Floyd Armstrong / The Healing Power of Music

Bass/baritone singer Floyd Armstrong believes music has the power to heal. As a member of iconic six time Grammy winning vocal pop group, The Fifth Dimension, he has traveled the world and seen the effect music can have on people firsthand. Armstrong does not take his ability to make a difference lightly, having helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years for numerous causes, all while performing with the group and maintaining a solo career. Now he is working on his next big project, the Wounded Ill and Injured Music Therapy for Veterans Music Studio, located in Casa de Oro. It’s all part of a journey that’s seen him perform in front of sold-out audiences and at major venues, such as Montreal, Canada’s Bell Center, where he headlined the 2022 Lions Club International Convention, alongside Smokey Robinson. Armstrong has even appeared in several notable films, most recently last year’s Christian Bale / Margot Robbie film, Amsterdam.

Music Therapy

Armstrong is currently raising funds for his Wounded Ill and Injured Music Therapy for Veterans project. “Basically, we’ll record veterans, at no cost to them, in our studio,” he said. “We’ll create a platform for them to make music that calms and relaxes, for meditation, that we can give out and distribute on CD’s or downloads,” he said. Plans include a new app “to make it easy for anyone who needs it to access the music,” he said. “We have the location in Casa de Oro, but now we need to get the things that go with it,” Armstrong said. “We need funds for everything from computers to microphones and as you can imagine, that doesn’t come cheap. One microphone alone can run into the thousands of dollars.”

His initial interest in veteran care, came during a tour stop by The Fifth Dimension to a VA hospital. “It began after an autograph session at one of the hospitals for veterans,” he recalled. “I went to a hospital where they were servicing veterans and it just didn’t feel right. I thought, what can I do to lift the spirits in the hospital when veterans are there? And I thought about music therapy.”

While Armstrong’s focus is on helping veterans, he plans to expand and help seniors as well. “I believe that music is such a powerful thing, because music consumes the entire brain at one time,” he said. “It’s the only thing that invokes memory, thought and emotion, all at one time. With music, it’s all about frequencies that can actually unblock passages in your body. Frequencies can do that, beats can do that. You have to understand that music was the first form of medicine. I always say that music is the soundtrack of our lives. Music can take you on a journey. And bring you back things you have forgotten about. Let’s say, if I ask you, way back in high school, what song was playing at the prom and who were you with? With music you can take that moment and go right there. People with Alzheimer’s or dementia sometimes can’t remember the name of people right in front of them, but if you play a song from their high school or youth days, they can sing that song word for word. Music is so powerful it changes lives.”

Interestingly, Armstrong’s voice itself has healing qualities. “I was contacted by some doctors from New York who told me my voice is in the 432 frequency, naturally. If you look it up, you’ll find that frequency is healing and therapeutic. It relaxes you, it nourishes you, it puts you to sleep. And my voice is naturally there. The doctors kept telling me to make sure I take care of my voice and the third time they said it, it really struck a chord with me. I made the connection. And that’s the reason why I opened up a recording studio, because I wanted to do be able to put out therapeutic music therapy for our veterans.”

Early Days

A native San Diegan, Armstrong found his calling as a teen, via family. “When I was fifteen years old my aunt drug me to church and had me sing in the choir,” he recalled. “And to everybody’s amazement, I sang bass below the men, at 15. So, she got me in to the church choir, and after that I got into choir at Lincoln High School (where he was ASB President) and then singing groups.” He soon started his own combo, Satisfaction, in 1977, performing throughout Southern California. Their vocal work soon drew notice. “We did the Gong show twice, where we got the “Best Act of the Year” award,” Armstrong continued. “We also appeared in The Gong Show Movie (1980), with Chuck Barris. The manager of the Jacksons heard us and tried to sign us and give us the Jacksons band (for backing), he loved us so much. Unfortunately, we didn’t want to move to LA, so that was that.”

While Satisfaction only achieved regional success, the group did set the wheels in motion for what would ultimately be Armstrong’s big break in music. “Leonard Tucker, the band’s other lead singer in Satisfaction, joined the Fifth Dimension first. He’s the one who introduced me to them and that’s how I got that gig. And then I returned the favor when I got the part in the movie, Amsterdam, where we sing the song, “Lady of Spain.” Armstrong appears in the film as Fred Hinson, sharing screentime with Christian Bale, while the song was also included on the official soundtrack album. “We did three weeks (on set). Robert Deniro, Chris Rock, Taylor Swift, Christian Bale, all amazing people, just down to earth people, it was great,” he said. The Fifth Dimension

Fifty years since they first started hitting the charts, The Fifth Dimension continues to be a popular concert attraction, averaging a few dozen international shows a year. Indeed, at press time the group had gigs on the books through March of 2024. Now a veteran of the touring scene with decades behind him, Armstrong is still incredulous at the shift in his musical fortunes when he joined up with his Fifth Dimension bandmates. “It was something you almost couldn’t wrap your mind around,” he said amiably. “It was really something to go from performing for a few hundred seats to places that hold thousands,” he said. “And then learning choreography on another level.” The group has fun with the set list, mixing the expected hits with a few choice covers and a touch of humor. Which is the biggest crowd pleaser in their shows? “Of course, it’s “Aquarius,” Armstrong said good naturedly. “It’s the last song we do and it always gets people up on their feet. But my favorite actual song to perform with the Fifth Dimension is “MacArthur Park,” because we get to do intricate harmonies and choreography. But the favorite song for the fans, for sure, is “Aquarius,” and then “Up, Up and Away.”

It’s clear he’s enjoying the experience. “I always engage everyone with music and joy,” he said. “I love seeing people smile. I love when the Fifth Dimension comes out onstage and the very first song everyone just goes wild. And then we do a love song and they slide into each others arms. You’re looking at me, but I can also see everything out there. It’s a whole transformation, through music. It’s powerful,” Armstrong said.

Jamul Casino and Beyond

Beyond his touring with the Fifth Dimension, Armstrong is also concentrating on his solo career. Plans are in the works for a new album, Finally Floyd, with Grammy Award winning producer Herb Middleton (Usher, Al Green, John Legend) at the board. “He heard my voice and we’ve been working on some songs,” Armstrong said. “I’ve been commuting back and forth to Delaware, which is where he lives. He’s going to be doing a ‘voice of legends’ show, where I’m going to be Lou Rawls, and it’s going to be touring quite extensively.”

In the meantime, fans can find him weekly at the Jamul Casino where he has a Wednesday night residency in their restaurant, Prime Cut, from 6- 8 p.m. Armstrong has been a musical mainstay of the venue for two years, with a musical focus on standards, along the lines of Lou Rawls or Nat King Cole. It’s his favorite venue. “I went there to sing a song for one of the VIP’s and I think I sang “One In A Million.” The general manager heard me and said “that’s the voice we need in the VIP lounge,” Armstrong said. “And I’ve been there ever since.” He considers it the perfect place to hone his craft. “I’ve actually grown quite a bit as an artist there,” he said. “It’s been an amazing opportunity.”

Armstrong’s set is full of classics that fully highlight his rich baritone voice, such as “Autumn Leaves,” “What A Wonderful World,” “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” or “Unforgettable.” “It’s a really great place to sing these love songs,” Armstrong said. “I just love the food and the people that work there are so kind and just down to earth. It’s a joy to even just spend time with everyone there.” Look for Armstrong to open for R&B legends, The Spinners at Jamul Casino later this summer. The Road Ahead

In addition to recording, upcoming plans include a new touring show, All About That Bass, which takes full advantage of Armstrong’s vocal skills. “It’s a tribute to the great baritone bass singers,“ he said. “There will be three or four songs from different stars, like Barry White, Isaac Hayes or Johnny Hartman, and a Temptations melody as well, of songs where the baritone singer came out to the front.”

Meanwhile, on June 23 you’ll also be able to find Armstrong performing at The 2023 Business Star Awards being held at the Maderas Golf Club by the Poway Chamber of Commerce.

After more than forty years of making music, it’s clear that Armstrong truly loves what he does. “I don’t read music, so everything I’ve ever done is because I felt it,” he said. “Music is from one heart to another heart, it’s a feeling. It’s a frequency. When you send an emotion out from one heart, it receives it back from the other. Music has always been a part of my life, whether I’ve been a promoter, whether I’m a singer or working with music therapy for veterans.,” Armstrong said. “Wherever music is involved, I’m there.”

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