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10 Gap Band members lived in one apartment; Paying your dues
Topic Started: Jul 19 2015, 07:53 PM (1,014 Views)
Shirley Brown

A lot of young people today want to be successful in the music industry overnight, but they haven't paid their dues and developed their talent to become great music artist.

The Gap Band had to struggle long and hard for many years before they made it, while trying to make it they had many setbacks and disappointments. In this quote from Charlie Wilson autobiography he talks about how 10 Gap Band members lived in a small apartment together for a whole year, where they slept on the floor.

Charlie Wilson-----The entire band moved to California, there was a lady out there name Harriet Jones, who tried her best to help us while we tried hard to find our way. She kept us for a good year, for which I will always be grateful.

She had a two bedroom apartment and four kids of her own, still she let me, my brothers and our roadies, we didn't have a nickle in our pockets mind you, but we had roadies and she allowed us to sleep in her place. There were fourteen people in this house including her four children, and Miss Jones fed us for a solid year, asking for nothing in return.

We almost got the poor lady kicked out of her place. The manager saw a lot of people going in and out of the apartment, but he didn't have a clue that we were all living in there until about six months in. He told Miss Jones he wanted us out.

So I suggested that we butter him up. It was soon to be his birthday, and I thought it would be a great idea to play a birthday concert for him by the pool. Who could deny us when we performed especially for him. We dragged all of the equipment to the side of the pool and set up like we were about to play the Garden.

We were ready to win this guy over. When the landlord got back the whole building was down there partying, drinking and splashing in the pool. When he walked in the whole place went nuts, yelling SURPRISE.

On cue we went in putting it down like the Gap Band do, with all of the funk that we could muster in our bodies and fingers and voices and instruments. But as soon as we hit those first few notes the whole plan backfired. We blew out the fuse to the whole building. The landlord turned all kind of red, and damn near went crazy on us. You could practically see the steam rising from his head. Get them out of here he demanded.

We were still struggling to hold on to our sleeping quarters on Miss Jones apartment floor. The Gap Band was trying desperately to stay together.


Later on Charlie Wilson said that a record company offered him a solo record deal, they told him we want you but not your brothers. Charlie said that he told them if you can't take my brothers then you can't have me. He said that the record company refused to sign them as a group, and after that the Gap Band members went back to Oklahoma and started working regular jobs.

This information came from Charlie Wilson book below.

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Edited by Shirley Brown, Jul 19 2015, 08:06 PM.
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Marcus
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These none talented so called music artist today, they sing in the shower and then they want to run on American Idol and get famous. But they haven't put in the time and the work, they haven't paid their dues and it clearly shows in their music.
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Marcus
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How many young black music artist today could do that, 10 people living in one apartment for a year trying to make it in the music business.
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beserker
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Marcus
Jul 20 2015, 01:39 PM
How many young black music artist today could do that, 10 people living in one apartment for a year trying to make it in the music business.
marcus !!

u make it sound like u like share-cropping


smh!


ps:

u joke way too much !!
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Chicago
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Marcus
Jul 20 2015, 01:39 PM
How many young black music artist today could do that, 10 people living in one apartment for a year trying to make it in the music business.
I don't think any young black music artist today would be willing to put in that kind of sacrifice to make it in the music industry.
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James

This shows that greatness requires sacrifice.
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Brenda

They definitely paid their dues.
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Chicago
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In order to be successful you got to be hungry.
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New York
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It's all about being hungry and determined to get what you want.
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Mail Man
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You got to be hungry in order to become successful.
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