Join us as we sit down with the incredibly talented Soul Singer/Songwriter, Bobby Harden, for an exclusive and intimate conversation about his illustrious solo career and his time as a member of the legendary Blues Brothers.

Bobby shares his journey through the heart of New York City's vibrant music scene, painting a vivid picture of the inspiration and passion that fuel his soulful compositions. From the gritty streets to the renowned stages, we delve into the stories behind his solo hits, exploring the roots of his distinctive sound that resonates with the pulse of the city.

But that's not all – buckle up for an extraordinary ride through the blues as we uncover Bobby's experiences as a key member of The Blues Brothers. From unforgettable performances to the camaraderie that defined the band, Bobby opens up about the behind-the-scenes moments that shaped this iconic chapter of his career.

Get ready to be transported through time and sound, as we explore the intersections of soul and blues in the heart of NYC. Join us on "Musicians Reveal with Joe Kelley" for a soul-stirring conversation with Bobby Harden – a musical journey you won't want to miss

www.bobbyharden.com

www.musiciansreveal.com

And right now we are going to introduce a great friend of ours.

We've known him for many years.

He hails from Youngstown, Ohio and been living in New York City area for a long, long time.

And he's got a brand new album which is available.

He's out on tour doing various dates.

We'll talk about it.

The soulful voice of Mr. Bobby Hardin.

It's called river of Soul, his latest release.

And we welcome once again to the Upper Room with Joe Kelly and wbuf Bobby Hardin.

How you doing Bobby?

I'm doing great Joe, and how are you?

We're doing great and got, you know, we were talking off air about, you know, we wanted to have you on for, for months but basketball got in the way here and but you know, you're here so thanks a lot.

Everything was getting in the way, you know, like.

But everything happens at the right time, right?

That's right, yeah.

So the last time we talked, you know, a few years ago.

But you've been hard at work writing a new record with your big band, coming off some big dates at BB Kings.

Tell us about what's been going on when you hit BB Kings in the full band.

Well, you know, the band is called Soul purpose and we, B.B.

king has been really good to us.

We do two shows and we always get a good turnout for the most part a good turnout for some really wonderful walk ins and actually I met a wonderful, wonderful.

I don't like calling people fans because I just like, I like calling my friends.

But he is really, he has become not only a great fan but a great friend too.

And he is actually helping me a lot.

He's from the UK so when I did my record relief concert he was bringing his family over six generations.

Okay, six family members came over.

So he googled he, B.B.

king to see who was playing and he saw my name and then he went to my website and you know, and then he contacted me and we started communicating.

But I thought he was probably one of the fans that I picked up from, well, fan friends from the Blues river tours because we pick up a lot of people from, you know, people that really just want to stay in touch with you.

So I thought he might have been one of the friends that I met along the way and come to find out.

So we're communicating.

So finally make a long story short, he came to McCallsley, brought the six generations and it was, and they just were the best.

And he and I have been communicating regularly.

He's actually, you know, really promoting me and helping Me, you know, make things happen, you know, along with my manager, Richard, and I. Richard, we just like, he.

We need 10,000 more of Chaz Brooks, that's his name, and he's just a great guy.

So BB King has been really good to us because, I mean, good for us because, you know, you pick up a lot of new fans and you pick up and you sell some CDs.

How about that?

This is always a good thing.

Nothing like singing on stage in Times Square, right?

Yeah, yeah.

You know, so it's good.

And people enjoy the show, you know, they enjoy the show and.

Yeah, So I like B.B.

king, you know, and we do the Cutting Room.

I did the Cutting Room once.

Probably go back, I don't know when, but B.B.

king has been good and, you know, we're going to do the Bitter End soon.

But we're getting ready to go be at the Turning Point, which is a really great room.

I performed that Room at that Room years ago with Chris Carter, when Chris Carter came out with this record.

But the Turning Point point has.

We're going to be back there March 18th.

It's going to be two sets.

It's going to be a wonderful show.

So I hope everybody come out and support.

It's in Fairmont, New York, a wonderful, wonderful venue, you know, and they love music and they really have a lot of great acts there.

So I'm just glad and honored that they're going to have us at the turning point.

March 18th.

That's right.

Eight o' clock and 9:30 are the showtimes.

And you have the whole band there.

Turningpointcafe.com and we got to get into some music.

Bobby.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

We're gonna go with the lead off track, which by the way, our listeners can go to bobbyharden.com bobbyh a r-e n.com the video is up there.

Now, before we hit the track, tell us about the video making of this video.

Right in New York, right?

Yep.

The video is Where Is the Love?

And we're fortunate to find this couple to produce produce it.

They were a young couple and we hired them and I hate to say it, but they were within my budget and they did a great job.

I mean, a really great job.

You know, they followed me around in Brooklyn and Manhattan and we did something in Harlem and we got some shots of some, you know, some really cool sites, you know, locations, and they edited and I was totally impressed, you know, totally, totally impressed.

And we plan on using them again real soon for another track.

So it's called where's the Love?

Which is one of my favorite songs, where's the Love?

Written co written with Gene Torres, my bass player.

And it's really a bass track, you know, it's just one of those tracks that like hypnotic tracks, you know, and I love it.

So it's called where's the Love?

And is that the one you're going to play?

Yeah, that's coming up right now.

This is Bobby Hardin right here on the Upper Room with Joe Kelly here at WVOF.

And Bobby Hardin, great voice of Mr. Bobby Hardin.

Great songwriter and stellar performer.

He commands the stage.

As you can see his various performances.

So you've been working this record, which is outstanding.

Besides your voice, you've got.

I was telling Kavi, you're working with Leon from Saturday Night Live.

Right?

Right.

Leon Pendarvis, he saved my butt.

He came in and helped finish up some mixes and he did the mastering and some editing and he actually just saved my butt, you know.

He was great.

Also, Dave McNair, who was mixing the record, did a great job on five little tracks.

He got his whole schedule just like became really, really, you know, hectic.

So he could not finish up.

He had a lot of stuff going on.

And so Leon stepped in and helped me finish it up and it was like, wow, you know, he just slam dunked it, you know.

Leon Pendavis, how good does that get, Right?

That's right.

Yeah.

How many people can work with Leon Pendavis?

How many people can really call him like, he's like a brother to me, you know, And I met him through the original Blues Brothers Band and Lou Marini.

When I first got the job with a bridging of Blues Brothers, I think Leon was doing the Saturday Night Live, so he didn't go out on the first tour that I went on.

But Lou had told him, said, man, when you meet Bobby, you're going to.

You and Bobby going to click like, you know, gravy on rice.

And Leon said, yeah, he was right.

We just, you know, you meet people and it's just like that, you know.

And Leon is just one hell of a person, you know, just a good hearted person and extremely talented.

And obviously he got the best gig in town and he deserved it.

I'm looking at your schedule.

We're talking right now here on the 7th, but a little over two weeks.

You're taking that long flight over to Tokyo with the.

With the Blues Brothers, right?

Yes, we're going to.

We're going to be in Tokyo.

We're going to play the.

The Blue Note.

The Blue Note four nights.

And then we fly over to Australia and then we do the music festival there.

That's going to be.

I'm looking forward to it though.

I love Japan.

We hadn't been in like I think three or years, five years, but I am looking so forward to it.

And it's just the people, you know, come and the fans come and they just love the original Blues Brothers, you know, and they're really die hard fans.

And I'd never been to Australia before, so I am really looking forward to that trip.

You know, unfortunately, we're just going to fly over.

I think we land, I think we can maybe sleep.

I think I have to look at the dinner or either we're going to perform and then, you know, the next day we're on the plane back.

You know, some people say, oh, you're so lucky.

I say, yeah, I am lucky to go to a lot of places, but some of these places you just like, you know, you put one foot on the ground and you start running and then you run right back to the airport, you know.

But either way it's all good.

Japan and Australia, looking forward to it very much.

And then it's a show which is going to be really cool.

I love seeing the outdoor shows.

Prospect park in Brooklyn.

You and Sole Purpose booked a play there, right?

Yes, at the Picnic House.

It's a wonderful fundraiser.

Wonderful, wonderful fundraiser.

And we have been doing it for the past three years now.

And Cal Lovett is like a special guest and Joe Perry, he'll be playing with, with, with us, with my band.

And Joe Perry actually has, he has a radio station too, but he co wrote get on the Right Track with Me and yeah, so he's a really great guitar player and we wrote a couple of songs together and so it's going to be at the Picnic House.

It was a wonderful event.

Check it out.

Brooklyn, Prospect Park.

You cannot.

They have wonderful food.

I mean, it's so, just so much fun.

And people come and they have all this great food and we play.

You know, I do a concert and then Cal comes, comes in and he, he plays several songs with my band, you know, and we just have a good rock and good time, you know, and we get people up, dance and have a great time.

If you just tuned in, Bobby Hardin is my special guest from New York City, bobbyharden.com and more importantly, March 18, Bobby and his band Sole Purpose at the Turning Point, Piedmont New York.

March 18th.

Doors open, 8 o'.

Clock.

He said first set 9 o', clock, right?

9 of 9pm yeah.

And once you be, you don't leave.

Okay?

Don't worry about any other time.

Just get there by 8.

And the first set is 9pm that's right.

And river of Soul is a CD.

You'll have that ready, ready for sale.

Oh yeah, it's on the whole CD.

You can get the CD on CD baby.com and then if you just.

If you're into just MP3s, you just go to iTunes.

You can go to iTunes Amazon.com and.

Or I think CD baby.com you can get them on the MP3s also.

But if you want the hardcover.

And it's a really great looking cd.

The CD was designed by Mac Rockman and he's great.

He designed my.

Well, originally my first CD sold perfect.

Was designed by this guy named Arno Hidaku, who did a great job.

But what happened was the plant, when I sold out, the plant had closed and didn't give me my plates.

And so I had to have it redesigned.

But by that time I had all my dreadlocks cut off and I had this look.

So this other guy.

That's when Matt Rockman stepped in and designed the new first cd.

And then I said, he did such a great job.

I want him to do redesign because he has his own style.

It's really great.

So it's worth ordering the whole CD on cdbaby.com plus the music.

Smoking, right?

Yes, the music is smoking.

It's great.

We have some like Cliff Lyons wrote all the horn arrangements, did an amazing job.

He did an amaz amazing job.

And he did it as a gift to me.

You know, Cliff's been with me for a long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.

Reggie Pittman is on the playing trumpet.

I have John Hines playing trumpet on a couple of songs.

And Reggie has been with me a long time.

So here's the band.

Cliff Lyons on sax, Reggie Pittman on trumpet, Ron Thompson on keys, Gene Torres on bass, Herbie Maitland on guitar, Richie Gonzalez on drums, Joyce Stovall and Carol Silvan on background vocals.

And all of these band members have been with me for so long.

I think Richie Gonzalez has been with me for the longest, but I've known Carol Sylvan for the longest.

But all of them, they just.

They're like true family members.

You know, they have my back.

They been there for me and with me for a very long time.

And my promise to them is to take them on the road.

And that's my promise.

And I have an agent in Switzerland who promised me he's going to book my band.

I want to bet he books Blues Brothers.

So we bet.

He said, bobby, where's your business card?

I said, I don't have one.

I said, where's your iPhone?

Because, you know, everybody has an iPhone now.

He said, man, listen, every time you travel, you're supposed to have your business card.

I said, yeah, but, you know, everybody got iPhones now.

He said, next time I see you, I.

If you have a business card, I promise you I'll give you a tour.

But your band.

I said, well, listen, if that promise is golden, then you have to book my full band.

The horns in the background saying, I don't want a piecemeal case, I promise you.

His wife Nina was standing right there and she said, he will.

So now, my manager, we just did an electronic press kit last week.

Last week.

And that's being edited, and that's what he needs to get the ball bouncing, you know.

So.

Well, now we're getting all the tools in place to make things happen, you know, and in the meantime, you know, we're doing all the promotion here, you know, because when you're in the artist, it's, you know, Joe, you are a blessing to all of us, man.

You know, your radio station, you playing our music, you know, and you.

And letting people hear what we do.

So, you know, we have to.

We have to.

You know, if any artist or anybody in life is out there doing something, you have to just keep stepping.

Don't worry about the mile.

Just worry about the first step.

You will get to that mile if you keep stepping.

And that's my philosophy now.

And I told my manager, we're just going to continue to do.

My manager, Richard Rolfson, by the way, I have to give him a shout out because he's great.

He's like the best thing to happen to me.

You know, he's.

He used to be in the music business years ago, and then he got out of it, and then he took an early retirement and said, listen, I want to get back into the business.

I want to help you, Bobby.

So now we're working together, you know, we learning together and we learn it working together.

And he's been great.

He follows up.

He does a lot of things work on social media, you know, big time.

And he's great because along the way I have had many leads, but I just, you know, that's why Sole Purpose never got promoted because, you know, I got married and had the kids, the family, you know, and I wanted to be a father first.

I didn't want to do any traveling.

I just wanted to be there for my kids so they can know who their daddy is.

And now that one just turned 13, the other one will be 11.

And they know who I am, they're ready to kick me out of the house now.

Aren't you going on another tour, dad?

So now I can travel more.

And when the Blues Brothers came, it came at a perfect time because the Blues Brothers didn't travel to that much.

They travel just enough to make it work for me.

And now, as I said with iPhones, even when I travel now, once they see me on FaceTime, you know, for a couple of minutes, they say, okay, we're good to go.

We don't need to talk.

We just need to see you.

So it's working out in a really wonderful way because, as I said, the kids, we're bonded, and my wife is.

First of all, it's just the two of us in New York.

So, you know, it's hard when, you know, have family to help out.

So it worked out perfectly that, you know, I didn't travel as much.

And now that things are, in my opinion, like, ready to go in, the opportunities I feel like will come now.

And they are coming.

You know, as I said, this guy named Chaz Brooks.

Shaz, I wish you could hear this man, because your ear should be ringing.

He's just great.

He's really.

He's working on even trying to get me an article in Soul Soul, Soul Bag magazine over there in uk, you know, and so that's what I'm talking about.

The little things.

We just doing our part, and the universe is going to do its part, you know, so that's all I can say on that.

All right.

Hey, Bobby Harden's with you.

Got time for one more segment?

Oh, sure.

Okay.

We gotta play another song from Bobby Harding called Not Ready.

And this is from riverofsoul bobbyharden.com and you'll hear from Bobby once again.

Right?

All right.

Once again, another standout track for Mr. Bobby Hardin called Not Ready from River Soul.

And Bobby, join us.

Thanks for taking time.

Bobby, you there?

Yeah, I'm here.

Okay.

So thank you for having me, brother.

No, we got to have you on anytime.

And we were talking off air about you coming to the studio, bringing.

Bringing the Sole Purpose Band and turning out the house here.

I'm gonna bring every.

The brain that.

All of them.

We're gonna come and we're gonna do a concert, and we gonna.

We gonna turn it Out.

Hey, we were also discussing off air about, you know, one day you wanted to head on down to New Orleans to make a record, right?

Yeah, you know, I'm thinking like, you know, because the Meters and the Never Brothers, my all time favorite, you know, I just love, you know, like that's why I actually do hate Blocky Way and Yellow Moon in my show, you know, because like, oh my God, you know, those two grooves are like.

So I'm one or two things.

I don't know.

I mean this is all floating around ideas because, you know, it case money to do these things and you know, indie artist, you know, you just can't, you know, pick up and do that.

So I mean, I have to figure out, well, I won't say some indie artist can't.

I'm working on that to be able to do that.

And what I'm thinking about doing is trying to save up either, you know, going there, just finding a producer to produce the next record or telling my band members, come on, just get a couple of minivans.

I have one and my keyboard has one.

Let's all drive down.

Whoever wants to be on the wrecks, just drive down and let's do some recording, you know, so.

Or even fly the producer here.

But you know, it becomes cautious.

I'm thinking about it all, you know.

But the other ideal situation would be to get Leonp and Darvis to produce the next record, you know.

And I already mentioned I'm keep putting a bug in Steve Cropper's ear.

Steve, you got to produce a track for me.

So anytime, you know, and Steve Cropper, let me tell you something, he's just, he's just as nice as they come and just as humble.

I mean I really, from day one, you know, I felt like, wow, you know, like Steve Cropper and this guy just, you know, he's just a regular everyday person.

Just opens his heart and his arms and his, you know, and his love, you know, immediately.

And so he's just been fantastic, you know, fantastic, you know.

So I'm trying to get him to produce.

I know he's going to do one, I'm going to get him, he's going to produce a track for me, you know, just a single, you know, because that's what I want to do maybe in between the next record before, you know, but you never know.

Money is all, you never know when money's a project will come in, you know, I would like to get Steve Crawford to produce one track.

You know, I can handle that.

Produce a track, for me.

And.

And then, like I say, another goal is to go to New Orleans and let find a producer there to produce this funky, funky James Brown meets the Meter thing, you know, happen.

Because, you know, when I'm on stage, you know, something happens.

You know, sometimes I can be limping, but when I get on that stage, there's no limp, you know, it's just.

You know, I just love the energy.

I love the magic of being up there.

And I love just going into that zone where, you know, I'm just at one with the music and with the audience, you know, it's just something happens, you know?

And sometimes, to be honest, when I want to listen to myself at a place, like I said, that didn't sound so good.

But I never.

When I'm up there, I just feel great, you know, I just feel great.

And it's just magic.

So when I have all this other.

The Meters and music like that, and it just brings the whole show together.

So I'm working on.

Those are some of the ideas for the next record, because I'm ready.

But Sole Purpose is a really great record, so I want to promote that properly.

I didn't do it to Sole Purpose, my first record.

Don't get confused, listeners.

Sole Purpose was the name of my first record.

But my band is Soul Purpose.

Because I love the name so much, I said, wow.

We were trying to come up with a name.

We had all these names, and my manager, he was tough, he said, nah, nah, nah, no.

He was shooting my ideas down and I shot some of his down.

But finally we came up with a compromise and we knew he came up with a part of it.

And I said, well, yeah, that's it.

That's it, you know.

So now we have the name of Soul Purpose.

And the name of the CD is River of Soul.

That's right, River.

Saltbobbyhardin.com and before we get into two more tracks and say good night.

Youngstown, Ohio.

When did you leave Youngstown?

Oh, I left Ohio back In, let me see, 70, 79.

Okay.

Yeah, I got a good friend out there.

He's.

He's in a band, Sound Doctrine, Jerry B. Oh, really?

Yeah, yeah.

Jazz funk outfit.

Yeah.

Well, young Sound, you know, Ohio got a lot of great talent, you know.

Oh, yeah.

Wow.

A lot of great talent.

You know, they're full of great talent.

And I started out in the church, you know, And I tell you something, I look back, I said how lucky and blessed I was to hear those older people.

Their voices were so, like, unique and golden.

You know, so I grew up in the church, you know, a lot of the soul singers, that's where they grew up, in the church.

You know, it's just something, something happened.

But before I. I want to mention, give a shout out to Brian Knox who co wrote many of the songs with me.

You know, he did a great job and Brian was there from the beginning and we, he just, we were actually trying to mix the whole project but we just wasn't getting it right.

And then all of a sudden, you know, things just of kind came about.

Dave McNear came in and mixed some and then Leon came and finished it up.

So it all worked out.

But Steve Bryant Knox, I miss my brother.

He's a great songwriter and great.

Ivan Botley played on the record, I told you, all my guys from the band, they played on the record.

Adrian Harpham, he produced several of the tracks.

You know, he did a great job.

You know, it's a lot of people involved, you know, in helping me with this project because I could not have done it by myself.

I really couldn't.

So I'm very fortunate to have so many people come to my rescue and be there for me and most importantly, all the people, the fans, friends that have been there for me when I do the BB Kings.

People come out.

I haven't seen people in years and they come out.

So it's just, it's just great, you know, it's really great.

Very fortunate.

Also Gregory Jones, you know, Gregory Jones is a great bass player too.

He played on the record, you know, just a lot of cool, wonderful musicians.

And then what's his name?

Tony Stevenson.

I had several good bass players on this project.

Tony Stevenson played bass.

Yeah, it's good, it's good.

A guy named Robin McIntyangay, he played guitar.

I have to list everybody because I don't want anybody to piss with me, you know.

That's right.

And Paul Schellick recorded at his Capture Sounds a lot of the tracks, not all of them, but most of the tracks recorded at Paul Schellich's Capture Sound studio.

So I think I got everybody in.

And I glossed over the producers of your video, Anana K and Arakli G, who did a fantastic job.

Right.

Didn't they do a great job?

They do a great job and we plan on using them for the next one.

They did a fantastic job and they were wonderful, lovely couples too.

They really made it happen.

And.

And we look forward to the next one.

So.

So which one?

Which song you want me to do the next Video on.

Well, well, we were, we were talking maybe try again.

And let's get real.

We're gonna drop both tracks and, and thank you, Bobby, for coming by.

And also encourage our crowd to go out to see Bobby Hardin and sole purpose of the Turning Point at The Piedmont Cafe, March 18, 8 o', clock, doors open, 9 o', clock, showtime, two sets and bobbyharden.com so, yeah, and I.

Would also like to encourage your listeners, if you just go to itunes and download one song, maybe where's the Love?

You know, I think it's a great song, but if you listen to the other ones, you want just one track, that would be a big, big help to my, my goal goals and my career.

So if you're listening, you know, if you.

The whole city is really great cd Baby dot com.

You can get it there.

But if you just want just but one track, 99 cents.

About that, you know, nobody's gonna go broke from spending.

99 cents.

That's right.

That's great promotion.

That's.

That's the way you got to do.

But it's a great cd.

Yeah.

All straight through the nine tracks.

And hey, Bobby, thanks, brother, for, as always, for coming by.

Oh, anytime, Joe.

And we're going to schedule that concert and we're going to have a great time.

And thank you for doing what you do.

You're a blessing all of us and to your listeners because you introduced them to wonderful music.

So thank you.

Thank you very much.

All right, Bobby Harden here at wvof.

Two in a row.

Try again and let's get real.

In just a few moments, we'll be joined by Toronto musician Jenny Law.

So thanks, Bobby.

Thank you.