>>> WELCOME BACK TO 13 NEWS AT
11:00.
YOU KNOW IT'S NO SECRET THAT
COVID-19, IT DOES NOT
DISCRIMINATE.
IT DOESN'T CARE HOW OLD YOU ARE,
DOESN'T CARE ABOUT YOUR
ETHNICITY OR YOUR CULTURE.
EVERYONE IS VULNERABLE,
INCLUDING KENNY BABY FACE
EDMOND.
OUR EMILY LONGNECKER GOT A
CHANCE TO SIT DOWN WITH AN
EXCLUSIVE ONE ON ONE WITH HIM
RECENTLY AND TONIGHT HE SHARES
HIS ADVICE ON COPING WITH
COVID-19.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT A HUGE BABY
FACE FAN I AM.
WE'VE BEEN TO ONE OF HIS
CONCERTS TOGETHER.
I GREW UP ON HIS MUSIC, LOVING
IT SINCE IT WAS 13.
AND TONIGHT WE TALKED ABOUT SOME
OF THAT MUSIC BUT ON A MORE
SERIOUS NOTE WE TALKED ABOUT THE
SUPERSTAR'S OWN BATTLE WITH
COVID-19.
>> KEN MY BABY FACE EDMOND,
11-TIME GRAMMY AWARD WINNER,
PROLIFIC SONGWRITER AND
PRODUCER, NOW COVID-19 SURVIVOR.
>> IT IS A VERY SMART VIRUS.
AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S
COMING FROM.
>> THE INDY NATIVE SPOKE TO 13
NEWS VIA ZOOM ABOUT FIGHTING THE
VIRUS HE SAYS HIT HIM LAST MONTH
AFTER A WEEKEND OF PERFORM IN
LAS VEGAS.
>> TUESDAY NIGHT I GOT A TICKLE
IN MY THROAT AND WEDNESDAY
MORNING IT WAS BURNING.
>> EDMONDS SAID HE SHUT HIS
RECORDING STUDIO DOWN AND
DECIDED TO QUARANTINE THERE, NOT
SURE IF HE HAD COVID OR
SOMETHING ELSEFUL SUDDENLY THE
SOMETHING ELSEFUL SUDDENLY T.E
>> SUDDENLY THE SYMPTOMS CAME, A
FEVER OF 101 AND CHILLS AND BODY
ACHES, NIGHT SWEATS, AND IT JUST
KIND OF KICKED IN THAT EVENING.
AND IT STAYED WITH ME LIKE FOR
ABOUT FIVE, SIX DAYS.
>> DURING THAT TIME EDMONDS
ADMITS THERE WERE REAL MOMENTS
OF GREAT UNCERTAINTY.
>> THERE WOULD BE MOMENTS THAT I
KIND OF WORRIED WOULD I HAVE TO
BE ABLE TO RUN TO THE EMERGENCY
IF CASE I CAN'T BREATHE.
BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S
GOING TO HAPPEN.
>> EVENTUALLY A TEST REVEALED ED
MODS WAS POSITIVE FOR THE
CORONAVIRUS, SOMETHING HE FEELS
BLESSED TO HAVE COME THROUGH
WHEN OTHERS HAVE NOT.
>> I HAVE FRIENDS THAT ARE EVEN
THERE IN INDIANAPOLIS NOW THAT,
YOU KNOW, HAD IT MUCH ROUGHER.
ONE OF THEM WAS ON A VENTILATOR
AND WAS GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH
IT, YOU KNOW.
BUT THERE'S A COUPLE OF PEOPLE
THAT I KNOW, FRIENDS WHO HAVE
SOME PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T MAKE IT.
IT'S VERY REAL.
♪
>> NOW, OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF
HIS OWN COVID-19 FIGHT, THE
ICONIC TOP TEN R&B POP HIT MAKER
RECENTLY SHARED SOME OF THE
MUSIC HE'S BEST KNOWN AND LOVED
FOR DURING A CAREER THAT SPANS
DECADES.
EDMONDS AND PRODUCER TEDDY RILEY
WENT SONG FOR SONG IN A YES CENT
INSTAGRAM MATCHUP THAT SAW MORE
THAN 4 MILLION FANS LOGGING ON
TO WATCH.
OVER 4 MILLION VIEWERS.
I WAS ONE OF THEM.
>> PEOPLE CAME OUT, YOU KNOW, TO
LISTEN TO MUSIC AND TO FEEL
GOOD.
THEY CAME OUT BECAUSE THEY
WANTED TO FEEL GOOD.
IN TIMES OF REFLECTION WHEN YOU
LOOK AT THAT, LOOK AT THIS
MOMENT THAT WOULDN'T HAVE
HAPPENED ANY OTHER WAY, EVEN IN
THE MIDST OF ALL OF THIS, THERE
ARE STILL SOME THINGS THAT CAN
PULL US TOGETHER ANEMOSESSIC HAS
A TENDENCY TO DO THAT.
>> THERE'S A WAY FORWARD.
>> IT'S A SCARY TIME NOW BUT AS
LONG AS WE WORK TOGETHER WE CAN
GET THROUGH IT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT -- I BELIEVE
IT'S IN US.
>> AND WHEN THAT TIME COMES, ONE
OF INDY'S FAVORITE SONS SAYS
HE'LL BE BACK IN HIS HOMETOWN TO
CELEBRATE WITH THE FANS WHO LOVE
HIM.
>> INDIANAPOLIS HAS ALWAYS
WITHIN AMAZING TO ME.
IT IS THE PLACE WHERE I GREW UP
AND WHERE I FIRST FELL IN LOVE
AND WROTE ALL OF THESE SONGS TO
BEGIN WITH.
♪
SO I ALWAYS GOT TO BE THERE FOR
INDY, YOU KNOW.
I GOT A HIGHWAY THERE.
>> AND INDY LOVES YOU.
WE CAN'T WAIT FOR HIM TO COME
BACK TO SHARE MORE LOVE WITH US
THROUGH SONG.
IN FACT HE'S HEADING BACK TO
INSTAGRAM LIVE ON MOTHER'S DAY.