It's MY Time!
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Meet Brenda Watty. She is 69 years old and is finally ready to record her very FIRST album! This record has literally been a lifetime in the making, and it's about time the rest of the world gets a taste of the voice Florida's Gulf Coast already knows & loves.
For an artist, making their debut album is a serious undertaking, and Brenda knows that she needs a lot of help. She has assembled a stellar team of musicians, who have more than 150 years of combined experience in the industry, and they are ready to tackle this project. Brenda has been diligently working on her original music, and is ready to record. The only thing standing in her way is the budget … so she needs YOUR help.
Brenda has come up with some awesome rewards for everyone who contributes to her dream. They're listed on the right side of the page for you to check out.
This album has literally taken shape over 50-plus years … And it's time for Brenda to live her dream of having an album of her own. We hope you'll read a bit more about the incredible life this lady has lived and that you'll feel compelled to help her achieve her dream.
WATCH: Interview with Brenda
She was named one of the Suncoast's Amazing Women by ABC 7.
At age 6 Brenda knew that she wanted to sing. Her family would indulge her fantasies of becoming a superstar by letting her put on shows for them at home. She “hired” her sisters to play the role of her backgroind singers while she remained up front, admittedly “torturing” her siblings.
She grew up listening to classic rock … Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Humble Pie, The Moody Blues. She'll tell you to this day, that stuff made her feel alive. Soon her musical tastes grew & she found R&B, Motown, & Soul … the music of the 60's, and THAT is what “hooked” her. Brenda knew by the age of 16 that she would make a life & career out of singing the music that spoke so deeply to her soul.
At 19 she told her mother that she was moving to New York City. Despite her mothers protests, Brenda left her native Balitomre Maryland & took off for the Big Apple at age 21 in 1978. After a year of sleeping on a friend's sofa & keeping her personal items in a coin operated locker at the 34th Street Train Station, she found a job. Two years later Brenda moved into her own apartment & started working the scene. Not long after that she met Barbara Toomer of The Toys at a party. Barbara told her that The Toys were lookng for a lead singer … Knowing full well that her only singing & performance experirnce was in the living room of her childhood home with her sisters, Brenda stepped out on Faith. She told Barbara that she was a professional singer. A week later Brenda found herself in Queens auditioning for the lead vocalist spot with The Toys … June Montero decided to take a chance on Brenda & coached her into the role. Every day for 4 years the women worked tirelessly to mold Brenda into what she would eventually become … a professional vocalist & entertainer.
For the next 15 years Brenda worked as a lead and background vocalist for Musique, The Marvelettes, Demond Wilson (of Sanford & Son), The Temptations, The Four Tops, Ricky Nelson, Chuck Berry, Bo Didley, Leslie Gore, The Drifters, The Coasters, Mary Wells, Dick Clark's American Bandstand and countless others.
At age 45 Brenda's life changed dramatically when she decided to give up her singing career to get married & stay at home. After 17 years of marriage, the relationship ended in divorce … and Brenda decided that it was finally time to get back to her own dream of singing professionally. After her divorce Brenda began to reinvent herself as the singer she always wanted to be …
While she was married Brenda took a fated vacation to Sarasota, Florida. Post-divorce, and without knowing a soul, she chose Sarasota Florida as her new home & began to pursure her dream in earnest. For an entire year she would spend her days at the beach with her evening wear in the trunk of her car, always ready to roll onto a stage. She found open mics & jam sessions & started to network with local players. She spent 3 years working as a vocalist with a duo called “Beauty & the Beast” in South Florida. She also did a year long stint with Glenn Leonard of the Temptations. As that tour was wrapping up, Brenda knew she needed more work, so she looked on Craigslist & found a group, the Gotta-Luv-It Band, that was looking for a singer who knew Motown & Soul music.
Brenda has been fronting the Gotta-Luv-It Band for the last 4 years and loves it. BUT … she's singing OTHER PEOPLE'S MUSIC.
Now, at age 68, it is FINALLY time for Brenda to fulfill that dream she had in her family's living room over 60 years ago. The dream of making her OWN music.
With 5 original songs & three hand picked covers, Brenda is ready to make her very first album.
She has spent a lifetime preparing for this moment & has never been more ready. She has the band. She has the songs. She has the team. And they are locked, loaded and ready to roll.
All she needs now is YOU.
For an artist, making their debut album is a serious undertaking, and Brenda knows that she needs a lot of help. She has assembled a stellar team of musicians, who have more than 150 years of combined experience in the industry, and they are ready to tackle this project. Brenda has been diligently working on her original music, and is ready to record. The only thing standing in her way is the budget … so she needs YOUR help.
Brenda has come up with some awesome rewards for everyone who contributes to her dream. They're listed on the right side of the page for you to check out.
This album has literally taken shape over 50-plus years … And it's time for Brenda to live her dream of having an album of her own. We hope you'll read a bit more about the incredible life this lady has lived and that you'll feel compelled to help her achieve her dream.
WATCH: Interview with Brenda
She was named one of the Suncoast's Amazing Women by ABC 7.
At age 6 Brenda knew that she wanted to sing. Her family would indulge her fantasies of becoming a superstar by letting her put on shows for them at home. She “hired” her sisters to play the role of her backgroind singers while she remained up front, admittedly “torturing” her siblings.
She grew up listening to classic rock … Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Humble Pie, The Moody Blues. She'll tell you to this day, that stuff made her feel alive. Soon her musical tastes grew & she found R&B, Motown, & Soul … the music of the 60's, and THAT is what “hooked” her. Brenda knew by the age of 16 that she would make a life & career out of singing the music that spoke so deeply to her soul.
At 19 she told her mother that she was moving to New York City. Despite her mothers protests, Brenda left her native Balitomre Maryland & took off for the Big Apple at age 21 in 1978. After a year of sleeping on a friend's sofa & keeping her personal items in a coin operated locker at the 34th Street Train Station, she found a job. Two years later Brenda moved into her own apartment & started working the scene. Not long after that she met Barbara Toomer of The Toys at a party. Barbara told her that The Toys were lookng for a lead singer … Knowing full well that her only singing & performance experirnce was in the living room of her childhood home with her sisters, Brenda stepped out on Faith. She told Barbara that she was a professional singer. A week later Brenda found herself in Queens auditioning for the lead vocalist spot with The Toys … June Montero decided to take a chance on Brenda & coached her into the role. Every day for 4 years the women worked tirelessly to mold Brenda into what she would eventually become … a professional vocalist & entertainer.
For the next 15 years Brenda worked as a lead and background vocalist for Musique, The Marvelettes, Demond Wilson (of Sanford & Son), The Temptations, The Four Tops, Ricky Nelson, Chuck Berry, Bo Didley, Leslie Gore, The Drifters, The Coasters, Mary Wells, Dick Clark's American Bandstand and countless others.
At age 45 Brenda's life changed dramatically when she decided to give up her singing career to get married & stay at home. After 17 years of marriage, the relationship ended in divorce … and Brenda decided that it was finally time to get back to her own dream of singing professionally. After her divorce Brenda began to reinvent herself as the singer she always wanted to be …
While she was married Brenda took a fated vacation to Sarasota, Florida. Post-divorce, and without knowing a soul, she chose Sarasota Florida as her new home & began to pursure her dream in earnest. For an entire year she would spend her days at the beach with her evening wear in the trunk of her car, always ready to roll onto a stage. She found open mics & jam sessions & started to network with local players. She spent 3 years working as a vocalist with a duo called “Beauty & the Beast” in South Florida. She also did a year long stint with Glenn Leonard of the Temptations. As that tour was wrapping up, Brenda knew she needed more work, so she looked on Craigslist & found a group, the Gotta-Luv-It Band, that was looking for a singer who knew Motown & Soul music.
Brenda has been fronting the Gotta-Luv-It Band for the last 4 years and loves it. BUT … she's singing OTHER PEOPLE'S MUSIC.
Now, at age 68, it is FINALLY time for Brenda to fulfill that dream she had in her family's living room over 60 years ago. The dream of making her OWN music.
With 5 original songs & three hand picked covers, Brenda is ready to make her very first album.
She has spent a lifetime preparing for this moment & has never been more ready. She has the band. She has the songs. She has the team. And they are locked, loaded and ready to roll.
All she needs now is YOU.
Organizer
Brenda Watty
Organizer
Sarasota, FL
