This past weekend I traveled to Chattanooga & Shreveport to do a couple of radio show performances. In Chatt, the line-up was myself, Noelle Gourdin & Urban Mystic. Yo, those dude can sing & perform. 

In Shreveport, I shared the stage with Jon B. & Leigh Jones… Leigh pulled me out on stage to be her prop. Sanging girl… Amazing voice! Jon did his thing as well.

I sung the National Anthem & also performed 2 songs @ half time. A different type of experience. Mad fun!! After half time, Charles & I were sitting in the bleachers watching the remainder of the game, so people were complimenting me on my performance then all of a sudden, I spill my cup of Gatorade in my lap… RED GATORADE… I’m sitting there like a kid, pants soaked… LMAO!!!!

Charles cracked on me the whole night saying, “Tonys on punishment, he can’t have anything to drink with color…”

So here are a couple of pics from the listening party, after the game.

It was a true pleasure to be a part the Thurgood Marshall College Fund event in New York. I flew into to NY on Sunday, the 26th of October. My friend & drummer Vic, met me there, We grabbed a bite to eat with my friend Kris. I woke up the next morning, had lunch with my friend Maddie, whom I had not seen in like 8 years or so. Vic & I did our line check around three, then the event started at 7pm.

The room was filled with a lot of great people. I was the Special Surprise Guest Performer…. I performed “Part The Waves”, “Moving On” & “Nobody Knows”…

Touched down in LA. Performed @ The Taste of Soul event on Crenshaw. It was HOT!!!!!. Checked out Leigh Jones performance… that girl can sang!. Ran into Kenny Lattimore as well, one of the nicest people I’ve met in the biz.

The following week, I stopped by Al B. Sures radio show. Thats one cool brotha, laud back energy. We chatted about the music, the industry and of course the ladies.

R-Dub (the program director) is mad cool.

G.Black (Hidden Beach) & I hit the R&B Live event in Atlanta, sponsored by Lincoln… pit on by J. Carter. Common did his thing that night. 

Yo Fam!!! I can only describe the experience as ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!!

My first night in Memphis was mad fun. Charles (Hidden Beach) & I went to dinner with Willie Gregory (Nike) & his attorney, these two guys are hilarious but yet such incredible people.

My homey Charles & I hit the ground running @ 7 am yesterday morning. I performed live on a TV morning show, performing live, “Part The Waves” & “It Would Be A Sin”… I was also interviewed by the host. From there we drove straight over do a video interview with Stan Bell, ultra cool brother over @ KJMS… Then Stan took us over to Overton High School, one of two schools where he teaches in additional to doing the mid-day drive on radio. I spoke to two classes. Incredible. Then from there Charles & I went over to Lemoyne Owen to meet & greet some of the students & Dr. Hedgeman. From there we hit a Subway, ate, changed clothes then straight over to the venue for the event…

Ok, I’ll check back, shuttle’s here… I gotta get to the airport. Flying to LA today.. I gotta tell yall about Overton High Schools piano room & about the BEEP Event…

Later Fam…

I will be posting more clippings from print very soon, compiling them now…

I arrived back into Atlanta on the weekend. Picked up my bags at baggage claim & I ran into Jon B. It was our first time meeting. Cool brother, great vibe & energy. I placed a copy of EXIST in his hands & made my way to the train station to head home.

I arrived home & just chilled. I was tired, but had plenty of energy to go check out a movie. “Miracle at St. Anna”… Spike Lee is a brilliant film maker. The ending had me a bit choked up. Even for an ultra cool brotha like me, I felt that story.

So check it, I’ve been traveling so much that I at times loose track of time. I wake & sent Charles an email asking him, “Yo Charles, what time are we speaking @ Morehouse today?” … He was like, ” Dude, we dont speak @ Morehouse until Monday…: ) “… Wow… 

So Monday comes & we arrive @ Morehouse to a full room of students. Mad love. With a few female students from Spellman in attendance. It was an excellent session. The students had a lot of valid & interesting questions. Overall total success.

After that I dashed over to have dinner with my new friends, Suchita & Mark. We laughed all night while having dinner. : )

Charles picked me up Tuesday evening to head over to Sugar Hill for another album release / listening party. Which was fused into Joi’s jam session, which is the regular Tuesday night event at Sugar Hill. Joi’s energy is amazingly demanding… I love it. You have to watch her. She called me at the beginning of her 2nd set & I performed “Part The Waves” & “Nobody KNows”. It was a great performance. Then I went home, ate some grits, wheat toast & veggie patties… YUM!!!

Hey Fam, Due to my busy schedule, I haven’t had time to post as often as I’d like. So let me fill you all in on where I was after VA. 

So I took an early morning flight from VA to D.C. Arrived at the airport & the point person who was supposed to pick me, didn’t!!! Now at this point MOST artists would have flipped their lid, but I’ve learned to think solution & always remain calm, becuz your response shapes the outcome of your situation. I called Thornell, we sloved the problem in less than 15 mins & I was on my way. Took about 45 mins to get to the hotel, which was right next door to the venue where I was to perform (Art Whino) in National Harbor. Beautiful place right in Baltimore.

I had a “day room” at the Westin. I grabbed a bite to eat & then I had an in-person interview / photo shoot. The “Art meets Music” event started @ 7:30pm. Such a cool vibe. An art gallery, about 100 people, a keyboard & microphone. I performed 5 songs. Great experience.

I made a mad dash over to Union Station & took the Amtrak to NY. Arrived into Penn Station @ 2 a.m. & walked 14 blocks in the rain to my friend Kristins place. She had a piece of chocolate cake for me, (it was a “band aid” piece, becuz she made a beautiful attempt to send me a whole chocolate cake from Juniors to me, but she gave them the wrong zip code. She’s so precious…

So we sat up & talked for a while then I attempted to take a nap, we probably got about an hour of sleep, then up, jumped on the 1 Train heading downtown to do a radio interview with Jeff Foxx & crew, mad cool brotha… the whole team. They showed me sooo much love. My publicist Joe met us at the radio station.

After the interview, we were back out in the rain taking a taxi uptown for a couple of more in-person interviews. Then a walk thru/ meet & greet @ Music Choice. Nice peeps. Jen (a friend of Joe’s) filled in for him on the last 2 interviews… Shes a cool, quiet Korean woman. : )

So it was then about 2pm. Kris & walked into Penn Station, I picked up a Subway sandwich, she & I talked a bit, I got on the train heading back to D.C for the Hidden Beach Black Caucus Party. Now that was an interesting scene. Met some really cool people. The political arena holds a different caliber people. It was cool to see everyone simply having a good time. We partied & then watched the debate between McCain & Obama, once it was over… more mingling & networking then a bunch of us headed over to another party where they were playing a lot of old school jams.

Made my way back to the hotel & went to sleep. I woke up late the next day, jumped in a cab & dashed over to the airport. Heading back to Atlanta…

The Tony Rich Project
“EXIST”

Tony Rich is back with a new album titled “EXIST”. Check out “Part The Waves” and “Jordan”.
Enjoy.

Now Available