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OnlineHost: Your host tonight is CSEmcee4 (JackDL) 

OnlineHost: You last heard Rosie Gaines' Aretha-fied alto during her short-but-starlit stint with the New Power Generation in 1991 -- especially on the duet DIAMONDS AND PEARLS, with an artist who was then still named Prince. But according to Gaines, she was a diva in Oaktown long before she was introduced to the Purple-Power-That-Be. OnlineHost: "People think that Prince discovered me," explains the confident singer/songwriter/producer. "But my band was already well known in the Bay Area. And I always made it clear to Prince that I wanted to do something on my own." At the moment, Gaines is cooling down in a hotel room in Madrid after a red-hot set of provocative uncut funk from her long-overdue solo debut album, CLOSER THAN CLOSE. 

OnlineHost: While she admits that her post-NPG solo success is sweet, being "worldly" is nothing new to Gaines. "I grew up in a steel town outside of Oakland, but I've been practicing astral traveling for a long time," she says. "It's a form of deep meditation rooted in the Buddhist religion, when you feel like your body's asleep, but your mind is awake. Some people call it the out-of-body experience." 

OnlineHost: It's no co-incidence that Gaines' eclectic spirituality oozes its way into her lyrical landscape on CLOSER THAN CLOSE. While the album features torch ballads like SLOWMAN [which is dedicated to her husband, Francis Jules] and funk like I WANT YOU, she also explores social misery with her self-planned tune GET THE GHETTO OFF YOUR MIND and on an inspired cover of Bob Marley's prophetic CONCRETE JUNGLE. 

OnlineHost: Now, why would a modern-day soul sister with Gaines' golden pipes remake Marley instead of the belt-or-else Aretha or Chaka Khan ballads that she grew up on? "For the lyrics! Bob's messages are still relevant today...I mean, we're all still living in concrete jungles," says Gaines, who recently relocated from Minneapolis back home to Pittsburgh, CA. "After all, there's got to be more to R&B than partyin' till the break of dawn!" 

OnlineHost: The former vocalist for "The Artist Formerly Known As Prince" struts with virtuosity through the spectrum of contemporary black music, from reggae to Rock 'n' Roll to R&B. Gaines makes funk sound spiritual and adds a delicious sensuality to the breeziest of pop tunes. Please welcome Rosie to America Online! 

CSEmcee4: Thanks for joining us tonight, Ms. Gaines! 

RosieGLive: I would like everyone to know that I appreciate being here. And to those who are supporting me now and to people who have supported me in the past, thank you very much. 

Question: Rosie, I have seen you play in concert with Prince. Is there anything you would suggest an aspiring artist to do to get a song heard by someone like Prince? 

RosieGLive: The best thing to do is to try to set up an appointment with whoever is representing him or her, and then go in with material and tape and play it for them. That's a hard thing because it's hard to get their attention. That's where the hard part comes in. You have to keep pushing and bugging them. Consistency is the thing. And basically you should know what you want. Who you want to do the song so you know who to go after. 

Question: Over the years I have read many things O(+> [the artist formerly known as Prince] has said about you, for instance that he would never sing D&P with anyone but you. Obviously he holds you in much esteem. How would you sum up your experience working with him? 

RosieGLive: That's hard to answer. But musically it was a great. It was probably the best experience musically I ever had. It was new but it also came up with the hard times as well. Everything has consequences, even the good things. 

Question: Rosie - Kudos on the new album. Any tour in the works? 

RosieGLive: Actually I've been on a promotional tour already. To Europe and to some places in the United States. After the next single comes out, I will probably tour some place else in the United States. 

Question: Did you ever release anything, prior to doing Diamonds and Pearls? 

RosieGLive: Yes, I did. It was in 1985. An album on Epic Records entitled "Caring." There was a soundtrack called "Goofy Movie", and I was one of the voices. I sang Seeing It Eye to Eye with Tevin Campbell. This was a Disney movie. This movie just came out last year. 

RosieGLive: There is the Addams Family track called "Family Values" with Ru Paul. And of course this album out now called Closer than Close. It's an album that I got a chance to produce. I got to write and I got a chance to collaborate with Francis Jules and Dana Bailey. Finally I got a chance to do the album I always wanted to do. Stay tuned, the next one will be in a different direction altogether. 

Question: How was the Virgin megastore performance? 

RosieGLive: That was great. That was a different experience for me because I was performing by myself just playing keyboards. Normally, I play with a full band. That was a new and very enjoyable experience for me and quite a challenge. 

Question: How old were you when you first became aware of your interest and talent in music? 

RosieGLive: I was three years old when I knew that's something I wanted you to do. My mother bought me a small organ when I was a kid. I'd lock myself in the room listening to some Donnie Hathaway records and some Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Sara Vaughn, Bob Marley and Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, BB King, Patsy Cline and Minnie Pearl. There was such a big variety of artists my parents listened to. That was the beginning of it all. It was my mother who discovered I could sing. I wanted to be a musician first. My mother said "You can be a great singer." So I developed myself as a singer and a musician. Each year would go by and I would pick up a new instrument. The first club gig I did, I was 4 years old. The "Cotton Club' in Pittsburg, CA and that's when I knew that I was going to do music for the rest of my life. 

Question: When are you bringing your bad self and that amazing voice of yours to Detroit for a show? 

RosieGLive: I don't know but it depends on how well the records are selling and how much the company will be willing to support me financially with bringing a band there, but I would love to come to Detroit. 

Question: How old are you? 

RosieGLive: Old enough to drive and young enough to be in love. But seriously, I feel that I have lived many many lives so I don't look at age as many people do. I'm probably 400 to 500 years old considering all the lives I've lived. Cause I believe that people never die. I believe we all live many lives as reincarnation goes. I don't count age in the sense that we all count it. 

Question: What is the release date of your new album? 

RosieGLive: This album is out right now. There hasn't been a big push from the record company but the album is in the stores. It's called "Closer than Close" and it's a Motown Record. 

Question: Rosie, you and your voice are beautiful! Tell me about the musicians who back your new music. 

RosieGLive: A lot of the musicians were a lot of people I met for the first time. But the one I really fell in love with as far as being a great musician was Palinho DaCosta. He was the greatest percussion player, and spiritually he is the sweetest person I ever met. Then there was Steve Klong on drums. He was a very sweet person. And then there was Sneaky Pete He was a country player from a group called The Flying Burrito Brothers. He was a steel-guitar player. That was an interesting thing in that we combined country with soul music on the song entitled "GooGaGa" -making it up as we go along. 

RosieGLive: We had a guy called Buzzy Feet on guitar. He played on some of the old Steve Wonder tracks. And he was a very good guy and a good player. There were a few songs by them. The other half of the album, I played all the instruments myself. And then we had a full string session. The arrangements were rewritten by Benjamin Wright, Charles Veal and myself. And we had a horn section called "The Horned Heads" (Hornheads) and these were Prince's horn players. The rest of the album was written by myself, Francis Jules and Dana Bailey. 

Question: What do you call the artist formerly known as Prince, when you speak with him face to face? 

RosieGLive: I call him Prince or I call him "P" cause that's the person that I knew and that's the person I know now. And I think his changing his name was a business decision. 

Question: Rosie, why do you think that the single of you and Prince's version of Nothing Compares To You didn't make it as a big hit? 

RosieGLive: It's strictly a lack of marketing and promoting. 

Question: Sorry to be naive, but I don't know your music. How do you define it ...in words. I know that's hard to do, but try? 

RosieGLive: I call it "Crazy Mother Funky." My music is a universal music, because I was fortunate enough to grow up with great singers and musicians in the business. 

Question: Have you had any formal voice training? 

RosieGLive: In the last 4 years, I had for one month. I had voice training from Seth Riggs. I saw him for 1 month, and that taught me how to take better care of my voice. Because the road can be pretty rough. Especially when you're not getting enough sleep. 

Question: I think you are a very beautiful woman, who has done much for the image of full figured women like myself....do you design your own clothes? 

RosieGLive: Yes, I do. And some of my clothing I buy in big women's stores, and I put together things. I pick a shirt here and a blouse and a pair of pants there and put them together. And If they look good I have it made. If I really like when I get, I have it redesigned and made a different way depending on the size. Don't pay attention to what television or anyone else tells you. Big is Beautiful. 

Question: Why did you and NPG break up with Prince and would you consider working with him again? 

RosieGLive: The first time we met, he liked my voice. He asked me to join the band. I told him that I wanted to do a solo record and he said, "If you stay with the band for the first year, I will do a solo record on you next year." So I agreed with that and four years later, there still wasn't a solo record. In spite of all that, it was a lot of fun anyway. That was one of the reasons I left. I needed to express myself. He asked if I wanted to come back just recently. And I am considering it. Thank you for your concern. 

Question: How hard is it to do voice-overs for animation? 

RosieGLive: It's not hard if you're speaking strictly of your own talent But if you're getting into the business it's a clique trip. If you don't get in the clique, you won't be doing voice-overs for a big company. Don't give hope if that's what your interest is. You have to keep pursuing it. Consistency always wins. 

OnlineHost: All good things must come to an end. Our time is up for this event. CSEmcee4: Thank you for joining us tonight, Ms. Gaines! Any last words?

 RosieGLive: Thank you so much for this opportunity to allow me the time to express myself on a global level. One day I hope we can all personally meet together to send positive vibrations to each other. And God Bless you! 

CSEmcee4: Thanks to everyone for joining Ms. Gaines tonight! Good night! 

OnlineHost: Our thanks to Rosie Gaines for appearing as part of AOL's Tribute to Rock 'n' Roll greats. If you missed this event, you can download its edited transcript in approximately 24 hours. Thank you for joining us and good night! 

OnlineHost: Copyright 1995 America Online, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Transmitted: 95-09-06 21:48:48 EDT

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