In this episode we sit down with Joyce Cobb. Cobb is Memphis royalty. She is an incredible vocalist and entertainer and an absolute delight to be around. Cobb’s journey through the world of music is a great example of what it means to hustle, work, and diversify. In addition to her massive repertoire, she is a songwriter, was the last recording artist at Stax Records, and currently teaches voice at Rhodes College here in Memphis. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.
Show Notes
2:30 The best place to begin is the beginning…Oklahoma. “If I sing…they love me. If I don’t they don’t even know me.”
5:40 b.1945. Father comes home from war, pursues college and Joyce begins to move around the country. Early emphasis on obtaining an education. She begins to diversify her musical tastes.
10:00 First careers…”could’ve, should’ve, would’ve.” Joyce is into “the human” (beautiful)
17:15 “You have the art, and you have the fashion.” Money, music, intrinsic value of music.
21:00 Truth about ego in music
25:13 Nashville. Charline Pride. Gee whiz are you saying that the American Song Book is important to know? We get into the weeds a bit…nerd out etc.
38:15 Song writing. Anthems of Sanity. Sting (again)
43:00 Shoe Productions, original catalogue, Hot Fun Band, Wayne Crook
48:30 Millennials are not…evil?
53:30 Looking ahead…music in Memphis. What Joyce tells her students at Rhodes.
1:02:00 back to the intrinsic value of music. Joyce’s battle with cancer. It gets real.
1:15:20. Bacon. Revelation. BACON. The afterlife. Bacon and swing. Dealing with mortality.
1:20:20 Humans.
1:24:25 New projects. Legacy. Love from Memphis. Looking back to Joyce’s club.
Figuring out this whole life thing…being happy. Still gigging still hustling.
https://www.rhodes.edu/bio/joyce-cobb
https://www.resourceentertainment.com/entertainers/Joyce-Cobb