Meli'sa Morgan- is probably best known for her version of the Prince classic "Do Me Baby." She is quick to tell you that was not her only hit. "Fools Paradise," and "Do You Still Love Me" are among her well known hits. On November 8th she will be releasing I Remember --her first new album in over a decade. You can visit Meli'sa on-line at www.melisamorgan.com.

Your new album comes out November 8th. When was the last time you released a studio album?
Meli'sa Morgan-Oh honey I can't tell you.

I read somewhere 92'.
Meli'sa Morgan-It was in the early 90's.

What have you been doing in between that time?
Meli'sa Morgan-Working. Honing my skills. Going through things in life. Getting experience. Learning how to be a better person a better Meli'sa. Getting ready as the universe would have it for this CD.

When say working were you performing as a singer or doing something different?
Meli'sa Morgan-Yes, yes I've always worked. I will work for the rest of my life thanks to "Do Me Baby." I'm always getting calls to open up for Keith Sweat or Kem. Recently they've called me to open for Charlie Wilson. So I am going to work for the rest of my life thank God thanks to this song.

Wow! That's inspiring that one song can create a career like that.
Meli'sa Morgan-Well it wasn't just one song. There was "Fools Paradise," there were a slew of songs it's just a lot of people remember "Do Me Baby." "Fools Paradise" is very popular. "Do You Still Love Me," was a top five song. It's always requested when I'm performing. There are other dance songs that I have had out that the audience is always requesting me to perform.

I know you've probably been asked this question a thousand times but how did you come to record the song "Do Me Baby."
Meli'sa Morgan-I really didn't have anything to do with that. When I signed with Capital Records the vice-president of Capital Records said the next R&B artist that he signed was going to do that song and I was the next R&B artist. So I was just as shocked to do that record as everybody else but when we went to the studio with Paul Lawrence he put such a wonderful track together that it just made my voice go to different heights and I'm really glad that I did it now.

I'm interviewing Freddie on Wednesday so I thought I would ask. Can you describe your working relationship with Freddie Jackson?
Meli'sa Morgan-Wonderful. Wonderful! I call him my musical brother. I enjoy him as a person and a friend and it was a natural progression for us to work together this lifetime and I hope we get to do it again.

The new single "Back Together" again with Freddie Jackson, will that appear on your new album?
Meli'sa Morgan-Yes, it will.

What led you to record a new album?
Meli'sa Morgan-When I heard that Orpheus music was back in business. They called me to have a meeting with them I decided that now was the time because working with people that believe in you and your artistry is half the battle. With them wanting to come back and me wanting to come back and do my music it was the perfect marriage.

What city are you based out of?
Meli'sa Morgan-I'm based out of Queens.

I looked at your photo gallery on your website. You are always on the scene.
Meli'sa Morgan-Yeah, I try to stay out there. Ain't nothing like a good party.

I notice you are always rocking different hairstyles how often do you change your hair?
Meli'sa Morgan-Sometimes about once a month. Sometimes even two months but very rarely. I like new things. I like to look in the mirror and see new exciting things.

I checked out your website www.melisamorgan.com. It's a very unique site. Did you have any input on the concept?
Meli'sa Morgan-Yeah, I wanted it to be red and gold and I wanted the roses but all the flash stuff the web designer as he was creating it he was just asking me if I liked it or didn't like it. It is different. I've gone on Mariah Carey's and Whitney's and all of their sites and they don't have Flash like mine. So it makes it more unique and I do like it. Now we have the DSL and the dial up because the DSL was too slow for the people who only had dial up. So now you go to the site and you can go to either one so I actually have two sites in one.

Do you ever get messages or mail from any of your fans?
Meli'sa Morgan-All the time and as far as Japan. The wonderful thing about the site is a girlfriend of mine from Japan who I went to junior high school with that moved back to Japan me found me. Me and her had been friends for years and when my site went up she went on the site and e-mailed me. The site keeps me connected internationally as well as nationally.

I know a lot of R&B artists are doing the remixes with the hip-hop artists. Do you have anything in store like that?
Meli'sa Morgan-Well I did something awhile ago with Jay-Z on a remix for "Can't Knock The Hustle." If I were to do it it would have to be with him. He pulled me in at a time I didn't think people were thinking about me. So if I did something on a remix or something like that it would have to be with somebody like Jay-Z.

What are some of your greatest memories as far as being an entertainer in the 80's?
Meli'sa Morgan-It was the journey of the beginning. That was exciting to me. It was Gerald Levert, Mikki Howard, Cherelle, myself, Freddie Jackson, we were all just beginning in our careers. I think the journey of watching us to go from that to where we are now that was the most exciting thing for me. It was just a different time and everybody got together and supported one another. Now it's more separatism than it was then.

Can you tell me more about your foundation?
Meli'sa Morgan-My foundation is The Meli'sa Morgan Foundation. What we normally do is give out scholarships to college students during their first or second year for educational excellence but when I saw what was happening to the Katrina kids I wanted to do something for them as well. We had to keep it educational so we included composition books and markers and stuff they could take to school but we also included coloring books and socks and crayons and toothbrushes and toothpaste. I'm on my way now to do a program at a hotel that is housing Katrina families and five or six kids will be there. They said it might be ten but we said five or six because sometimes they don't want to come out or they can't make it so we are going to do a program with them this afternoon.

Now that you are coming back out are you surprised that you have so many people anticipating this project since you have been gone so long?
Meli'sa Morgan-Yes. Yes. I am completely surprised and happy and scared and I just feel so blessed at the same time. It's like the whole music industry and my audience is embracing me. What a wonderful feeling that's all I can say and it's just a joy and I'm glad to be back.

Listen to Meli'sa Morgan

Meli'sa Morgan interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, and Thabiz.com 2005
Dorrie Williams-Wheeler is the author of Be My Sorority Sister Under Pressure and the Unplanned Pregnancy Book for Teens and College Students. She is the founder of Thabiz.com and Imissthe80s.com and writes for the Rap, Teen, and 1980s section at Bellaonline.com. She is an ASCAP member as a writer and a publisher. Please contact Dorrie for advertising inquiries, lyric writing inquiries, reprint rights, paying entertainment jobs, or general comments.
Visit Dorrie on the web at www.sparkledoll.com or e-mail her at webmaster@thabiz.com.
Meli'sa Morgan interview may not be reprinted, copied or distributed. You may link to this interview. Interview copyright Dorrie Williams-Wheeler, thabiz.com October 2005.