Earlier this summer, the song Mama’s Kitchen Table by Ivan Hampden Jr. featuring Paulette McWilliams was a new entry on the UK Soul Chart debuting at #15.
Paulette and I co-wrote the lyrics and Ivan produced the track.
The three of us met while working for Luther Vandross. Ivan Hampden Jr. was Luther’s drummer, Paulette McWilliams was one of his backing vocalists, and I was his assistant.
Before working for Luther, Paulette was in The American Breed who later became Rufus, and she introduced Chaka Khan to them to take her place. She sang with Quincy Jones, featured on Michael Jackson’s “Off The Wall” and has toured with Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and so many others. She was a guest on Richard Marzetti’s Solar Radio show on June 3, 2022. Click HERE to listen.
Ivan Hampden Jr. is a four-time Grammy winner and, as well as Luther’s albums, has appeared on albums by Ashford & Simpson, Diana Ross, Roberta Flack, The Temptations, Beyonce, Mavis Staple, and Ann Nesby to name some of the more famous ones.
After Luther’s stroke, related to mismanaged type 2 diabetes, I founded the nonprofit, Divabetic in 2003. Since then, I have reached thousands of at-risk people affected by and living with diabetes through live events, videos, and podcasts. I was thrilled to return to music with my friends, Ivan and Paulette. Seeing Mama’s Kitchen Table on the UK Soul Charts brought me so much joy. It was an unexpected but equally enchanting moment in an unforgettable Summer.
I’m also thrilled to announce the three of us teamed up again to write the new Christmas song, Pink Champagne, coming out in late Fall.
“Pink Champagne is dedicated to anyone experiencing a painful heartbreak during the holidays,” says Paulette McWilliams.
Breakups are hard. But the holidays seem to magnify the loneliness of heartache: parties with everyone coupled up, romantic Christmas music and movies, and those annual Christmas letters brimming with friends’ burgeoning families. The airwaves are filled with upbeat holiday classics leaving little room for sadness and contemplation.
Pink Champagne is a story of a woman’s journey from victim to victor at Christmastime. A mindset that Paulette believes can help someone with a broken heart find fulfillment.
“You can’t experience the joy of the holidays unless you let go of the painful emotions instead of holding them in,” she says. “I hope Pink Champagne helps people who are hurting be able to move on.”
Nancy Wilson’s Guess Who I Saw Today and Marlena Shaw’s Go Away Litte Boy inspired my lyrics and story.
A true classic, Guess Who I Saw Today was written by Murray Grand with lyrics by Elisse Boyd. The delicious, dignified, and elegant Nancy Wilson’s storytelling ability remains unsurpassed. Her timeless tone and delivery satisfy Jazz lovers of all generations.
For the first Lady of Blue Note, Marlena Shaw’s Go Away Little Boy lifted her career to new heights. Her dash of wit and attitude provide a virtual tour de force, a classic moment of 1970’s soul. Marlena’s recording is one part hilarious stand-up routine (a la Millie Jackson or Patti Labelle) and one part slow-jam mood music.