The Pulse of Entertainment

The Pulse of Entertainment: Candi Staton Says ‘Just Breathe' on New Single via The Orchard

By Eunice Moseley

(June 26, 2020) - "Started...really writing a couple years ago," said Grammy nominated Candi Staton about her new music and recently released single titled "Just Breathe" featuring Rapper Yo-Yo. "It's like what's going on in the world today? One mountain after the other...people getting killed, police officers not being charged...fake news coming from the powers-to-be."

The single was released on the Beracah/MRI/TheOrchard imprint. Currently 80 years-old, but still very youthful, Candi has been providing us with inspiring music for over 60 years. Her first release via a group called The Jewel Gospel Trio was in 1953 - she was a teenager touring with Sam Cooke and Mahalia Jackson, and I wasn't even born yet! In the 60's she garnered two Grammy Award nominations for her R&B singles "Stand by Your Man" and "In the Ghetto." In the 70's she became a "disco-queen" with her "Nights on Broadway" and "Young Hearts Run Free" singles. In 1971 her single "He Called Me Baby" was covered by Rock band One EskimO for their debut album "Kandi" and the single peaked at #1 on Billboard's "Triple A" Chart. Her 1972 single "Best Thing You Ever Had" was sampled by Christina Aguilera and a remix of the single was used for a Twitter Superbowl commercial. In the 80s she released two songs that went multi-platinum, "You Got the Love" and "Hallelujah Anyway," meaning each single sold over two million records. The single "You Got the Love" was covered by Joss Stone in 2010. Since then she has recorded not only Gospel, R&B and Disco, but Blues and Pop. Still going strong Candi Staton's music has amassed over 100 million audio streams.

"You watch the news and get a knot in your stomach," Candi pointed out about why she released the "Just Breathe" single. "I've been in the house for two months...didn't know what's going on. I said I need to take a break."

Candi said watching the news of one after the other being killed by police and all saying "I can't breath" because of the police choke-hold and she thought about that song "Just Breathe" because she felt it fit with the current times.

"We started writing and we got three songs," she continued. "‘Where We Go From Here,' we are working on that now... It's a great time for prayer. God got us. He has us in the palm of his hand."

Candi is about to cross-over to Hip-Hop by enlisting Yo-Yo as a featured artist on the "Just Breathe" single. Yo-Yo came into the Hip-Hop spotlight in the 90s garnering placement on Billboard's "Hot Rap Songs" Chart. Her debut album "Make Room for the Motherlode" peaked at #5 on Billboard's "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums" Chart in 1991. That same year her single "You Can't Play with my Yo-Yo," off of her the debut which featured Ice Cube, reached #1. That success led to major collaborations with Brandy, Queen Latifah, Snoop Dogg and MCLyte. In 1993 she hit the top of the charts again with "Bonnie & Clyde/IBWin' with my Crewin'." In 1995 she earned another Grammy nomination for "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group" for her contribution to the Quincy Jones track "Stomp," which also featured Chaka Khan, Coolio and Shaquille O'Neal. She also ventured into acting having starred in Boyz in the Hood, Sister Act: Back in the Habit, "Martin" and "New York Undercover."

"People are afraid to come out," Staton stressed emotionally. "I began to talk to the Lord. I began to remember...God is on my side. I said God protect them (protestors)."

Candi Staton wants her fans and the protestors to "Just Breathe" and to know that God got you. www.Candi-Staton.com

SYNDICATED COLUMN: Eunice Moseley, MS, MBA, MPhil has an estimated weekly readership of over ¼ million with The Pulse of Entertainment. She is also a Public Relations Strategist and Business Management Consultant at Freelance Associates, and is Promotions Director (at-large) for The Baltimore Times. www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com. EVENTS: "Uplifting Minds II" Entertainment Conference (ULMII), founded by Eunice in 1999, is into its 21st year. Next events are coming to Los Angeles Saturday, November 7, 2020 via Zoom Video Conferencing and to Baltimore Saturday April 17, 2021 at Security Square Mall. The ULMII event is a free conference offering an Entertainment Business Panel Q&A Session, a Talent Showcase and Talent Competition (vocal, songwriting, dance and acting) where aspiring artists have a chance to receive over $15,000 valued in prizes/product/services. Log onto www.UpliftingMinds2.com for more information or to RSVP.