Latest / The Demia Avery Show / Melvin Riley Official
Transcript
- 0:00Lights, camera, action. [music]
- 0:02Let's shine tonight. Big dreams, big
- 0:06names, [music] and the Vles right. We'll
- 0:10talk passion, [music] purpose, power,
- 0:12and goals.
- 0:15Stories you [music] ain't never been
- 0:17told.
- 0:22It's the
- 0:24Avery show. Hey. Hey everybody. This is
- 0:28Demia Avery of the Demia Avery show. And
- 0:30you guys, I have a special guest in the
- 0:33house. I'm so excited. I talked to him a
- 0:36little bit before we actually start
- 0:38recording. And I was trying not to
- 0:40scream, you know, cuz this is like my
- 0:42teenage childhood thing. You know what
- 0:44I'm saying? So, I'm going to go ahead.
- 0:46I'm going to introduce to to him to you
- 0:49guys. And you know, I love introductions
- 0:52and I love giving people their flowers.
- 0:54So, I'mma make sure that I say this
- 0:57right. All right. My guest
- 1:01uh uh today on the Dia Avery Show, we're
- 1:03talking classic R&B legacy, timeless
- 1:06vocals, and music that defined an era
- 1:08and still hits just as hard today. My
- 1:11guest is part of a group that helped
- 1:13shape the sound of the 80s and 90s,
- 1:15giving us songs that became soundtracks
- 1:17to love, heartbreak, and grown folk
- 1:20moments. From unforgettable slow jams to
- 1:23records that still light up dance
- 1:25floors, his voice is instantly
- 1:27recognizable and undeniable.
- 1:30And now decades later, he's still
- 1:32creating, still evolving. And back with
- 1:35a brand new single titled They Won't
- 1:37Leave Me Alone, proving that real R&B
- 1:40never went out of style. Please welcome
- 1:43the legendary voice of Ready for the
- 1:45World, Melvin Riley. Welcome.
- 1:47>> Hey, thank you for having me. And I
- 1:49that's a heck of a introduction. I thank
- 1:51you.
- 1:52>> You're so welcome. You're so welcome.
- 1:54[clears throat] Now, first things first,
- 1:56how are you feeling? Like you've been
- 1:59around with us for so long and you know
- 2:02and in in different times. How are you
- 2:04feeling in this season of your life and
- 2:06your music and stuff like that?
- 2:08>> Honestly, I am having a ball. You know,
- 2:11I am doing what I enjoy doing, which is
- 2:13making music and making music that the
- 2:16world is still listening to. Uh and and
- 2:19in today's climate of music to be out
- 2:22and still doing it at the level, hey,
- 2:25I'm just so blessed and thankful and I'm
- 2:26having a ball.
- 2:27>> Yeah.
- 2:28>> Yeah. Now, you've written songs that
- 2:30people made babies to, they cried to,
- 2:32they fell in love to. How does it feel
- 2:34knowing that your voice lives inside
- 2:36people's biggest life moments? Cuz I
- 2:38look my teenage years, honey, you you
- 2:41and your band was the ish it I'm telling
- 2:44you. So, how does it feel to get that
- 2:46that from your fans?
- 2:49>> That is a huge reward that you get. You
- 2:52know, this music thing when you're an
- 2:54artist and you're writing music, you're
- 2:55writing songs, you're writing them
- 2:57because it's blowing you away, but you
- 2:59don't know if it's going to blow
- 3:00everybody else away. You feel like it's
- 3:02going to.
- 3:03>> Yeah.
- 3:03>> Because you're blown away. And God gives
- 3:05you this gift of knowing, I call it. And
- 3:08that swag that you have, you're like,
- 3:10"Well, we going to do what we do because
- 3:11I love what I'm doing." And the world
- 3:13has accepted it. The world has fallen in
- 3:15love with that sound, that my voice, the
- 3:19music. I am elated and it feels really
- 3:23good to know that I am a part of this
- 3:26music culture, you know, that'll live on
- 3:28forever. So, I'm I'm very thankful.
- 3:31>> Now, I'm curious when fans come up to
- 3:33you now today, what song do they usually
- 3:36mention the most? And does it ever
- 3:37surprise you about some of the songs,
- 3:41>> you know?
- 3:42It's a lot of favorites, you know. You
- 3:44got In my room, digital display, Deep
- 3:47Inside Your Love, which is my daughter's
- 3:48favorite. Uh, Love You Down, O Sheila.
- 3:52So, it's like people pick songs that
- 3:56maybe weren't released as a single like
- 3:57Don't You Want It With Me, uh, Baby
- 4:00Slide, Love You, SL, Slide Over is a
- 4:03huge one that people can bring up. So,
- 4:05it's a plethora that you would think
- 4:08everybody would just be talking about
- 4:09Love You Down or O Sheila, but no, they
- 4:11talk about those, but they come in with
- 4:12all the songs that were even bides. And
- 4:15when you have people talking about your
- 4:17Bides, you did you did
- 4:19>> That's right. That is right. Now, be
- 4:22honest. What song of yours hits
- 4:24different now than it did when you first
- 4:25recorded it?
- 4:26>> Tonight.
- 4:28>> Really? Why?
- 4:31>> I at the time I wrote Tonight. Uh,
- 4:34>> I was just in a zone. And as an older
- 4:37person and I'm listening to the lyrics,
- 4:39it's like, woo, I see why I got banned
- 4:41on a few stations [laughter]
- 4:44and we did when we first came out with
- 4:46Tonight, we got banned on a few
- 4:47stations. But I kind of get it now being
- 4:50older and listening to my lyrics. I'm
- 4:52like, "Oh, boy. You went there."
- 4:55>> So that does different.
- 4:56>> Yeah. Now, now that you said that, I'm
- 4:59remembering the words and Yeah. But
- 5:02what's like one of the most I guess
- 5:04unexpected places you've ever heard one
- 5:06of your songs play?
- 5:09>> Wow. People have called me. My best
- 5:12friend, childhood best friend just
- 5:14called me the other day. He lives in
- 5:16Missouri.
- 5:17>> Uhhuh.
- 5:18>> And I guess he was at some real kind of
- 5:22uh cowboyish type establishment.
- 5:26And he called me and said, "Dude, I just
- 5:28heard Oshila in this." I think he was
- 5:31either in a shoe store or something. It
- 5:34was on a radio station and he just said,
- 5:36"I didn't expect to hear O Sheila in the
- 5:38spot that where I was, but I have I've
- 5:40heard it in different places. I guess I
- 5:43expected to hear it everywhere, you
- 5:44know,
- 5:45>> even if I'm in London, if I'm in um
- 5:48anywhere because the song's really hit
- 5:50big.
- 5:51>> So, I'm not that that surprised." But
- 5:53when he told me about the country store
- 5:55the other day.
- 5:56>> Yeah.
- 5:56>> Good. [laughter]
- 5:58>> Now, look. So, what if somebody
- 5:59approached you and wanted to do
- 6:01something court, you know, kind of
- 6:03collab like with the country version of
- 6:04that? Would you be would you be
- 6:06interested in doing that?
- 6:07>> Absolutely. I grew up listening to
- 6:09blues,
- 6:10>> so I'm familiar with country music as
- 6:13well, so it's never been a thing where
- 6:14that was so foreign to me. But no, I
- 6:16would definitely love to do something
- 6:17like that.
- 6:18>> That's interesting. Now, if today's army
- 6:22artists could borrow one thing from the
- 6:23Ready for the World era, what would you
- 6:25want that to be?
- 6:27>> The music. borrow the not the curls you
- 6:30know [laughter]
- 6:34>> my girl I don't know what you talking
- 6:35about
- 6:36>> right
- 6:37>> but you know and they have done this
- 6:38they've borrowed the me the sound of
- 6:40ready for the world of Melvin Riley the
- 6:42slow song uh vibe that I created back in
- 6:45the 80s
- 6:46>> and it still continues to to be moving
- 6:49on with different artists today the
- 6:51producers and writers uh they like hey I
- 6:54want to get that Melvin Riley you know
- 6:55vibe on blah blah blah and I've had
- 6:57producers and artists tell me that
- 6:59>> and that's one of the main things to
- 7:01make an imprint in the music industry is
- 7:03huge
- 7:04>> the music and the musicianship and also
- 7:07what I remember um performing because
- 7:10you guys were performers as well as you
- 7:12know with you know so that's one of the
- 7:14things I can clearly say that I I miss
- 7:17that whole band you know everybody has
- 7:21the whole you know what I mean the whole
- 7:22performance thing so I think that's cool
- 7:25now what does a grown man R&B mean to
- 7:27you in 2026 and how is it different from
- 7:29when you first started?
- 7:32>> Big time difference because you know
- 7:33when we first started you're singing in
- 7:36a way to where you're competing with the
- 7:39Michael Jacksons,
- 7:41>> the Prince, Lionel Richies, the
- 7:44>> you're writing back in the day was so
- 7:46challenging to be at the top of the
- 7:48chart and you had to bring the best out
- 7:49of what you are as a writer, singer, and
- 7:52producer. Mhm.
- 7:55>> Today, as I'm hearing, and I do love a
- 7:57lot of artists today in music, um I
- 8:00think the difference now is
- 8:02>> uh I don't know if they're putting as
- 8:04much work in as we did in the 80s,
- 8:07>> a lot of 80 artists
- 8:09>> uh in the studio and making some real
- 8:11hits and making some memorable classic
- 8:13hits.
- 8:14>> Um and a lot of that, you know, I don't,
- 8:16you know, a lot of that comes from
- 8:17upbringing. you know, we grew up in
- 8:18Mottown and we grew up with that real
- 8:20soul food,
- 8:21>> right?
- 8:22>> And uh you know, when you know what real
- 8:23soul food tastes like, then you still
- 8:25tasting for that taste, right?
- 8:27>> And I think that's one of the big
- 8:28differences. And maybe some of the
- 8:30younger guys uh which is a lot of talent
- 8:32out there, don't get me wrong,
- 8:34>> but I think that would be about the
- 8:35biggest difference is putting that work
- 8:37in and coming up with classic hits
- 8:39that's going to last forever.
- 8:42>> Yeah. Yeah. Now, why don't you know, we
- 8:46talked a little bit about, you know,
- 8:47Ready for the World back then, but I
- 8:49want to know about Melvin Raleigh now.
- 8:51What? Tell me about your single, They
- 8:52Won't Leave Me Alone. It feels playful,
- 8:54but real. Um, did you know it make
- 8:57people smile as soon as they heard the
- 8:59title? Because I was like, "Okay."
- 9:01[laughter]
- 9:02Pretty interesting. But yeah, so tell me
- 9:04about it.
- 9:06>> You know, I just wanted to flip it a
- 9:07little bit. You know, uh, today a lot of
- 9:10guys, we're begging, we're begging, we
- 9:11telling women this, we telling that, but
- 9:13nobody's telling the other side that,
- 9:15wait a minute, it ain't always the guys
- 9:17fault. You know, they call us,
- 9:19>> they call us we wrong or we dogs or we
- 9:21ain't no good. Listen, we ain't, it
- 9:23ain't always our fault cuz women chase,
- 9:25too.
- 9:26>> And I just wanted to I wanted to bring
- 9:28out that aspect in, hey, these beautiful
- 9:30women sometimes is hard on the guy
- 9:32because we're not trying to be that cold
- 9:34blooded, but at some point
- 9:36>> the song speaks for itself. like, "Hey,
- 9:38I'm trying to be good to you, but it's
- 9:40hard out here." And guys get it. You
- 9:42know, guys get it
- 9:44>> and women do, too. It's just nobody's
- 9:46really hitting on that point that Yes.
- 9:50Yes.
- 9:51>> And I like to hit on points where people
- 9:53may not have thought of.
- 9:54>> That's obvious with with your with your
- 9:56hits in the past and and you know, now
- 9:59you still bringing that same flavor. So,
- 10:01we love it. Now, has there ever been any
- 10:05song that you've written that you were
- 10:07actually scared to release because it
- 10:10might have been too honest?
- 10:14>> No, cuz I wanted, you know, I've never
- 10:17really felt like I didn't want it
- 10:18released uh tonight. Like I said, we
- 10:21really got some flak at the beginning,
- 10:23but other than that, we haven't I hadn't
- 10:24had any issues with wanting to release
- 10:26anything. But the new one after They
- 10:28Won't Leave Me Alone, you will know what
- 10:30I'm talking about. And that might be the
- 10:33new single I have after They Won't Leave
- 10:34Me Alone. I'm a little
- 10:37>> Yeah, it's this. [laughter]
- 10:40>> So, you're mentioning stuff that hadn't
- 10:42happened quite yet, but the news after
- 10:45this one is is going to be a little out
- 10:47there
- 10:49>> now. So, okay. Since Ready for the
- 10:52World, have I know you've you've
- 10:55constantly stayed out there. Has it ever
- 10:58been a point that you like had took a
- 11:00break and then came back or how did that
- 11:03work for you or that you just constantly
- 11:04just just kept going and keep grinding
- 11:06and doing your own thing?
- 11:08>> Yeah, I've always kept recording. You
- 11:10know, with this music industry, it takes
- 11:12uh promotion and marketing
- 11:14>> and from the major labels. and after a
- 11:17while that the major label in that
- 11:19machine is not behind you. Sometimes the
- 11:22artist don't hear some of your product.
- 11:25So you may put it out independently, but
- 11:27as long as you keep on writing, keep
- 11:29doing your thing. You keep your swag and
- 11:31you keep your energy going. So I
- 11:33wouldn't say I've ever taken really a
- 11:34break from the writing, but I have taken
- 11:36a break from the road.
- 11:38uh years and years of being on the road.
- 11:40Uh you know, you take a break from that
- 11:43and now the older artists, the 80s and
- 11:46the 90s and early 2000 artists are
- 11:48coming back
- 11:49>> and touring and putting out records. Now
- 11:52it kind of like I never stopped. So I'm
- 11:55right in line with what's going on
- 11:57because I've never stopped writing
- 11:59music. That's good though because that
- 12:02means you know a lot of times I know a
- 12:04lot of artists like you said that were
- 12:06were good like in the 80s 90s and they
- 12:09take that long break and then when they
- 12:11come back out it's the everything is
- 12:13rusty. The songwriting they're feeling
- 12:15rusty the performance they're still
- 12:17feeling rusty the whole mental process
- 12:20of doing the whole thing all over. Now
- 12:22you have you know before you just had
- 12:24you yourself or whatever and you out
- 12:26there doing your thing. Now you got kids
- 12:28and bills and and all these other things
- 12:31that you didn't have before. So things
- 12:33are different.
- 12:35>> Did you feel like any kind of,
- 12:37>> you know, any different kind of
- 12:39pressures now than you did back in in
- 12:42that day?
- 12:45>> No, actually it's the quite the
- 12:46opposite. There's really no pressure
- 12:48because, you know, I'm older. I'm uh
- 12:51settled uh you know and I don't have to
- 12:54do music to make money because God has
- 12:57blessed me that it flows from the
- 12:59production and the writing. So their
- 13:01pressure is just sit back and record
- 13:05>> and let it do what it do. You know,
- 13:07there's nothing to prove at this point
- 13:08but to make sure that you're putting out
- 13:10the best that you can put out there cuz
- 13:12people deserve to hear
- 13:14>> the jam. You know, you want people to
- 13:15be, you know, back in the day like and
- 13:17good music is like food. You want to
- 13:19taste something great. Well, the same if
- 13:20you're a chef, you want to sit back and
- 13:22let watch the people enjoy your food
- 13:24>> with music. You want to sit back and be
- 13:26like, you know what, I put some great
- 13:28music out there that people could
- 13:30exercise or ride to or drive, whatever
- 13:32you want to do to that music.
- 13:34>> That's what I do. Yeah. I want that
- 13:36music out there that you can enjoy it.
- 13:38>> I love it. Now, when you're not making
- 13:40music, what's something you love to do
- 13:42that fans would never guess? So, I I
- 13:44love asking this question because people
- 13:46don't, you know, I I get so many
- 13:49>> different answers that I never expected
- 13:52to get. So,
- 13:53>> tell me about Melvin, Mr. Riley, outside
- 13:57of this music thing.
- 13:59>> I like to chill.
- 14:01>> I am a [laughter] ch I am a homebody. I
- 14:04don't I really don't even leave the
- 14:05house unless I'm going fishing,
- 14:08>> golfing, bowling,
- 14:11>> or hanging with the fam. like we got an
- 14:13event, but most of the time I'm I'm a
- 14:16introvert big time.
- 14:17>> Really?
- 14:18>> Yeah. Yeah. I'm not I'm not I'm not
- 14:20always out and about because I like my
- 14:23little piece in my own little world and
- 14:25uh yeah, I'm kind of an introvert. I
- 14:27don't really get out a lot.
- 14:30>> Okay.
- 14:31>> I love that. And they expect lead
- 14:33singers and things like that to have
- 14:34this,
- 14:36>> you know, this pop life, you know what I
- 14:38mean?
- 14:39>> Yeah. No, I'm uh I'm more into the
- 14:42chill, sit back, have a cigar, and have
- 14:45some good conversation type of guy.
- 14:47>> I love that. I love that. Now, this is a
- 14:50part of the interview that I like to
- 14:53have a little bit of fun, and I hope you
- 14:55don't mind.
- 14:56>> It's it's it's like an old school
- 14:58trivia. Okay,
- 15:01so I'm a big fan of old school music.
- 15:04That's my thing. And old school could
- 15:07mean could mean a couple different
- 15:09things. But what I'mma do, I'mma sing a
- 15:12little bit of a lyric. And you could
- 15:14either say it or you can sing the rest
- 15:15of the lyric to the song. Now, these is
- 15:17going to be songs from either the 80s or
- 15:19the 90s. And I I know that you know
- 15:21them, but I'm have to take your card
- 15:23though, Melvin, if you don't know a
- 15:24couple of these.
- 15:25>> You know what? I'mma tell you before you
- 15:26get started. I might not remember the
- 15:27words to my own song. So, [laughter]
- 15:31you can try it. Uh but uh let's let's
- 15:33see. Let's see. Let's see.
- 15:34>> Okay. All right, the first one. Let me
- 15:37get my voice together. Now, you guys, I
- 15:39do have a cold. So, if I don't sound
- 15:42good, just blame it on the uh
- 15:45>> the robot.
- 15:46I blame on the robot. I got
- 15:50>> Okay. Here I lay all [singing] alone,
- 15:57tossing, turning, longing [singing] for
- 16:01some of your
- 16:03Okay, Melvin.
- 16:04>> Is it tender? [singing]
- 16:09>> Was I right?
- 16:10>> You were right.
- 16:12>> Trouble because them my homies right
- 16:13there. Okay. So, I just want to make
- 16:15sure I got that right.
- 16:17>> Okay. Now, this one is from the 80s. Um,
- 16:20let me try, let me get a good key. Um,
- 16:26of frame
- 16:29shadows of your smile will always
- 16:33remain.
- 16:35Heaven's love, I forgot the word. Soon
- 16:39fades away.
- 16:42We grow up. I want to know. [singing]
- 16:48Okay. It's It's the chorus after this.
- 16:51If I sing it, you going to be like, "Oh
- 16:52my gosh."
- 16:53>> I know it. Isn't that a uh
- 16:56>> I'll do the second verse.
- 16:57>> Long as I live. Long as I live.
- 17:00>> I'm like, "What the heck?" [laughter]
- 17:02>> Yeah. Got you. Got you.
- 17:06>> All right. We got two more.
- 17:09>> Okay. [laughter]
- 17:11Um
- 17:14Okay. I'mma take your card though,
- 17:16Melvin. Okay. All right. [laughter]
- 17:23[singing]
- 17:29>> Nuhuh. You gotta keep [laughter] doing
- 17:30it.
- 17:33[singing]
- 17:37>> You say you got to get away
- 17:41to find yourself. [singing]
- 17:47Yeah,
- 17:49I get to the chorus. [laughter]
- 17:52>> Yeah.
- 17:56>> Okay.
- 18:01[laughter]
- 18:08Yes, it has. if you're planning to leave
- 18:12me behind. [singing]
- 18:15And then it goes, "Let me put one more
- 18:18thing on you.
- 18:22If you ever need me, baby, just
- 18:28for me,
- 18:33baby, something like that." But
- 18:36>> let it start. Atlanta.
- 18:37>> Let it start. Uh oh.
- 18:39get drunk or something be like, "Dude,
- 18:41you remember my song?" Like,
- 18:43>> all right, here's the last one. It never
- 18:46really matter too much to me.
- 18:53[laughter]
- 18:54>> That you would too damn low for me.
- 18:58Now, I know you got to know this,
- 19:00Melvin.
- 19:00>> I do know that one. I think so.
- 19:02>> Okay.
- 19:03>> All matter, my
- 19:06girl. And baby, that's all that matter
- 19:10to me.
- 19:12Oh baby, let me love you.
- 19:20>> There we go. [laughter]
- 19:26>> So [laughter]
- 19:28you I just love that whole era. That's
- 19:30all me and I thank you so much for for
- 19:33that. And before we go, please let
- 19:37everybody know where they can get the
- 19:39music, where they can go to find out
- 19:41more about you, what you're doing now.
- 19:43Just shout it out.
- 19:45>> Listen everybody, first I want to thank
- 19:47everybody for for uh the love for over
- 19:5040 years, you know, and and I'm blessed
- 19:52to be able to give you guys music
- 19:54continuously, and I just want to thank
- 19:56you guys, you know, and the new music is
- 19:58going to be the new era for Melvin
- 20:01Riley. Uh, and I want you to come check
- 20:03me out at I am MelvinRileley.com. That's
- 20:05the website. Go to my Facebook, which is
- 20:08Melvin Riley. They got a lot of fake
- 20:11ones out there, but the one that's me, I
- 20:13guess I'm on stage and it says uh Melvin
- 20:16Riley,
- 20:17>> but it's it's a few pages. I don't even
- 20:19know who that is. But anyway, Facebook
- 20:21page, Melvin Riley, but my Instagram is
- 20:24I am Melvin Riley as well. So check me
- 20:26out on Instagram, Facebook. you can get
- 20:28the updates and hear the new music
- 20:30before it really comes out. Uh, but
- 20:32right now we got the new single called
- 20:34They Won't Leave Me Alone, which is
- 20:35blowing up. I'm so glad that everybody's
- 20:37feeling it. And hey, it's Melvin Ryder.
- 20:40They won't leave me alone and continue
- 20:42from here on.
- 20:44>> Awesome. Awesome. So, look, everybody
- 20:46out there, make sure you go cop that.
- 20:48Make sure you go to his website. Don't
- 20:50leave him alone. Make sure [laughter]
- 20:53>> Yeah. Yeah. Don't leave him disrespect.
- 20:57All right guys, thank you. Thank you
- 20:59Melvin for joining in today and we are
- 21:01out of here. Talk to you guys later.
- 21:04>> Thank you all. Peace.