“Blues are the songs of despair, but gospel songs are the songs of hope. ” — Mahalia Jackson
Whitney Houston’s journey “home” last weekend started with hope — New Hope Baptist Church, that is. The televised service gave many a front-row view of some of gospel music’s greatest stars. This week we spoke to Calvin Terrell, who, as the writer of the “Stomps & Shouts” column for Sister2Sister magazine, knows about the genre. For the column, Terrell has interviewed Houston, LL Cool J, Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Tyler Perry, Janet Jackson and Queen Latifah, to name a few. In addition to his work as a journalist, Terrell is also a producer and board operator at WURD radio station, primarily working with legendary gospel radio personality Louise Williams Bishop.
PGN: Tell me about yourself. CT: I was born and raised in Philly. I was raised by a single mother. I have four siblings — two brothers and two sisters. I got started in the business when I won an internship at WDAS radio. I wanted it so bad, I wouldn’t go away until I got it. I harassed the receptionist and [radio personality] Mimi Brown at different public events until I got an internship. Once I got it, I never left! I just would not go away. I did everything. I did traffic, I worked as a receptionist, anything. Whatever they needed me to do, I’d do. Eventually, news director Fatimah Ali would give me news-stringer assignments to cover.
PGN: That’s a great lesson that a lot of kids need to heed these days. You can’t just expect people to hand things to you: You have to pursue them and be willing to do anything asked of you. CT: Yes, none of that, “Uh, no, that’s not part of my job.”
PGN: Being willing to be flexible is really important. CT: Absolutely. One year, Olivia Jones, who was also an intern, and I decided that we would put together an arts and literary pavilion for the Unity Day festival. We invited a number of African-American authors to come to Philadelphia for the event and I invited Jamie Foster Brown from Sister2Sister magazine to be one of the panelists. For some reason she and I just clicked! We had a car service for all the VIPs but we got along so well, I ended up driving her to the train in my little car and we talked the whole time. At one point she looked at me and said, “Calvin, what else would you like to do besides work at the radio station?” I responded, “I don’t know, maybe write?” At the time I was doing the in-house newsletter for WDAS. She told me, “OK, I’m going to give you an assignment and let’s see how you do.” She had me interview CeCe Peniston, who had that hit “Finally,” and for me the rest is history. That was back in the ’90s and I’m still writing for them.
PGN: What were you like as a kid? CT: I was one of those kids who loved music. My mother tells me before I could read I could DJ. I didn’t know what the record labels said, but if she told me to play Diana Ross or play The Temptations, I’d always pick out the right one. [Laughs.] Somehow, I had my own little system and her friends would stand there amazed. It was always about music for me. We had fun even though my mother was a struggling single mother raising five kids.
PGN: Where were you — the oldest? CT: No, my sister Tanya was the oldest, but she was one of those … oh, she’s going to kill me for saying this, but she was one of those girls who developed early. At 10 she looked like she could have been 16 or 17, so when we walked down the street to elementary school, she’d get all these older guys yelling out of the car windows and from the front steps at her: “Hey, baby, tell me your name!” and that kind of thing. It was very disturbing and I became very protective of her even though I was younger than her.
PGN: Very chivalrous! What was your favorite book as a kid? CT: I know this is going to sound corny, but the Bible. I was one of those kids who went to church every Sunday and I loved it. I still love going to church.
PGN: Who was a favorite teacher? CT: Jacqueline Wiggins. She was one of those teachers that took the students on educational trips, we went to her house, she gave me books to read, she really cared about us. She had a big influence on me.
PGN: And how did you end up on “Dancin’ on Air”? CT: Oh my! Well, a friend of mine introduced me to the show on TV and convinced me to see if we could get on. There was a number to call for auditions, but you could never get through so once again I just decided to go in person and try to get them to take me. [Laughs.] Back then, I had a fierce Jheri curl going and you could not tell me I wasn’t Prince and Michael Jackson rolled into one! They took one look at me and said, “Come on in,” and I became a regular on the set. It was fun: We got to do the show, and did public appearances and we got a lot of attention and fan mail. Of course we didn’t get paid, but I got my little taste of stardom. The flip side of it was that in high school, kids can be really tough and a lot of kids were jealous of the attention we got. They took it out on us by bullying and even beating up kids who were prominent on the show. But despite that, it was a great experience. I used to have a little trick I’d use whenever there was a celebrity in the studio that I wanted to meet. I’d tell the floor manager that I had hair in my eyes. He’d be like, “Go, go, go, take care of it!” So I’d run off and try to bump into New Edition or Madonna or whatever celebrity was in the dressing rooms.
PGN: What was your worst dance? CT: I hated when everyone started popping and locking, because I couldn’t pop. Let’s get that clear: I could not pop! But somehow I got by!
PGN: What year was that? CT: Mid-’80s I think. About 1984.
PGN: I did the Bozo show in the same studio as “Dancin’ on Air” and they asked me to work there but I couldn’t. [Laughs.] There were so many boys in the hall wearing more makeup than me and talking about which girls they were dating. I knew I’d spend half my time going, “Step into my office so we can talk about what’s really going on with you …” I’d be outing all of them! CT: Oh my gosh! That’s too funny!
PGN: And speaking of which … When did you come out? CT: When did I come out? As in, from the closet? I don’t know that I ever have. [Laughs.] I guess I will when this comes out! I’m not sure about the whole concept … It may sound like a cop out, but I’ve just always been me and never felt I needed to label it. There are times when I feel one way sexually and times when I feel another way. I know there are names for it, but I just like to be me. I really don’t know what I am, I just am.
PGN: Where’d you go to college? CT: I majored in business at Temple.
PGN: You mentioned Unity Day — isn’t it extraordinary how big it has grown? CT: Oh yes, it went from being a block party to becoming a huge event on Benjamin Franklin Parkway. We now have about six stages and pavilions, tons of vendors and top entertainment.
PGN: What was a memorable moment? CT: A favorite moment was when Phyllis Hyman was performing: She came out of her dressing room and hung around signing autographs for people. Of course at the time, we had no idea we would lose her. Another time we had Chaka Khan as the headliner and for some reason she left the hotel and came on her own to the main stage. We had El DeBarge as an opening act and he was already on stage performing. We only had one trailer and we’d planned to let El do his set then go back to the trailer and, after he left, we would clean it up and then set up the food and flowers, etc., for Chaka. When she arrived so early, we had to scramble to get ready. [Laughs.] We didn’t want to send Chaka back to the hotel because we might not get her back again! So we pretty much had to throw poor El DeBarge’s clothes and all his stuff into the street!
PGN: And doing Unity Day is how you met Jamie Foster Brown of Sister2Sister. CT: Yes, but what I didn’t tell you was that in 2000 she asked me to head the gospel section of the magazine, “Stomps & Shouts.” We put Kirk Franklin on the cover and I’ve been covering the gospel community ever since. It’s become my arena now.
PGN: It was interesting seeing Whitney Houston’s memorial service. A lot of people got to experience gospel music in a way they haven’t ever seen it before. I thought Pierce Morgan was going to lose his mind. CT: [Laughs.] Yeah. Speaking of Whitney, years ago Jamie and I went to Atlanta to interview Bobby Brown when they were still living together. Whitney showed up too and while they were doing hair and makeup on Bobby, she and I sat at a table in the hotel restaurant and talked. There was a piano in the bar and I play, so I took her over to the piano and played “Saving All My Love for You.” She sat beside me on the piano bench but she didn’t sing, not a note. After that, I started playing Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky” and then she started to sing. Jamie heard her and jumped up and ran over with the camera crew. Everyone was all excited because Whitney was singing. Then Bobby came over and started singing too. It was an incredible moment. Another time, I was doing an interview with CeCe Winans at WDAS and Whitney actually called the station to say a few words praising CeCe, which I thought was really sweet of her to do.
PGN: What’s another favorite celebrity encounter? CT: Oh, poor Diana Ross, I just love her too much! She can do no wrong in my eyes! I’ve been to the Grammys a few times and got to see her in the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Plaza. I’m crazy about her. I love going to the awards shows — the Grammys, the BET Awards, the NAACP Image Awards, the Stellar Gospel Music Awards. Everyone’s together in one spot and you get to see so many different people. The parties are great because you get to talk to everyone. I’m like a kid in a candy store!
PGN: I understand you’re also a photographer. CT: Yes, I started out taking pictures at the radio station and I became the official photographer. [Laughs.] But now I have myself a little ego so I don’t think I have to do it anymore! I gotta have someone with me so I have a friend, Alex, who travels with me and does the photos. Especially at award shows and things, I don’t want to be talking to people with equipment hanging from my neck!
PGN: What’s a favorite picture you’ve taken? CT: Well, since we’re wrapped up in Whitney right now, I was at an event where she was introducing her new CD, “My Love is Your Love,” and I got pictures of her with her mother and Clive Davis.
PGN: Random question time. Any nicknames? CT: Ha! M-A-N. That’s so awful, that’s so African American. “Man,” that’s what my mother and family call me! Oh dear!
PGN: What one thing would you change about yourself? CT: That’s easy, I’m short! I’m like 5-foot-5, 5-foot-6 on a good day. So I really wish I could be 6-feet tall and walk in a room and have everybody in the room look up at me!
PGN: Lost virtue? CT: Humility. A lot of people do things under the guise of kindness but then brag about it and expect people to give them praise for it, instead of just doing it for its own sake.
PGN: Hobbies? CT: I love watching television. Right now I’m watching “The Sopranos”! [Chuckles.] I know it’s late, but I have it on DVD and I’ll go all through the seasons and then start again. I love that show. I’d rather be at home watching a good movie than go out to a club.
PGN: Since you do call-in radio, have you ever made a prank call? CT: Is there salt in the sea? Does honey come from a bee?
PGN: So how do you get a good picture or interview? CT: When you study journalism, there’s a whole school of thought that you have to stay objective — you’re taught to be non-partial. But for me, I’ve always maintained that when you build a relationship with someone and build trust, you’ll get more out of them. I know for a fact that people will tell me things that they wouldn’t tell anyone else!
PGN: Who’s been the greatest influence on you? CT: Probably … ah, my mother. [Laughs.] It’s cliché, but my sweet, sweet mother. She’s all of 5-foot-2 and, even though she has five kids, she’s so small she looks like a child herself. People would come to the door and ask, “Can we speak to your mother, young lady?” She’d shoot back, “But I am the mother!” She was little but a strong, strong woman who loved all of us unconditionally. We could and can always be ourselves with her and she always supported all of us. She’s the best, just the best.
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