I guess, you had no choice but to be a singer, when your mother tells you your daddy was the late Mega Music Pop Star Prince.
Local Singer Alexis Armstrong’s father, actually to a great degree resembled Prince. So, I did believe her for a while, she said. Soul, Funk, and Disco played an instrumental role in her upbringing.
The Bishop Kearney graduate started dancing and writing songs in high school. And it was there also as a basketball player when she got a chance to share her desire to sing, when she was challenged by a teammate to sing the Star Spangled Banner, because they were tired of hearing their classmate mess it up every home game.
“Even though on that day, I also bombed because I had forgotten the words,” she chuckled.
The Rochester institute of Technology (R.I.T.) employee began pursuing her career as a solo artist singing in local pubs and at small events.
About two-years ago, she was exploring options to form a band, but at the end of the day it was too expensive to assemble.
“Then one day a friend of the family, we all refer to as uncle, was like, I have a band,” Armstrong said. “They are called All-n-1. Our keyboardist is the uncle of Debra Cox, a Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer.”
The band performed covers ranging between the 1960s,70s, and 80s.
“We write and perform music that’s more timeless and family oriented,” she prodded. “You know, feel good music. We rotate solos and share songs on stage. It all depends on the show,” she said.
“However, as a soloist, my music is a little more contemporary,” Armstrong pointed out. “So, for the past year, we have been working on how we could blend our approaches.”
Some of Armstrong’s influences are Aretha Franklin, Janet Jackson, Whitney Huston and Teedra Moses.
“I have always looked up to singers, who have this air of longevity,” Armstrong said. “They are okay with reinventing or being themselves, but their truth is their art. And if I had to compare my voice to another singer it would be Canadian Singer Tamia and Louisiana-born Soul Singer Teedra Moses.”
“Around 2004, I came across Teedra Moses' first album and she has been my female mentor in my head since then,” she continued. “She’s more contemporary Rhythm and Blues (R&B), but I like the soul and truth in her music and her voice, where it’s not too much added to it.”
Armstrong has a home studio, so during the Covid Pandemic, she can still continue to make music.
She is projecting to have new music out by the end of June 2020. Her catalog of music also features family-oriented songs for the kids such as the song, My Greatest Accomplishment.
One of her goals is to one day perform that song on Sesame Street and other contemporary tunes from her catalog on television shows, Ellen and SNL,” she said.
Article by: Author Rodney Brown, executive director of Brown Publishing LLC and Southwest Tribune Newspaper
