Candice Glover:Music Speaks
Story by CINDY REID
All of St. Helena Island, all of Beaufort, all of South Carolina, in fact darn near off all America has been rooting for Candice Glover to complete her journey from three times American Idol contestant to being crowned this year’s American Idol.
So much has been said and written about this incredibly talented and determined young woman that it is hard to find a fresh angle to bring to her amazing story but yet we are all interested in what she is doing and what she has to say now that she is poised to begin her solo career as a recording artist. Her fans are eagerly awaiting the release of her first CD, “Music Speaks”, which will be available soon. Beaufort Lifestyle was lucky enough to catch up with Candice while she was home for a few days.
BL: First off, welcome home Candice.
CG: Thank you, it is great to be here.
BL: What is the best part of being home for you?
CG: The best part is I don’t have to sleep in hotel rooms! I am enjoying resting and relaxing with my family.
BL: We are Beaufort Lifestyle magazine so I have to ask, growing up, what were your favorite things to do in Beaufort?
CG: I loved going down to the waterfront, going to the movies and going to the beach at Hunting Island. I loved being outside, playing kickball and games with my brothers and sisters. I was just an average little girl playing outside all the time.
BL: At what age did you know you could sing?
CG: I was around four or five years old and I was singing in the bathroom and my mom told me to turn the radio off, but it was just me singing, no radio. I was academically minded and loved to write and to read, so when I said I wanted to sing at church, everyone was surprised I didn’t want to recite a poem or something like that. But I wanted to sing, so I did, and after that I was known as a singer and I kept on singing.
BL: You blew away the judges, and the country, with your renditions of “I (Who Have Nothing)” and “Lovesong,” among others. What do you channel, or reach for, in order to make a song your own?
CG: Every song I do I try to focus on the lyrics first, to see what the person who wrote the song was trying to say. It has to come from your soul.
BL: You have met a lot of famous and successful musicians and recording artists on your journey. What have you learned from people who have gone before you?
CG: On the American Idol show I met so many great people, like Drake, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia- it was surreal! All the people I have met have been actually very nice to me, and have given me a lot of good advice.
BL: What advice has stayed with you the most?
CG: Smokey Robinson said “No matter how high your head gets in the clouds, don’t ever let your feet come off the ground.” It means stay grounded and humble.
BL: Do you find yourself having any “diva” moments?
CG: Oh no, I try not to be that person. I wasn’t raised that way.
BL: You are also extremely determined. What drove you to try three times on American Idol, and what would you tell someone who wants to pursue their dream?
CG: I would tell them, anyone can do it! Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. American Idol didn’t want me, obviously, the first two times, but I knew I had a gift and I could not stay away. I am not the ideal size a star should be, and I hope my story, and my song “I am Beautiful,” inspires them. You can be a star if you want to be! But everybody needs a support system and I wouldn’t have made it without my family. They are my backbone, as well as my church family. They stood by me every step of the way. And they still are my backbone.
BL: How has your family reacted to your success?
CG: They are more famous than I am! People ask me on tour about them, they say “Hi Candice, nice to meet you, but how are your folks?” My family is busy and they are enjoying it all.
BL: What has been the biggest surprise about being a celebrity?
CG: I knew it would be a lot of work, and it is a lot of hard work. You may think that you have achieved something and you are done but that it just the start. But I would tell anyone, be persistent and determined and you will achieve your dreams.
BL: You worked with stylists throughout the American Idol show, what that was like?
CG: It was definitely great. Before the show I was a plain Jane was wearing blue jeans and had my hair up in a ponytail! I had a good experience with them because they worked with me for my betterment, and while I was on tour I even learned how to do my own makeup and hair. They were all great.
BL: Do you find yourself dressing differently all the time now?
CG: Oh yes, I dress up when I go out now, even to the store, because I get noticed a lot and people like to take their picture with me and so I try to look my best.
BL: So no more sweatpants?
CG: I love them but I don’t wear them in public anymore!
BL: Did you have any favorite cities on the American Idol Tour this summer?
CG: Charleston was my absolute favorite because it was so close to home, and Charlotte was special to me because that was where I had auditioned. I have never been out of the country before so going to Canada was great.
BL: If you had the time to travel, where else would you like to go?
CG: I would love to go to Jamaica and the Bahamas and explore the connections between those countries and the Gullah- Geeche culture.
BL: You have performed at major national events this summer, can you tell us about that?
CG: I sang at the capital twice, at the PBS Memorial Day Concert and at the PBS “A Capital Fourth.” I also sang at the Major League Baseball All- Star Game in New York. At the All- Star game I sang the national anthem in front of 42,000 people, I was shaking, I was so nervous!
BL: The Star Spangled Banner is a notoriously hard song to sing.
CG: Most people don’t realize how hard it is to sing that song especially with no music behind you. I knew the words, but luckily they were on the big screens for the stadium, just in case I forgot any I knew I could look up and see them on the screen.
BL: Your first CD, “Music Speaks” was originally scheduled for release this summer but was pushed back and will now be released very soon we hope!
CG: We did change the date because I was on tour this summer, but now that the tour is over I will be able to give the CD one hundred percent.
BL: What is your favorite song on “Music Speaks”?
CG:: I love the song “In the Middle” which has reggae beat and I really like “Without You.”
BL: You said you enjoyed writing, have you had the opportunity to write any songs?
CG: I tried to write while I was on tour and now that I am home I have been trying to write again, and I have been doing some songwriting. You have to just let it come out of you, I can’t just say ‘ok time to write a song!’
BL: You lead a busy life, so what do you do to relax and unwind?
CG: I like to stay connected with my family, friends and fans so I am usually on my phone or on the computer. If I am home I will be in my favorite chair!
BL:If you could tell the people here in Beaufort one thing, what would that be?
CG: I want to tell everyone thank you! They have been so supportive and I am very very grateful. Thank you and I love them!
Beaufort really came together this year in support of Candice’s American Idol journey and we are a better community for doing so. It was exciting to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We showed the whole nation how well we can work collectively and help one wondrously talented young lady achieve her dream. Candice’s amazing talent, as well as her hard work and her humility, represent Beaufort at its finest. So thank you Candice for being our Hometown Hero!
To keep up with Candice, you can friend her on Facebook and visit her website: http://www.candiceglover-official.com
