Page 63 - ION Indie Magazine MayJune 2023

Sometimes in our lives, pursuing our dreams is a series of starts and stops and starts

again. For Natalie Redd, this was the case. Surrounded by music growing up, Natalie
pursued music only to have to stop for a while due to the birth of her children.
Thankfully for music lovers, she resumed the pursuit and has provided listeners with
some great music to enjoy. She also shares her love of music with listeners via her
radio show The ReddZone. Natalie was kind enough to take some time and answer
questions about her career, her show, and much more.

Tim Board: What got Natalie Redd interested in music?

Natalie Redd: My mother said I came out the womb and into the world singing! I was
always singing as a child. My cousins, Melissa and Shelia, said that I used to have
them singing background for me as a kid. Melissa even recalls a song I created about
the insect spray called Raid. However, in all seriousness, I was surrounded by music.
My uncles introduced me to R&B, soul, and funk as a child. My mother played a lot
of Southern soul (aka blues). She (my mother) would ask my older brother and sister
to bring me inside the house from giving ‘roadside’ concerts to the neighbors.

TB: Who are your influences?

NR: Artists like Jill Scott, Lalah Hathaway, Nina Simone, Prince, Luther Vandross,
Dolly Parton, and Bonnie Raitt, to name a few. I am a lover of music! But the artist
that influenced me the most is Anita Baker. Her jazzy tone and R&B flare is
captivating! It draws you in. She even reposted (in her story) a video of me performing
her song ‘Angel’ on Instagram! I was thrilled because she said, ‘You did that!’

TB: You played in a local band in Vicksburg, Mississippi, until the birth of your
third child -- at which time, I read you put your musical aspirations on hold.
What re-awakened the idea of pursuing music again?

NR: The passing of my best friend, my grandmother Mattie. I had a hard time grieving
the loss of her and it was music that allow me to bid her farewell. She was my biggest
support in life. We buried her on my eldest son’s birthday and one week after burying
her, I was on stage singing with a band in Springfield, Massachusetts. Although I
hadn’t been on stage for some time, I was still working with music somewhat. For
years, I was choir director for the children and youth choirs at Mt. Calvary Baptist
Church in Springfield, Massachusetts.

TB: You had three children, went back to school at a later age, and earned a
Bachelor’s Degree in Advanced Legal Studies, then a Master’s Degree in
Leadership in Negotiation, worked part time and full time, and performed in
several bands in the Connecticut and Massachusetts areas. How did you
manage all of that on your plate?

NR: The role of a woman is something that is amazing. We wear many hats and know
just when AND how to alternate the hats. I had earned an Associate Degree for
Computer Science already. Going back to college was my way of showing my children
that no matter the age, you can always reinvent and improve oneself. If there’s
something in life you want, the only thing that can stop you is YOU! Trust me, it wasn’t
easy, but my children say I made it look easy. The focus was on them, so, when it

came to them, I’d move mountains to make life a little easier.