Singer Toni Green lived through the American civil rights movement when she was just an energetic teenager. In Memphis, in the 60s, she was already a strong head, determined to be respected. Decades later, his testimony is precious and his new album Memphis-Made restores this southern soul flame that accompanied the rebellion of African-Americans 60 years ago. Met in July 2022 in Sète, during her summer European tour, Toni Green tells us about her epic and that of her contemporaries.
For 50 years, Tony Green has embodied an eminently symbolic city in “The Epic of Black Music”, Memphis (Tennessee), where the Soul-Music of Stax Records was born, where Otis Redding recorded his first great classics, there where Elvis Presley made his recording debut, where Martin Luther King gave his last speech, where he was assassinated. Memphis is a major historical and cultural crossroads in the United States. Toni Green is a key figure in this city. She defends her native land and this sound heritage that has become universal: “It’s a city steeped in history. All the music you hear all day long comes from this city. Rock’n’roll, gospel, rhythm & blues, come from Memphis. And let’s not forget the political aspect of this city. Martin Luther King is obviously a symbol of resistance but there were, and still are, powerful militant movements always ready to resurface in Memphis. This assertiveness has inspired the black community around the world. It’s part of our DNA. We keep reaffirming who we are. We are proud of our city. The southern United States is too often presented in a caricatural way. It’s not as bad a region as some might say. For me, Memphis represents the South perfectly. It is a set of diverse elements, of contrasting personalities, which have made the legend of this city”. (Toni Green on Joe Farmer’s microphone)
Toni Green has convictions and expresses them with force. When she talks about African-American popular culture, the tone of her voice becomes more assertive. She wants to be fair and bring out the truth. It must be said that this sensitive and rebellious soul has learned to protect itself, to face obstacles and adversity. Remember that Toni Green was only a kid during the sometimes violent clashes between whites and blacks, across the Atlantic, 60 years ago, but she already had this determination and this sacred temperament in her. When Martin Luther King was shot dead at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968, Toni Green was 16 and instantly became an activist. “We were at school and we were furious to hear this news. We protested and refused to return to class. We were upset. We were just teenagers and we cried all the time. The teacher encouraged us to go back to class but it was impossible. We were in one of the few schools where whites and blacks could study together. The director of the school and his assistants were white and, beyond the mistrust we had that day towards them, it was a deep pain that made us react. We wanted them to listen to us, once and for all! Finally, the school director came to see me and said, “Toni, I saw that you were behind this rebellion. I want you to stop this commotion immediately. If you do, I’m sure your comrades will follow.” I never thought of myself as a leader of a movement, I only thought I was telling the truth. I obviously refused to stop the fight. The headteacher’s reaction was not long in coming: “If you continue to be stubborn, I will have no choice but to exclude you from school”. I replied, “Well, exclude me! I will never give up! Martin Luther King has just been assassinated and you don’t even feel the anger of your students? At the end of the day, I ran into him again and saw that he had tears in his eyes. His assistant came to me and said, “He couldn’t understand how you feel because he didn’t live your life.” I answered him: “You are absolutely right!”. This day was one of the most difficult for all of us. There were 350 black students, 90 white students in this school. We had to stand up once and for all against the abuses of power that we were confronted with on a daily basis”. (Toni Green on RFI)
By taking up, on his latest album, the words of the African-American activist, Fannie Lou Hamer, Tony Green pays tribute to all those who have stood up against social disparities and are part of this perpetual fight. During our intense conversation in July 2022, Toni Green, 70, seemed as committed as ever to moving the lines and getting justice: “I am now an elderly woman and I continue to believe in social struggle. I don’t want to be afraid to carry the heritage of my elders and my contemporaries. The women who have suffered in the past are in me. I am thinking of Bessie Smith, Maria Callas, Nina Simone, Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, etc. I think rebellion comes first from what’s in your heart! My grandmother was a fighter, my great-grandmother too. Even if she did not have the backing of the media at the time to fight back, she had an opinion and did not hesitate to express it. Accepting the denial of your identity is like digging your own grave. You should never accept that. Fortunately, there are always good souls in this world who want us well. I don’t think we are all prejudiced. You have to know how to separate things. And I’ve always thought that way since my childhood. However, I think a good part of the political class has opened a Pandora’s box by letting negative emotions spread like venom. It will take a strong response to counter the forces of evil. It will take the honest and worthy support of men and women of good will to oppose and say: “No! You can’t do that!” It is our duty to revolt out loud”. (Toni Green, July 21, 2022)
Tony Green will perform on November 23, 2022 at the New Morning in Paris to present Memphis-Madehis latest album, to the Parisian public.