Ruth King

How did you get your start in music? Did you grow up in a musical family?

My parents were Dot Records recording blues artists in the late 1950s. Then, growing up my Mom and Stepdad entertained with their jazz band throughout upstate New York.

 

What was it like having parents who were both recording artists? What was one the biggest lessons or blessings you have received from that experience? 

The fact that they were recording artists was always a feeling of inspiration in my pursuit of music…… But honest to goodness they weren’t there when I needed them because they were out doing music and unavailable for child-rearing. I was left with my mother‘s parents. This worked against me. But I’m glad they gave me music!  

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What made you decide to pursue music?

Music was always in and with me. There wasn’t a decision. It was just inevitable.

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Who are your musical influences? How do they have an impact on your music?

My acoustic guitar mentor and inspiration is James Taylor. strings: Joseph Haydn; brass: Chicago; creative license: Joan Armatrading; vocals: Carole King, Phoebe Snow, and Chaka Khan.

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What was one of your biggest obstacles in your music career and how did you overcome it?

Trusting all the wrong people for all the wrong reasons while distrusting the credibility of my own leadings and inner voice. That, plus substance addiction. I outgrew my obstacles with a lot of help.

 

Sometimes it's difficult for working musicians to juggle work life with music life. How are you able to balance them? 

Gratefully I’ve always been able to consider them one and the same. Even back in the 1980s when I had other occupations, I considered them as supplemental to my music/work.

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What is your writing process?

I hear it and it taps me on the shoulder as a beloved child needing my attention… so I give ear.

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There are musicians who feel hesitant to collaborate with other musicians. With your experience, how do you like the process and what advice can you give to any apprehensive musician? 

Collaborating in a band project was rewarding. Luckily, I was always partnered with musicians whose talents and abilities were many times more developed than mine so I always grew from working with them. Songwriting collaborations happen by some type of fate since my writing art isn’t available to me upon demand. When lyrics or poems or prose or melody or chord progressions come, I usually mold them into song myself. When I have the opportunity to share with other writers/musicians and we make music together, it happens organically without expectation. I like things best that way.

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What is the story behind “Scared Girl”?

At the turn of my life, from teens to 20s, like many others, I felt I was in a whirlwind of confusion navigating a mountainous terrain in life personally. Mine had to do with mostly everything that identifies us in human terms. My answers came, but some took decades. This was my anthem from having partied ’til I literally dropped. It’s a story I tell in my book-based concerts, based on my memoir, “When I was thirty-five years old, I Became Black.”

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How do you think the music industry can improve on nurturing a healthy environment for women musicians?

Jessica, I believe that you are a big part of that endeavor. Reaching out to women in the music industry, asking them to look for their answers to questions specifically for them, and then publishing the information in order to narrow the gap between the community of women in music. You are the improvement by nurturing a healthy environment like this.  

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You’ve written a memoir about your experience with racial injustice as well as a workshop about racial healing. Can you tell me more about it? Was there a moment that inspired you to start providing the workshop? 

The workshops began as people on social media got wind of my manuscript back in 2019. Bookings for workshops came in, several at a time, and then were carried out on Zoom in 2020. Last year with the release of my book, concert promoters who had me on stage at festivals also requested I teach my workshops on how to help end racism. The quest for and work of racial healing has been with me my entire life. I was raised by my Caucasian maternal grandparents in early life and they never stopped trying to radicalize me into hatred for my own race. As a biracial Black woman, once I found my footing as an integrated sober, black and white lesbian Democrat, finishing my book came with ease. 

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What advice would you give to any aspiring musician wanting to pursue a music career?

It might be necessary to first decide what will be your motivation. To become famous? That is one specific route that doesn’t necessarily have to do with music or talent. To become wealthy? That is another path much like trying to be famous that will take over all other motives in order to win. It must. To follow your heart and be true to your art? This is the route I have taken. Although neither famous or all that wealthy, I have peace of mind and a quiet, happy heart. The greatest gift is that my music is alive and very vibrant. How kind of fate to allow that.

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What can we look forward to for your music in the future?

I have the songs for many, many more record productions of originals. I am excited for the musical diversity in these albums. Live concerts are my passion. Individuals who attend my performances ready with open hearts and are ready to participate in our joined experience together are my family of choice. We are in love! My book-based workshops and speaking engagements almost always feature live performance of my songs that are on-topic. Otherwise, I am engaged in completing and publishing a series of follow-up books to my memoir.