Name: Willie Kitchens Jr.
Age: 61
Hometown: Chattanooga
Occupation: Music worship leader at Christ United Church and Pastor at Bethlehem-Wiley Church
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Many R&B fans around the nation may remember Willie Kitchens best as lead vocalist for The Impressions from 1999 to 2002, but to the Chattanoogans once in his traveling youth choir, he's still "Mr. Kitchen."
Long before his mesmerizing voice and instrumental prowess launched him to stardom in the late '90s, Kitchens began using his musical talents to uplift those in his community. He sang in the choir at Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist on the Southside as a boy, joined a funk band at Howard High School later on and, after teaching himself to play instruments like the harmonica and electric keyboard, shared his gift at colleges and prisons.
Kitchens' lucrative musical career led him to become the music and performing arts director for The Bethlehem Center in 1995, where he directed that traveling youth choir. Though he eventually left that gig to become an Impression, his heart is still full of songs, soul and service, and his musical ministry is far from over.
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- I always tell people it started when I was a small boy, probably around the age of 6 or 7. My dad, who was a musician, sang with one of the most famous groups in this city [the Five Sons of Calvary]. I used to always tag along and sit there and watch him play. I saw how people reacted to their music, and I knew at that age what I wanted to do.
- At the age of 16, [the Five Sons of Calvary's] bass player was hurt in an accident, and they had a big show coming up. So my dad called me.
- I was nervous as all get-out. In fact, while I was up there [onstage] my leg was shaking the whole entire time. But I knew the music so well that everybody was like, "That was a natural fit!" So I became one of the vocalists in the group, and we were onstage with some major, major artists.
- I've been doing music all my life, but I went to work at The Bethlehem Center as a custodian. Then my good friend Lurone Jennings came on board as the executive director. He knew me. He knew what I could do with music. He went to the board and told them, "It's a shame that we got a man out there cutting grass, cleaning bathrooms, when he could be doing so much more for this community." Then he fired me as the custodian and hired me as the music director. So I got fired and hired in the same day. [laughs]
- That's when I took what gifts I had and I gathered those children. I had to teach them all how to sing, how to perform, and we had a massive choir. It brought notoriety to the center, it brought notoriety to the children. They sang at the Capitol, they sang with Richard Smallwood, they sang with Shania Twain, they sang before Bishop Desmond Tutu.
- At the time, they had a recording studio in the Creative Discovery Museum. We were the first ones who recorded in that with the kids. I don't know if it's even in there today, but we were the first ones who recorded in that - and I got the tape to prove it. [laughs]
- I was the music director [at The Bethlehem Center] for about 10 years or more. Then I received a phone call from one of the original Impressions, Sam Gooden. He called and said, "We're looking for another vocalist to go with us to London."
- Of course, most people would have said, "Man, jump on that opportunity!" but I had a goal, and I was trying to make sure that I didn't leave the kids.
- So I asked my dad, and he told me, "I believe that God opens doors for us and he expands our territory. And I don't believe you will ever leave God, and I don't believe God will ever leave you. So whatever you do, just keep God in it."
- That helped me to make my decision about going along with [The Impressions]. And I had the opportunity to pray with all of them. Even Eric Clapton and Nathan East and Billy Preston, we would pray before we went onstage. In fact, they used to call me the "little preacher" when they saw me coming. [laughs] So God did do something very spectacular with that.
- We did a PBS special, got inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. But the most exciting part was when we did the world tour. It was being onstage with all of these great musicians, and I'm leading the song! Here I am from Chattanooga, ain't got no big name or anything like that, but I got an all-star-cast band behind me playing.
- [Being an Impression] opened up avenues for me to go speak at high schools. I've been to Tyner several times to speak for their chapel programs to encourage kids to continue to stay in school. I was in Africa for about 25 days at the South African Theological Seminary to render the music for their 25th anniversary graduation. I formed a group called the Tri-Octaves who performed with me at Christmas concerts. I became the pastor of [Bethlehem-Wiley Church] with these wonderful people. The accomplishments just keep coming.
- People used to say, "You need to leave Chattanooga if you're going to become anything in music." And I would always say this: "Why do I have to move to New York or Chicago or California? The same God there, he is the same God here. He came and knocked on my door."
- [Right now] I'm working on me. I've decided this year I've helped a lot of people, but I have a lot of songs in my heart. I just put some things together so I can start the new year working on a project of my own. I don't want to leave this earth with these songs in my heart and never get a chance to publish them. So that's what I'm doing now.
- I hope to continue to be doing what I do... because music is not why I make a living; it's why I live.