Singer and gifted musician Charlie B. Keyz does not remember his life without music in it.
"I've always been interested in music," Keyz, now 25, recalled. "The first toy I ever received was a piano. So my mother kind of figured out my interest and started taking me to piano lessons. Then, probably a year later, I was learning to play violin because my piano teacher also played violin."
Keyz took lessons on and off until he was about 15, by which time he was attending the prestigious Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts. He had also added guitar to the list of instruments he played by the time he entered the school.
"My dad got me a guitar, probably when I was 11 or 12," Keyz recalled. "I had a few friends who played the guitar so I just kind of learned from them."
Somewhere along the line, Keyz realized he had a voice and began singing, as well as writing his own songs.
"The first song I ever wrote was called 'You Weren't The One,'" said Keyz. "I never actually recorded it. I'm actually working with somebody now who is also performing at Pride and hopefully she'll be singing the song. It was basically about somebody being in a relationship that was kind of one sided. So they realized that and basically had to put themselves in a sad situation, but the best situation for them at the time."
After high school, Keyz went on to study music composition and theory at Florida State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree. All the while, Keyz continued developing his gifts. He cites musical influences Coldplay, Lalah Hathaway and Labrinth as helping him develop his own unique sound.
"As far as my genre, I guess I'm kind of like R&B, pop," Keyz said. "For the most part the music that I write is kind of like alternative rock. But I have a very soulful influence, especially around Detroit. That's all you get around here. So I kind of infuse it with that also."
In addition to singing, playing and writing, Keyz has created the Natural Muse Agency Talent Services.
"Basically I help other artists," Keyz said of the company. "A lot of artists don't know about the legal background and how to work toward being successful and advocating for themselves professionally. And we're a booking service, too. We help other artists book dates. We teach people how to be successful and know their rights. So they don't find themselves in a situation like I've been in before where you start working with people and things don't go the way you've planned."
Keyz is not afraid to say he has learned how to do things the right way from the mistakes he has made.
"I had a situation where I was working with a production company and assisting a few artists," explained Keyz. "I ended up singing on a track and after singing on it I found out that the song didn't belong to them and there were some rights issues concerned. If I had known what I know now that would have never happened."
But now Keyz does know better and he's helping others know better, too. He says he picked up a great deal of knowledge while interning for mainstream record labels like Sony and Atlantic.
"I learned how to market myself, just understanding that if I ever decide to be a part of a mainstream industry, they look for people to be independent," he said. "They look for people who want to do a lot of the work themselves. A lot of people don't know that they're looking for you to do the work yourself. They stopped doing artist development contracts. They want somebody already made.
"Even if they give you an image, and a lot of times they will do that, you kind of have to put forth the effort to make that image work for you," Keyz continued. "So that's what I learned. I did marketing. I assisted with marketing and development. I also did some vocal training while I was there. That's what they taught me, to be independent and do everything myself and be able to understand what's going on in the industry."
Keyz is using the skills he acquired to take his career to the next level.
"I'm actually right now trying to finish my album," Keyz said. "That should be done by January of next year. I put a single out in March. That single is going to be on the album. The album is called "Portrait." I've been working really, really hard to get it done."
Playing gigs all around metro Detroit, and with some cruise ship work and dates in Vegas lined up, Keyz says he is living his dream.
"I think the biggest part of being an artist is having something to say and showing yourself through your music," he said. "The way that I speak and communicate with people is through my music. So it's powerful being able to relay my thoughts. I enjoy that so much. It's great to have people say they enjoy my music or enjoy listening to me. I appreciate that a lot."
Detroit's Black Gay Pride
The 2016 Hotter Than July celebration features nearly a week of activities for the LGBT community now through July 31.
The week began with a candlelight vigil at the Blue Spruce Memorial Tree in Palmer Park where longtime community activist Ron Doe remembered those we have lost to HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other illnesses. This set the tone for the entire week.
On July 28, the play "Before It Hits Home," written by playwright Cheryl West is featured. The performance will take place at the Virgil Carr Center at 311 E. Grand River Ave. where the Poor Man's Art Collective is currently exhibiting.
HTJ continues with an annual gathering on LGBT issues beginning at 8 a.m. July 29 at the Ecumenical Theological Seminary at 2930 Woodward Ave. This year's event features several panel discussions including community engagement, experiences of the transgender and gender non-conforming community, an inter-generational discussion, and caregiving, among other topics. These discussions will feed into the overall theme of "Where do we go from here?" Roland Stringfellow, senior minister and teacher for Metropolitan Community Church-Detroit, will give the keynote address. Admittance is free following registration.
The pinacle event of the festival, the Palmer Park Picnic, will kick off the weekend at 10 a.m. July 30. The picnic receives over 20,000 guests who gather to celebrate culture, self-empowerment and identity. Sunday services include a 10 a.m. worship service at Whosoever Ministry located at 2930 Woodward Ave. The festival will close with a Sunday brunch hosted by Imagine This Productions beginning at 12 p.m. at the Charlevoix Gallery at 14505 Charlevoix in Detroit. Advance tickets are required.
Check http://www.lgbtdetroit.org/hotterthanjuly/ for updates and for information on other HTJ events.
