Gary James' Interview With Alfa Anderson Of
Chic





She was one of three lead singers in the 1970s group, Chic. That's her singing lead on "I Want Your Love", which helped Chic's album "C'est Chic", released in 1978, to number one on the R&B albums chart, as "Le Freak" topped the Pop, R&B and Disco charts and went on to become the biggest selling single in the history of Atlantic Records! After Chic, she toured with Luther Vandross. In February, 2019, along with original Chic singers Norma Jean Wright and Luci Martin, she will take part in the Ultimate Disco Cruise, with an all-star cast. The woman we are speaking about is Alfa Anderson.

Q - I see this Disco cruise of which you will be part of is starting to advertise. Is this the first cruise of its kind? Do you know?

A - I don't know whether it's the first time they've had one. I can't speak to that, but it's definitely the first time we've been invited and we are certainly excited about that.

Q - Do you carry a band with you for this event or will a house band be provided?

A - There will be a house band and they will be backing all of the acts. I think Gloria Gaynor is bringing her own band and maybe one other artist is bringing her band, but the rest of us will be working with a band out of Philadelphia which is a wonderful, wonderful band with lots of experience. It'll be us. It'll be so many different people on the cruise. Tavares, Sister Sledge...

Q - K.C.

A - K.C. yeah. It's gonna be a lot fun and I can also say if our fans really want to come and join us on the cruise we have a promo code which is Alfa-Luci-Norma Jean, and you get a discount. (see https://ultimatediscocruise.com)

Q - I read that Chic's original demo of "Dance Dance Dance" was rejected by several record companies before Atlanta Records said yes. Someone was really persistent. Would that someone have been Nil Rodgers?

A - It would've been Nile Rodgers and his partner Bernard Edwards. As a matter of fact, today (April 18 2018) is the 22nd anniversary of Bernard Edwards passing, transition from pneumonia. So, he's been in my thoughts all day. It would've been Nile and Bernard and whoever their representatives were at the time. They believed in the music. They believed in their concept and they didn't give up. And look what happened because they did not give up!

Q - How different would Chic's story have been if you had not been part of the group?

A - (laughs) That's an interesting question. I think Chic's story would have been the same. I think the music is classic and timeless. They wrote great, great songs and I was blessed to be able to be a part of that, to sing, to help develop those on the vocal side along with Luther Vandross, who we call the co-creator of the Chic vocal sound, and definitely me being a part of that and others; Norma Jean Wright, Luci Martin, Fonzi Thornton, Michelle Cobbs, all the people you see on the liner notes, Diva Gray who did the duet with me on "Le Freak", which was actually inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame recently. So, I'm really proud of that. I would like to say my vocal style had something to do with it. It's not false modesty, but I did not write the songs. Usually the songwriters get the credit and they absolutely should get the credit, but I was really fortunate to be in a position where I could help those producers take their vision to the level where they wanted to be.

Q - What were you doing before Chic? Were you a studio, background singer?

A - I was a background singer. I had started doing some Jazz work when I first came to New York with Matt Adderley Jr. who was the son of Nat Adderley and the nephew of Cannonball Adderley. I had started doing some work there with Marvin Hannibal Peterson, who was also a Jazz musician. Most of the artist community that I met when I first came to New York were young people who were really, really interested in Jazz. That's where I met Thelonius Monk's children. So, I was pretty much headed that way and all of a sudden I started singing with a group of people, Kenny Bronner, and the group was called Raw Sugar, from my hometown that were singing, playing R&B and Rock classics. From there I started doing background work and met Luther Vandross. I was introduced to him by Fonzi Thornton and Edna Holt, and as a result of meeting Luther Vandross that's when my career really went into high gear and I started doing a lot of background sessions in New York with him. As a matter for fact, it was Luther who called me to do the background session for Chic's first CD or album. The great Norma Jean Wright was the lead singer and it's because of that, that I got to work with Chic and a lot of other people. Luther and I provided tour support the first year they went out. When Norma left to record her solo CD they asked me to stay on and become one of the singers with Luci Martin. That's pretty much the story.

Q - Did you ever get into Studio 54? Did you ever go there?

A - I've been there, but I wasn't there a lot. I was never one to do a lot of hanging out and go into clubs. Prior to Chic and doing music I was a teacher at Hunter College.

Q - What were you teaching?

A - Freshman English, the companion class to Freshman English. So, I taught a class that really tried to get people skills, writing and speaking skills and reading skills up to par. I was there and that's what I was doing. I've always been an educator. As a matter of fact, when Chic disbanded I worked with Luther Vandross for many years and went back to school and got a second Masters in School Leadership. I had already gotten a Masters in teaching English from teachers college at Columbia University and after Luther, I went back to Bank Street College of Education here in New York and got a Masters in Education and Leadership and became a high school principal. (laughs)

Q - I believe you may well be one of the most educated singers I've ever interviewed!

A - (laughs) Well, thank you. I take that as a compliment.

Q - It is a compliment.

A - And many people don't know that about me and I never used to talk about it because people used to always want to talk about the music, obviously. But then, as I've grown older, looking at my life, Norma said, "You know what Alfa? Just mention it sometimes because it makes you more interesting to people. People don't know there's that about you."

Q - That's true. She's right.

A - (laughs)

Q - How did life change for you when Chic's records became hits? Did Chic tour? And where did they perform?

A - Chic toured a lot during our hey day. We performed in Europe as well as the States. That was at the time when they used to have these huge festivals in the stadiums like Cool Jazz festivals. We also did similar venues but we toured extensively throughout the United States, not as much in Europe, but we had very successful tours because the group was a very successful group. We had records that were crossover records, records that brought people together and that's one of the things of which I'm most proud. Our group actually brought people together, Black people, White people, straight, gay, young, old. It was a very eclectic mix, a very diverse group of people who really loved our music and came out to our concerts and actually bought our music and supported us. So, I'm very proud of that legacy. A lot of people don't think about that or mention that, but that was extremely important to me during the time.

Q - Do you remember when Rock fans blew up all those Disco records? I wish I could remember where it happened.

A - Comiskey Park.

Q - Oh, you remember it.

A - I wasn't there, but I remember the incident. We weren't there. From what I've read and from what I've heard it was all started by a disgruntled DJ. Radio was beginning to play Disco music, particularly "Saturday Night Fever" might have been the turning point because "Saturday Night Fever" put Disco straight in the center of America, in the mainstream. People won awards and everybody was dancing to that type of music, John Travolta, all those people in that movie. As long as music is on the fringe, on the periphery of society it's okay, but when it became mainstream it became a threat to Rock stations and to Rock DJs and many stations prior to that Disco Sucks movement or the Death Of Disco, which really wasn't the death of it, but a lot commercial stations as you know are based on money, as all corporate entities are, began to change some of their format to Disco and Dance music. This was started, from what I understand, by a DJ who was disgruntled because his station was going to cut back on Rock and add Disco. So, it all started as that kind of a movement.

Q - And Rock fans didn't like the fact you had to learn how to do all the dances to the music and the clothes that went with it.

A - I can't speak about that except that you did not have go buy into all the accouterments and the accessories that went with that. If everybody didn't go in for the hedonistic lifestyle they say that Disco had, but who had a more hedonistic lifestyle than rockers?

Q - It depends what Rock stars you're talking about. Not everybody is doing what the public thinks they're doing. At the end of the day it is after all a business.

A - That makes a lot of sense because it's not necessarily the people onstage. It's the people that gather around and their perception of what the artist's life is like. You do have to take care of yourself and your job is to make it look easy. And nobody knows when you're onstage and you've got a headache or muscle cramps or whatever the case may be. You're going to go out and perform. Getting back to Bernard Edwards, he did a showing in Japan and he wasn't feeling well. It's my understanding that after the show he went back to the room and that's when he expired.

Q - That's very sad. That is the trooper spirit that so many performers have.

A - Absolutely.

Q - Dick Clark said of the eras of music, he liked the Disco music the best. Does that surprise you? Did you know that?

A - I didn't know that. I'm humbled and honored by that. Did he say why? I'd be interested to know.

Q - I don't know why.

A - Well, there was definitely a lot to like about Disco.

Q - Beside this cruise coming up, do you perform every weekend or every month? How often do you perform?

A - I do perform. First I'd like to say I released my first solo CD in July of 2017. It's called "Music From My Heart" and it's available on CD Baby and Amazon and all digital platforms. If people want to get in touch with me, my handle on Twitter is @AlfaKAnderson and on Facebook I'm Alfa Anderson formerly of Chic. I love to hear from fans and make new friends.

Official Website: www.OfficialAlfaAnderson.com

© Gary James. All rights reserved.