Singer and Musician Geno O Corleone Q&A

Singer and Musician: Geno O Corleone Q&A

 

Q. Tell us a little about the artist Geno O Corleone?
A. First of all, I would like to thank you for having me! I was born in Chicago and raised in Hopkins Park and Kankakee, Illinois to Neugene and Terrisa Watkins. I’m just a country boy that loves to sing. I'm a father, husband and brother who loves his family and strives to do things that are good in their eyes…showing them that you can still be positive even if the world around you is negative. I believe that I must lead by example.

Q. How long have you been crafting your musical skills?

A.  I've been singing since the fourth grade. I received my first standing ovation in my fifth grade class, which was supposed to be a punishment for humming in class. I was ordered to sing in front of my classmates, that's when I knew what I wanted to do.

Q. What was your inspiration to signing and getting involved with music?

A. My first inspiration was me, because at one time I was the only fan I had. Later on, my inspirations were some of my family members such as my uncles, Paul Watkins and Casanova Brown, and my Auntie Olivia and Uncle John Purnell. I knew I just wanted to share what I could do with the world.

Q. What makes your sound of music different and unique from other artist and musicians?

A. I can say that when I hear other artist, to me a lot of them follow the trends, so, they all sound the same. There's no feeling in the music. I just write what I feel. If I don't feel the music, I won't do it. I write about love, togetherness, loyalty and how to be uplifted when things are stacked up against you. I write about reality.

 

Q. Who were some of your influences while growing up?

A. There's a lot of them. Michael Jackson was very explosive on stage, Marvin Gaye and Luther Vandross - their ranges were phenomenal. Today's influences…Musiq SoulChild, Stokley Williams from Mint Condition, Chris Brown, etc. There are many more of course.

Q. Where do you get your motivation from?

A. All motivations come from God period. Then there's my wife Ta-sia Watkins and my daughter T'sunyea Watkins. They truly are the ones that keep me going. I love them very much!

Q. Can you name some of the projects that you recently released and/or are working on?

A. I just released my EP in October entitled “Decisions”. I just finished two events in Kankakee, Illinois, at Que it Up Bar and Grill, which was awesome, and the Northfield Square Mall, which was very fun to do. I've also performed in Wisconsin at the Stones Throw Club. It was amazing! I’m setting up now to host events in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. I'm also half way through my LP entitled “Reflection." Those that like the first release are going to love the next one.

Q. What can your fans and listeners expect from you in the future?

A. More of the same, but with a different variety of music from Pop, R&B, Soul, Jazz and Gospel.

Q. Would you like to add anything else before we close the interview?

A. Yes, I would like to thank Five-Star Beats and Omni Beats for the wonderful work they do in music production. Their music is phenomenal! If you are an artist who's trying to be in this business it gets hard, but don't give up on yourself or your dreams. Just remember that the best critic that you'll have is ‘self.’ Keep pushing! Love family!