HEADLINES

Southern Belle of Soul Bringing Life Back to R&B Music with a Purpose on Purpose

This Southern Belle is no stranger to music. She was born to do this! During a time where R&B has lost its true status, Natalie Redd (aka Natalie McKnight) is making strides to help with the revitalization of a genre that has been dominated by Hip Hop and Pop. Not saying that R&B is a thing of the past, but in this generation, the meaning of Rhythm and Blues has changed. Natalie says that music has lost its true meaning. There is a dominant crossover presence in music. Songs that are awarded “Best R&B” are actually Pop songs – just as Hip Hop/Rap and Pop/Country are fused and no longer self-identified. There is a difference between the genres and the “powers” are not recognizing the realness of them all. What is going on in the music industry is similar to what is happening in the heart of Washington, D.C. – gentrification. Nevertheless, Indie Artists, such as Natalie, are not allowing the industry to takeover and/or change who they are, what they create and why the message behind their music.
Natalie’s (aka Redd) music mentally and spiritually transports you to the days of when we did not need to rely on auto-tune to be a singer – all you needed was confidence, faith, passion and a great beat. Her music, combined with her commanding presence, not is not only captivating, but it is embodies what artists where created to do. Her motto: “Live life on purpose, for a purpose and with a purpose” for she truly believes that all artists are messengers used to help heal others through their creations. When you listen to her music, it is apparent that she conveys her message from the heart, mind, body and soul, capturing the attention of male and female listeners alike. Music created and performed by artists such as: Mahalia Jackson, Jill Scott, Lalah Hathaway, Gladys Knight, Anita Baker, Luther Vandross, Phyllis Hyman, Prince, Aretha Franklin and others helped Natalie to hone in and develop a jazzy, yet soulful, sound that takes over the mind and calms the spirit.  Born and raised in a rural town of Mississippi called Bogue Chitto, Natalie is the third of five children to a local caterer. Her father was a bassist for several gospel groups from Mississippi. Growing up in a single parent home was a filled with some crazy life experiences for Natalie, but those experiences, along with her strength of GOD, her mother and grandmother  guided and molded her into the woman she is today. Natalie’s childhood dream was to be a singer, but that changed when she reached the age of 15, yet she couldn’t escape music. None of the school’s faculty knew that she could sing until one night during homecoming, she asked if she could sing the National Anthem. From there, she would sing the anthem during all sporting events. Graduating in the top 5% of her class, she went on to college majoring in computer science. At 18, she entered various talent shows, opened for local concerts and joined various gospel choirs. Life ultimately changed for Natalie when she became a mother at the age of 19. While still in college and working at a casino in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Natalie would sit in with the casino’s band during her lunch breaks and also got to perform with them on gigs that they would have outside of the casino. Unfortunately, hopes of being a singer was placed on the backburner after the birth of her third child in 1998.
In 2010, upon the passing of her grandmother, music resurfaced and quickly became a therapeutic instrument for the single mother of three. It was then that Natalie realized amazing healing powers of music and that artists of all walks are spiritual messengers. Determined to prove to her children that life is truly what you make it, Natalie went back to college and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Advance Legal Studies and later a Master’s Degree in Leadership and Negotiation (both from Bay Path University of Longmeadow, MA). All the while in college part- time and working full-time, she performed with several bands throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts such as: The Floyd Patterson Band and PrimeCut Band (both of Springfield, MA), NuCullers Entertainment, The Wayne Patrik Band and The Bernadettes (all of New Haven, CT).  Natalie’s creativity and writing skills were put to the test when she was encouraged record a solo project. In 2015, she teamed up with producer/composer, Jarreau Pitts of Pitts Campaign Music (Springfield, MA) and recorded her first EP titled It Is What It Is which embodies soul music with a hint of a jazzy undertone, was released in April 2016. From that EP, her song Get Away (produced by Wayne Patrick Brown from New Haven, CT) scored high on the charts in the UK and received the title Best New R&B Song from Akademia Music that same year.  The following year, her single BOSS (featuring Shaun Vega from Chicago, IL) was released.
Presently, Natalie is working on a new album – which will be available summer of 2019. She states that this new project will bring back the feel of the 90s and 80s R&B music. The new first single, Givin’ Up, is a bluesy song (referred to by most DJs as the “brown liquor song”) that focuses on the tough decisions of whether to stay or remain in a relationship, was released in November 2018.  The second single Trapped was recently released as of April 5, 2019 and so far is getting the attention of not only Generation X, but Millennials as well. She is truly a “must have” and “must have” artist.  Once you get a taste of what Natalie Redd is serving, then you’ll understand why she is being called by fans “the Southern Belle of Soul”. Her live performances are filled with energy, love and enlightening. She gives you 110% of who she is as a person and an artist. To find out more about Natalie Redd and where she will be performing next, you may follow her on all social media platforms (handle: @iamnatalieredd) or go to website to find out more about Natalie.

She was featured in recently released Lifoti's June 2019 influencer issue, you can check it from below link's for your country:

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