LIVE Magazine TV October 2018

9th
ANNIVERSARY
LC: At what age did you first sing in front of an audience?
PS: 8 years old... I entered a contest with my sister Sandra (11
at the time and now a gospel singer) and my brother James Lee
Stanley (14 at the time and a recording artist and renowned
singer songwriter from LA. who wrote “Coming
Out of Hiding” and “I Don’t Want to Talk About It”)
LC: In 1979 you entered the Top Twenty Billboard Dance
Chart with “This is Hot”! How did that feel and was there a
celebration somewhere?
PS: OMG It was amazing...It felt like a dream or altered reality...I
was treated like a princess, first class all the way. I would
hear me on the radio and go “that is me?” This Is Hot was first
released in the winter of 1979 in Germany and all over Europe.
I traveled Europe doing many TV performances and concerts.
My first big concert was in Munich Germany. Then EMI America
released the album in the US. I first did a concert in LA and then
started touring doing concerts and radio stations all over the US.
LC: Your brother wrote your song, “I Don’t Want to Talk
About it”. How did that come about?
PS: My brother James has been writing songs since he was
a teenager and always sends me new songs writes,, just so I
could hear them. Well “I Don’t Want to Talk About It” was actually
a country song..I listened to it and thought it was such a
clever song. Then another day Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean”
came on the radio and I started singing “I Don’t Want To Talk
About It” with the beat and I thought Oh My Goodness this
should be a Dance song…. So I went home and worked on it.
My husband Frank, at the time, and I rented a studio and engineer
and produced it ourselves. We shipped 28,000 records
out of our garage before TSR Records picked it up and helped
us get to #13 on the charts. We were thrilled. My career started
flourishing again and I hit the road once more.
LC: Both songs rocketed to #13 on the Billboard Dance Chart.
You seem to have a thing with 13! Do you have any lucky
experiences you could share?
PS: Funny you should say that. I have a son Frank Mandaro...
when he started preschool, they numbered the children and his
last name starting with M, so he was assigned 13. Then, when he
started playing sports he was assigned number 13. So 13 is his
lucky number and I realized WOW it is my lucky number too!
LC: I met you in 1984 at a club on Red River in Austin Texas
called, OZ. That was the year you came out with your hit
song, “Coming Out of Hiding”. Was that song cathartic for
you?
PS: You know, by 1984 I had many friends and acquaintances
in the gay community. I performed at club after club
and met so many wonderful people. I was getting ready
to record a new song and I told my brother James “I need
a new song and I want a gay anthem, can you write me
one? About 6 weeks later I get “Coming Out of Hiding”
in the mail on cassette tape and almost fell over. I loved it,
so once again I worked up an arrangement and we went
back in the studio and wouldn’t quit until it was the way I
knew it should sound. What an incredible thrill to see it light
up a dance floor.
LC: Well, it certainly was for me too! This was one of the first
gay clubs I ever dared to sneak into! Lol I was amazed at
your energy and you definitely earned my respect back then!
Do you have a particular performance where something
went wrong and turned out funny? Nah that never happened...ok
tell us...
PS: I could tell a bunch of them LOL...I was doing GAY
PRIDE in Ft Lauderdale..”Coming Out of Hiding” starts and
just as the song is really rocking, the reel to reel tape (that
is what we used in the 80’s) falls off the tape deck and
with thousands of people there, it goes silent. I look at the
audience for a second... smile and start stomping my feet.
The whole crowd started stomping and clapping to the beat
and we sang the rest of the song together Acapella. By the
end they were cheering and laughing, we had pulled it off
together. It was definitely a memorable moment in my life.
LC: First I am so excited that Tony Marchese is bringing
you to Palm Springs for their 8th Anniversary and that we
get to see you perform. And also what do you like about
Palm Springs or if you have never been here what are you
looking forward to discovering?
PS: What I love about Palm Springs is the weather, the
beauty, the restaurants, and the people. There is a special
sense of community there. Plus, I have great friends there.
Palm Springs is a slice of heaven. I was there about 3 or 4
years ago for an “Evening Under The Stars” I can not wait
to get back there and perform and am very excited that
Tony Marchese has invited me to do the anniversary party.
Thank you so much for this interview and I so look forward
to seeing everyone on Nov 5th.