Larry Dodson

RnB/Funk Legend of The Bar-Kays

We caught up with RnB/Funk Legend, Producer, Author, Philanthropist, and Entrepreneur, Dr. Larry Dodson, Jr. from the Legendary group, The Bar-Kays.

How did you become or form the group as we now know as, The Bar-Kays?

I WAS ASKED TO JOIN THE BAR-KAYS IN MARCH OF 1970 AND I BECAME THE FIRST AND ONLY LEAD SINGER THE BAND HAS EVER HAD.. AT THAT TIME I WAS SINGING WITH A LOCAL DU-WOP GROUP CALLED THE TEMPREES, WHICH I STARTED IN HIGH SCHOOL.

Tell us how you got involved in the music industry?

I GOT INVOLVED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALLY AFTER BECOMING THE LEAD SINGER OF THE BARKAYS WHERE I BEGAN TO RECORD PROFESSIONALLY. THE BAR-KAYS HAD ALREADY HAD A MILLION SELLING SINGLE CALLED “SOUL FINGER”. IT WAS THIER VERY FIRST RECORDING.

What inspires you to write music?

AS A SONG WRITER, I AM INSPIRED TO WRITE SONGS FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AND VERY OFTEN I AM INSPIRED TO WRITE ABOUT THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF OTHERS , ESPECIALLY THIER LOVE EXPERIENCES. AND LASTLY I GET INSPIRED TO WRITE ABOUT LIFE EXPERIENCES AND ITS MANY CHALLENGES.

Do you still write music?

AS ONE OF THE MAIN SONGWRITERS OF THE BAR-KAYS I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED ON 95% OF ALL THE SONGS THE BAND HAS EVER RECORDED, BUT I MUST SAY I SELDOM WRITE ANYMORE.

Do you write music for your self or other?

I WILL WRITE NOW ONLY IF I’M REALLY INSPIRED BY A PARTICULAR TITLE THAT JUST KINDA HAUNTS ME OR IF I AM ASKED TO WRITE OR CO-WRITE A SONG FOR ANOTHER ARTIST OR FOR A PARTICULAR THEME OR CAUSE. FOR INSTANCE I CO-WROTE AND PRODUCED THE SONG, “A MESSAGE FROM MEMPHIS” WHICH WAS A THEME SONG FOR A CD AND DVD WHICH FEATURED AN ALLSTAR CAST OF ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS FROM MEMPHIS SUPPORT OF THE VICTIMS OF HAITI.

What was your first record you put out?

THE VERY FIRST RECORD I WAS ASSOCIATED WITH WAS A SONG CALLED “SANG AND DANCE”. IT WAS MY VERY FIRST VOCAL ON A BAR-KAYS RECORD. IT WAS LATER SAMPLED BY WILL SMITH AND USED IN A MULTI-MILLION SELLING SINGLE CALLED “GET JIGGY WIT IT”. I ALSO RECIEVED A BMI AWARD FOR MY PARTICIPATION IN THE SINGLE.

How did you come up with the name Bar-Kays?

THE BAR-KAYS NAME CAME AS A RESULT OF THE ORIGINAL BAND’S DESIRE TO HAVE A RANCH WHICH THEY WANTED TO CALL BAR-K RANCH ....SO GOES THE STORY!! THE BAND HAD THE NAME BEFORE I JOINED IN 1970.

Tell us about the honorary doctorate degree you receive and how did that come about?

THE HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREE THAT I RECIEVED FROM LEMOYNE OWEN COLLEGE WAS A COMPLETE SUPRISE TO ME . I HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH IT . I WAS AT HOME WITH MY WIFE , MY SON AND HIS FAMILY ONE NIGHT AND THEY CALLED ME INTO THE BEDROOM WHERE THEY WERE ALL GATHERED AND TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD BEEN CONTACTED BY LEMOYNE OWEN COLLEGE TELLING LARRY JR. THAT THEY WANTED TO AWARD ME WITH THIS HONOR AND I WAS LOST FOR WORDS AS THEY ALL LOOKED AT ME WITH A SENSE OF PRIDE THAT IN WILL NEVER EVER FORGET. MY WIFE OF 50 YEARS HAD ALREADY TOOK ON THE CHALLENGE OF GOING BACK TO COLLEGE DURING THAT TIME TO GET HER DEGREE AND IRONICALLY WE GRADUATED ON THE

SAME DAY. SHE GRADUATED CUM LAUDE FROM SOUTHWEST COLLEGE AND I WAS ABLE TO SEE HER GRADUATE AND SHE WAS ABLE TO SEE MY CEREMONY. WE ALL CELEBRATED THAT NIGHT AND HAD A WONDERFUL TIME.

I WROTE THE BOOK “AND THE BAND PLAYS ON” WHICH IS THE STORY OF MY LIFE, AFTER MY SON.

So, you are a author correct what’s the name of your book and how did that come about?

HAD ENCOURAGED ME FOR MONTHS TO WRITE THIS BOOK JUST TO SHARE WITH MY FANS THE INTRIGING STORY OF MY CAREER BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER MY RETIRMENT FROM THE BAR-KAYS. I WOULD OFTEN SHARE WITH HIM THE INTERESTING AND WILD STORIES I EXPERIENCED OVER THE ALMOST 5 DECADES OF ME BEING THE LEAD SINGER OF THE LEGENDARY BAR-KAYS. AFTER I STARTED WRITING THE NOTES FOR THE BOOK I BEGAN TO REALIZED HOW THERAPUTIC IT WAS FOR ME TO CANDIDLY OPEN UP AND TALK ABOUT SO MANY PERSONAL ISSUES AND ALSO I FOUND THAT I ENJOYED WRITING MUCH MORE THAN I HAD EVER DREAMED I WOULD. SO I BEGAN WRITING ON MY SECOND BOOK , WITH THE HELP OF MY WIFE CALLED “KEEP LOOKING UP WHEN ITS DOWNS” WHICH WAS BASED AROUND OUR LIFE EXPERIENCES AS PARENTS, RAISNG OUR DAUGHTER PRECIOUS WHO WAS BORN DOWNS SYNDROME. I THEN STARTED MAKING NOTES FOR TITLES FOR SEVERAL OTHER FUTURE BOOKS THAT I WANTED TO WRITE ABOUT. I REALLY ENJOY BEING AN AUTHOR NOW AND I DO PLAN TO FINISH AT LEAST 4 BOOKS ON MY TITLE LIST ...AND OF COURSE I’M BEHIND WITH MY PUBLISHING SINCE I DECIDED TO COME OUT OF RETIREMENT IN 2018 AND RETURN TO THE STAGE TO PURSUE A SOLO CAREER.

So, being in the music industry, how do you feel about the direction the industry is going from then to now?

AFTER 50 YEARS IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS, AND SEEING THE MANY CHANGES THAT THE INDUSTRY AND MUSIC HAS TAKEN, I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE LACKS COMPASSION AND TRUE CONCERN FOR THE ARTIST THAT STILL WRITE, PRODUCE AND RECORD THE MUSIC OF TODAY. AS FOR THE MUSIC ITSELF, I FEEL THAT WORLD MISSES THE SOULFUL, HEARTFELT, PASSIONATE SONGS, VOICES AND RAW TALENT FROM THE GREATS LIKE, RAY CHARLES, ARETHA FRANKLIN, OTIS REDDING, AND MANY MANY OTHERS NOT JUST IN SOUL AND POP MUSIC BUT IN ALL GENRES. IT’S LIKE THEY JUST DON’T MAK’EM LIKE THAT ANYMORE. TODAY, IT’S MORE ABOUT THE FLAVOR OF THE DAY SONGS AND SINGERS WITH RECORD LABELS. TODAY, THE MUSIC INDUSTRY FOR THE MOST PART SEEMS TO ONLY BE INTERESTED IN MAKING QUICK, FAST MONEY WITH VERY LITTLE FOCUS AND ATTENTION ON THE WELL BEING OF THE CRAFT AND THE ARTIST THEMSELVES. BUT, EVEN WITH THE INDUSTRY CHALLENGES, THERE HAVE STILL BEEN SOME REALLY GOOD SONGS TO EMERGE AND ALSO SOME VERY TALENTED ARTISTS, PRODUCERS, AND SONG WRITERS IN ALL GENERAS...BUT NOT NEARLY ENOUGH IN MY OPINION, AND ITS RATHER DISCOURGING TO ME PERSONALLY.

AFTER RECORDING SOME 30 ALBUMS, OUR MUSIC HAS SERVED MANY DIFFERENT PURPOSES. OVER YEARS, IT HAS MADE PEOPLE COME TO THE DANCE FLOOR AND BOOGIE TO FORGET THE PROBLEMS THAT THEY MAY BE FACING. SOME OF OUR MUSIC HAS ROMANTICALY SAID WHAT LOVERS WANT TO SAY TO ONE ANOTHER, BUT SOMEHOW CAN’T FIND THE RIGHT WORDS OR THE COURAGE. AND THEN, SOME OF OUR MUSIC WAS WRITTEN TO JUST MAKE YOU THINK ABOUT OTHERS IN A CARING WAY OR TO JUST THINK......... PERIOD!!

So, tell us a little bit about JEA/Right Now Records and how that came about? and what is it purpose in such a competitive market?

JEA RIGHTNOW RECORDS WAS A RECORD LABEL THAT WAS FORMED IN 2003 BY MYSELF AND THE ORIGINAL LEADER OF THE BAR-KAYS ....BASS PLAYER , JAMES ALEXANDER. AT THAT TIME, HE HAD A RECORD LABEL CALLED JEA MUSIC AND I HAD A RECORD LABEL CALLED RIGHTNOW RECORDS...AFTER TALKING IT OVER FOR A WHILE, WE DECIDED TO MERGE THE TWO LABELS TOGETHER TO OPERATE AS ONE POWERFUL LABEL. OUR SOUL MISSION WAS TO COMBINE OUR FORCES AND INDIVIDUAL STRENGTHS TO HAVE A LABEL THAT WOULD DEVELOPE ARTIST AND RELEASE INCREDIBLE URBAN, POP AND SOUL MUSIC. AS WELL AS, PROVIDE A HOME LABEL FOR THE BAR-KAYS TO RELEASE ALL OF OUR PRODUCT. WE LATER EXPANDED AND STARTED AN AFFILIATE GOSPEL LABEL CALLED ..”TESTIMONY RECORDS”. WE STARTED THIS LABEL TO CREATE GOSPEL AND SPIRITUAL MUSIC AND TO CULTIVATE GOSPEL ARTISTS, MAINLY FROM MEMPHIS.JAMES AND I BOTH LOVED THE LORD AND WE BOTH HAD STRONG CONVICTIONS ABOUT THIS LABEL AND THE ARTIST ON THE LABEL. WE ALWAYS FELT WE HAD SIGNED SOME OF THE BEST GOSPEL TALENT THAT MEMPHIS HAD TO OFFER.

So, you started a family run booking entertainment agency, what is the name of it and who all do you do booking for?

IN 1999, MY WIFE AND I STARTED A BOOKING AGENCY BASED OUT OF MEMPHIS, FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF BOOKING BASICALLY FUNK, SOUL AND R&B ACTS. I DID HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT ME BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY OTHER ARTIST BEING THAT I WAS ALREADY AN ESTABLISHED CONCERT TOURING ACT. BUT AS IT TURNED OUT IT WAS JUST THE OPPOSITE . BECAUSE OF MY MANY FRIENDS AND LONG TIME RELATIONSHIPS WITH SO MANY OTHER ARTIST, THEY SEEMED QUITE PLEASED TO ALLOW OUR NEWLY FORMED BOOKING AGENCY TO BOOK CONCERTS FOR THEM. OUR AGENCY TOOK OFF AND WE BEGAN TO GAIN THE TRUST OF A LOT OF TOURING ACTS BIG AND SMALL.WE DID GOOD HONEST BUSINESS AND THAT IS WHAT HAS SUSTAINED LAMARIE’S ENTERTTAINMENT FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS NOW. I ASKED MY SON.. LARRY JR. TO INTERN IN THE OFFICE WHILE HE WAS IN COLLEGE TO SEE IF HE LIKED THE BUSINESS AND HE DID COME INTO OFFICE DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS AND ON HIS BREAKS FROM COLLEGE..HE TOOK A LIKING TO THE BUSINESS AND HAS BEEN A VITAL PART OF THE FAMILY OWNED AND RUN BUSINESS EVER SINCE AS THE MANAGING AGENT FOR LAMARIE’S ENTERTAINMENT. THE NAME OF OUR AGENCY, LAMARIE’S ENTERTAINMENT COMES FROM THE FIRST TWO LETTERS OF MY NAME LA AND MY WIFES ENTIRE NAME ...MARIE. LARRY JR SHARES MY WHOLE NAME AND BY THE WAY..HE AND HIS WIFE ALSO GOT MARRIED ON THE SAME DAY AS DID MARIE AND I ..THUS WE SHARE THE SAME ANNIVERSARY DAY WHICH IS REALLY KINDA COOL!!

So, we heard one of the founding members, Mr. J. Alexander Dodson is an advocate for DSA (Down Syndrome Association)?

OUR FIRST BORN CHILD...PRECIOUS WAS BORN DOWNS SYNDROME AND HAS BEEN MENTALLY CHALLENGED SINCE BIRTH AND THUS I ,MARIE AND LARRY JR. HAVE BEEN HUGE SUPPORTERS OF THE DOWNS SYNDROME ASSOCIATION WHICH IS A REMARKABLE ORGANIZATION THAT NOT ONLY SUPPORTS THE DOWNS SYNDROME KIDS BUT THE PARENTS AND FAMILYS AS WELL. WE HAVE SAT ON THE BOARDS AND MARIE HAS SERVED ON THE STATE LEVEL AS AN ADVOCATE FOR CHANGING THE VARIOUS LAWS THAT HAVE HELPED DOWNS KIDS AND FAMILIES. IT IS AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN A LABOR OF LOVE FOR ALL OF US, ESPECIALLY SINCE PRECIOUS IS DEFINITELY A SUCCESS STORY AND HAS BEEN BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO WORK AND TAKE CARE OF HERSELF FOR MOST OF HER LIFE. SHE TURNS 49 THIS YEAR AFTER BEING DIAGNOSED BY DOCTORS NOT TO LIVE PAST HER TEEN YEARS. SHE IS TRULY AMAZING AS SHE HAS BE WORKING FOR OVER 28 YEARS NOW.

So, you are now the minority owner of a whiskey called, “Guidance WHISKEY”. How did that come about?

TWO YEARS AGO, MY SON ASKED ME IF I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED IN A NEW WHISKEY CALLED, “GUIDANCE WHISKEY” WHICH WAS OWNED BY TWO AFRICAN AMERICAN GUYS , ONE OF WHICH I HAD KNOWN FOR MANY YEARS AND THE OTHER HAD BEEN AN ALUMNI OF THE COLLEGE MY SON HAD ATTENDED. I TALKED WITH THE OWNERS AND THEY WERE EXCITED AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET A WELL KNOWN ARTIST LIKE MYSELF TO BE THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THIS NEW WHISKEY WITH THE FAN BASE THAT I HAD AND THE DEMOGRAPHICS, IT WAS A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN FOR THEM. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WAS THAT THE WHISKEY TASTED GREAT AND IT WAS IN MY OPPINION A TOP SHELF LIQUIOR. THEY MADE ME A GREAT DEAL AND THE REST HAS BEEN HISTORY AS I ENJOYED BEING INVOLVED IN SUCH A PROMISING VENTURE ON THE GROUND FLOOR. IT HAS PROVEN TO BE A GREAT BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP.

Do you have any advice to give our readers?

I WOULD SAY, THE BEST ADVICE I COULD GIVE TO ANYONE IN THIS BUSINESS OR ANY BUSINESS IS TO ALWAYS SEEK GOD FIRST. MAKE EVERY EFFORT YOU CAN TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE MOST KNOWLEDGABLE PEOPLE WHO CAN TO ASSIST YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY AND NOT TAKE SUCESS AND THESE OTHER THINGS TOO SERIOUSLY. AND LASTLY, I HAVE FOUND THAT IT IS VERY HARD TO GET TRIPPED UP IF YOU JUST STAY ON YOUR KNEES.

Social Media sites:

FACEBOOK: Larry Dodson of the Bar-Kays, TWITTER: @RealLarryDodson, INSTAGRAM: @Thereallarrydodson