Crystal Penny Guest on Richard Marzetti’s Soul Life on Solar Radio Today!

I’m thrilled my friends, Crystal Wilson Blackmon and Penni Wilson, professionally known as Crystal Penny, will be on Richard Marzetti’s Soul Life show on Solar Radio today.

They will be discussing their new song, “Standards.” I wrote this song with them and my Luther Vandross musical family member, Ivan Hampden Jr. – it means so much to return to music twenty years after Luther’s passing.

Ivan and I have had professional and personal ups and down’s over these past two decades.

Thanks to you, I channeled my grief into helping people affected by and at risk for diabetes through my work with Divabetic. Like anyone in the entertainment industry, I experienced disappointments and setbacks throughout my career. I feel fortunate that I still have the passion, perseverance, and imagination to write song lyrics. “Standards” is my ode to all my favorite divas – Dionne Warwick, Etta James, Phyllis Hyman, Sarah Vaughan, Chaka Khan, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight, and Patti LaBelle (who has once again sparked my creativity!)

Penni and Crystal are super-talented sisters who have survived several music career setbacks and disappointments to continue making incredible music. Their passion for making music began in Pittsburgh, performing as teenagers as The Lovations preserved a bad record deal and several broken promises to continue today. Another retro disco song I wrote with Crystal and Penni, “Are You Ready?” was the theme song for the first year of Divabetic podcasts.

During the pandemic, UK audiences rediscovered the Lovation’s Original Soul Classics records on multiple music streaming apps, which sparked Penni and Crystal’s interest in returning to the studio. Fortunately, I was the lucky fool who called them up to collaborate on a song. I wrote lyrics and recorded (an off-key) melody for a song called “Standards,” paying tribute to several female vocalists they idolized growing up. With Ivan Hampden Jr.‘s magic touch and polish, we released “Standards” earlier this Spring.


Crystal Penny Guest on Richard Marzetti’s Soul Life on Solar Radio LISTEN NOW

It’s been a fantastic journey for all of us. We were surprised and delighted by the response our song, “Standards,” received from UK Audiences. For the past six weeks, “Standards” has been on the BCfm Soul Chart hosted by Tony Griffin. We climbed as high as #3, which isn’t too shabby!

Check out “Standards” on YouTube using this link:

 

Crystal Penny Shows Their ‘Standards’ on Tribute Songs To Divas

Get drenched in a hefty dose of R&B and Soul with Crystal Penny as this musical duo has returned with another gem of a musical creation. Offering a punch of retro vibes and breezy tunes, their latest track ‘Standards’ is buzzing in the industry. This dynamic duo is best known for their exceptional vocal skills and sync between two which sounds a like single energetic entity. Let’s find out more about these talented music artists.

Crystal Penny is formed by Sisters Crystal Wilson Blackmon and Penni Wilson, the musical powerhouses who started music at an early age. They became seasoned music artists by their teenage and started performing as professionally as the Lovations. Their sheer individuality and the original essence of the soul could be noticed in their musical psyche. With the tunes and grooves of “I Keep Singing La, La, La, Oooh,” “I Want You,” “Later Baby,” and “Heaven Told Me So”; this duo came to Los Angeles to follow their dreams. After singing for legendary Motown Records, they have performed with numerous artists like Maurice White, Rick James, Diana Ross, Lou Rawls, Curtis Mayfield & the Impressions, and many others.

This dynamic duo has also appeared on OWN network’s reality TV show, “Flex & Shanice,” featuring Crystal’s daughter, Grammy-nominated recording artist Shanice Wilson, and her family. They have previously dropped a few songs like ‘My Vow to You’, and ‘My Heart Belongs to You’ that offer a redefined taste of soul music. Amid the global pandemic, with the help of fans from the UK; this musical duo started revolving at the center of attention with their timeless hit track “Keep Singing La La La Ooh.” It garnered over 350K views on YouTube and 150K Spotify streams.

Bringing back their original essence and the trademark soulful harmonies, the musical duo has come up with another new R&B and Soul track named ‘Standards’. Beautifully crafted and masterly produced by Ivan Hampden Jr., the track offers an amazing groove and an enticing musical experience. Not to mention, their eclectic vocals skills add more creative layers to the track. It is amazing to witness how two artists can be so much in control while complementing each other. This song is buzzing through all the major music platforms such as Spotify, SoundCloud, and Apple Music. Follow Crystal Penny on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get more updates on their upcoming musical projects.

Song Link: