Jody Watley “Paradise” is the CD of the month in German Magazine
Tag Archives: Pop Culture
Jody Watley. Classic Photo of The Day. Blues and Soul. UK
#TBT On The Cover of the UK Music Magazine Blues and Soul in 1989.
Celebrating 25 years of my second album. Most fans think of my solo debut as the breakthrough and it was – as well as being trendsetting in style and video. However my second album is the one that was really quietly the most pioneering and to me overshadowed. My infusion of high fashion, commercial ad campaigns and layouts – uncommon for any black artist at the time, and only by one other Madonna. ‘Larger Than Life’ ushered in a raised bar for other female artists that would follow. The pioneering “Friends” featuring Eric B & Rakim; the first to feature Pop/R&B/Hip-Hop 16 bar verses and crossing over R&B, Pop, Dance, Hip Hop – as well as a genre crossing video featuring transgender, drag queens, underground club culture, B-Boys and Girls, voguing and Jean Paul-Gaultier couture blended into a mix of high end and street chic as well as my highest charting ballad ‘Everything.” There was no press release to stir controversy and bring attention about the casting of the video – for me it wasn’t about that. Everyone in the video was real, friends of friends – not models or professionals. Tyrone Procter helped cast it. Eric B and Rakim called some of their friends. What I wanted to represent the types of clubs I liked dancing at full of of types of people united by the music and stepping out in style to get down on the dance floor. It was a real club scene in the west village on a hot summer afternoon in NYC. It went over the heads of a lot of people..my label didn’t know what to make of it, and weren’t happy with it – but let me do what I envisioned and I’m thankful.
I also found success overseas in the Japan, Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom among others as well. It was always a challenge because I wasn’t the typical ‘urban black artist’ and was always in a struggle to shine on my own terms, remaining true to myself, wanting to have standards, authenticity to my artistry. 25 years later this is still true in everything I do whether on the commercial radar or not. It’s true no matter what your job or career is – be the best you.
“Real Love” which remains one of MTV’s Most Nominated Video’s and “Most of All” are featured on the Top 28 David Fincher video’s : HERE
Photography: Steven Meisel
Makeup: Francois NARS
Hair: Oribe
Art Direction: Lynn Robb and Jody Watley
Produced by Andre Cymone
Executive Producer: Jody Watley
#itsinthemusic #JodyWatley
Jody Watley Makes Influential Style List. Trendsetter.
Jody Watley Archived Image, 1987. Urban fashion meets high end chic. Fashion. Self styled. Independent. Betsey Johnson dress, Chanel belt, Converse sneakers, Jody Watley Jumbo Hoop Earrings. Harper’s Bazaar, VOGUE, Rolling Stone, and various fashion magazine layouts, first GAP celebrity ad campaign..making the door a bit easier and wider for today’s younger black artists to walk through.
From Ebony.com – September 2014
“From Lenny Kravitz to Rihanna, here’s 25 of the most influential style and fashion icons in Black Music” including Jody Watley named “Trendsetter”.
Jody Watley Classic Photo of The Day. DETOUR Magazine
“Beauty and The Beat” -Jody Watley Covers Detour Magazine 1990.
“Always wear your inner crown – and don’t let anyone bring you down!” – Jody Watley
#TBT #ThrowbackThursday #JodyWatley #Classic
Jody Watley Classic Photo Of The Day. Hot Chocolate and Gaultier.
We saw this jeep totally by accident while scouting locations on a photo session for my tour book in 1989. It was too good to pass up. The shot only took a few minutes, renegade style and we were out of there.
All self styled – my vision was for the tour book to be all about a fashion editorial aesthetic and nothing like any tour book photo’s I’d seen with my own sense of style and individuality captured. Although not included in the current Gaultier exhibition, I was an early supporter of his designs as seen in a lot of my early photo’s and video’s, and as early as 1984 discovering him while living in London. Although this was decades ago, it’s totally timeless; picture Rihanna, Solange or one of today’s young fashionable artists – would still work.
#tbt #throwbackthursday #classic #jodywatley
Photography: Victoria Pearson. Make-up: Beth Katz . Art Direction: Lynn Robb and Jody Watley. Styling: Jody Watley. Downtown Los Angeles, 1989 in Gaultier
Jody Watley Classic Photo of The Day. DETAILS.
Jody Watley. DETAILS Magazine, Music Issue July 1992
‘Affairs of The Heart’ era. The artists had to give a quote about ‘underwear’ – in my case a basic white tank top- which remains a staple in my wardrobe.
“If you’re just making a fashion statement without making a difference, that’s a travesty. As artists, we all have to assume responsibility for the messages we send out. I like to make statements in my underwear it has a touch of the rebelliousness that’s always been present in music.”
Cotton tank by Hanes, three for $8 (in 1992!)
Jody Watley Loves The Nightlife. Dance Buzz.
Check out this review of the video and single for “Nightlife” on music blog Dance Buzz. The single became the 19th Jody Watley Top 20 Billboard Hot Dance Play Single, and achieved Top 10 chart status in the UK on Music Week’s Commercial Pop (#6) and Urban Charts (#5). Here
Jody Watley Wears The Jody.
So I’ve had a song named after me “Jody” by Jermaine Stewart and now as a style inspiration for my friend Christos Garkinos who named a fabulous off the shoulder sweater after me, the “Jody” for his first HSN collection titled “Eureka.” Catch Christos, who some of you may have seen on Bravo TV’s “Dukes of Melrose” last season with his business partner of Decades Inc. Cameron Silver, live on HSN March 20, 2014 at 7 PST.
Take care of YOU – mind, body and spirit no matter how young or old you are.
View and Shop “Eureka” : Here
Jody Watley in cream “Jody” top Eureka by Christos Garkinos – Photography: John Tyler Curtis
Jody Watley Nightlife Video Comes to Ebony
“Leave it up to Jody Watley to spread some much-needed soul back onto the dance floor.” Read the full post and view the video: Ebony
Jody Watley Classic Photo of The Day. Looking For A New Love Single Art.
Billboard Dance Portal: “NIGHTLIFE” is Jody Watley’s 19th Top 20 hit on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs reaching #18. Jody Watley ‘s string of 7 Billboard DANCE #1 records began with 1987’s “Looking for a New Love” #tbt -1987 self titled debut album spawned 5 Top 10 Billboard Dance hits and 3 #1’s! Since then, Jody Watley earned 11 more Billboard Dance Top 10 records and 4 more Dance Club Song #1’s! Most recent Billboard Dance Club Songs #1 record was 2007’s “I Want Your Love.” #JodyWatley #itsinthemusic #hastalavistababy #popculture
The journey continues!
Photography: Victoria Pearson. Design Lynn Robb and Jody Watley