- A Spring Valley native%2C Jermaine Paul won the second season of NBC%27s %27The Voice%27
- %27It definitely means the world to me to ...do what I can for the community%2C%22 Paul said
- His new single%2C %27Working Sista%2C%27 drops June 9 with his solo album debuting Sept. 8
Jermaine Paul has had plenty of excuses to let success go to his head.
The Spring Valley-raised singer has toured the world singing backup for Alicia Keys. He's been nominated for two Grammys. And he was chosen by the nation as the winner of the second season of NBC's "The Voice."
Despite all that, Paul has never forgotten where he comes from.
"It definitely means the world to me to go back and to lend a hand and to show love and do what I can for the community," says Paul, who, after winning "The Voice" in 2012, returned to Spring Valley to perform for the kids at the Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center.
"I went to that Martin Luther King camp for kids," he says. "That was one of the places that, during the summer, my parents allowed us to go. It was a summer camp basically put in place to keep a lot of kids in that area busy and out of trouble during the long hot summer.
"I spent a lot of days at that camp and a lot of great people helped contribute to the person I am today —a lot of the camp counselors and a lot of the administrative people there who are still involved."
In recent months, Paul has been hard at work on his first solo album, "Make Love, Save the World," due out Sept. 8.
"We're just fine tuning everything right now," Paul says. The first single off the album, "Working Sista" will be available June 9 on iTunes.
Before the single drops, Paul agreed to answer a few questions about his career, his inspirations and his family.
After winning "The Voice," how much has your life changed?
Mainly, now I'm more in control of my own destiny. I move at my own pace, whereas before it was like, if Alicia wasn't on the road, then I had to go find another gig. I was away from my family a lot. Nowadays, it's definitely changed because I'm more able to set my own schedule. I don't miss as much. I'm not away as much from my family. I'm able to go to my sons' games and my daughter's musical performances, so I don't miss as much.
With your successful career as a background singer, what made you want to go solo?
Anyone that sings background and says they don't have the aspirations to be a solo singer, I wouldn't believe that totally. I definitely loved singing background and it was definitely a big part of my learning experience. I loved it, it was great. But there came a time when I found myself staying up at night after playing an arena with Alicia overseas. I wanted to find my own voice that I really wanted the world to hear.
It got to a point where it was time for me to try. Alicia was very supportive from day one. She even gave me the opening spot at her show. I was able to have a nice little 20-minute set before she hit the stage and that helped to fuel my desire.
Was your first solo show intimidating?
Oh yeah (laughs). I think I made it harder on myself because I picked up a guitar... I decided to learn guitar and take lessons and for the most part teach myself guitar.
There were times when I went out there— and I'm talking a big arena stage and it's just me, a spotlight, a guitar and a percussionist— those times of intimidation definitely came about. But I'm the kind of person that, when adversity is in front of me, I will give myself something else to do to stay focused while I'm handling the situation.
So I taught myself guitar and I decided that I was going to do songs that I wrote with my guitar. So instead of focusing on singing in front of a bunch of people in an arena, I was so focused on playing my guitar correctly and getting these songs across to the crowd.
You're playing B.B. King's Blues Club on July 3. Was he a big influence on your music?
Oh yeah. I always incorporated blues into my music and B.B. King was definitely a big inspiration, alongside James Brown and Al Green and Marvin Gaye. But especially B.B. King because he, in my opinion, he kept a genre of music alive singlehandedly. He never let it die. It's almost like what James (Brown) did with soul music... I really have so much respect for those artists that went against the grain from the beginning and what they were doing became popular, but they never stopped.
I read that your parents played a large role in your early musical ventures. How much influence did they have on your career?
My dad was a music minister, but even before that, he always kept instruments in the house. He always kept us playing music and singing music. I mean, for as long as I can remember, I was singing or playing the drums or figuring out piano... I remember my biggest gift as a kid was a guitar, an electric guitar, and I thought it was a toy. I didn't know that a guitar was an actual instrument and something that most people don't get for Christmas as a toy. My drums were toys. So my dad kind of kept it around us so much so that we never knew (music) it not being in our lives.
So how much of your success do you credit to your family?
I have nine brothers and sisters and at the time I was living in Spring Valley in Rockland. And we were living in one of the toughest neighborhoods at the time called The Hill. It was because of their upbringing that I was able to make it out of that neighborhood, and more importantly, have something to show for myself. By the time I was out of high school, I had already received a couple first place prizes in different singing competitions and had sang up and down the east coast with numerous choirs and gained county honors. I got my first record deal at 16.
So my parents, in all honesty, they are the reason I am who I am. Everything they did from day one has always stuck with me throughout my journey.
Twitter: @kev_incredulous
More Paul
Look for a promotion in next Sunday's Journal News for a free iTunes download of one of Jermaine Paul's songs. Become a Journal News Insider and get a special deal on Paul's appearance on BB Kings, July 3, lohud.com/insider.
