True House Stories® Youtube & Spotify Video Podcast
TRUE HOUSE STORIES W/ CECE ROGERS
CeCe Rogers interviewed by Lenny Fontana for True House Stories® # 004
On this weeks edition Lenny interviewed CeCe Rogers where he takes us on a journey of his beginnings in dance music and making the transition from R&B and becoming a highly sorted artist in the House Music Game. Come listen to he share his story with Lenny Fontana.
CeCe Rogers YouTube Video
Biography CeCe Rogers
One of the most prestigious voices in House Music – Two time Grammy award nominee CeCe Rogers is a legend!
One of the artists who helped establish House music. with other artists like Marshall Jefferson, Ten City, Joe Smooth, Frankie Knuckles, Robert Owens just to mention a few.
For more than 20 years CeCe, who personally received his name by the Godfather of soul James Brown himself, was showing his outstanding talent as a vocalist, songwriter and musician on stage all over the world.
As well as a recording artist, CeCe delivered anthems like “No Love Lost“,”Someday” (YouTube video click here) and “All Join Hands” which belong to the biggest songs ever released in the genre of House music.
New York City based, he has worked either on stage or in the studio with Luther Vandross, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Sounds of Blackness, Aretha Franklin, Duran Duran, and he was the frontman of the legendary band Jestofunk who brought us anthems like “Say It Again” and “Can We Live“. He is pure soul with a unique, charismatic voice, that is undoubtedly the voice of house!
Recording career
In 1987, Rogers recorded the track “Someday” with its songwriter, Marshall Jefferson, and was then signed to Atlantic Records, making “Someday” the first house-music song released by a major label. Not realizing the massive appeal house music was having in Europe, Rogers moved away from the house scene and released his debut album, CeCe Rogers, in 1989.
The album was a mix of contemporary R&B and house tracks that received rave reviews but poor sales. His second album, Never Give Up (1991), also failed to chart selling only 300,000 units. He was dropped from Atlantic and went back to doing session work singing backgrounds for TV commercials. In 1993, David Morales recruited Rogers to work on his debut album, Games. He worked on many of Morales’s remix projects including “The Best Things In Life Are Free” by Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross, and the soundtrack of Sister Act. Rogers has written and produced many songs with his friend and business partner, Marshall Jefferson.
In 1989, he wrote the UK hit single, “Got to Get You Back” for Kym Mazelle. The house scene grew quickly, starting out in Chicago and establishing roots in New Jersey. Soulful house became popular in Europe when Rogers toured with Jefferson.
In 1994, Rogers recorded a string of hits with the Italian band Jestofunk. This would lead to three world tours. After five years with Jestofunk, Rogers decided to stop touring and give teaching a try. Seeing the need for more African American male teachers in the urban community, Rogers taught music production for eight years at the Essex County Vocational School in New Jersey. He became a supervisor for the district and formed a gospel choir that won many competitions, including the McDonald’s Gospelfest and Cherry Blossom music festival.
Source (recording career): Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CeCe_Rogers