I’m so excited (cue The Pointer Sisters!) to be launching my first podcast through Substack as part of my celebration of my 60th year as a soulful scribe - and who better to kick it off than with the super-soulful Ms. Ann Nesby!
As you’ll hear in the first few minutes of part one of our extensive interview, Ann and I reflect on having known each other for a remarkable 35 years! We first met at the dawn of my years as a media coach iwhen the brilliant production team of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis - who I first interviewed a few years earlier - hired me to work with the new stable of artists signed to their then-brand new label, Perspective Records.
Off I went to Minneapolis to meet and work with Mint Condition, Lo-Key and Ann Nesby, who had joined the Perspective roster and was an integral member of The Sounds Of Blackness, whose incredible first album, “The Evolution Of Gospel” hit radio stations and record stores in the early summer of 1991.
With Ann as a featured vocalist, the album received immediate critical acclaim with the timeless anthem “Optimistic” burning up the airwaves and becoming an instant dance floor favourite in clubs worldwide.
Ann and I have travelled more than a few roads together since with her 1996 solo album “I’m Here For You” which spent a remarkable 60 weeks on the US R&B charts!
A multi-talented powerhouse vocalist, accomplished songwriter and show-stopping performer, Ann continues to thrive, with release of her eighth studio album “ANNiversary” the ‘excuse’ - as if we needed one! - for our up-close-and-personal interview.
With special thanks to Mr. Tim Lee for assistance in setting up the interview; we agreed that since we covered so much during my chat with Ann, we’d have a part one and a part two of this podcast. No doubt that just like an old James Brown record, we could made parts three, four and five!
We invite you to listen and enjoy as ‘The Queen Of Inspirational Soul’ and ‘The British Ambassador Of Soul’ catch up, as ever, optimistically!
Pt. 2: The Ann Nesby Interview With David Nathan
As noted in Pt. 1 of my first podcast interview, Ann and I have known each other for over three decades - and that’s quite an accomplishment when considering how few artists who began their music careers in earnest some thirty years ago are still around.
©2025, David Nathan/Blue Butterfly Entertainment Ltd. (UK), All Rights Reserved
PS: if you like what you hear, please consider subscribing to my Substack platform! You can subscribe for free - and my invitation is to become a paid subscriber (for less than a cup of your favourite beverage!) for additional soulful content that I’m making available!
Check out what’s happening with Ann at www.annnesby.com
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