LiVE MAGAZINE VOL 8, Issue #203 February 20th THRU March 6th, 2015

y Levvy Carriker
Molly Ringwald
Molly Ringwald acts, writes books, and sings jazz. She tours a crowd
pleasing concert act “An Evening with Molly Ringwald” to venues
Worldwide. Since her debut Jazz album on Concord Records dropped in
April 2013. Ringwald and her band have performed over 140 concerts
in four countries since its release.
An actress of stage and screen, Ringwald earned a Golden Globe nomination
at age thirteen, and went on to star in numerous films, including
the iconic films Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink.
On stage, Ringwald starred in Broadway productions of the Pulitzer
Prize winning How I Learned to Drive; the revival of Cabaret; Tony-nominated
Enchanted April and the West End production of When Harry
Met Sally. Ms. Ringwald is now touring her concert act celebrating her
first jazz album called “Except Sometimes”.
Molly will perform at Copa in Palm Springs, March 6 & 7 at 8:00 pm.
Publisher of LIVE Magazine, Levvy Carriker, shared a conversation with
Molly in anticipation of her arrival to Palm Springs.
Levvy: Thank you first of all for being here with LIVE Magazine. I want
to ask a few questions about your singing career. How early in life did
you start to sing and perform on stage?
Molly: Oh, I started singing early before I started acting, so it was
about, um, I started when I was about 3? In my Dad’s band, so I was
probably like the world’s youngest Jazz singer.
Levvy: How Cute!
Molly: Yeah, and my man, Sammy Davis, Jr. Yeah, so I did that pretty
much through my childhood and then I really focused exclusively on
acting as a teenager I think.
L: Great Job! Very awesome, but you know that! I just purchased your
album, ‘Except Sometimes’, and you gave me goose-bumps, Molly!
The way you took those songs and turned them into wonderful unique
Jazz pieces. I love how you reworked that song, ‘Don’t You Forget
About Me’. It is one of my all-time favorite songs. I am just a sucker for
friendship songs. You know when you are young and you meet people...
and back then they didn’t have Facebook and you couldn’t keep
in touch with them and they are gone! That was a great song! Who
influenced you early on with the jazz singing?
Molly: My Dad, I guess, is the first person, because I got the jazz position.
But in terms of singing outside of my family, I started out listening
to Bessie Smith because my Dad was really into traditional jazz. So as
a young person I listened to a lot of Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith
and that old-timey jazz. Then as I got older I branched out a little bit
and kind of just went through the eras. I really got into Ella Fitzgerald,
Chuck Baker, Dauphin Deary, and Anita O’Day...
L: I saw that you had a chance to meet Blossom Dearie. What was that
like?
Molly: Well I saw her perform in New York when she was still performing
there and meeting her was just like, “Hi”, “Hi”,so it wasn’t like
anything but as I grew up a little bit I was really glad I actually got to
hear her perform.
L: That’s really wonderful. Some of the best jazz performers have
passed but it is so wonderful that we have their music to keep on with.
I am turning into a jazz fanatic the older I get. When I was 30 I was all
pop and everything, but now jazz is really important as I realized it is
the root of so much I like.
Molly: Yeah, I still like different kinds of music. I don’t think I could
ever just confine myself to one particular genre. I feel something different
with every genre I listen to. There is something about jazz music
to me. I think because I grew up with it, but it feels really comforting.
L: Yes, it has a lot of ‘soul’ to it to me. It is deep and personal.
Molly: Yeah, I’ll go to a restaurant and if there is jazz music I will just stay
no matter what. (Laughter)
L: You have millions and millions of fans. You have given us all many
wonderful memories from your acting and your singing and you have this
wonderful album released. Do you have any favorite in the songs you
have out of the ten tracks?
Molly: Well I did the album a few years ago so we have been working
on a lot of new material for hopefully the next album. So I would say
the Sondheim song from A Little Night Music called “Every Day a Little
Death”. It is a really kind of interesting Jazz version. It changes time...Part
of it is in 3/4, part of it is in 4/4...It is really challenging just to sing Sondheim
straight. You know, he is really challenging, so I can dig into that.
L: Wow, sound like that is going to be a hot album!
L: We are so happy to have you in Palm Springs at the Copa and Reaction
Productions who has gotten me in touch with you. They are so great.
What are your thoughts about Palm Springs?
Molly: I Like it! (Laughter)I haven’t been there THAT much, but the few
times I have been there I think it’s pretty great. And then the weather is
fantastic! And I love Mid-Century architecture so for me it is like a dream.
And then if you like to go out a little bit, the Desert is an interesting place
to be.
L: It IS interesting. And you can get to LA so fast! So it’s not too bad.
Molly thank you for your time! I know you’ve got a lot on your schedule,
but I just have one last question. I have so many young talented actors
and performers and singers. Do you have any one piece of advice you
might give them? I know you have probably been asked a million times!
Molly: Any advice I would give them? Well, I try to not be in the habit of
giving advice! Everybody needs to find their own way.
L: I love that answer!
Molly: I think if I was going to give anybody advice I would say keep doing
what you are doing...like don’t, don’t stop! And even if you are doing
something else, don’t stop singing. Don’t stop taking piano lessons. Don’t
stop trying to make yourself better. If you did stop and you do come
back to it you won’t have all that sort of making up to do.
L: Thanks you Molly and I look forward to seeing you at the show here in
Palm Springs soon!