UNITED KINGDOM: AMERICAN ROMANTIC SINGER - SONGWRITER AND PIANIST JIM BRICKMAN TALKS ABOUT HIS CAREER

Record ID: 392596

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: AMERICAN ROMANTIC SINGER - SONGWRITER AND PIANIST JIM BRICKMAN TALKS ABOUT HIS CAREER
  • Date: 1st March 2002
  • Summary: LONDON, UK (RECENT) VARIOUS, JIM BRICKMAN PERFORMING AT LONDON SHOWCASE
  • Embargoed: 16th March 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, UK AND VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Entertainment,General
  • Reuters ID: LVA63MXW4BYDBDY3WXMFKQUW7GPJ
  • Story Text: Dubbed America's romantic piano sensation, singer songwriter Jim Brickman has duetted with the likes of Olivia Newton John and Donny Osmond.
    He is one of the most successful live and recording artists in the United States , and now he has brought his brand of "music for lovers" to the UK.
    He may not be well known outside the United States, but Jim Brickman's success at home has led to a string of sell-out concerts and 3 million record sales to date. His style is definitely one that appeals to women, he is often referred to as the "ladies' choice", "It's always romantic, that's for sure because it is so intimate and I always encourage couples who are coming to the concerts to hold hands, and I encourage the single people that if they don't come with someone, we have an interval and they can meet someone there and hold hands for the rest of the show, so it is always romantic and some light humour as well, I think that people like to laugh , a wide range of emotions and really entertainment, things that really matter when you get to see someone live."
    As he is primarily an instrumentalist, Brickman teams up with a huge range of singers for his recording and live work. From Martine McBride to Oliva Newton John and Carly Simon, Brickman finds that working with different vocalists adds depth and variety to his work.
    "Most artists don't get to cross so many different genres of music to work with different people and as an instrumentalist it gives me carte blanche to be able to go "I think I'll do a Latin feel with a Latin artist on this album, or a jazz duet" and the audience really seems to enjoy that because it is a little bit of everything, it's not just, the guy plays the same thing over and over on each album, and I think it keeps things fresh and keeps me getting better at what I do, which is very important for any artist and I get to meet some really cool people too. "
    One of his most regular collaborators, and great friends is former teen idol Donny Osmond. Brickman's live shows undoubtedly attract the sort of audience that were Osmond fans in their teens, But Jim doesn't feel that this overshadows his performance.
    "People think he's going to eat me up on stage, I think it is about confidence, as long as I anchor the performance, people find the quieter the stronger, but we joke about it with each other."
    Brickman thinks that his huge appeal lies in the fact that he fulfills a need in people to be entertained, and particularly in recent times, the need for a little escapism.
    "People who like me found me early on because of the music first, and that's an important distinction, because it means that it really is about the music and not about my celebrity, or what I am wearing, or who I am dating, or any of those things and what is wonderful about that is that it is a very long career, when you do that people really find the talent to be the connection first, the personality follows."
    Fame and fortune isn't what it is all about for Jim, although he certainly gets more of that since he quit his successful job as an advertising jingle writer which he got into after his first job writing music for Jim Henson's company.
    "I never intended to be a performer, I was not one of those kids who said, "get me on the stage, I can't wait to go on and be famous", it was not like that at all. I loved doing commercials, I though it was just a blast, just fun and games and stuff. The only thing was that it wasn't very emotionally gratifying artistically, unless you like to sell dog biscuits and hamburgers to people, because that's what it was mostly. But it was fun, it was a great education. I didn't start recording until my early 30's so it was a late decision in life and one that was motivated by my desire to play my music from more of an emotional point and less of a capitalistic point of view."
    But music isn't where it ends, he has also written a best-selling book, and hosts a popular radio show, whose recent guests have included Michael Jackson, John Travolta, Tom Cruise and Whitney Houston to name but a few. Jim Brickman is a busy man, and with his career taking off in the UK as well, things are only going to get busier for America's romantic piano sensation.
    ---ENDS---
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