{"id":18432,"date":"2018-04-20T22:46:14","date_gmt":"2018-04-21T05:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/?p=18432"},"modified":"2018-04-23T09:05:33","modified_gmt":"2018-04-23T16:05:33","slug":"video-feature-web-exclusive-interview-desmond-child","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/2018\/04\/video-feature-web-exclusive-interview-desmond-child\/","title":{"rendered":"VIDEO FEATURE &#038; WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW DESMOND CHILD"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>VIDEO FEATURE &amp; WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Songwriter:\u00a0 <strong>DESMOND CHILD<\/strong><br \/>\nVideo:\u00a0 \u201c<strong>Beautiful Now<\/strong>\u201d by <strong>Zedd\u00a0<\/strong>ft. Jon Bellion<\/h2>\n<p><strong>MULTI-PLATINUM HITMAKER DESMOND CHILD TO BE HONORED WITH PRESTIGIOUS ASCAP FOUNDERS AWARD AT 2018 ASCAP POP MUSIC AWARDS IN BEVERLY HILLS APRIL 23<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/n1a7o44WxNo\" width=\"660\" height=\"340\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>2018 Marks Child\u2019s 40th Year as an ASCAP Member<\/strong><br \/>\nASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) will present Grammy Award winner and Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductee Desmond Child with its prestigious Founders Award at the 35th annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards in Los Angeles on April 23, 2018. From Aerosmith to Zedd, Child\u2019s genre-defying collaborations include some of pop\u2019s biggest hits over the last five decades including classics like \u201cLivin\u2019 on a Prayer,\u201d \u201cYou Give Love a Bad Name,\u201d \u201cI Was Made for Lovin\u2019 You,\u201d \u201cDude (Looks Like A Lady),\u201d \u201cLivin\u2019 La Vida Loca,\u201d \u201cI Hate Myself For Loving You,\u201d \u201cPoison,\u201d \u201cWaking Up In Vegas\u201d and \u201cBeautiful Now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Celebrating his 40<sup>th<\/sup>anniversary as a member of ASCAP, Child has penned over eighty Top 40 hits (rock, pop, Latin and country) and serves as the Chairman\/CEO of the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame. \u201cMr. Child is one of the most successful songwriters of the last 30 years.\u201d \u2013 <em>The New York Times<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDesmond is one of the most respected and successful songwriters in the world,\u201d said ASCAP President Paul Williams. \u201cHis unique ability to capture the essence of our lives through song\u2014whether we\u2019re livin\u2019 la vida loca or livin\u2019 on a prayer\u2014is simply unequaled. We are honored to present Desmond with the ASCAP Founders Award in recognition of his towering achievements. With #1 hits now spanning five decades, Desmond surely has many more milestones still to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Child\u2019s peers also are some of his biggest fans. Kiss\u2019 Gene Simmons once said, \u201cDesmond is the perfect songwriter. Neither styles in music nor trends and fads have ever held him back from doing what he does best, which is craft a song like nobody else.\u201d Aerosmith\u2019s Steven Tyler said, \u201cThe guy\u2019s a genius.\u201d Reflecting on Child, longtime collaborator Jon Bon Jovi has said, \u201cThe Desmond you don\u2019t know about is the one who not only taught me the next level of songwriting but so many of the true aspects of friendship: truth, honor and loyalty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Last month, Child launched a new performance series <em>An Evening with Desmond Child<\/em>directed by Richard Jay-Alexander to rave reviews. <em>Broadway World <\/em>said, \u201cThere are many people who try to rock and pop\u2014but Desmond Child is the <em>real deal<\/em>.\u201d The sold-out, three-night premiere engagement at Feinstein\u2019s\/54 Below in New York City featured the original members of his hit band, Desmond Child &amp; Rouge including Maria Vidal, Myriam Valle and Diana Grasselli.<\/p>\n<p>The ASCAP Founders Award goes to pioneering ASCAP songwriters who made exceptional contributions to music by inspiring and influencing their creative community. Each songwriter is a musical innovator with a unique style of creative genius. Past recipients include Sir Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty, Patti Smith,James Taylor, Smokey Robinson, Aerosmith\u2019s Steven Tyler &amp; Joe Perry,Billy Joel, Neil Young, Steely Dan\u2019s Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, Carly Simonand Heart\u2019s Ann and Nancy Wilson, to name a few.<\/p>\n<p>For five decades, Desmond Child\u2019s songwriting and\/or production credits have appeared on high-profile projects by artists such as Bon Jovi, Kiss, Aerosmith, Cher, Alice Cooper, Meat Loaf, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Selena Gomez, Sia, Mickey Mouse, Kermit the Frog and many more. Having grown up in Miami Beach, Florida, his first big break came with the group Desmond Child &amp; Rouge which was formed in New York City while attending N.Y.U. The group recorded two albums for Capitol Records, and their first single \u201cOur Love is Insane\u201d became a dance club classic.<\/p>\n<p>Child soon focused on his songwriting and was recruited by Kiss\u2019 Paul Stanley to pen songs for their 1979<em>Dynasty <\/em>album. That affiliation led to Child joining the Bon Jovi songwriting team for some of their biggest hits, including \u201cLivin\u2019 on a Prayer,\u201d \u201cYou Give Love a Bad Name\u201d and \u201cBad Medicine.\u201d It set up his work with Aerosmith on a handful of hits like \u201cDude (Looks Like A Lady),\u201d \u201cAngel,\u201d \u201cWhat It Takes\u201d and \u201cCrazy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the 80s, additional artists such as Alice Cooper (\u201cPoison\u201d), Joan Jett (\u201cI Hate Myself for Loving You\u201d), Michael Bolton (\u201cHow Can We Be Lovers\u201d) and Cher (\u201cJust Like Jesse James,\u201d \u201cWe All Sleep Alone,\u201d \u201cSave Up All Your Tears\u201d) kept Child at the top of the charts. In the late 90s, his songwriting collaboration with Draco Rosa for Ricky Martin gave the pair the modern standard \u201cLivin\u2019 La Vida Loca\u201d as well as the international hit \u201cThe Cup of Life\u201d that charted #1 in 22 countries.<\/p>\n<p>Child was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008. He became Chairman\/CEO of the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012. His autobiography <em>Livin\u2019 on a Prayer: Big Songs Big Life<\/em>, co-written with David Ritz, is scheduled for release this Fall.<\/p>\n<p>We talked with Desmond Child about his passion for songwriting, his five decades of #1 hits, the art of connecting words with musicians and with the audience, and why he believes hope is the currency of love.<\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18444\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-6.jpg 600w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-6-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2><strong>DESMOND CHILD <\/strong>Interview<br \/>\nwith\u00a0<strong><em>M Music &amp; Musicians<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>magazine publisher,<strong>Merlin David <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>How long have you been writing songs?<\/strong><br \/>\nI started out very young, and I\u2019m actually in my fifth decade of #1 hits: 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s and now, 10s. My first biggest hit was with Kiss\u2014\u201cI Was Made for Loving You.\u201d And my latest #1 was with Zedd called \u201cBeautiful Now.\u201d Between all of the different albums my music has been on, for all that time, I\u2019ve reach 500 million record sales. There aren\u2019t that many artists who can say that.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who inspired you to write songs?<\/strong><br \/>\nMy mother was the Cuban poet and beloved songwriter, Elena Casals. She was a lifelong member of BMI, ironically, and a Peermusic published songwriter. When I was born, she was always writing songs. I would be at her feet, playing\u2014while she was writing songs. I didn\u2019t know that people <em>didn\u2019t <\/em>write songs. To me, it\u2019s the most natural thing in the world. As soon as I could stand up next to her and say something, I would start making suggestions for the songs she was working on, and she would swat me away. (<em>Laughs<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p><strong>How important is music education?<\/strong><br \/>\nI went to Miami Beach High and graduated from NYU, where they\u2019re honoring me with the Steinhardt Alumni Award this year\u2014in May. I\u2019ve been doing Master Classes at NYU at the Steinhardt School and also at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. It feels like full circle.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18443\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-5.jpg 600w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-5-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>What significant event happened at NYU?<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen I went to NYU, I started Desmond Child &amp; Rouge, with Maria Vidal, Myriam Valle and Diana Grasselli. We made two albums on Capitol, and toured the country. We were on <em>Saturday Night Live<\/em>as the musical guest. Then, our group broke up for crazy reasons\u2014the same reasons that every band breaks up\u2014because everybody thinks they can be better off as a solo artist. Next year, in 2019, we\u2019re coming up on our 40<sup>th<\/sup>anniversary of our first album. We\u2019re going to release an album of new material. It\u2019s our comeback record.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you still perform?<\/strong><br \/>\nFor the first time in my entire life, I\u2019ve recently been performing as a solo artist. It\u2019s a show called <em>An Evening with Desmond Child<\/em>directed by Richard Jay-Alexander. He\u2019s actually the diva whisperer that works with Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Kristin Chenoweth, Norm Lewis and many others. He offered to direct my show about a month and a half ago\u2014it was at Feinstein\u2019s\/54 Below. It got amazing reviews. I\u2019m planning on touring with it to LA, Nashville, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco\u2014in time, throughout the year.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18442\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-4.jpg 600w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-4-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Are you working on any current projects?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019m working on my autobiography with David Ritz as my co-writer. It\u2019s called <em>Livin\u2019 on a Prayer: Big Songs Big Life<\/em>. It\u2019s actually finished, and it should be out in the Fall. I call it the reckoning\u2014all these things I\u2019ve ever wanted to do, I am now doing them. Writing the book was important because I had to get all these stories out of me. They\u2019re in the book. Now I don\u2019t have to continue to have it churning around in there\u2014in my soul. (<em>Laughs<\/em>) I can move forward. That\u2019s really what I\u2019m interested in now. Because that\u2019s what songs are\u2014they\u2019re a reflection of now. There\u2019s a lot of <em>now <\/em>in every song, and that\u2019s what I\u2019m after.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Describe your creative process.<\/strong><br \/>\nMy Mom struggled as a songwriter. We were very poor. We lived in the projects of Liberty City. If you saw <em>Moonlight<\/em>, that\u2019s where we grew up for 14 years. My mom didn\u2019t even have gas for her beat-up car. She\u2019d have to take three buses to get to whatever little job she landed\u2014until she got fired from that. She was very Bohemian. So for me, it\u2019s always been a vow\u2014that I would make it as a songwriter. I was able to take care of her until she passed away seven years ago. I made a vow to make it as a songwriter. To me, it\u2019s always been that\u2014striving for artistic heights, but at the same time\u2014the hustle of making sure my music is heard and that I\u2019m able to support my family with my music. They\u2019re intertwined. It\u2019s never been\u2014oh, I really need to be inspired to write. Even when I was in college, I was driven to make it. I didn\u2019t have a B plan. I just said the A plan\u2019s gotta work.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tell us about one of your songs.<\/strong><br \/>\nOne that is a favorite of so many people is \u201cLivin\u2019 on a Prayer\u201d that I wrote with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. It was truly amazing when I went to one of their concerts with my husband, Curtis Shaw, and our twin sons, Roman and Nyro. The version they did was incredible. It\u2019s actually the last song they do after the final encore. No one leaves the stadium until they do that song. It could be as late as 11:30 at night, and you\u2019ll have parents with kids sleeping on their shoulders\u2014waiting for this particular song. At that point in time, it\u2019s not about the band. It is something incredibly special to hear 50,000 people screaming at the top of their lungs\u2014singing in unison. You look around, and you see it in the eyes of everyone singing. That\u2019s when I feel good knowing that I did something worthwhile in my life. I was able to give something hopeful to the world.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18441\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-3-Desmond-Child-Rouge.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"263\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>In these unique socio-political times, how do you still remain hopeful?<\/strong><br \/>\nI believe hope is the currency of love. I look at my children\u2014my sons, and say \u201cthat\u2019s the future\u2014right there.\u201d They help me remain hopeful.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What songwriting tip would you like to offer?<\/strong><br \/>\nIt\u2019s a double-sided thing. Artistically, there is a drive to make a song as strong as it can possibly be. I\u2019m currently working on songs to present to Barbra Streisand. There\u2019s a song I\u2019m co-writing with Shelly Peiken, and I\u2019m still texting her lyric revisions. I still think that it can be better. The original demo singer went to Europe, so I\u2019m using a different singer and matching the sound to help us fix the song with these new lyrics that I feel are better. And on the other side, it\u2019s the hustle. I want the songs to be presented to her properly\u2014in the most beautiful way. It\u2019s been a dream, a lifelong goal of mine to work with her. I saw her singing when I was 12 years old. I saw <em>Funny Girl<\/em>, and saw her singing \u201cPeople\u201d\u2014and that was it for me. She is truly the greatest singer of all time, and now she\u2019s better than ever. She too has the drive\u2014the same thing I have\u2014striving for perfection, for artistic excellence, for technical excellence. You can easily see it in everything surrounding her and her shows\u2014they are so beautifully directed by Richard Jay-Alexander.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why do you think the songs you write so relatable?<\/strong><br \/>\nI write songs for specific artists. They\u2019re definitive versions. Who can sing the song better than that person\u2014for whom it was specifically written? Who else could sing \u201cDude (Looks Like a Lady)\u201d but Steven Tyler? Who else could sing \u201cYou Give Love a Bad Name\u201d but Jon Bon Jovi? Who else could sing \u201cPoison\u201d but Alice Cooper? Who else could sing \u201cI Hate Myself for Loving You\u201d but Joan Jett? I believe the listener is transported in a deep spiritual way to the original spirit of the song. There\u2019s a connection that\u2019s made\u2014and it is real.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18440\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-2-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-2-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-2-1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>How did <em>you<\/em>learn to make that connection?<\/strong><br \/>\nI had amazing mentors. Bob Crewe and what he did for the Four Seasons\u2014writing, producing, everything\u2014was incredible. My acting coach, Sandra Seacat, was so inspirational. I wasn\u2019t an actor, but I was a fly on the wall for some amazing actors who were there at that same time: Mickey Rourke, Jessica Lange, Frances Fisher, Christopher Reeve, Marlo Thomas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Lawrence Bender (<em>Pulp Fiction<\/em>and <em>An Inconvenient Truth<\/em>). We were in this tiny apartment. We were all sitting on the floor, reading plays and scripts. She helped connect words with the actor. I used that approach to help me connect the song to the musician.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is unique about your approach?<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen I get together to write with someone, they tell me their life story. And songs jump out of those stories. Sandra Seacat would tell us, \u201cYou won\u2019t get a part until your soul has destiny or a calling for that part.\u201d The same is with a song\u2014it is real only if the singer makes that connection. She said, \u201cArtists are the wounded healer\u2014showing the pain in their soul. And the audience is a co-creator with the performer\u2014and heals through that process.\u201d Both create in the imagination\u2014in that space. As songwriters, we have a sacred job to help them connect.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Were there any others who helped you make that connection?<\/strong><br \/>\nMy first voice teacher, Mrs. Leeds\u2014Marie Louise Leeds. She was a Holocaust survivor, and she taught voice to kids in high school. When I went to see her, there was a fire in her eyes. I knew there was a higher calling. She put that fire inside me.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What PRO (Performing Rights Organization) are you with?<\/strong><br \/>\nASCAP. This year I\u2019m celebrating my 40<sup>th<\/sup>year as a member of ASCAP. They\u2019re presenting me with their biggest prize, the Founders Award. I am so proud, honored and happy about this incredible award. I care so much about songwriters. I\u2019ve been on the Board of ASCAP for a few years. I\u2019ve worked real hard to come up with ideas and programs to help songwriters. So, it\u2019s not just that I\u2019ve had all the hits I\u2019ve had, but also because I\u2019m very involved. I care so much about the future of our business.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18437\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"477\" height=\"483\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-1.jpg 477w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-1-296x300.jpg 296w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Desmond-Child-1-300x304.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 477px) 100vw, 477px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Where can your new fans get more info and stay updated?<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.desmondchild.com\/\">www.DesmondChild.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VIDEO FEATURE &amp; WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Songwriter:\u00a0 DESMOND CHILD Video:\u00a0 \u201cBeautiful Now\u201d by Zedd\u00a0ft. Jon Bellion MULTI-PLATINUM HITMAKER DESMOND CHILD TO BE HONORED WITH PRESTIGIOUS ASCAP FOUNDERS AWARD AT 2018 ASCAP POP MUSIC AWARDS IN BEVERLY HILLS APRIL 23 \ufeff 2018 Marks Child\u2019s 40th Year as an ASCAP Member ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18434,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7725],"tags":[5097,2809,10863,10864,7869,5346,6271,10865,10866,8655,5553,10867,3729,5407,5879,10868,1676,10869,7792,8757,3167,955,8876,10870,5285,10871,10872,10873,7400,10874,10875,10876,5662,10877,10878,10879,10880,10605,10881,4953,4262,6139,10882,2316,10883,1624,10884,4073,6763,10885,8938,5671,2959,10886,4260,4247,10887,10888,10889,10161,10890,10891,10892,9692,3540,3010,10893,10487,10894,10895,10896,7978,10897,10898,10899,10900,2317,1082,10901,10902,10903,4460,1673,4264,6342,10904,4750,10905,5367,10906,10907,10908,9798,8307,8786,10909,10910,6074,9797,3723,999,10911,10912,10913,6690,5372,10914,10915,10916,1609,6564,10917,9610],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18432"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18432"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18432\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18454,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18432\/revisions\/18454"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}