Kelly Price dishes on BET’s ‘Sunday’s Best’ and spiritual cleansing
The superstar singer is opening up about the latest season of the music competition series and how she stays stress-free
Kelly Price is a recording artist, actress, and judge on BET’s long-celebrated reality show Sunday’s Best, and known for her vocals on hit records such as “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Mo Money, Mo Problems,” and “Friend of Mine.” Like many Black women around the country, Price has been navigating life during the coronavirus pandemic–a task that became particularly challenging while filming her hit show.
The recording of the 10th season of BET’s Sunday’s Best was well underway when it was interrupted due to stay-at-home orders earlier this year. Price didn’t play a role in the decision to continue filming remotely, and continuing virtually required a quick learning curve. Judges were required to be their own production team and glam squad, and learn new skills like how to remove things like shadows that appeared on camera to create the best images. Ultimately, Price was thrilled with the decision to continue.
Read More: Kelly Price talks ‘American Soul’ season 2 while overcoming grief from grandfather’s COVID-19 death
“It’s the chance of a lifetime and you have [the contestants] and they’re prepared to leave home if they make it in the top 10. To be gone away from their family and their friends and their houses of worship for weeks at a time to come and possibly get the opportunity that will change their life forever,” Price told theGrio exclusively.
Thinking about the opportunity in front of the Sunday’s Best contestants made Price recollect on her own early career opportunities.
“The 18-year-old Kelly rises up remembering what it was like when I got the very first call for my very first pro gig for George Michael, and then the second call for Mariah Carey,” Price recalled. “That second call turned into like a five-year gig for me and it changed my life.”
On a reality show that makes tough decisions about eliminations every week, Price says those decisions aren’t easy, and often, aren’t unanimous with the show’s other judges, singers Erica Campbell and Jonathan McReynolds. The “Friend of Mine” singer shared that if it was up to her, the three finalists on the show would have been different. Price mentioned Ashling Cole, the only White singer on the show, citing the authenticity in her walk with God, and the pure singing abilities of Marquis Harris and Nicole Gregory, all of whom were eliminated.
“What I loved about Ashling is that I didn’t get pretentious, over-the-top, trying to be blue-eyed soul from her because the business has a habit of doing that,” Price shared. “A lot of times the industry will go and find the knock-off that is a person not of color, and I’ve watched it happen now for 30 years.”
In addition to Michael and Carey, Price has had the pleasure of working with legends like Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston. theGrio asked Price what is a trait that legendary singers share.
“Being smart vocalists,” Price simply stated. “When you have a rigorous schedule that has you singing 300 out of the 365 days of a year, you’re not at your best every day. You have to learn your body, you have to learn your instrument. You have to know how much you can take and on those days when you’re not 100 percent, you have to know your instrument well enough to maneuver your way around some of the signature things that you would normally do, and find other things to wow people and razzle dazzle them.”
Finally, we know that Black don’t crack, but if you put a photo of 1995 Price next to one today, many would have trouble figuring out which is the current photo. theGrio asked Price about her secret to success for maintaining a youthful look.
“I have this thing that I call cleanse and moisturize and you have to do it both naturally and spiritually,” Price shares. She doesn’t allow the rigors of being a recording artist, actress and judge on Sunday’s Best to interrupt her ritual.
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“It’s not always easy, but it’s definitely, definitely necessary,” Price said about spiritual cleansing. “You would be so surprised at how having the wrong people around you, how being full of stress, how carrying other people’s pain, drama, problems, can age you. It’s not selfish, it’s self care.”
Sunday’s Best airs on BET Sundays at 8pm and Price has two new singles out now, “Unsung” and “What I Need (Give Me What I Need),” available on all streaming platforms.
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