AUGUST 14.2004 • Q-NOTES
Q-Living
37
Mekole Wells comes 'Full Circle'
Wells collaborated with
producer Jerry Hardison
on her new CD, 'Full
Circle.'
Charlotte-based musidan battles
tragedy and comes out on top with
a new CD
by Monica Simpson
For most people Sunday nights are usu
ally a time spent preparing for work or
school for the next week. Mekole Wells,
however, is pacing around backstage
preparing for her CD release performance.
Unlike some
people who feel
that Sundays
are for rest and
relaxation,
Wells is busy
working with
her band to
finalize music
for the highly
publicized
event. “When I
heard the com
mercial on VIOl .9 about my CD “Full
Circle" and the show, I could not believe
that my dreams were coming true,” Wells
said.
Wells began singing professionally at
the age of 25 when she was signed with
Bassment Records. “Craig Bevan and Berry
Zeger, my producers at the time, felt that
my voice was best for house music,” Wells
said. She began to work the house music
circuit under the stage name “Eleesa.”
During her time with Bassment Records
she had three top 40-dance hits, which
included “Make My Day” and “Where Did -
Our Love Go.”
Wells continued to sing with Bevan and
Zeger until she decided that it was time for
a change. “House music was'given to me
to sing and 1 took it because i wanted to be
a part of the business,” she said, “but I
realized that this music was not feeding
my soul.” After being thrown on stage with
jazz singer Jonathan Butler, who she would
later sing background for. Wells knew that
jazz music was where she belonged.
After her time with Butler, Wells began
to sing with other well-known jazz and
R8fB artists, such as Greg Washington and
Carl Anderson. It seemed as if Wells was
on her way to being the next great jazz
singer. She was well known, she had songs
recorded and she knew major people in
the industry. All things seemed to be going
according to her script, until tragedy
struck.
Wells fell victim to a domestic violence
incident that left her with multiple stab
wounds to her body and throat. “I was so
scared for my life that I had to move from
my home in California to North Carolina,”
she said, “i was only interested in repairing
my life, but music was still deeply embed
ded in my soul.”
She was not the only person who felt
that music was her calling. Her partner
Kim started to introduce her to other vocal
ists in the Charlotte community. Soon
Wells was singing at Siegel Avenue
Presbyterian Church and taking part in
karaoke night at Hartigan’s Irish Pub. It
was here that she met local singer Jill
Austin. The two women would later do a
show at Charlotte’s Lesbian & Gay
Community Center for a full house.
After receiving a wonderful response
from the show. Wells realized that it was
time to put all of her energy into making a
CD. She met musician Jerry Hardison at a
local event where he was playing.
“I knew as soon as I saw him that he
was the man to produce my CD,” she said.
“We had an immediate connection that 1
knew would produce great things.”
While in the process of making her CD.
Wells decided tcTdo her first one-woman
show.
“i felt it was time to bring a new vibe
into Charlotte,” she said. Wells’ show, “For
Lovers Only,” at the Charlotte Actor’s
Studio Theatre on Valentine’s Day, was
completely sold out.
“I could not believe that people were
enjoying my music,” Wells said. “I did not
think that Charlotte was ready for an out,
unapologetic, black lesbian who was
telling her story musically.”
One thing that makes Wells different
than other jazz singers is that she aims to
unlock any closed doors in people’s minds
that will stop them from seeing a bigger
picture. “As a performer in the LGBT com
munity, it would be easy to stay in that one
box that says gay, but i feel that it is time
for us to move into the mainstream musi
cally just as Ellen did with daytime talk
shows and The Fab 5 did with entertain
ment television,” she said. “However, we
must also support each other within our
community,” Wells continued, “if we do
not support each other how do we expect
others to support us?”
For more information on performances,
CDs and other merchandise, visit
www.mekolewells.com.
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