Bobbie Eakes

BOBBIE EAKES INTERVIEW.

(Bobbie speaks on the subject of her reoccurring role on a TV soap opera.)

Bobbie Eakes-There are a lot of reasons that doing this soap has been a blessing to me. I’ve been doing it for eleven years. I was on for only I guess a couple of months when the producers learned that I sang and so they incorporated that into my role. My character would sing from time to time on the show. because I have this platform to reach all of these viewers, not only just in the United states, but all over the world, there started to be this demand for my music, especially in Europe. I started making records for this European label called Arcane and that in an indirect way, that really opened a lot of doors and that’s what brought me to this current (recording) project and where I am right now (new duet single with country star Collin Raye titled “Tiered Of Loving This Way”). You know, it’s kind of provided me with a broad fan base, there’s fans who know me as a singer and not just as an actress. Then, I make a comfortable living as an actress and now I’m singing (country) music, so it’s been a great gig.

(Will Bobbie continue acting while she pursues a recording career?)

Bobbie Eakes- Yes. My plan is to do both. It’s probably going to be very strenuous physically, you know, keeping up the pace of taping a soap and traveling for my singing, promoting the record, the radio tours and I’ve already been doing a lot of shows with Collin (Raye). The show is taped in Los Angeles and each character in the show has different taping schedule is based along their story line and whenever your story line is not really heavy then you’re maybe working one or two days a week, and then whenever it’s heavy it’s like, ‘OK, now you are working five days a week.’ That’s when it’s hard to do, But, I’m going to give it my best because, I enjoy doing both.

(Why is Bobbie doing country music at this time in her career?)

Bobbie Eakes- People who don’t know me have been asking me that. but the thing is, I’m not doing anything different then I’ve ever done. I mean, I’m not singing differently then I ever have before. I don’t sound any different then I did before, I’m not putting a twang in my voice that wasn’t there before. Like I said, the first band I sang in was a country band and growing up in Georgia, I grew up listening to a lot of country as well as a lot of Southern Rock, like Marshall Tucker and 38 Special. I’m not changing, I’m not doing anything that I haven’t done before. I think that country music is changing and what’s happening is that country music is beginning to encompass so much more then it did even five years ago. And that’s why this new duet with Collin Raye is such a dream come true for me. If Collin had come to me and asked to sing any song (she laughs), I’d do it! I love Collin and the fact that he brought this song to me and it’s such a great song, I consider to be a wonderful opportunity. The song was a diamond in the rough and Collin had a vision and luckily this landed in my lap. I think the fact that we blend so well together is like fate. I really think that in the past two years, I lot of events have ended up to this happening for me an that’s why this record sounds so good and I’m thrilled with it. I love the end result and this duet.

(What is her background in regards to singing country music?)

Bobbie Eakes- I grew up listening to a lot of country music, my father was a big country fan and he had a lot of Johnny Cash records around the house. And I grew up to listening to that, as well as Elton John and Billy Joel, those were artists who were really happening at that time (mid ’70’s) and all of my friends were listening to those artists as well. So I have a lot of musical influences but my first love and my first band, because I grew up in rural Georgia, was actually a bluegrass band. We did traditional bluegrass songs and we were called Stage Coach. We were the house act and the guys in the band bought the house and we offered family entertainment. There was no liquor and it was on the weekends and it was a wonderful family atmosphere. Looking back, that was a wonderful time. It was my first professional experience as a singer. I was on-stage relating to an audience on a regular basis. Plus, I watched the guys who were with me in the band.These guys were all great, seasoned country and bluegrass musicians, so I learned a tremendous amount from watching them. They were all comfortable on-stage and so it was a great way to be introduced to performing country and bluegrass music in front of an audience. I took that(experience) and then, whenever I was in college, I began singing in other bands. It was all a part of a stepping stone experience. You’re learning with each show. Even being in the Miss Georgia pageant experience, when I was miss Georgia, you’re traveling to all of these small towns and you’re performing and sometimes you’re performing on a small PA system and no matter how things or going and you really feel, you still are putting on a show and entertaining people in a family environment. It’s been a wonderful learning experience.

(Does Bobbie see parallels between the country music audience and the target viewing audience for the soap opera worldwide as well as in the USA and Canada?)

Bobbie Eakes- I think the demographic for country music as well as soap operas are the same. It’s a lot of women, who are country fans. Whenever I go to country shows, I see a lot of the same woman who when they meet me, tell me that they’re big fans of soaps. I don’t truly know all of the reasons why, but the fact is that they’re there and so, a lot of people who are country fans are sort of already familiar with me and getting these people to know me better as a singer is the challenge that I have to rise up to. And, it all starts with the music, and making a great record and then hopefully, those people who don’t watch television and who don’t know that I sing, can realize that this is one girl who is really serious about what she’s doing and her music.