EUR FEATURE: STEPHANIE MILLS FEELS GOOD ALL OVER -- Singer returns to the industry.
by J.C. Brooks

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(Mar. 5, 2004) Stephanie Mills is preparing to step back on the music scene with a welcomed blast from the past of good music.
Her songs that are staples in the R&B world, such as "I Feel Good All Over," "I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love," and the platinum selling single "Never Knew Love Like This Before," are just a glimpse into what we can expect from Ms. "Sweet Sensation."

The petite singer with the giant voice burst onto the scene as "Dorothy" in the Broadway version of "The Wiz," where her rendition of "Home" would forever stir the spirit of audiences worldwide. She went on to score numerous hits in the 80's and enjoy tremendous success in R&B. She has recently starred in the plays "Nativity" and "Ragtime."

As she returns to the music world, Mills has immense life and recording experience to inspire and motivate those who also have aspirations of beginning a recording career. Lee Bailey, the founder of the EUR/EURweb.com, sat down with Ms. Mills to talk about life, love and the recording industry.

"I still make my home in the Charlotte area. I was born and raised in New York, but I've been staying here on and off for the last two years."

Mills also touched on her marriage and what has changed.

"I'm not married any longer. He's in New York and he's remarried.

The two, Stephanie and ex-husband Michael Saunders, program director of NY's Power 105 radio station have remained very good friends and the relationship left the R&B sensation very happy.

"I have a 2-and-a-half-year-old named Sarad [Suh-rod]. He's my first child. He's my only one," she said with a glow in her voice. The singer did not identify the father. When asked about motherhood she replied, "It's wonderful. It's the best thing I've ever done. Absolutely the best."

Mills wouldn't mind having more children, but she doesn't know if that's on her "to do" list at this juncture in her life.

"I want to, but I'm 46 years old, so I don't know. Maybe I'll have two more. I'd love to have two more. I'd love to have three and have a nice little family."

But age is not that much of an issue to the singer as she explains the wonders of technology and women's choices these days.

"One of the Pointer Sisters had twins at 50. Technology is so advanced now…there's so many types and ways to do it where the baby will be healthy. It depends on how healthy you are. How energetic you are. How in shape you've kept yourself."

The powerhouse singer encourages exercise and has maintained a regular routine for a very long time.

"I workout like three days a week. I do Pilates and I'll jump rope. I love doing it just because I like to keep myself in shape and it's healthy for you. And I've worked out really all my life. I've been working out since I was like 21."

She is also a vegetarian, but says she eats chicken and fish. This regiment was a tremendous help in regaining her figure once her son arrived.

"By the time he was 3 or 4 months, I was back in my jeans and small again. I was 126 pounds once he was born. [Now] I'm maybe about 99 pounds, maybe 100."

Even newer than her newest addition, is the promise of a new album this year that is, according to Mills, traditional R&B.

"I have a new album that's coming out titled "Born For This," in March. I have a new single that's on the radio and doing quite well called 'I Can't Let Him Go,' that was produced by Barry Eastland and Gordon Chambers. I released it independently."

"It's a ballad…It's traditional straight up Stephanie Mills R&B," explained Mills. "There's no hip-hop on it. My album is R&B. There's no rappers, there's no guests, there's just me."

Mills saw the importance of doing her new set her way because of the changes in the recording industry.

"I think the industry has suffered a great deal from people who did not have the knowledge of how to really do the business that I grew up knowing how to do and I just think there were a lot of bad decisions made at a lot of bad companies and that's the result of what's going on."

With all of her whopping success in the music industry, Mills was still a victim of the "new" industry and was discouraged by record executives to not go back into the booth.

"I really do believe the industry became driven by producers and executives and not artists. I think that's why it suffered," she reasoned. "The quality of music and lyrics went out the window. Just listening to the music today and its content, the music isn't as good as it was back in the day."

Mills explained that the industry was in the process of changing when she got out.

"When I dissolved my contract with MCA they were trying to get me to do music and things that I just didn't want to do. Rather than fight with them, I just left and did my own thing and kind of reevaluated my life in Charlotte and when I was ready to do it and come back."

She added, "That's one of the reasons why I haven't recorded an album in 13 years or that's one of the reasons I left the business by choice." But when the singer made an attempt to return to the music industry, she was discouraged by record executives.

"Even coming back, like two years ago and I'd sit down and have meetings with executives they didn't have a clue what to do and had no respect for people who had albums and had a history and had a career," said Mills. "So it forces you to do it yourself. Especially when you love to do what you do. You're simply not going to allow someone to tell you your career is over."

According to Mills, the executives gave no acknowledgement to her history and didn't exactly try to be diplomatic. The types of things they told her did not match her past success.

"My career was over. That I'd seen my best days. I didn't have an audience. I was told that on several occasions," she said. "It wasn't about what you did in the past. It was about what have you done lately. And that's all they were banking on. I didn't set out to do it independently, but now I'm glad. I think my decision has been the wise decision."

Her upcoming projects not only include the new album, but she's already doing some touring.

"I'll be touring. I've been doing some dates with the O'Jays. So, I have a lot of things going on especially with the single and the single was No. 27 on the charts and it's doing very, very well. I'm very happy."

But a good friend of hers, Peabo Bryson, has experienced trouble of his own. She was unaware of his problems with the IRS, but is geared to help out.

"I think maybe as a community of entertainers we should come together to do a benefit for him. I think that we should reach out."

She added an example of the type of help that friends can offer and how much it means.

"When they came after Willie Nelson that time, his friends bought all of his stuff and then gave it right back to him. I would definitely participate because it could happen to anybody. I told (radio personality) Doug Banks that we as a community should step up to the plate and maybe just help him. Even if it's a little thing, at least it's something."

She continued to empathize with the entertainer saying, "I feel like that's so sad for an entertainer to work all those years and entrust your business maybe to a business manager and they just screw you around. It happens everyday. I know what that's like."

For MORE info, visit www.stephaniemillsmusic.com.