All right, joining me for new episode of

Power Players is dance music legend. I

would even say legend, Crystal Waters.

It's um is it really good to see you?

Like I I grew up listening to you. Like

I'm a big I'm a huge fan. I can't dance,

but I'm a huge fan.

>> Well, thank you. Thank you. I'm glad to

still be here.

>> Yeah.

>> [laughter]

>> Um

what brings you uh out and about? What

are you up to?

>> I'm up to a whole bunch of stuff. I'm

out in the streets. I'm out here.

I have new music. I have a new tour.

Um

I got a new album coming, so I'm just

out here telling everybody what's going

on.

>> Uh and of course Gypsy Woman. Now that

is like the iconic

>> Yeah.

>> song. I still remember being in high

school listening to that. It feels like

in my head it feels like that. Um

how do you explain that connection with

a song like that after all these years?

>> I know. I mean I've I've been trying to

figure it out. Um but I you know, I

thank God every day that I wrote that

song, but there's something about that

song that resonates. Um and I I can't

even say it's the lyrics cuz everybody

remembers the la da di la da da part.

But there is a message to the song and I

think that whole topic I've had these

discussions over the years about

homelessness and what it means to

people. Sometimes, you know, there's

different perspectives. Like some people

don't have a home, some people don't

have a family, some people don't just

feel like they fit in anywhere. So, I

think a lot of a lot of a lot of that

resonates with people when they don't

kind of feel fit in. So, if you get into

the lyrics a little bit, I get a lot of

stories about that from people.

>> You know, for me um life is now coming

full circle. Like I said, I grew up

listening um to your music. And I didn't

Of course, when you're a teen, you don't

really recognize. You're not paying

attention to the lyrics. I couldn't even

There's really no internet when I was,

you know, listening to music. Like what

where did that song come from?

>> That song came from um I was writing and

the first thing I got the track from the

Basement Boys. And all I had was la da

di la da da la da di. So, I used to do

the melody first and put the lyrics in

and I couldn't find any words with

syllables that short that would fit that

melody. So I finally sit there and I

said, "Somebody's singing this song."

And I remember this woman that stood in

downtown Washington DC. She was singing

gospel songs with a hat in front of her.

And she had a full face of makeup, fully

dressed. She looked fine. And I had this

attitude, "Oh, she needs to go get a

job. Nothing wrong with her, you know."

And then the local city paper did a

story and told about how she lost her

job and almost everything in a matter of

days. And it just really changed my

whole attitude about it cuz she was just

like you and me. And the one thing that

stuck with me was that she said reason

why she had the full face of makeup and

look good because she felt if she was

going to ask people for money, she

should be respectable. And that just

kind of stuck in my head. So that's the

first line of the song is she wakes up

early every morning because she cares.

So that's really where it came from.

>> So as soon as you get that inspiration,

was it you're writing the stuff down and

you're going right into the studio?

>> Oh, back then?

>> [laughter]

>> No, back then I think I had I had rented

a four-track TASCAM something and I got

the melodies together and wrote it. Then

the I was in Washington DC, the Basement

Boys lived in Baltimore. So I had to

call, schedule time, get up there, drive

up there.

>> When was that?

>> That was probably '87.

>> I see. I came across it like later. You

know, I have found it on like the

the variant What was it? The the Jock

Jams CD.

>> Yeah, they didn't come out till '91,

though.

>> '91?

>> Yeah, so I would have to drive back and

forth and do these song, you know,

singing in front of them, see if they

liked it.

>> Uh-huh.

What was that like?

>> That You know, it was exciting. I was

doing what I loved. I wanted to be

there. And when I sang Gypsy Woman, I

just remember they just fell that fell

out of the chairs. They just couldn't

believe it. Cuz you know, you know, back

then was a lot of like raise your hands

in the air and kind of stuff. So I

actually had written a song with meaning

and stuff. And they just went crazy for

it.

>> Do you know

Did you know you were had a hit? When

did you know you had a hit?

>> No, I did not know I had a hit. You

still have to remember dance music who's

this dance music back then? Wasn't big.

It was underground. Wasn't played on the

radio. So, and I actually had started

out being more of a jazz singer. I was

doing like a Sade thing. So, I'm writing

to these house beats. I don't know what

you know.

>> [laughter]

>> So, I thought it would be a underground

song, you know, maybe just in DC,

Baltimore, New York being the clubs or

something. I had no idea that it was

going to go worldwide. I don't think I

realized it

until it came out in '91 and then like

in that summer I had to get a passport.

And I was [clears throat]

going places. [laughter]

>> Was it Was it

um

Was it hard to get it on the radios?

>> Um

>> Like in in more of like a like more

mainstream station.

>> New York picked it up right away.

>> Z100?

>> [laughter]

>> I probably cuz I I think I know KTU did.

Um

>> KTU 103.5 like I Yeah, that's probably

what I listened to. That's where I was.

>> Yeah, so I think they've Once New York

back then was New York picked it up,

everybody wanted to know about it. And

then the record label did their job.

That's all I can say. I mean it was in

places I could have never

I've never heard of. So, yeah.

>> Where did you Did you grow up around

music?

>> I did. I grew up in South Jersey. My

father was a jazz musician his whole

life.

I used to tour with him every summer. I

love I love those memories.

My aunt My great aunt is Ethel Waters

who was a very famous

singers. I mean Cotton Club singer,

actress. She had like the first number

one female black almost everything.

So, and my and my uncle was Zach Zachary

who played in MFSB in South

Philadelphia. Love is the message, Soul

Train. All those lead saxophones from

those days. So, I was always around all

that. I remember watching them listening

to music and talking about drummers and

this and that.

So, my brother was in the band. We had

one of those garage bands where they

rehearse in the garage and all that

stuff. So yeah, I did.

>> How um

You know, I actually believe it or not,

I caught the tail end of my

life of Soul Train. Like I would watch

it on I think it was the weekend for me.

Like how in

>> Saturday morning.

>> Yeah. How how how impactful was that

show to your career? And do you see

something else

out there like that now today?

>> See, you touching on something I've been

talking about. Um that was very

important. The whole idea of dancing to

the music, which you don't see anymore.

You just see people standing there with

the phones pointing at the DJ. And I

really think that is missing. I really

think that I think a lot of people feel

that way. I know a lot of the newer

clubs are banning cell phones and things

like that hoping people

>> Good.

>> Yeah.

>> Good.

>> Here in New York. Here in New York.

They're hoping people will, you know,

focus on the music and let that music

flow through your body. And I think

that's really important.

>> Has

um

has the lines been blurred in dance

music? I hear I see what you do and

um and I see what that part of the

industry, but also like DJs. You know,

DJs, you know, I go on to Instagram, Tik

Tok, and I'm catching so many short

clips of them playing your songs, but

>> Yeah.

>> it's just it's a weird weird time.

>> It was a little fun when I when they

first started blowing up, you know, all

the singers was like they're making

money playing our songs.

>> Yeah. [laughter]

Just like remixing your stuff.

>> Where did I go wrong? I should be a DJ.

But

um

I have to commend them because they kept

the music alive all these years and get

they're introducing new people to it. Um

so I we appreciate the DJs, but it is

I I do is was one of the reasons why I

do my radio show because the DJs are so

prominent that you forget who the

singers are, who wrote it. So when I,

you know, announce songs on the radio

show, I kind of give a background who's

singing it and all that stuff just to

kind of balance it out a little bit.

>> How has dance music

changed, you know, over the past few

years?

>> Over the past few years? Um

I see it as expanding and growing,

especially, you know, you got to when I

from '91 where it was not considered

real music

to now to see how it it has exploded. It

has gone through these phases of the EDM

and all that. Now house music is back

and it's like bigger than ever and it's

I read somewhere it was a $23 billion

business now. And all the DJs are

calling themselves house DJs now, which

kind of

blows my mind a little bit. Um, so it's

changed in that way. I'm very happy to

see it. Um, I'm very happy. I'm hoping,

you know, more

lyrics and melodies come back, you know,

things like that and people start

dancing again. So I'm

I have very high hopes for it.

>> How do you capitalize on all the music,

great music you've created, you know, in

this world of Spotify, Apple Music,

TikTok? Like how do you get the credit

that you rightfully deserve?

>> How do I get the credit? Well, I get I

get licensing fees.

>> Okay, that's cool. Okay, that's cool.

>> [laughter]

>> That's good.

>> But you know, you kind of play it up in

the show. I mean, it's one of the

reasons why I think I still tour and

have a lot of shows. Like recently in

the last couple years, you know, TikTok

kids come and ask me if I'm going to

sing that song cuz they they know me.

>> Yeah.

They said I was like that. I was like,

"What song?" I was like, "What song?"

You know, "The TikTok song." I said,

"The TikTok song?"

>> [laughter]

>> Gypsy Woman. So it it kind of

introduces, you know, everybody to my

music, you know, all that kind of stuff.

And you know, like you you would

Instagram people use my music for the

reels and things like that. So it really

keeps you kind of a going, you know?

>> How do you explain that popularity with

the TikTok community today

for your music that was that came out in

1991?

>> I can't I can't.

>> [laughter]

>> I don't know. I'm very happy. I think

it's just a whole new generation and um,

you know,

I don't know. I I know cuz I cuz I I if

you would you listen to 50's music now

and go

>> It's relaxed. Yes, I

>> [laughter]

>> I do. I'm a little bit of a weird bird

like my friends watching this they're

going to be even surprised that I I

listen to your music and that and um

that I can't dance. So like so I can't

wait to get this out there. They're

going to be

>> [laughter]

>> very surprised. So you So you're out

there touring still?

>> Oh yeah, yeah.

>> How Are you writing new music? Are you

putting out new

>> Oh yeah, I've been putting out singles

for the last 15 years. I have like his

songs in Europe probably America doesn't

know about.

>> Mhm.

>> So but I I I just been doing singles cuz

it's been a singles market. And then

just recently because of the resurgence

of house music, I thought maybe this

would be a good time to do an album.

>> How uh how is the process of putting

music together change? I'm bringing this

up because I was telling you off camera

I had a I talked to Wyclef a couple

about a month ago at a conference and he

told me he's putting out seven new

albums. Like he's been working on I

think about two years, but still across

different genres like even a country

album. I'm like, well, how are you doing

this, man?

Um he's like, well, I'm using AI to help

me. I'm like, well, that's interesting.

>> That's still a lot of work and a lot of

prompting.

>> Yeah, a lot [laughter] of stuff.

>> I haven't gotten as far as AI. I'm I'm

still on the on the line.

But um I'm still I'm still you know,

from the 90's we're in the studio

working together. Now it's all emails,

links, Dropbox links.

>> Dropbox, [laughter]

yes.

>> Stems, emailing stems and things like

that.

>> Is it good though for Is it good though

for music or is

music losing a little bit of its soul?

>> I I think as a creator it's good to be

in the studio with the person you're

creating with. I think there's something

missing,

um a magnetism or something. The back

and forth is what I

I kind of miss. I know even when I go to

record my vocals I have to have a a real

engineer there. The sitting in front of

the laptop and doing it yourself just

feels a little soulless. To have that

other ear that you know, two people

um I think that's important to me. This

for creative purposes.

>> You know, there's so much going on in

the world. Where nowadays are you

drawing inspiration from to create your

music?

>> I'm drawing it from the new producers. I

like I said with my podcast, I get a lot

of new music and I get to meet a lot of

these producers and it's really good

stuff and they're just expanding the

music more and more. I'm like, oh wow,

that was great. So, I've actually

reached out to a couple people and we're

working together and it just keeps me

going. You know, even when I hear bad

lyrics, I'm like, I can do better than

that. I can write I wish I had wrote

that, you know, stuff like that. So,

that kind of, you know, gets you on your

toes a little bit.

>> Can you Can you

Where did la-di-da come from? Like I I I

I'm seeing it in my head as I'm asking

you this question, like where did that

even come from?

>> I don't know. I just I was just trying

to do a melody just to fill in a space,

you know what I mean?

>> Mhm.

>> And that's just And I was following this

baseline. It was going I can I don't

know the way I can explain it. It was

going up and down and I was doing the

opposite of what the bass was doing.

>> Uh-huh.

>> So.

>> Did you have like a favorite musician

growing up that you that helped create

your music?

>> I was the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson,

Prince.

Um I loved singer-songwriters.

Um I know Gil Scott-Heron was I was a

big fan because he was more of a poet

but put it to music and I used to write

a lot of poetry and I just used to love

the play of words and stuff like that.

>> Mhm. Interesting. Is there someone that,

you know, there are musicians out there

today that you

are particularly keen on that you really

enjoy listening to?

>> I I have different Different times of

the day I have I have styles of music I

like. Like in the morning if I start off

slow with some Afrobeats and then in the

afternoon I like it a little more poppy.

I do like a Tate McRae or Khalid radio

station or playlist together.

And then I like Charli XCX.

And then in the evening I go more R&B or

more urban.

>> How do you You mentioned like shows and

festivals. I mean, the whole industry

has blown up. I mean, the crowd crowd

sizes, you name it. Every show is packed

despite the ticket prices being really

super high. Like, how do you

How would you describe the the festival

scene? And then, how do you prepare for

a show?

>> Um the festival I I love I mean, you can

You're talking about a person that came

from doing shows 2:00 or 3:00 in the

morning in nightclubs. So, I'm very

happy

>> [laughter]

>> for the the scene that's kind of moved

to the festival, the day parties. Um

I think some of them are really

fantastic with the uh electronic

screens, with all that imagery and

>> I've been blown away. Like, I I I'm I

live on Long Island, so I'm kind of near

Jones Beach.

>> Yeah.

>> And the work they have done to bring

these shows to life. I mean, I know KTU

does what um their annual

uh event in the summer.

>> Yes.

>> Um but the screen work it's just a

different experience.

>> Yeah. Yeah, I'm like with the DJs you

kind of need it it gives you something

to look at.

>> Yeah.

>> But I mean, it's it's really a

difference. Um

I think when I do the festivals it's

almost not as intimate though. I kind of

like the smaller spaces.

>> Mhm.

>> And I think um

for me for You asked me how I prepare

for a show. I always I mean, I still do

the vocal warm-ups. I do all that stuff.

It's more of a mental thing. And you're

kind of visualizing it before you get

there and sending love out to everybody

and seeing yourself having a great show.

>> Mhm.

>> Cuz you got to stay focused cuz there's

a lot usually a lot going on. There's a

circus going on. And just staying

focused.

>> How would you like What's your

legacy you think in this industry?

>> I hope I hope I was an inspiration. I

mean, if you know my story it started

out where people didn't believe in

anything I did, that the music wasn't

going to last, it was a fad, to still

being here 35 years later. Just to be

true to yourself and stick to what you

love.

>> Is it hard to have that belief when

everybody's telling you no?

>> Oh, very hard. I've learned to be my own

biggest coach. It's

And it's all you know, and this is the

The industry.

They will They will tell you to build

you up and they will tear you down. So,

you have to and you're putting yourself

out there to be judged constantly every

day. So, you know,

it's very hard to to stay focused. You

have to do it for yourself and not

depend on anyone else around you to do

it cuz

it can fade, it can disappear at any

moment.

>> Is that one of the biggest challenges to

like having staying power in the in the

industry to to navigate those peaks and

valleys?

>> I think so. You really have to be strong

and believe in yourself. You really have

to know this is what you came here to

do.

Cuz I know as you've seen there's only

so many people who have stayed. As you

see, everyone has about three albums and

they're gone.

>> Yeah.

>> And you've seen the artist self-destruct

because it's just was too much. So, the

people who are still around have have a

very strong mental stance, I think.

>> Well, it was so good to uh finally meet

you, Alana. It was uh Yeah, [laughter]

no, I just like I just seriously, I

really grew up on Stevie music. I'm not

just telling you that, like it's a real

thing.

>> Tell your friends I said hi.

>> Yeah, I know, I will. Actually, I will

tell my family you said hi to them as

well.

>> [laughter]

>> Crystal Waters, thank you so much for

doing this. I appreciate it. All right,

and that's it for the latest episode of

Power Players. Appreciate y'all tuning

in.