MY INTERVIEW WITH DANIEL!

GLORIA:"Here we go Daniel. You know this question was coming. After watching you perform and as I sit here with you, I just have to tell you something, then ask you something. You have a remarkable resemblance to ELVIS. I know you are not a tribute artist and do not want to be; however, your ELVIS songs sound so much like the King of Rock & Roll. You look and move like him and guess what; you have his lip! I know you and I know you do not do this on purpose, so tell me about it. What do you think?
DANIEL: "ELVIS..To me.., was the greatest entertainer of all times. To me it is a great honor to sing a song that he recorded and come remotely close to the feel and sound he created. However, I don't try to sing like Elvis, it just turns out that way. Even stuff I do that Elvis didn't do sounds like him. I guess he just had a big influence on my life and my music. I know people say we have a lot in common and again I am honored, however, it is hard to have a music career when people want to classify you. I don't want to be classified. If I like a country song, I want to do it. If I like a Rocker, I want to do it or blues, gospel or whatever...Feeling and what a song says is what is important. Then if you have someone who wants to hear it and you are communicating to that person. That's what I do."

GLORIA:"Let's talk about your fans. You have a fan club for the adults as does most entertainers; however, you also have a fan club for children named "YoshiKids." This just took my heart especially watching you sing their song requests and making their dreams come true. I know your nickname with the kids is Yoshi. Tell us how this came to be and what you do with the kids in the club."
DANIEL:"A little girl I cared about a lot started calling me Yoshi because of a Mario Bros. cartoon character. It just stuck.....with first her sister...then others. Mary and I have a heart for the youth and what music they are exposed to. We have seen awful stuff happen to the kids and it is traced to the music they listen to. Music is a very powerful force. It changes your mood and forms opinions of who you are. I wish parents were more careful about the music their children listened to and realized the importance of it. Lots of parents, in hindsight, now know they should have seen the signs. The music, the withdrawal from the family, the dress it just isn't teenage fun anymore. You may lose your child..Hopefully, we can show the youth they can have fun with the entire family and you don't have to be high to have fun. Maybe we can show the parents that too! Maybe too much to ask for! LOL. Anyway, you asked what we do. We try to take them somewhere fun and entertaining. Horseback riding, pool parties, the zoo. February, we are going to the circus. If you are going to focus on the youth, you also have to make time to do that. Unfortunately we have members in other states and I can't be there for them. But I am there for them on the Internet."

GLORIA:"Daniel, you and your wonderful wife and manager Mary have several things in the works. There is Dan-Mar Productions, Inc., YoshiRecords, Young Country Radio, concerts, etc. I am sure I am leaving out something. Can you tell us what else is happening now and any plans for the future?"
DANIEL:"Yum Yum and I do all the work but truthfully it is in the Lord's Hands. We ask him to open doors he wants opened and close those he wants shut. And to give us the wisdom and the trust to know and accept the answers. Sometimes I am impatient with the answers. What's next? Well, we are going to keep on keeping on and do it has it comes whatever God has in mind."

GLORIA:"We have to discuss your ratings! According to the MACMC reports for the last three months, you have broken all kinds of records, which includes beating out Garth Brooks and George Strait for the most singles in the top ten. You have about 7, uh? Some of your songs such as Suddenly Single, Haven't Got The Heart, That's All She Wrote have even beaten Alan Jackson's song. Most of the songs on your Young Country/Any Other Man CD's has been in the top 30 songs. How do you feel about this? By the way, you were also in the top 5 local country acts every month! And YoshiRecords won at least 3-4 spots of the top ten albums. Wow! What statistics!
DANIEL:"I feel honored that people have thought enough about me to bother to vote. It is a vote from the people. But the frustrating part of that, as you can see is the people do not pick the acts. No, I could be Number 1 until the cows come home and if the radio stations chose to snub me I guess I will be the most popular poor guy in town. LOL. Hopefully the Internet will change the grip a few have on so many. I want to be there when the change happens. The public does have the power, only they don't know it and they don't know what to do with it. Once we discover that we can send big fat Record Labels and Radio Stations spiraling down and out, we can make a difference. Don't listen..No Ratings..No Ratings..No Advertisers..No Advertisers..No Radio....So what you all have been doing on the Net is important. A voice heard, now silence your voice by not purchasing what is on the radio until you are pleased with the talent pool you listen to. Don't by CD's record label will not have money. We do have the power but we just don't use it!

GLORIA:"Your concerts are incredible!!"
DANIEL:"Thank you, I try."
GLORIA:"I would like to ask you several questions in this area. First of all, Roi Williams opens the shows for you. He is a wonderful entertainer and also placed in the top 5 entertainers. He sure gets the crowd going."
DANIEL:"Yes, he sure does. That is because he is from the old school. He believes that his job is to create magic on the stage. Plain and simple."
GLORIA:"Is it true he use to sing with Marilyn McCoo and Tina Turner? Do you know any others?"
DANIEL:"Joe Williams, Sonny Til, and gospel shows with just about every one of the Staple Singers, Shirley Ceaser and on and on."
GLORIA:"How did the two of you meet?"
DANIEL:"We met in the law enforcement field. I was running a Security Company at the time and Roi worked there part-time. We got to be friends. He was no longer in the entertainment business. He had gotten disgusted with it and quit. My wife knew him from her days in Vegas when Roi used to sing with the Midas Touch but strangely enough neither one put that together for a long time. We met Roi and Betty in 1989 shortly after we had married. I didn't even start singing until September of 1992. He joined me to help me master my vocals and put a band together in California. At that time, Roi was not planning to ever sing again himself. It wasn't until we moved to Georgia in 1993 and even much later like 1995 that Roi decided to sing again. Roi and I just started doing things together again in May of 2000."

GLORIA:"Daniel, I know how my heart beats when 2001 Space Odyssey begins at times for you to come out on stage. How do you feel and what is going through your mind?"
DANIEL:"I hate using that theme because of the ELVIS thing. And about 50% of the time I do not use it. However, I love the theme and your right, it does the same thing to my chest and it builds excitement. Other music I have tried palls in comparison. Someday I will have to have something equaled to that. When the music is playing or before I go on I just pray Lord let me please this audience tonight. No matter how good the show was last night only tonight counts! Like Elvis used to say, "Your only as good as your last show!"

GLORIA:"Also, your gospel concerts are wonderful and so inspiring. Can you tell us a little about how these shows began?
DANIEL:"Even when Yum Yum and I were in theater in the Cherokee Mountains doing shows Tues.-Sats. we would do shows on Sunday too but only were strickly gospel. We believe in tything to GOD. Not just what you earn in dollars and cents but our time too..We are trying to build this in Newnan. We hope that people will join us to just rest in him on Sunday. The food is great and hopefully the music will be enjoyed. Sort of a good way to start off your week.
GLORIA:"I respect you so much for doing these concerts. I know from experience you put your heart and soul into this music, as you do all your music, and you have helped a very important person in my life with these songs.

GLORIA:"Now Daniel, tell us what was the most memorable concert you have performed."
DANIEL:"Roanoke, VA because it was a privilege to sing with my favorite all time gospel group. My only regret was that JD was gone. But it was still a thrill and I will always remember how my friends came to support me there."

GLORIA:"WELL DANIEL, I GUESS THIS COMES TO THE END OF A PERFECT EVENING. YOU ENTERTAINED US, SIGNED YOUR SCARVES AND OTHER MEMORABILIA FOR YOUR FANS AND GAVE ME THIS INTERVIEW. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO YOUR FANS BEFORE WE CLOSE?
DANIEL:"JUST THAT A SINGER IS NOT A SINGER WITHOUT A PERSON TO SING TO. FOR THIS I THANK THEM FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. I HOPE I CAN ALWAYS SING WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR.
GLORIA:"I know you will Daniel!!" Thank you and God bless you and Mary! You are the very best entertainer I have had the pleasure of interviewing and knowing but most of all you are a caring person.

I WOULD URGE EVERYONE WHO HAS NOT SEEN DANIEL IN CONCERT, DO SO!! YOU WILL NOT REGRET A MINUTE OF YOUR TIME. BUY HIS CD'S ON-LINE, CHECK OUT THE WEBSITES, PLAY HIS MUSIC ON YOUNG COUNTRY, GET TO KNOW DANIEL AND MARY. I HOPE AFTER READING THIS INTERVIEW, YOU DO HAVE A GOOD IDEA WHO THEY ARE..GOD BLESS EACH ONE OF YOU WHO TOOK THE TIME TO READ THIS INTERVIEW. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO RETURN AND SIGN MY GUESTBOOK AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AND FEEL OR JUST SAY HI!

OR IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LINKS PAGE CLICK HERE: LINKS OR SEE THE SHOW CLICK HERE: THE SHOW