GAZE MAGAZINE ICON SERIES VOL. I 2017
GAZE MAGAZINE ICON SERIES
JUDY TORRES: LOVE STORY (DREAMS COME TRUE)
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e recently had the immense pleasure of meeting recording artist and radio personality Judy Torres. She invited us to sit in and watch her work her Sunday on air show at radio station 103.5 FM KTU The Beat of NY. The first thing you learn about Judy is that there is nothing she cannot do. In one take she records an on air announcement for the I Heart Radio app flawlessly. Judy, is a seasoned pro, who has been doing radio for close to 17 years now. She tells us it wasn't always so easy. She confesses that she was not very good when she first started out. She later would find her footing as she began to host her own show featuring Freestyle music. She was very reluctant when first offered the spot because her name is so synonymous with Freestyle. She explains that if she was to do radio she did not want to be known as the Freestyle artist who now hosts a Freestyle show. She also confesses that the show was the best thing to happen to her. Her familiarity with the genre of the music and artists made her a shoe in and a natural for the spot. Her show ended up being one of the most popular shows in the history of the station. We wondered what it is about Freestyle music that makes so many people so happy. As you listen to Freestyle music, it is as if an old familiar friend is telling you a story about their day. We have all had that experience where someone is talking about LOVE to us. They either talk about having a new love, are disillusioned by love, or are yearning for love. This is what Judy, tells us Freestyle music is. She says, Freestyle music is songs about love. Freestyle music is about falling in love, falling out of love, looking for love, yearning for love, its about love. Judy, cites the song No Reason To Cry as the song that started her career as a recording artist. She explains how it was all chance and circumstance. She sang a showcase in a small club in the Bronx and the owner of the club thought this girl has something. He introduced her to a friend, Mickey Garcia. The rest is history as we know it today. Nobody knew what they were about to embark on at the time. It was just people giving birth to something that would later be called Freestyle music. Judy, would go on to record several albums during the height of the Freestyle era, granting her the title of the Queen of Freestyle. Again it was the heartfelt lyrics and raw emotion of the music, that in part even til this day draws a huge devoted following. The lyrics were just so well written and so relatable, that you could not help to feel as if your own story was being told in through this music. It has been over 30 years since the birth of freestyle. Passed on from generation to generation the music is still alive and well. Every generation to follow has learned of this great music that was born in the 80s. This music that is so special to a generation and now being shared with the next generation.
Again we feel so honored to have had the privilege to have been granted the opportunity to speak with one of the pioneers of this great genre. And learn so much about her career and her life. Judy, has showed no signs of slowing down. Her name remains synonymous with this style of music named Freestyle and probably always will. Although we met Judy, for the first time on the day of our interview, it felt as if we had known her forever. In a way we have as we seen this young girl sing about love, telling all of our stories on a stage. Judy, shares that it was always her DREAM to sing for as long as she could remember. She recalls watching Judy Garland in the beloved Wizard of Oz. Film and immediately feeling an affinity because of the shared namesake. She recalls telling her mom, watch someday I will sing with Judy Garland. Her mom would have to break the news to her that Judy Garland had passed away and is no longer living. We really think it is amazing that some people know early on in life what it is they want to do. They don't always know how to go about nurturing that DESIRE. The arts play such a huge role in harnessing and developing young talent. The arts are such an essential staple of our education system. The arts really give people the opportunity to express themselves in a way nothing else in the education system can. Judy says, that what makes her love music so much is the amount of people it can reach. She says, you can be having a bad day and just hear the right melody and the right words and all of a sudden your day maybe is not so bad. Judy, says it is that connection that you can only get by performing for an audience that excites her the most. Judy, has recently been involved in a number of Independent films and has been actively pursuing acting. She recently was in Gary Terracino's, Elliot Loves, a young boy's coming of age story. And Daryl Denner's Fist of Love, a film about domestic violence. Domestic violence has also been a cause in which Judy is very passionate about. She released a song about this issue, “Hell No.” Expect to see a lot more from this very talented lady soon. Judy, also has a one woman stage show in the works and is also penning her memoirs under the working title, “No Reason To Cry.” We take this opportunity to say thank you to Judy for the amazing afternoon we shared. It was a DREAM come true for us to meet with her, see her work and learn about her story. Judy, says, everyone has a story. You would be fascinated if you just sit down and talk with someone. We all have a story to tell. Love Story and My Soul was a collection of songs that launched Judy's recording career. Her music became the soundtrack of a generation and generations to follow. Judy leaves you feeling that anything is possible because it is. So generous and so humble a true Queen in every sense of the word. The queen of a beloved genre and friend. We wish you continued success in all your endeavors.
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To view the entire video interview please visit http://www.gazemag.co/icons.html www.judytorres.com http://tlareleasing.com/films/elliot-loves/
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