Mic Check: Chronicling the musical travels of singer Beth Griffith-Manley

Songstress Beth Griffith-Manley has enjoyed enough music experiences to fill a lifetime.

A Detroit native and daughter of the late Johnny Griffith — one of the original Funk Brothers — Griffith-Manley has had extended tenures as a background singer for Anita Baker and, presently for R&B crooner Kem, in addition to appearances on NBC’s The Voice and her burgeoning solo career as an independent R&B/soul artist.

Growing up, she was initially discouraged from pursuing a music career by her dad who had endured Motown’s flight from Detroit to Los Angeles in the 1970s, which drastically shifted the fortunes of the artists that the label left behind.

Listen: Chronicling the musical travels of Beth Griffith-Manley

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

On why her father initially discouraged her from pursuing a music career:

My father (Johnny Griffith) was one of the original Funk Brothers for Motown. When I was born, he became a music teacher at Northwestern High School in Detroit. I initially didn’t know about his history or his contribution to American R&B music. My father didn’t want me to pursue music because of the hurt, pain and heartache that he had experienced with Motown leaving (Detroit) and its musicians behind when they moved to Los Angeles, Calif. Once Motown moved to LA, they filtered in a lot of musicians from there, and the musicians that were staples for Detroit, Motown and Studio A were bitter about that. Growing up in my household, there were rules. My parents were strict on me getting my education. Music was something that enhanced you or added to your education, but it was never the focus.

On touring with Anita Baker as a background singer:

It was amazing. I learned so much. I got the job as I had been working with Michael Powell (Baker’s producer at the time), and I asked him specifically about working with her. I was aspiring to only be a background singer, and she was an artist that I felt I could learn something from while seeing the world. I ended up getting the job and it was amazing to watch her command the stage and handle her business. I am grateful to learn from her. She used to joke and say, “You know, you’re in boot camp because you’re going to be a solo artist one day.” And I would say, “Oh, no, no, no. I’m not going to be up front like you. I’m fine back here – whooping and ‘shoop-shoop’ing.” But she was right.

On a standout moment touring/singing background for Anita Baker:

She gave me the name for my social media handle “Beth Always Sings.” I’ll never forget that. I don’t know what we were talking about, but she said, “Oh, well, Beth always sings.” And I’m like, “You know what? That’s kind of catchy.” And it stuck. It became my email address and eventually became my social media handle on Facebook and Instagram. So that is something that I’ve carried with me besides the teaching, professionalism and dedication.

On what led to her working and touring with KEM:

I was doing some studio sessions for people and a friend of mine, who’s still my friend to this day, asked, “Have you heard of Kem?” I was like, “Yeah, I’ve heard of him.” He was up and coming and was touring. My friend says, “I think they’re looking for singers and I think you’d be great for the job.” They submitted me to his then manager, Toya Hankins. I talked to her on the telephone. They were on the road and told me that once they got home from the tour, they would be making some personnel changes. Coincidentally, Kem and I had met earlier on the set of “Sparkle.” I was body doubling and standing in for Whitney Houston. He had a position in the movie where he was the host of a show. There was a scene where he made an appearance in the movie. We were both on set and that’s when we met. Once we made that connection and through talks with his manager, he and I started working together shortly after.

On what it was like to appear on the television show The Voice:

I was scouted out. I had already released my first album, which is called Free. Somebody apparently had seen my album, contacted my manager and invited me to audition. I wanted to grow in my career and do something different and figured out what better way to do that than to get on TV.  I learned a lot working with Kelly Clarkson and John Legend. I still remember the mentoring and the words of advice and encouragement that they gave me.

Being in Hollywood was great. It was nerve wracking because you see people getting sent home all throughout your audition process. Even when you make it out to Los Angeles, you could be hanging out with somebody one night, and the next morning you see them in the lobby with their luggage getting sent home. That keeps you on your toes. When you finally make it to TV, you have already been through a lot.

How her appearance on The Voice changed her life:

People think I’m famous now [laughs].  I appreciate the support. It grew my fan base and opened doors. It strengthened me as an artist because I went through a lot of rehearsals and auditions. My whole mindset for performing is different now. It was a whole different level of performing with strict time schedules, deadlines, early mornings and late nights.

On how she stays grounded and balanced:

One of the things that keeps me grounded is my family. I am a caregiver to my mom who has dementia, so that is a daily task. I’m grateful that she’s still here and can still smile and give me a kiss. My days are basic — I’m in the gym every day. I try to eat healthy, take care of my house, be a good daughter and be a good wife. I’m running to the grocery store, I’m online paying bills, you know, the same stuff everybody else is doing. But when the phone rings and it’s time to go sing, I’m ready.

On the advice she would give aspiring singers and what her immediate future looks like:

I would tell them (aspiring artists/singers) to make sure that they’re open to learning, and to be mentored and coached. Always continue moving forward. Somebody once told me: “When you move forward in your life, every accomplishment, and every great thing that you do is a brick. You lay the brick and keep going. One day you’re going to turn around and look behind you and you’re going to have a whole street paved and you’re not even going to realize it.” If you look at it from the perspective of building a good foundation by laying bricks, it will motivate you to keep going.

I’ve been putting music out as an independent artist and that is not an easy task. I have great people that work with me and I’m looking forward to the future. The last album I released was Grammy-considered. I’m proud of that. I’m a Detroit girl working to carry on the legacy of my father, but also to make my own mark.

To keep track of news, updates, concerts and releases, visit bethalwayssings.com.