On the April 4 WBGO Journal...
We celebrate Jazz Appreciation month...
Host Doug Doyle chats with bassist, singer and composer Antonio McLendon about his musical career, his family's legacy and the meteoric rise of his jazz superstar daughter and 6-time Grammy award winner Samara Joy...
Antonio admits his daughter didn't grow up listening to jazz.Fiercely rooted in gospel music, born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, and into a family where music was his first language; Antonio McLendon began his musical journey very early, playing the piano and trombone by the age of 7. When he was 10 his parents got him a bass guitar for what could be his best Christmas present ever.
"The bass was between the (Christmas) tree, the piano and the fireplace. I remember the moment I came downstairs and saw it sitting there. About a year prior to that, gospel legend Andraé Crouch, who really wasn't widely know at that time, came to Philadelphia. I saw him and his band sing and perform. I saw their bass player, Bili Thepford. All I knew is that I wanted to have an afro like his and I wanted to play bass he did."
For Antonio, the inspiration or all his music comes from his deep faith. McLendon’s parents were both musicians. Elder Goldwire McLendon was a runner up on BET’s Sunday Best Season 3 and his wife Ruth McLendon are the founding members of the legendary Gospel performers, Savettes Choral Group.
McLendon was weeping in the audience when his daughter, Samara Joy, won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2023…now she’s won a total of six Grammys. The two make heavenly magic when they perform together. Antonio admits his daughter didn't grow up listening to jazz.
"We are a traditional gospel family, inspirationally-founded, I kind of branched out in my early teens and 20's into R & B and some soul music. There was never really jazz in our household. Samara discovered jazz on her own in high school.
Antonio has sung with some of the greatest singers of all-time, including Donna Summer, Gladys Knight and James Ingram. You can hear his beautiful voice on Donna Summer's "Let There Be Peace".
"That all came about through my sister's brother-in-law Keith Diamond. Keith Diamond was the gentleman who discovered Billy Ocean. He wrote songs like "Caribbean Queen" and "Suddenly". When I moved to New York, and met Keith, he just started pulling me under his wing. I did a lot of demos for him for the artists. He was doing songs with artists, so when he was working with James Ingram, he would have me sings this first to present to James and Gladys Knight. He pulled me and my family in to do background for a project he was working with Donna Summer. I got a chance to trade ad-libs at the end with her which was crazy."
McLendon is working on many new projects. As wonderful as a singer he is, the multi-talented performer says he had a choice to play for God, he would choose to play bass over belting out a tune.
One of his latest tunes is titled "Heal The Land."
"I've been blessed with some pretty wonderful people who believe in me as an artist and my music. One of them is a friend of mine from the Atlanta area. His name is Andre Ski Taylor. We've done some music together (JABBI Entertainment). "Heal The Land" talks about the county needs to come together and what's possible if we all come together."
You can SEE the entire interview with Antonio McLendon below:
