Former The Voice contestant Ashley Dubose is excited for the release of her new CD Be You. She recently sat for an exclusive two-part interview with MSR ahead of her CD release party.
When asked for a bit of background information, Dubose expounded on her roots and what she likes about her hometown: “I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania…My mother moved here from Philadelphia, when I was three, so I don’t have a lot of memory of Phila at that age,” she said. “I have been back as a teenager and adult, though, and what I really like about Philadelphia is going to the grocery store and seeing Black couples shopping together.
“The first time I saw that I was feeling like, wow, I had not seen anything like this before; multiple Black couples, shopping in the grocery store at the same time! I also like seeing our elders there, people whose roots are in Philadelphia, this they proudly say, is home.” Dubose continued “Unlike here, where everybody, young and old, are from other places.”
What goes through Dubose’s mind when she hears the saying, “City of Brotherly Love”? “Family for sure!” Dubose responded, adding, “Outside of my immediate family, all of my family is still in Philadelphia. Even though I’ve been in the Twin Cities most of my life, I retain a sense of pride about Philadelphia, while also acknowledging I’m from Minnesota. The trends and clichés seem to develop out east, and years later, find their way to Minneapolis/St. Paul.”
Dubose had this to say about being a participant on the TV show, The Voice: “In 2013, I did audition for The Voice, and I went to Chicago to do that. There are a lot of preliminary rounds that they do not show on TV, and I was amazed and intimidated by the huge amount of talent I saw and heard. I was amazed, too, that I was making it through these rounds, because the competition was tough.
“I remember my heart just stopping, and I was kind of in a blur… Then it was time for me to go onstage. I remember seeing some chairs of the judges turn around in my peripheral vision, because at that time I was focusing on the audience.”
Dubose further recalled, “I remembered them telling me that you only needed one judge to turn around to advance to the next round. So I was ecstatic when three, then all four had turned, that was a really cool moment for me. What it did to my nerves is the only part I did not like, but everything else, I loved. It was a real memorable experience!”
When speaking with Dubose, one cannot help but see and hear a superb educational foundation, which she has constructed throughout most of her life. She graduated with honors from St. Paul Central High School in 2009. She went on to graduate from St. Katherine’s University, with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Mathematics.
Upon listening to an advanced copy of Be You, I found the standout tracks to be Be You, Rolling Stone, and Emotional & Relaxed, as they all show a bold dimension of Dubose.
Stay tuned for the second part of MSR‘s interview with DuBose, which will include highlights from the Be You release party, scheduled for Saturday, March 7, at 9 pm at Bedlam Lowertown, 213 4th Street East, in St Paul. For more information call 612-987-3095.
Raymond Jackson welcomes reader comments to rayjackson49@yahoo.com.
