and the melody at the same time if I can come up with it and I can do that you know pretty much most of the time which makes it a lot easier and then I work with other musicians, producers and we just put it together and then there you have it.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So how so the process by the time you you write the song I mean you write the lyrics you get you get the the music together and and then I guess you would record it so that process usually takes about how long?
Rhonda High Browne
It really depends, it depends on the time that the artists might have and the and the musicians might have and the producers might have. If I come up with a song that’s pretty much let’s say if I finish the song and and I take it to the producer and I say okay this is what I want to do and then they take it from there and it may take a few days for them sometimes they they hear something or feel something that motivates them or inspires them and they may come back to me and say what do you think of this and I’ll listen to it and I’ll you know and I’ll say yeah or nay or I’ll add or some things to it and then we go in we it and you know it could take maybe three to four days if we’re consistent.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay.
Rhonda High Browne
If we’re consistent yeah.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh wow that’s not long.
Rhonda High Browne
Yeah no nope. I did a Christmas my Christmas CD which is called My Christmas Room and it’s you can also listen to it on Amazon Spotify or any other streaming platforms and that that took maybe about six months I think yeah because a lot of the songs are my rendition of regular Christmas songs or traditional I should say Christmas songs.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay.
Rhonda High Browne
And they’re just my rendition and so we pretty much have it together already we kind of know we’re just doing it in a different way so it doesn’t really take that that long to do to do a rendition of a cover song or a song that’s been out already for a long time.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah okay so so when you’re performing do you and you and you’re into your song do and and maybe you’ve rehearsed it with your band a certain way but let’s say you really get into it you change things you know in the mist of singing that song you know what I’m saying you know do do what it’s not improvised I forgot what you call it but you know like you’re singing your song okay you rehearsed it with your band a certain way okay now you really into it you really feeling it and it comes in your head or whatever to just do something a little different with this phrasing or this line or do you ever do that?
Rhonda High Browne
Yeah yeah because you’re you’re inspired and and you’re motivated by the reaction perhaps of the audience if you have a really good audience that’s really listening and enjoying themselves and and and they’re expressive and then it it helps the artist to really get into the song and and you know give it that if you will if you’re if that’s what you’re looking for you know so yeah you you you get inspired and you wanna you want to sing it or you want to convey a certain phrase as you say or or you whatever it is you want to say you know you present it in such a way that hopefully it moves the audience in some kind of way.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
And so this this show is all about relationships so you have to have you have to form that relationship with your audience.
Rhonda High Browne
Yeah definitely.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So so so I so what happens when let’s say you’re singing you know you’re performing and it’s like wait a minute you’re looking out at the audience and they’re just you know it’s like they’re not really into being they not you know like do I need to choose some different kind of songs or or does that ever happen?
Rhonda High Browne
Oh yes I mean yeah but not often.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Right right right look we were all up in there we were like so uh yeah we we love it when the audience is is is caught up into what we’re doing and um and and we try to encourage it um usually if you know if if they’re bopping their heads or petting their feet or clapping their hands that says a whole lot about uh the fact that they are interested in what we’re doing so and that’s a good thing you know that’s a good thing.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay okay so now uh oh we have a comment here and it’s from uh Gwindel Dumar she says thanks Dr Jan I love jazz and it sounds like a great outing for the holiday great so Gwindel Dumar if you I’m gonna put it back up on the screen so if you go you really you know you got to walk up to Rhonda and tell Rhonda that you heard all about RASP on the Relationship Matters TV show.
Rhonda High Browne
Yeah absolutely.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So what would you tell like young people not even young people just people who want to go into entertainment what what would you tell them and be successful?
Rhonda High Browne
Well I would say if it’s something you really want to do and you really enjoy doing it I say go for it and put your all into it don’t listen to the naysayers just do what makes you feel good what makes you happy because we all know that this one life that we have if we don’t make ourselves happy nobody else is going to do it for us and you don’t want to have to say if I what is that saying wish if I could have would yeah could have would have you know it’s better to just say okay I’m gonna jump into this and I’m gonna do it and I’m gonna give it my all and usually it’s a good thing because you’re happy and isn’t that what we all in pursuit of?
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yes yes yes.
Rhonda High Browne
You know and if music makes you happy I know it makes me happy you know do it do it and and and be continuous with it be intentional with it stay focused with it and enjoy it and you know and usually you’ll be successful.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay well some questions have come in.
Rhonda High Browne
Oh okay.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay the first one that came in said who was your mentor?
Rhonda High Browne
My mentor like I said Bobby Wilson was my coach in fact I went to see her today at the Promontory and it was it was really nice to be able to to watch her perform and to see some of the things that I’ve learned from her as a performer so yes.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
And the other question that came in is how many octaves can you sing?
Rhonda High Browne
Let’s see I can do an octave above a C4.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
You know what that means okay so I know middle C yeah I know high the going up one octave then the next one.
Rhonda High Browne
Yes.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Really?
Rhonda High Browne
Yeah yeah.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh my goodness so like first soprano?
Rhonda High Browne
I could do mezzo and I could do I could do soprano and mezzo soprano yeah.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Oh wow oh okay I used to I I like alto but when I was singing my coach Flora Robinson she had me doing first soprano.
Rhonda High Browne
Okay.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
You can do it you can do it.
Rhonda High Browne
That’s what they tell you and they tell you that too you can do it you I’m like I can’t get up there yes you can and then the runs right did you teach you the runs to go up and yes.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah yeah and you know that usually they say you’re a little lazy when you they they see the potential and you don’t go for it if they think it’s because you’re maybe she don’t be lazy that’s the kind of thing that they say.
Rhonda High Browne
It wasn’t that but I like harmony I like to harmonize.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah.
Rhonda High Browne
And so I preferred alto so I was first alto.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Yeah.
Rhonda High Browne
You know but then she was like no no you are first soprano so yeah I I would get up there.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
So you see so she saw it in you she knew you and that’s what you need and that’s what a good coach will do you know they will push you to to to your you know utmost so that’s that was good that was good I’m I’m gonna have to talk to your brother.
Rhonda High Browne
Yeah you know he’s watching you know he usually watches I’m gonna talk to him too him you know you need to invite Rhonda he’s in Dallas I’m gonna tell him you need to invite Rhonda down to sing you know come on.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
That would be nice that would be nice and then and then you can come with too and then we’ll show them what you can do right.
Rhonda High Browne
Thank you.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
And so this other question that came in is oh I guess it’s from all what you have been saying just then about being pushed recognize it do you teach jazz singing?
Rhonda High Browne
No I don’t teach um I uh I [Laughter] do that’s all I can say.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Have you ever thought about it?
Rhonda High Browne
Uh not really to be honest not really.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay.
Rhonda High Browne
No one has ever asked me to teach them so I I I wouldn’t say that I would if someone wanted me to help them with something I just you know have never been put in that position.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay okay so now if I I’m trying what I’m trying to find here okay here it is this people is where you can go to get Rhonda High Browne singer songwriter recording artist this is what I put on the screen is her URL and you can her app and you can see all about Rhonda her bio just just all kinds of great great great information about Rhonda so take a screenshot or if you not if you’re like me and don’t know where it is pick up your phone take a picture so you can you can learn all about Rhonda from there and as I said I’m going to put it up again because I want people if you did not get a chance let me find it if you did not get a chance to see where Rhonda and her band Pieces is appearing here it is it’s called RASP it’s Friday December 15 so let me take her URL off and then that way you can see okay let me take it off here that that way you can see is Friday December 15th from 7 to 10 p.m. admission is $50 per person and if you want more and it and it includes a buffet and you all I’m going to give you just a tip as soon as they put that food out get in line.
Rhonda High Browne
That’s right.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
You know like I was like oh well I’ll just wait what I was like where where is all the food so so and the food is delicious so admission is $50 per person Buffet included and the location is the clubhouse at Dolphin Lake 2100 West 183rd Street in Homewood Illinois take a screenshot and if you don’t know how to take a screenshot as I said before just use your now I can’t even find it take it off just use your phone and when you use your phone just take a picture of it so Rhonda it’s been a plum pleasing pleasure.
Rhonda High Browne
Oh thank you so much for inviting me on your show um I it’s an honor because you are such a wonderful person I’m you know I was like oh thank you thank you thank you um and thank you for coming out to RASP so you’re speaking from experience you’ve seen the show so you know what we do yes um like we we sold out last time so if anybody’s interested in coming get your tickets right away um because we really don’t sell them at the door so just call the number 78417 11929 and we’ll get you squared away.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Okay and you know she’s right she’s right because it was sold out and she had to find us some seats we sit so yes so be sure be sure and and if you didn’t get it uh this is uh will be on YouTube and other platforms so tell people tell everybody honestly you will thank me so thank you so much Rhonda I really appreciate you being my guest.
Rhonda High Browne
Thank you.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Looking forward to RASP.
Rhonda High Browne
All right happy holidays to everybody.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
And the same to you thank you thank you thank you.
Rhonda High Browne
All right bye bye.
Dr. Janice Hooker Fortman
Bye bye and she’s right people honestly uh that’s why I had on the show because oh my God I was I hadn’t seen her and I was like oh mg she is very very very very talented and uh I’m not sure if I will be here next Thursday or not I might do it encore or I might be here because uh what is the 4th is my birthday so I and the show is after my birthday so I might come on and tell you all about how I celebrated my birthday or um it’ll be a birthday show I’m not really sure but on December did I say December 4th my birthday is December 5th oh lord well anyway uh December 5th is my birthday and I will be 82 years young you know what maybe I will come on so I can really talk about you know how to stay active how to keep moving and just you know how to really kind of still be going strong when you’re an octogenarian so anyway uh uh so maybe you’ll see me maybe you won’t have a beautiful blessed rest of your morning afternoon or evening and remember there all kinds of relationships and there all kinds of relationships matter relationship matters alrighty see you all either next week or week after next bye bye [Music] [Music] oh