Freda Payne

HELLO AMERICA!—It was great chatting with Freda Payne, my friend of many years who seems to be just as busy now in her career than ever before. “I can’t stand just sitting back and watching life go by,” she laughed. “I’ve been working in show business as a professional since I was fifteen years old and I’ve loved every minute of it.”

On that, Freda quickly began to fill me in on her latest schedule of work. “Recently I was contracted to record for theMack Avelabel,” she said. “It’s a label that concentrates on jazz. And our session was recorded at Capitol Records and it was a thrill working there after so many years.”

Freda noted that there are fourteen original songs and she composed six of them. “I love writing songs,” she said. “It’s great when you can perform something that you feel deep in your heart and soul. Singing about things, feelings, emotions that you’ve experienced and survived through never fail to connect with an audience or when listening to a CD. People know when you’re telling the truth and not just spewing out shallow words. And this is how you continue to build your fan base; they keep coming back for more and more. I’ve been very luck in that way; people have followed and supported whatever I do since I was a very young girl. I’m truly grateful for that their loyalty.”

Freda is especially excited about one of her new releases, “The Island” she claims has all the creative artistic trimmings. “There are luscious strings and everything that makes you want to hear it over and over again. Don’t get me wrong,” she insisted, “the other songs are wonderful, too but The Island is one of those songs that at the end of the day, you feel complete.” The album is scheduled for release in February or March 2014.

Still amazed at her energy and level of creative focus, Freda lets me know that she has also costarred in a play called “Divorce” along with her dear friend Judy Pace. “It was fantastic,” Freda said. “We enjoyed working together because we both have experienced divorce and how it affects your whole life.  Hey, there were tons of laughs, comparing notes about men inHollywoodwe both know or knew. It was good therapy for both of us – it was great girl-time for us.”

As for the future, Freda as usual will be globe-trotting doing what she knows best, singing songs that have made millions of people feel good inside and hopeful for something positive in their future. Life is still a band of gold in so many ways.

By Michael St. John