Entertainment
The Drifters’ Ray Lewis on Bruce Willis covering his iconic song, Black Lives Matter and jamming with Sir Paul McCartney-Alicia Adejobi-Entertainment – Metro
The soul star reflects on his career ahead of his Soultown festival performance in September.
Ray Lewis will be returning to the stage in September to perform at Soultown Festival
Ray Lewis is a man who has seen and done it all, including performing in a pioneering soul group as a member of The Drifters, clocking up chart-topping singles and travelling the world over.
But it’s moments such as acting alongside Bruce Willis and jamming with Sir Paul McCartney that may be some of his fondest memories yet.
The Under The Boardwalk singer is set to entertain the masses at Soultown Festival next month as we enjoy the last days of summer.
Taking place from September 3-4, Lewis will perform alongside the likes of Gabrielle, Soul 2 Soul, Heather Small, Tavares, and Maxi Priest at the Croydon Road Recreation Ground in Beckenham.
As well as live music, the festival will also have more than 30 food stalls and pop-up bars on offer for revellers with food and drinks from across the globe.
Before Lewis takes to the stage, he caught up with Metro.co.uk to reflect on his career highlights, most importantly his thoughts on Hollywood legend and Die Hard star Bruce recording a cover of one of the Drifters’ biggest songs.
Lewis has enjoyed quite a colourful career
It’s not long until you perform at Soultown next month! You love performing to fans anywhere but it must feel even more special to perform at a festival dedicated to celebrating soulful music?
Absolutely, it’s a captive audience and we know what we’re going to get so it’s always fun. I’ve had the pleasure of doing it a couple of times and I’ve always enjoyed it.
Did you ever think The Drifters’ music would be so timeless?
No, I never would have believed that it could stay so current. Everywhere we go people are singing the songs and it always amazes me. I feel quite honoured.
We’re in an era of nostalgia for classic TV, film and music, but what do you make of the new era of R&B and soul artists?
I have to accept change. If our music were the only thing around, what a boring world. You have to appreciate music for how it originates and the youth today, they have some clever ideas and even the way they produce music today, they do it in their front room and the music will still be absolutely amazing.
I still listen to different genres of music because it’s an art and craft, and I try to find the beauty in every aspect of it.
[With streaming] the scales are a little tipped, aren’t they? You can’t compare or measure now because at one time, we were the biggest-selling group in history. Of course, our record has been broken many times but still, we’ve enjoyed that title for as long as it lasted.
It isn’t a fair measurement today because it’s done in a different fashion.
Do you think getting a number one back then held more weight?
Absolutely. I don’t want to get in trouble and have the kids coming for me, they’ll be baying for my blood [laughs].
No disrespect to the way they hone their craft today because there’s some brilliant voices out there, I have found that the time between being announced and the success comes a lot quicker today, but it goes away a lot quicker.
You’ve had the pleasure of working with Sir Paul McCartney in the past, what was that experience like?
I have great memories. I recorded the [Beatles] song Let It Be for a ferry that capsized in the Thames [In 1987, the ferry MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsized, killing 193 passengers and crew]. We did an aid song with Paul McCartney and I remember being in the studio with him and just watching him work was absolutely amazing.
The Beatles, we’ve had many encounters with them and worked [together] many times. Matter of fact, John’s [Lennon] son is a close friend. It’s been many years since we’ve seen each other but we still have fond memories.
Recording with Paul was monumental for me.
I had the pleasure of demoing a song for Michael [Jackson] in his studio so I’ve had some fun.
It feels so good to know that they think of us in this way. He’s massive, such respect, such lineage is Paul and the fact that they think of groups like The Drifters and other soul groups as the innovators of certain music and it’s amazing. The feeling is great that they’ve put us in that light.
I’m just over the moon to be able to share that same history.
Aside from music, you’ve also dabbled in acting and starred in the TV series Moonlight with a certain Bruce Willis! What do you remember of your time on set?
The guy took my song! [laughs] He did Under The Boardwalk [Willis recorded a cover of The Drifters’ song as a duet with The Temptations – and it reached number two in the UK]. If I didn’t know Bruce would start singing, I bet I would stick that fire in him.
I was in several scenes with him.
He’s a theologian so he studied his art and studied it well. He’s one of these study thespians and I found him to be always concentrating on his lines and roles so, I didn’t get a chance to have a big laugh with him.
I did quite a bit of films and was in Cagney and Lacey for a few years.
I did a lot of pilots actually. I’m a fanatic for films and I’ve been in about 15. I’m still the first through the doors whenever a new movie comes out or a premiere. I’m enamoured with film technology.
Did you hear the recent news that Willis has to retire from acting due to his speech condition aphasia?
I didn’t! We are truly losing a king. It’s alarming that we’re losing this guy [from the screen].
As an American living in the UK, what was it like for you watching the Black Lives Matter movement from afar?
I watched it all… Today, in order for a voice to be important, to matter, to mean something, it has to be unitised.
So I understand when people get frustrated with traditional ways to make change. There’s a lot of change necessary in the world today and we’re battling up against powers that are greater than ourselves and we as individuals have a little weight.
Lewis was a member of pioneering soul and R&B group The Drifters (Picture: Redferns)
The Drifters’ music is still timeless (Picture: Getty Images)
I know that the voices need to be heard, I just think that we have to be careful about how we make these points or how forceful we are about certain points.
If we can hope for a balance where there’s medium for what we want and where we need to get to.
Me as a Black person, a person of colour, I want to be treated equally to everyone else no matter what ethnicity, I just want to be equal and I don’t want to have to force someone to give me that respect.
I’d like for it to be compulsory but I’d also like for it to be earned, so I carry myself in a way that I hopefully command that respect and I can’t do it with aggression or if I’m at someone’s throat.
It’s been a long road and it’s changing, times are changing, but we need to figure out how to do it better than we’re doing, I think.
There are peaceful ways of doing it.
You’ve lived in the UK for decades now – what’s kept you here for so long?
I have two beautiful daughters here, that’s a really big part of it. I have so many friends that I’ve accumulated over the years, and the fans as well. The people that have supported me over the years, that have given me a life and the chance to exercise the talent the good Lord gave me, and earn a living.
This is the right course for me. I’ve found a great partner who’s English and it’s just been real comfortable from the second I decided to stay here.
I’d cry if I had to go home. I do go back [to America] because my other children and family live there. I spend my time in America but I’m always happy to get back here.
Soultown Festival takes place at Croydon Road Recreation Ground in Beckenham on Saturday, September 3, and Sunday, September 4. Weekend tickets are available now online from £75, and day tickets are on sale from £42.35. VIP weekend tickets have sold out, but single-day VIP tickets are still available.
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