In the mid-90s, the singer of Soul-Music, Lee Fields met two young producers who promised him mountains and wonders. Taken aback by the confidence of these fiery interlocutors, he will listen to their requests and will end up befriending them. If their respective paths diverge over the years, the memory remains intact. When, 25 years later, Daptone Records offers a contract to Lee Fields, he suddenly remembers this first interview with two kids ready to do anything to sign him on their young label. Sentimental Fool is, in a way, the ripened fruit of this initial outstretched hand. A few days before his concert in Paris at the Trianon, Lee Fields is celebrating a reunion at our microphone.
Daptone Records has always had the good taste to welcome artists of great talent. We remember Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley, in particular. Lee Fields legitimizes this desire of producers to celebrate the great figures of historical Soul-Music. Born in 1951 in the south of the United States, this brilliant performer lived from within “The Epic of Black Music”. As a teenager, he listened to his heroes, including James Brown, who inspired him deeply. At 72 years old, his ardor and his patter reflect a desire to live intensely the happiness of finally being recognized at its fair value. He will have waited so long for this popular unanimity. Although he began his career at the dawn of the 1970s, it was not until the turn of the 21st century that the recording industry propelled him into the limelight. Lee Fields is therefore a survivor who does not feel sorry for himself even his destiny was a way of the cross. If his jagged artistic development has long penalized him, it is more his daily life as a black man in a racist America that has bruised him. He readily admits it, walking down the street with fear in your stomach, facing dogs and police violence, suffering intimidation and humiliation, it’s an ordeal that leaves traces and pushes you to perpetually seek comfort.
Lee Fields therefore advocates universal love. He is a believer and considers that his faith can bring joy and happiness. Whether he speaks on stage or in a radio studio, he is convinced that the words he speaks will have an impact on people’s consciences. Why not believe it? All in all, transmitting positive vibes in troubled times is a rather honorable priesthood. Finally, Lee Fields is a romantic and his last album, Sentimental Fool, is its brilliant reflection. He wants to be a man of peace and when he remembers the Vietnam War, these valiant soldiers that the American army celebrated with a lot of honorary ceremonies, he says to himself that these servicemen returned crippled must be better considered. They no longer have all their physical or mental abilities, they no longer even have the self-esteem necessary to live in society. They are, however, in his eyes, extraordinary men. This poignant message concludes Lee Fields’ new album. Is this a political position? Lee Fields denies it. He is not an activist. He relates facts, shares his opinion and seeks to appease people’s minds.
We bet that the French public will welcome his speech of wisdom on February 17 at the Trianon in Paris!
⇒ The website of Lee Fields.