Behind The Interview: Episode 1 Featuring R & B Singer, Monica [VIDEO]

Welcome to the first episode of my new series Behind The Interview. In this series, I will share the backstory of how I secured an interview with a celebrity. Some may think I may have a Hollywood hook up, but nope! God has been my booking agent from the very beginning.

Watch my first episode of how I interviewed Monica below. You can also scroll down and read the play by play of how it all went down.

Back in 1999, I heard on the radio that singer Monica was coming to perform in my hometown as a part of the Nickelodeon ‘All That’ Tour. I was already on a huge high because I had just attended a Whitney Houston concert in Chicago a few weeks earlier.

The first thing that came to my mind when I heard the radio promo was: Wouldn’t it be great if I could interview Monica when she came to town? Why not? I thought. I can at least try.

That day, I called Matt Dietrich, the Arts & Entertainment editor of the local newspaper to see if he could give me the contact information I needed to secure the interview. Matt and I had met after he saw my interview with Whitney Houston on an MTV show called Fanatic. He wrote a great cover story article about my journey to Whitney, and as a result we established a great rapport with each other.

When we spoke, he was extremely helpful and gave me the information I was seeking.

Before we hung up he said, “Let me know if you do get the interview with Monica. I would be willing to publish it.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Sure,” he said.

“I will get right on it, and see what I come up with.” I replied.

“Keep me posted.” He said as we hung up.

After I hung up with Matt, I called Stan Washington, my friend and editor of The Atlanta Voice. When we spoke, I told him how excited I was about my possible interview with Monica. He looked at his schedule of events and said, “Monica will be performing in Atlanta soon too and I would also like to run the interview if you get it.”

“Really?” I asked shocked for the second time in a row.

“Yes, really.” He said. “Call me when you know something.”

This was bizarre. In a matter of a couple of hours, I had two editors interested in an interview I wanted to do after hearing a radio promotion. What is strange is I almost never listen to the radio in my hometown because none of them have an urban format, yet here I was being informed that an R&B artist was coming to town. This interview had to be meant to be.

When I finally called the publicist at the record label, I was told that I would have to set up the interview with Monica’s manager. Right after she gave me the number, I hung up and quickly reached out to Monica’s manager.

She said, “You don’t have to wait until Monica’s performance. I can set up a phone interview in a couple of days.”

“That would be great.” I said.

She then told me the day and time Monica would be available to do the interview. When I hung up I sat quietly in amazement at how quickly thoughts can become things. Normal procedure for securing an interview with an artist could include faxing requests, back and forth phone calls that could go unanswered, and waiting for approvals via email. And this still wouldn’t guarantee that you’ll get an interview. None of that applied to my scenario. Everything happened so quickly that all those steps were eliminated from my process. With just a few phone calls, I had secured an interview with Grammy award winning artist, Monica.

The day I interviewed Monica was great. I asked her all about touring, family and winning her first Grammy, which she shares with singer Brandy for the song, The Boy is Mine. Before we completed the interview, I sincerely thanked Monica on behalf of music fans everywhere for taking time out to do the MTV show Fanatic simply because of how much it meant to me during my experience as a fan on the show.

“It means so much for everyday music fans to meet and thank the people you have always looked up to.” I said.

“You know I really enjoyed doing that show.” Monica said. “It is always great to meet the people who really support you and your music. I love to meet my fans and let them know I am human just like them. I feel that anyone with determination can do the same things I am doing. By the way who did you get a chance to meet on the show?” Monica asked.

“Whitney Houston!” I said excitedly.

“You know what?” She questioned. “I was with Whitney when that came on. Didn’t you have braids?”

Oh My God, I thought. But I wanted to scream. Monica saw the show with Whitney! Calm down Quencie, I said to myself, calm down.

“Yes that was me.” I said trying hard to suppress my shock.

“You sure do have a laugh on you.” Monica said jokingly.

“Oh I know.” I said trying even harder to cover up how stunned I was to be hearing this from her. “But I can’t help it. I come by it naturally. “

Monica chuckled and said, “I’ll have to tell Nip I spoke to you.”

“Please tell her I said hello.” I said.

As soon as we hung up I screamed, jumped up and down then immediately focused all of my energy and excitement into the article about Monica. A few weeks later when Monica came to town, she and her people were thrilled to find out that the article I did on her was featured on the front page of the entertainment section. To be honest, I was shocked too. I had no idea when I did the interview that the editor would put it on the front page. The only other time anything I did was on the front page was when I interviewed Whitney Houston. So, this was beyond cool.

I went to the show and absolutely loved Monica’s performance. To date, it’s still the only time I have ever seen her perform live in concert. I don’t remember having to buy a ticket to the show so, I’m guessing I got a pair of comp tickets from the newspaper I wrote the article for, because I actually took a friend with me. And knowing me, I wouldn’t have invited anyone unless I had an extra ticket.

One thing I definitely didn’t have were any backstage passes. However, that didn’t stop me from finding a way backstage to meet Monica in person. If you know me, this may not be that surprising to you. But I was always shocked when and if I could make it happen. I used the article I wrote as my way in. Before the concert, I had taken the time to get the article laminated because I really wanted it to be signed by Monica. Right before her concert ended, I made my way to where the backstage entrance was. Once I got there, I asked security if they could take my article backstage and ask Monica if she would be willing to autograph it for me. Security agreed to ask and took my article backstage while I waited patiently at the doorway. When security returned he said Monica wants you to come backstage. What?! All I wanted was an autograph and I ended up with an invitation! I was floored!

When I got backstage, Monica immediately recognized my face. We took a few photos together and she autographed my article. Before I left, I thanked Monica for her kindness. On my way out, I passed right by Michelle Williams, one of Monica’s back up singers. If I had known then that she would soon become the third and final member of the supergroup Destiny’s Child, I would have stopped and asked for a picture with her too. I did eventually meet and interview her a few times, but that’s another blog ;)

I only heard that Monica was coming to town one time in a passing radio advertisement. If I had entertained one negative thought, I could have lessened my chance of getting the interview with her and completely defeated myself. Don’t dismiss ideas just because they seem impossible. Always remember - positive thinking equals positive action. I had nothing but positive thoughts during this process and as a result, was on the phone interviewing Monica in a matter of days. One positive thought turned into two articles published in two newspapers in two different states. One even appeared on the front page of the entertainment section. I later found out from Monica that her press on tour had been overshadowed by some of the popular boy bands that were performing on tour with her. So, my article actually served as a press highlight for her. Imagine that!

Years later when I moved to LA, I actually saw Monica again while I was working at The Tyra Banks Show. If I had not had my previous experience with Monica, I probably would have not approached her. That kind of stuff was also frowned upon at my job, but since I had met and interviewed her before, I threw caution to the wind and walked right up to Monica. I quickly re-introduced myself to her and reminded her of our previous connection. She seemed to vaguely remember me.

When I told her that I now worked for The Tyra Banks Show, she shared that she had recently been trying to get booked on the show. I knew everyone in the booking department so I was like, '“I don’t know why you haven’t been booked, who doesn’t love Monica?” She then asked if I would exchange contact info with her manager so that I could help make that happen.. I loved Monica so of course, I was all in. It’s crazy how one minute you’re just saying hello and the next minute you’re in the process of trying to help someone get booked on a show. But that’s the entertainment industry.

Later that same day when I was getting off work, I actually saw Monica again. This time she had her eldest son, Rocco with her. My best friend Tam, who showed up at this exact moment, just so happened to have a camera with her. Or maybe I asked her to rush to her car and get her camera lol! My memory fails me right now, but either way I definitely asked Monica for a picture. It’s awesome looking back at the photo because Monica’s son Rocco was a toddler at the time but now he is a whole teenager. Time flies.

My only other Mo Moment happened way before anything I’ve already mentioned. However, I just found out about month ago that it did! Let me explain. Recently, Monica put out a mini documentary entitled, The Story of Miss Thang, Part 1 - “Southside.” In the first part of the documentary at the 4:11 mark, there is a picture of me with Monica, my college friend and Civil Rights icon Andrew Young. I had no idea that this was there until I got a few messages from fellow Whitney fans who saw me in the documentary. I went straight to YouTube to confirm what they were referring to and they were right! There I was standing with Monica as she told the story of sneaking backstage because she wanted to sing for Whitney at the “Olympic Flag Jam,” which Whitney Houston co-hosted with Dick Clark back in 1992.

What is crazy about her story is how much it mirrored mine. My friends and I snuck backstage at that same event to get next to Whitney. I didn’t want to sing for her like Monica, but I was back there to meet her. You can read all about my crazy backstage adventure in my last blog about Robyn Crawford.

So, all these years, I have had a copy of the same picture that Monica shared in her documentary. The only difference is that it was from a different angle. Whenever I would look at the photo, I would always ask myself, now who is that girl in the pink? Now I know! It would have been so cool had I known this when I met her in my hometown. I could have shown her the picture and everything. But obviously it wasn’t meant to go that way. It was actually more fun to find out the way that I did. I was mind blown. If I ever get the chance to meet or interview her again, I’m definitely bringing it up.

The bottom left pic is my picture and the one above is it is from Monica’s documentary. The top two pics on the right hand side of Whitney are from Monica’s documentary and the last one of Whitney is the one I took of her because I was too scared to ask her for a pic..lol!

When you have a thought pop into your head or a goal you would like to reach, state it out loud and write it down to make it real. Next feed it with positive energy and water it with words of encouragement. Get used to saying, “Yes I can make this happen” instead of “that will never work.” Then roll up your sleeves and put your best efforts to seeing whatever it is from the beginning to end. Sit back, watch it grow and marvel at how what you claimed would happen…happen.

This is the formula I have used over and over again and it has lead to success, which includes my interview with Monica. One minute it was an idea, the next I was on the phone interviewing her. I’m not saying it happens that quick all the time, but if you hang in there and stay steadfast it will come to pass. I’m living proof! Now go manifest your thoughts into things!