>>>
>>> FULL
>>> FULL AND SULTRY AND MAKING SURE OUR CLASSES STAY FULL.
NOW GRAMMY AWARD SINGER SONG
WRITER IS BACK WITH A FOLLOW UP
TO REFILL.
TO REFILL. GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. >> GOOD MORNING.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW YOU
GREW UP, YOU HAD NO CHOICE BUT
TO BE CREATIVE AND A SINGER.
>> DEFINITELY.
>> DEFINITELY. >> MOM AND DAD BOTH MET ON BILL
WITHERS' TOUR.
WITHERS' TOUR. IT WAS WRITTEN IN THE STARS.
>> YOUR MOM WAS A BACKUP SINGER
FOR BARRY WHITE.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. YES.
YES.
YES. >>
YES. >> THEN YOUR DAD IS A MUSICIAN.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. AND A PRODUCER.
YEAH.
YEAH.
YEAH. >>
YEAH. >> SO WHEN YOU GREW UP THAT WAY
SOMETIMES YOU THINK I NATURALLY
HAVE THIS AND YOU TAKE IT FOR
GRANTED.
GRANTED.
GRANTED. >> I HAD TO WORK VERY HARD AND
STUDY.
STUDY.
STUDY. I
STUDY. I STUDIED ELLA FITZGERALD AND
ANITA BAKER AND JUST SO MANY
GREAT ARTISTS.
GREAT ARTISTS. I LEARNED HOW TO PLAY THE
GUITAR.
GUITAR.
GUITAR. IT WAS A LOT OF WORK.
I DID UNCOMFORTABLE THINGS,
CHOREOGRAPHY.
CHOREOGRAPHY. I HAD TWO LEFT FEET BUT I DID
IT ANYWAY.
IT ANYWAY. >> DID IT BECAUSE YOU WANTED
AND LOVED TO DO IT?
>> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. MY
>> NO. MY DAD MADE ME.
>> THERE YOU GO.
>> BUT YEARS LATER IT PAID OFF.
I GOT THOSE KINKS OUT.
THAT EMBARRASSING PHASE.
I WAS PAST IT.
>> FINDING YOUR VOICE.
YOU TALK ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU
STUDY.
STUDY.
STUDY. I
STUDY. I CAN SEE THOSE NOTES IN YOUR
VOICE.
VOICE.
VOICE. YOU HAVE YOUR OWN STYLE.
>> THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE.
YOU HAVE TO LIKE ABSORB ENOUGH
OF DIFFERENT ARTISTS AND THEN
AFTER A WHILE IT BECOMES YOUR
OWN.
OWN.
OWN. >>
OWN. >> YOU DID SOMETHING THAT NOT
MANY PEOPLE CAN SAY THEY'VE
DONE.
DONE.
DONE. YOU
DONE. YOU WON A GRAMMY LAST YEAR.
>> YEAH, I DID.
>> TELL ME HOW THAT GOES.
YOU GET A PHONE CALL?
YOU GET A LETTER?
>> I GOT A PHONE CALL THE FIRST
TIME I WAS NOMINATED I GOT A
PHONE CALL AND I STOPPED IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND CRIED.
THEN WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT I
WON THE SECOND TIME YANEZ MY
FRIENDS CALLED AND WAS LIKE YO,
WE WON.IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY.
BECAUSE WE DID THAT RECORD
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. SO YEAH.
SO YEAH.
SO YEAH. >> YOUR DEBUT ALBUM, AND YOU
HAVE YOUR NEW ALBUM ELEVATION.
>> ELEVATION.
>> ELEVATION. >> ELEVATING.
>> ELEVATING. UPLIFTING.
UPLIFTING. JUST ON A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY.
LIFE JOURNEY.
LIFE JOURNEY. >> WE WANT YOU TO TAKE US ON A
SPIRITUAL JOURNEY RIGHT NOW.
ELLE VARNER IS IN TOWN FOR THE
TEXAS BLACK EXPO.
SHE'LL BE PERFORMING TOMORROW
AT DISCOVERY GREEN.
AND NOW HERE SHE IS SINGING.