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Described alternately as “The man with the captivating smile,” and “The man with the fastest moving feet,” Movin’ Melvin Brown has been delighting the crowds in Malta over the past weeks. Movin’ Melvin’s sound has often been compared to such great entertainers as Otis Redding, Ray Charles, The Platters, Louis Armstrong, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, Sam Cooke, Harry BeLaFonte, Sammy Davis Jr, and Mr Brown has a mission. A man of peace, Movin’ Melvin has made a commitment to change the world many years ago, when he started the ‘Change This World’ Project in Austin, Texas. He believes that in order to change the world and make it a better place for all of us to live, we must start with the children.
His project aims to help homeless people in the Austin, Texas area and Movin’ Melvin is currently paying off land, (100 acres) where he will build a home for homeless children and elderly people together. Movin' Melvin plans to build and maintain the home through the sale of his cassettes, CD's, books, videos and performances. See: www.movinmelvin.com
You can catch up with Movin’ Melvin tonight as he performs at St James Cavalier at 8pm. Tickets are available at the door or by phoning 2122 3200. MaltaToday caught up with Movin’ Melvin this week. See also page 41.
What inspired you to become a singer and entertainer? Any family influence?
I was lucky enough to be born into one of the greatest song and dance, and creative times in music history: the fifties. It seemed like where I came from everybody danced, and on my first day of school (kindergarden) the teacher asked if anyone can dance, I had never danced but I thought everybody did so I raised my hand, the teacher said Melvin come and dance for us, I did (it wasn’t much) everybody clapped and yelled for me, and from that day on I knew that I was an entertainer for life. Outside of one brother who sang and quit, no one else in my family were entertainers, I was really influenced by the likes of Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, and Jackie Wilson (who was probably one of the greatest song and dance men), and also probably one of the greatest tap dancers of all Bill (bojangles) Robinson
In the life of any artiste there will have been high and low points, can you tell be about the high points?
It was and still is when I walk out on the stage and connect with the people and can feel that they have connected with me.
And the low?
I don't know if I have really had lows, I am a supreme optimist, I believe in time and purpose.
There are many myths that follow singers including that of the starving artist and the sex idol, extreme extrovert? What can you tell me about your experiences?
I feel that I have been really lucky in that I have always been able to maintain a level no matter what the situation is. There have always been women making themselves available to entertainers and I have spent the night with quite a few women but mostly in conversation, I like (substance) the mind.
I am not such an extrovert, except when I am on stage, otherwise I like to smooth the seems
You have been entertaining people in Malta over the past weeks what can you tell us about your experiences here so far?
It has been a great experience for me to come to a new place and be able to see the joy that I can help the people have. I would say that Malta is a nice place with nice people and that is not something that I would just say.
What can you tell me about your 'Change the World' project?
I started this project about thirteen years ago to help homeless people, and it quickly grew into entertaining the elderly at the nursing homes and I became a minister and started to go to prisons to try to help those people, then I realised, that we started out as someone's children and when children don't get the right understanding and teaching in life, they become adults with problems for everyone. So I thought (after speaking to the elderly often) that the elderly have the time and the knowledge, that the children need, so after experimenting with this idea, I decided to build a home and put the two together, (I have 100 acres of land in Austin Texas to build the first home). I donate a lot of what I earn as a entertainer to this cause, and I sell my books (philosophy and psychology) and my tap dance videos (how to learn tap) and my CDs (4 now) to support my project.
You have been compared to many of the world greats, who of these do you most admire and why?
Ray Charles I don’t think that anyone could sing so many styles and do it so well, he was truly a genius.
What are you expecting from your show Sunday?
I expect a great connection with the people, and by the end of the show to have everyone to a point to end the concert with the words ‘I love you’ and to send this message out into the world.
What are your future plans?
I am working on three new CDs mostly original stuff, and I have written two movie scripts that I look soon to be produced. I have three new books in the working two (basically how to live and love), and one from my successful musical called ‘A Man A Magic A Music,’ and I am ready to finish my first home for the project in Austin Texas, and most of all achieve my purpose of helping people to live together in love.
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