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A little Knight music

Posted Tuesday 25th August 2009by Nige Burton

Nige Burton catches up with iconic soul diva Beverley Knight and discovers a down-to-earth Midlands lass with a heart of gold.

It was on an ordinary Wednesday afternoon in August that I had the privilege of meeting up with one of the music industry’s real stalwarts; Beverley Knight is one of those rare talents that genuinely performs for all the right reasons. This girl just wants to sing. In fact, she’s been at it since the age of four, having joined the gospel choir of her local Pentecostal church in her native Wolverhampton, eventually leaving in her teens having attained the dizzy heights of musical director.

It’s a commitment which shows a rarely sustained passion in kids, and it’s this unwavering passion which still drives her career to this day.

“The most important thing for me is the singing,” smiles Beverley in that cheeky, unassuming way that makes her so instantly likeable, “you know, if I had to plan my career around how much money I can make, I think I’d do something else.”

It’s a sentiment which rings resoundingly true. I’ve heard this sort of statement before from artists, but in Beverley’s case you get the overwhelming feeling that it’s from the heart; a breath of fresh air in a business which can be witheringly cynical.

2009 is a special year for the Brummy songstress as it sees her first album release on her own independent Hurricane label after eleven successful years with EMI’s Parlophone.

“It’s a really important development for me,” Bev tells me. “It’s no coincidence that the album is called 100% – that’s exactly what it is: 100% of me and I have complete creative control.”

It’s a freedom that harks back to more humble beginnings: “When I made my first album, The B Funk on Dome, nobody laid down hard and fast rules of what could and couldn’t be done,” she recalls, “so I just did whatever I fancied and, if it sounded right, it made it onto the album.

“But when you finally get the break and cut a deal with a major label, it all becomes much more constricted as, of course, the emphasis moves from creative freedom to financial gain. So you could say I’ve come full circle, only this time I’m doing it with the security of a loyal fan base.”

Ironically, Beverley’s biggest commercial success earned her the most criticism from hard core devotees of her music. “It was my fourth studio album, Affirmation, which I worked on with Guy Chambers that got me into such hot water,” she tells me. “It featured the rock guitar single Come As You Are, which became my biggest charting single to date, but some of the urban radio stations and publications freaked out, accusing me of deserting my roots and moving too far away from my ‘trademark urban sound’, as they called it.

“But I won’t be boxed in. I’m always grateful for the loyal support of my fans, but I never said I wasn’t going to diversify and try new things!”

Beverley continued on her own path, consolidating her success; it was a sure fire signal that she did not intend to be boxed in or ‘ghettoised’.

“I find my musical inspiration comes from a very diverse range of performers,” she says.

“As a child, I remember sitting around the radio with my family listening to our favourite gospel and soul artists like Sam Cooke, but other important influences have been Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield.”

The singer’s early soul roots shone through when she was asked to host a BBC Radio 2 series Beverley’s Gospel Nights, a six part series in which she interviewed artists such as Shirley Caesar, Percy Sledge and Destiny’s Child stars Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. So successful was her personal, open approach to her guests that listeners demanded more, and two further six part series were commissioned. Subsequent guests included the legendary Candi Staton, David McAlmont and Marvin Winans, and Bev’s no nonsense style proved yet again to be a wining formula.

“I’d never presented a radio show like that before,” she remarks, still a little incredulous at this new, hidden talent almost discovered by accident. “They just asked me if I’d do it, and I thought why not give it a go girl? I mean, it’s only talking to people, isn’t it? And I love people, and am generally interested in what they’ve got to say.”

Despite an incredibly hectic schedule throughout her music career, Beverley has always found time to devote to her tireless charity work. She’s a keen ambassador for Christian Aid, and has travelled personally to areas affected by disease and poverty to help raise awareness. Spurred on by the untimely death of her close friend Tyrone Jamison – “he was my soul mate” – Beverley became actively involved in the Stop AIDS Campaign and The Terrence Higgins Trust.

“Tyrone was the most wonderful friend you could ever hope to have,” she recalls with sadness, “I still miss him so much today, but I’m proud to use whatever platform I have to achieve some good when I can.

“Some quarters of the Church came down quite heavily on me for my support of what they essentially saw as ‘gay’ charities, but I don’t care. It can’t be wrong to try to help people who are suffering. First and foremost I’m a Christian, and I know Tyrone would be egging me on if he were still here, saying go on girl – you tell ‘em, make ‘em have it!”

In recognition of both her charity work and her contribution to British music, Beverley was made an MBE in February 2007, a moment of which she is justifiably proud. It came on the back of a host of other awards, namely an honorary degree from the University of Wolverhampton in 2005, when she joined the ranks of Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell by becoming a Doctor of Music, and three MOBOs. She was also presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 at London’s prestigious Urban Music Awards.

With K by Beverley Knight, a range of cosmetics developed exclusively for darker skin, under her belt too, it seems there’s no end to the portfolio of this multi-talented Midlands maverick. As stunningly beautiful as ever, Ms Knight is still very much at the top of her game.

Visit www.beverleyknight.com