A Message From Calvin To His Fans: The impact of Covid-19 has been riveting not only for myself but for the world. Social and physical distancing has been difficult for me because I have built my career erasing the distance or the lines that separated fan- bases from their favorite entertainers by not only bringing them to the stage but leaving the stage to become a part of the crowd, no matter how large or intimate. I’ve been coping with the change by staying home with my family and getting in the studio creating new material, which always takes me around the world without leaving the room. I wish you peace and good health. Please stay safe, stay home and stay strong. – Yours, Calvin
*All great soulmen possess an earnest and instantly identifiable sound capable of permeating your very soul. Marvin, Teddy and Luther had it and singer/songwriter Calvin Richardson has it too. Uncle Charlie, the iconic Charlie Wilson, calls Calvin “one of the most talented artists in the business.”
Calvin Richardson has recorded with and written songs for everyone from Angie Stone and Raphael Saadiq to Charlie Wilson. He co-wrote Wilson’s hit “There Goes My Baby” with Babyface.
“When I write, I’m writing for that hopeless romantic inside of me who deeply believes that love changes everything. I realized over the years that there are so many people out there that feel exactly as I do and who need that deep belief to be nurtured so that it can flourish. That’s why I just write from my heart.”
Gold Dust is an auditory manual for love. It is a gift from Calvin to his fans featuring a hearty ten-track recipe for love, fueled by experience and wisdom. He opens Gold Dust singing the words “this is not just another love song.” How apropos as Calvin has made a name for himself singing love songs that magnify the deepest of emotions with his consistently flawless and soul-drenched tenor, delivering potent lyrics in a way only he can.
“I was raised surrounded by women – my mom, my grandmother, aunts, sister, cousins, church ladies, etc.,” Calvin explains. “I learned the heartbeat of what makes women tick. The mystique of a woman versus her overt authenticity is what inspires me to address matters of the heart and much of what I learned is reflected in my music.”
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Fans of Calvin Richardson will be delighted to know that he is back at full capacity after having lost his voice in early 2018.
“This was the first album that I ever made where I felt pressure because of my touring schedule, and being occupied by writing my very first book, Do You Without Them, and the fact that I had lost my voice which carried over into this year. I had to work with much less than 100% of my ability but creatively I was still there.”
On Gold Dust Calvin Richardson proves with every note why he has earned the title “The Soul Prince.” Calvin explains that when he signed the deal for the recording he gave himself a six-week window to complete it.
“After my hit single “Can’t Let Go,” I definitely started off feeling the pressure. You know they say pressure burst pipes and I thought if this pipe bursts, it would be filled with Gold-Dust!”
Calvin Richardson came by his soulful style honestly. Born in McBee, SC and raised in Monroe, North Carolina, the fifth of nine children, Calvin had a strong musical upbringing. His mother sang in the local gospel group, The Wondering Souls, and he sang with them as a youth but he was able to listen to secular soul music and funk and was particularly inspired by Bobby Womack, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and Donny Hathaway. Singing on the gospel circuit, he met and became friends with Cedric “K-Ci” Hailey and Joel “Jo Jo” Hailey, who went on to form the hit-making group Jodeci in the early Nineties. Calvin was inspired by their success to form the urban contemporary vocal group Undacova, whose song “Love Slave” was included in the New Jersey Drive soundtrack in 1995.
When Undacova folded, Calvin launched a solo career that resulted in his debut solo album Country Boy on Uptown/Universal Records in 1999. The album included a great cover of Bobby Womack’s “I Wish He Didn’t Trust Me So Much.” While Calvin was working on this follow-up, Angie Stone heard a demo of his song “More Than A Woman” and invited him to duet with her on a version of the song for her album Mahogany Soul. In 2003, Calvin’s album 2:35PM, named after the time one of his children was born, was released by Hollywood Records. 2008 saw the release of Calvin’s Shanachie Entertainment/Numo Records album When Love Comes, with its single “Sang No More” hitting the Urban AC charts.
2009 brought success via Charlie Wilson’s hit rendition of Calvin’s co-write on “There Goes My Baby.” The same year Richardson paid homage to one of his greatest influences with Facts Of Life, his powerful live-in-the-studio tribute to Bobby Womack that garnered two Grammy nominations, one of which was for his duet with Sounds Of Blackness powerhouse Ann Nesby. 2010 saw the release of America’s Most Wanted, and I Am Calvin followed in 2014 and 2017’s All Or Nothing.
There’s no secret to Calvin Richardson’s success. “I stay true to myself as an artist and stay committed to making good music. As my new single suggests, I’m loving on my fans by staying humble, grateful and always letting them know that I’m one of them who wouldn’t be nothing without them.”
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