Free Your Mind With LKJ – Linda Nelson, I Wanna Rock With You

Hello and welcome to this week's Free Your Mind with LKJ. Today I have the wonderful Linda Nelson joining me. Linda has over 29 years in the entertainment industry. She has the knowledge and experience, and with a large network of music industry professionals, she opens the doors to dreams. She loves assisting underprivileged youth to connect with professionals and advance their career. She has worked for most major networks, labels, and film companies in the capacity of A&R, artist development, talent coordinator, producer, director, associate producer, Some of Linda's industry credits include working for the Recording Academies, NARAS, the Grammys full-time for many years, and working freelance MTV talent relations for many years also, and all live events all over the world. Linda has worked with major labels in A&R talent relations on all major award shows, Grammys, MTV Video Music and Movie Awards, American Music Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, CMT Music Awards, Billboard Awards, World Music Awards, Emmys, the Oscars, People's Choice Awards, Critics' Choice Awards, Golden Globes Awards, SAG Awards, as well as talent relations with most major recording artists, actors, actresses for 29 years and more. Movie and TV credits include Miss Congeniality 1 and 2, Edward Scissorhands, 4 seasons on the Showtime original show The L Word, HBO Boxing, all major lights, MTV and VH1 talent relations, ABC, Fox Sports, and ESPN, Monday Night NFL football, on VH1's Basketball Wives Miami Season 5, music production and consultation for various recording artists. And so much more. So in one word, icon. That's what Linda Nelson is. She's an icon. She's multi-talented in what she does, but she's also a songwriter. And I'm going to bring Linda in now so our listeners can, um, hear Lynn's story. Start with, you know, how Lynn came to be this major wonderful person and an icon that encourages people and through her life is helping underprivileged children as well as being a management company. So Linda, how are you? I'm good, how are you? Thank you for having me on. Thank you. So Lynn, if you can just, if possible, Let's hear you explain. That's the bio I read in that's been written about you. You tell us who you are. I'm a humble, grateful, helpful, passionate person who loves to help others and also loves the music industry. I don't know, it's hard to explain yourself, I guess. The thing being is, you know, you are humble and quite shy, etc. So when you have this huge, um, bio that, you know, with the Oscars, the Grammys, MTV, you know, working on films with Miss Congeniality, etc., you know, this is somebody who expects to be very, very outgoing, as we see some of the artists, you know, they're there, you know, they're right in the forefront with these directors, yet you're very humble. I've always stayed humble throughout my whole career and life. It's all my motto is always help others, and that's what I do. And yes, and I can— we've got some exciting news to announce regarding yourself. And helping others, and especially one person later in the show. So let's take you back to— can you just tell us about your childhood, where you grew up? Can we start at the beginning? Where was Lynn born? I was born in Los Angeles, California, a long time ago. And keep— we don't— you don't have to give the listeners like most ladies and our listeners that Age is something that we try to protect and hide. I know, I know. No, you know, I don't feel old anyway, but, um, I grew up in Southern California. Um, I used to be a surfer girl when I was growing up, uh, because I lived near the beach and I loved the water. Uh, I had an okay family life, but pretty much most of my life I've been out on my own because I'm been independent from, I think, from the day that I was born. So when did you leave home? What age was you when you left home? I left home when I was 17 years old. I went— I actually— I don't know how to explain it. I fell in love with somebody and we ended up getting married. So I got married at a young age. And, it didn't last very long because he was, in the Marine Corps and he was killed in a war. And that was really hard for someone that 17 years old or 18 years old. And so I went in, you know, to this dark place, and I ended up bringing myself out of it because I will— it wasn't really in my nature, but I wanted to be a force and help people that have experienced traumas in their life, even at that young age. Well, just in that small, um, minute of opening up, as we begin to free your mind on this show, leaving home, being nurtured by your parents and going to school, being a surfer, living by the sea, Very free, very free spirit. And being that free spirit in your own open space, you know, and having that and having lots of sunshine around you, because a lot of people, you know, with our weather is very different. You know, like in England, the rain, we have the snow, the winds, you know, there's not many days in the UK, can I say, it's so hot that you'll be surfing and living the dream. That you were doing. Because most people, for us, I was born in California, I went to school in California, the sunshine, the waves, the freedom, Hollywood, everything else, that's massive, you know, it is a dream. But as you said, when we are young and, um, first love Your first love, there's nothing like, you know, your first love. Yeah, agreed. It teaches us how to— a different love from our parents' love. You find somebody that you connect with and you fall deeply in love with this person. And I think every listener knows who their first love was. But your first love, you married. People would be saying, "What's she doing marrying at this age? You're still a child." But your heart knew by fate, by somebody else opening their heart up and loving you, and the sadness— Yeah, it was magical even though I was really young. Yes, to be married to somebody who was in the Marines, that gave his life, as well as his love for you, gave his love for his country. And then to be killed himself, that trauma. So as you're going through adolescence, being, you know, from a teenager, still in the teenage years, your mind's still learning, finding out who you were. You knew your character, you knew you're free-spirited, this love, but this free spirit had then been catapulted from this wonderful sunshine, from this love, surrounding by love, which is a wonderful gift. If we can ever have that to our hearts or our minds, it isn't one to be snatched and taken away from you so young. But the thing, the thing too was I was always into music even when I was growing up. My, my mom and dad were both singers, and my mom had a catering business where she catered, um, all the big stars in the green room during the concerts. They hired her to do the green room for the major recording artists, and I was her little assistant. So, so I got to, I got to meet a bunch of people. Yeah. So for me and the listeners in the UK that, you know, you say the green room, what is it? Can we open up a little bit more? What is the green room? They call the green room as a place for like, um, the celebrities. It's like a waiting room before they go on stage, and it's, you know, catered with food and drinks. And, uh, now I know that the celebrities have what they call riders in their contracts, and you have to supply whatever they have put in their contracts. So I got to learn at a young age how to, you know, sort all that out as well. I can imagine, you know, that green room is so busy, you know, everybody in there and trying to get everything, you know, all the teams and that going in there. So there must have been an air of magic in there. There was an air of magic, and I must have absorbed some of it because I decided that I wanted to do music, and that's basically what I pursued, but it was also that music healed me part of the way as well. The thing being, music is a powerful, powerful tool, you know, that, you know, journalists or anything we do. And like we're saying, the words of the alphabet— as I always come back to this, words of the alphabet— where we talk from a young age, um, how to speak what to do, it expresses our character by using those letters of the alphabet, defines you, it defines who you are because of your character that you are building. Because those letters of the alphabet is— we use through expression. And then not only learning to speak, we then teach Yoruba how to express through music. And you were saying your mum and both your father was a singer, obviously with a green room. So in this green room, did they, when the food's going on and the recording artist is waiting to go on stage, etc., so did they like serve food and just get up and sing? Or was it— Basically what we would do is we would set up the catering area, which they would go just, you know, eat whatever they wanted. And then during the— when a lot of the time we were just out waiting for them, you know, needing more food or something, and then we'd bring other things into the room. Yeah. Okay. Making sure that they were all prepared, they had everything they needed. Yeah. But where did your parents sing? My mom sang in a group called Sweet Adelines, and my dad was in Barbershop Quartet. Wow. So having all that and seeing how this all grew up, obviously, um, was your love for that. So when— so you're, you're in this green room and growing up with that, which was magic, and all this surfing, wonderful Californian sun etc. And then you met who became your husband, that unfortunately died. Where did you meet him? Did you meet him— did he have any connection with the Green Room? Or, you know, because also I can imagine it being quite a busy life of obviously your parents out singing groups, doing this, meeting people. There's you running around as the assistant. Did you meet him there, or was it in Some, you know, you know, we had our local drive-in that everybody used to go to and hang out, and I actually met him there. Hamburger place. One of my favorite movies is Grease. Stranded at the drive-in, Brandon. Yeah, is that what it's like? Is that the reality for us in England? And, you know, because we're trying to recreate a little bit of this American thing where we have parties in the park, movies now taken from America. You know, you can go with your car and watch a movie in your car and have your food. There are in Disney, you know, they're doing this setup where they've got the moving people in their cars. So this driving, so as Grease is, that it— would you say to me, anyone that's, you know, loves the movie Grease, that's exactly how it is? Drive-ins were really cool, actually. They were one of my favorite things. You're going and sitting in your car eating popcorn, watching a movie. The next time I go to America, I have got to go to a drive-in. They're actually starting to bring them back now. It's kind of cool. Yeah, during the pandemic, they had drive-in concerts. They would, uh, people would go to the drive-in and they would build a stage and the artists would perform and people would sit in their cars and enjoy the music. That's amazing. And that was showing even through that, through COVID, through lockdown, pandemic, everyone being shut in, that music was still important. Yes. Music needed to help our mental health. Music does help our mental health and bring us out. So yeah, amazing. We'll talk a little bit later about pandemic and how it affected people, American people, in your music thing. You know, it's just opening up and touching on that at the moment. So you met your husband through this, um, I can't remember the name of the drive-in. It was a hamburger place. Oh, it might have been McDonald's actually. Um, the very first, the very first McDonald's was in the hometown, my hometown. So it was a big thing. It first came from your hometown too, so you tasted the, the, um, the first part because McDonald's is huge now. When you look at that going back, you know, years ago, um, and with McDonald's opening that in there, which was obviously like drive-throughs and everything like that, opening up the world, uh, was that May I ask, what if you was to go into McDonald's, what would be your order? Uh, nothing right now because— back then, back then when you were— back then, probably a hamburger and a milkshake and fries, the typical, you know. Well, let me tell you, it doesn't matter how old you get, that's, that's my order. I have to have a Quarter Pounder and I make my own on this, which shows my character, you know, I like to build my own on that. I still gotta have my own uptake on it, so I always go in there and they must think— and I'm in the drive-through, the people behind me must think, "Can't you just order a regular burger and just move in this drive-through?" I'm now going, "Right, I just want a Quarter Pounder with onions, but can you put some lettuce on there? Can you put some cheese on there? Can you put some tomatoes on it?" And I go, um, and I go, that's all I want, but can I have some barbecue sauce? Not on it, but in a carton that I can put the amount on. I don't want to flood my burger, wet my roll too much. Yeah. And then my milkshake and everything like that. And then I go and I think, you know, when you see this, you know, it shows where we're different, where we're going on with that and what we want. I'm a strawberry milkshake. So, um, if I ever get to meet you, we'll we can say, I'm going to take you to the McDonald's drive-through because we could connect through that. Or if I'm ever in California, it'd be nice to say, hey, I'm in California, do you want to hook up, as they say, and go to drive-in and have that experience, which would be amazing on that. And, you know, so like you say, power again of the drive-in. You know, with music, stuff like that, because they have music and everything. Even then, back then, they would have that because it was to draw the kids in and everything. So meeting Huston and going on from that. So, you know, and that difficult time being so young. So obviously having that massive loss at an early age, did you find that for your mental health and going back Did you, um, how can I put this to you? Did you just go deep in, you know, where you stayed in your home and you, um, would just listen to music to get you through grief? What got you through that grief stage, Miles, if that's not too much pressure? If it's too much pressure to ask, I'm just trying to— No, no, I understand. No, basically it was listening to music and I kept myself busy. I would volunteer even at a young age at places that need volunteers just to stay busy and to help people as well. So, and what would you do? Would you work? Would you still work? And why had to get through this grief? Because some people, you know, like over here, you can get— you have time off for compassionate leave. And then to go through— some people find it difficult to go back to work. Did you manage to still go to work, or, you know? Yeah, actually what happened was I was so upset that a friend of mine was going to Alaska, and I wanted to get away far, as far away as I could, because it was just, you know, a bunch of, of memories there. And so I ended up going to Alaska when I was I was almost 19 and went to the University of Alaska to school, and I put myself through college and worked 3 jobs during college to get through it. So, you know, when you're doing that, obviously, like, um, in America, we're doing that with people here, they're going to university, doing their degrees, you know, they're all working as well, you know, to supplement the housing and living costs whilst you're training. So also by going through that grief, you're using the power of your mind with the love of music to free it, to try and work through this pain that you've had and going into music. So this is where you study. So what is it, because of your love of music, so I want to take this further, I want to branch out further? Mm-hmm. So what, what did you study? I studied social psychology. To be where you was and to be this icon, what, what did you have to do? What do you have to do to, you know, what did you study? What was some of the main qualifications that you need to do? I went to a non-traditional school, um, what The course, you didn't have to take science, math, whatever, English, or you studied your major. And my major at the time was social psychology because it was also helping me go through, through things. And, and now it helps me help people better. I'm actually one, one semester away from my master's in social psychology. Yeah, I can totally relate to you on this, and this is this connection here, because as, as you know, you know, you would have researched myself as I research you. We do when we, um, looking to open up and know each other so we can meet on that same platform equally and honestly. Um, as you know, losing my own child, as the viewers of that know and doing it is why I took— and on my profile shows the many qualifications I did— but I took bereavement counselling, body language, mental health, law, mental health, psychology, trying to adjust, trying to find out. But I must say, when you have grief and you've lost somebody, when you're freeing your mind, you're doing it, the only way that helped me was by studying that area. It's exactly what you just said, for some people, they think, I'm really grieving, because sometimes to really understand our minds and the power of it, that you can sit with somebody and listen and, or, and reach out, is what we have, Lynne, is that by doing that, you're teaching your mind these things in your own space. But learning, even by starting that first page or studying, that how to accept and everything like that. And like with this show, it's very much about that. Bringing you on to this show is showing the listeners, you know, who you are, this icon, and with mental health. But as I've always said, at some point in our lives, we will be affected by mental health, and mental health awareness has to be there. There's people that are suffering through that. And even through, you know, as we're just at this, you know, first trimester of your career, learning, being married, you've gone through quite a lot at this time, you know, at the age. So we're putting it— so we're working up to the age of 25 at the moment, where we're showing the listener that, you know, your childhood, where you've been, where, you know, first love, the power of music, freedom of your mind, and what all of a sudden that can go bang and stop. And then you're affected by mental health, going through to do this, and by using that and say working 3 jobs, doing that, you've lost your husband again, but you're still going on, you're still going on. This was Linda. It's just in denial, so. I always had the mentality of keep moving forward and never look back because the past only hurts you. Some of the past only hurts you. So you got to keep, for your mental health, you have to keep looking forward. You do, you do. Quite, quite want to. Can, as you're saying you have to look forward, so for a listener that's listening to your story, you know, We are a third of the way into your show, and it is your show too, and you've wonderfully come on here to allow the time to express to our listeners on womensradiostation.com. There is a mental health online radio station that when that goes on, we put that out, who's the guest star, people listening, can I play that, am I helping somebody, you know, and to do that. That you are a person that is humble, Lynne, that has that time, you've come on and as you said, when you said with your mental health, you know, and going through that, that you must carry on. Can we just express, can I have your message to my listeners on your adaptation on what to do if you're suffering with that, how would you tell them? I just have I have a saying that I always tell people, keep your eyes on the road ahead and never look in the rearview mirror. You know, it's one of my favorite sayings. That's a very good thing, actually. I'm like, I'm pinching that from you. Yeah. So, no, I'm always trying to inspire people because I feel that I've been through hell and back. And if I can make it through it, other people can. I know that for a fact. Yeah. Because it wasn't easy. And, you know, I just, I did it pretty much. I don't know. Yeah. So when we're touching on that, and you, you've just now opening up to that, you've been to hell and back. Can you explain your hell? Well, my hell was growing up with parents that, I know that's gonna sound crazy after I worked with them, but my parents honestly never cared about me. They, they, they couldn't have kids, so I was adopted, but I felt that I was, like, just the token child because they were never home. I never, they never said, I love you, or gave hugs or anything like that. And so part of the reason for getting married was honestly to get out of the house because I couldn't take it anymore. My mom was always telling me that I was a loser, you know, and, and I knew that I wasn't. So, you know, I just went, I wasn't proving everybody wrong, but I just left and did my thing. And, you know, here I am. You know. Yeah, and I'll just speak to listeners now while I allow you to just, you know, a few minutes, because that is some powerful expression that the listener is going to hear too. This person that we've said, Mama Zinga, doing that as we started to warm up, and what the listener will see through this interview and then going in, as I was talking about the comforter bio, explaining about McDonald's, thinking about love. I'm touching on first of parents and where you're coming from. And now we're into that section that when you do talk, when you start opening up and the voice listens, you know, sorry, the ear listens to your voice as it's coming through, which you've now got to that stage. So if you are speaking to somebody and you need counseling, you need anything, you know, give it time. Give it time. Even on this show, we're giving it time for you to relax into that and to free it. Or if you're studying, whatever, you can't just go bang, here I am, this is what's wrong with me. You have to have trust, building trust. And even in this interview, it's building trust with each other to get the balance of the scales together. So we can help somebody. And for you, and you know, for a lot of people say, I've kept that in, I can't show that, you know, you know, people think I'm weak. The best thing you can do to yourself is to open up and free your mind and feel yourself. You've had this where you said, you're basically, there's two parents that are in, you know, they've got this green room, all the celebrities are in there. All this food is in there, you were there helping out doing stuff. But for them, you know, before where they were doing this and singing in the band, they wanted a trophy. And because they couldn't have children, they went down the adoption route. So their Oscar was having an adopted baby. The adopted baby was Lynn Nelson. Lynn Nelson that knew for some reason from the day she was born, as we go back onto that, that you were a fighter, you were somebody gone, because unbeknown to your mind, your soul, which came in when we created— God gives us the gift of life, but you are created— that you had to fight because you had to fight from that very beginning because you were being given away. For what reason, I don't know. We will touch on that. Um, well, one thing that happened after I left and did all that I've done, my mom, well, she knew what I was doing, but she was also very jealous of me, and I didn't ever understand that. You know, I'd never, if, because I had to go through the process of what, well, you know, they show me they don't care. Why did, why is she jealous of me being so independent? You know, I, I finally figured it out in the end, but, you know, it's just, Yes, we're saying about that, we'll touch on that in a moment. I'll come back to that question with you, that, um, why was she jealous of you? Because, you know, when you're born, you've had to fight, you've had to come along and fight for yourself through the world to go in there. But you've had this, this, you know, high-profile people got their trophy. 'Hey, look what we've got.' So the center of attention is there. But through their teachings, has taught you to be independent. They taught you to be independent from, you know, when they're taking— they've got their trophy, 'Right, here's my trophy, but I'm going to put you on the side and occasionally bring you out and polish you. Go, hey, look at this, look what I've got.' But as that trophy learns to stand on its own, as collectively other trophies coming in trophies, not necessarily with children, just whether they're having to stand and shine on its own because they were too busy to come and polish it. Those days of polishing their trophy had gone. So you had become independent. You had come to a point where, you know, oh, and then, oh no, no, we don't do that. We don't want to cuddle. We don't want to do that because you're fine. We're busy, go and do it, we're off singing, we're doing this. And having to learn to cope to do that was hard. And as you say, you find, you know, and when they're looking at that trophy and think, in the end what was happening was people looking at trophy and thinking, wow, isn't that a beautiful trophy sitting over there? Oh sorry, they're turning their head from the stage now to a trophy. And that's where the jealousy came in, because no matter how powerful their voice was, how powerful that green room was, how powerful the connection with celebrity life was, this trophy was the best legacy they would ever leave than any record, was the fact they adopted a child. They went into something to get adoption of that child, which became their trophy. That should have shown. They allowed it to grow, to show. And the jealousy, as I am saying to you, is that the fact that it was left there, you know, and Gonsu did go independent, but that trophy then was taking over something that they didn't want to see the trophy anymore. But, oh, you know, I might move that and put that on there. So in the end, you know, they're trying to put it into the dark to go in. In the end, that trophy went I'm destined to shine. So if it goes in a box and you put it into the garage sale and they'll come along, hey, I'll take you. When you met your husband, it was like, oh wow, look, I found this trophy in the drive-through, it was in the garage sale or something. You know where your parents are always going, out, you know, get out of there. You found him, you know what, I'm going to love this trophy. You'll be perfect. And then obviously the trophy went on and you need to decide. But was saying, "Which was you?" And for my expressions, the only way I could explain it in, you know, we're going to being somebody's trophy. We have it in life. Somebody says, "I want to marry her. She's the best-looking girl in this room. I want her." Because when I don't love her, I don't want anything like that. Or I'm going to have this person because I want to show out, like, "Look at me, look at me." Well, it's not about you, it's about that person that you're taking— Oh yeah, I know that now. Yeah. You know, so you said you finally figured it out, but what age did you finally figure out why your mother was jealous with you? Because that's my uptake on it. I don't know yourself if— was that a good explanation, or— Yeah, I figured out probably— well, actually, I have to say, when I was in college, because I was taking you know, courses, psychology courses, and I learned that people project their issues on you. Yeah. So I figured out that was probably her issue. Yeah. So we've got now where you are, um, qualified. So when you're calling— what— take us to this next section, if you may. Through life as we're building up, you know, we're going across now to build you up to where you are. So what happened then over the next 5, 10 years? Well, I basically decided that I, since I loved music so much, that I needed to be in it. And then I had this job which I got badly injured on, and they told me that I couldn't go back to the job because the injury affected it. And They retrained me and they asked me what I wanted to do. And I said, oh, I want to go to sound engineering school. I want to, you know, be a sound engineer. So they paid for me to go down to Full Sail in Florida. And I went through a 9-month course and then come to find out my music business teacher was chairman of the board of the Grammys. And he was from LA, of course, and him and I got to like talking and we would talk music. Like, for hours on end. And one day, I just decided that I was gonna ask if I could go to the Grammys. And I said, hey, you know, I'd really love to go to the Grammys. And he just looked at me and he says, okay. And then 2 months later, I'm flying to Los Angeles to go to the Grammy Awards, and I'm sitting in the 10th row with all the nominees. Yeah. Yeah. It was just amazing. Got to the top there. Yeah, and, um, so I went back to Florida because, you know, I was happy living in Florida actually. I was living right on the beach, you know, I could go out and lay in the beach anytime I felt like it. And I was in the, in the house watching TV one day when it said Grammy nominations, you know, are going to be done by Pierre Cossette Productions, blah blah. And then I, the light bulb just went on, I go I'm gonna get a job. So I called Pierre Cossette Productions, and I said, do you need any interns or anything? Yeah. We do. But do you have any references? And I'm like, yes. I have Al Schlesinger. Can I say names? Al Schlesinger as my reference. Yeah. And so they said, okay. We'll get back to you. So not even 2 hours later, they called me back, and they said, We just got the most glowing reference from Al that we've ever heard of anybody. He goes, when can you be to Los Angeles? So I'm like scrambling around trying to get to LA, and I get to LA, and instead of putting me on the TV production side because I knew Al, they put me in the Recording Academy production office just answering phones and keeping It's a live show, so they have a script, and you had to keep, you know, I had to keep the scripts and everything up to date for all the trustees and, you know, everybody that was important at the academy. So I must have done a really good job because when I— and here I am, right? No music experience except for the love of music. They entrusted me with boxes of Grammy Awards. I'm holding boxes of Grammy Awards, transporting them from the office to the venue, and then from the venue back to the office. And it was just— and then right after that, they asked me if I wanted a job, and I accepted it. And the rest is kinda history. I worked for them for almost 15 years. And then I decided that I wanted to be— I wanted to work for myself. And so I, I was— went freelance. But I have to go back a little bit. I'm sorry. When I was in Florida, MTV came to, um, do a live show at one of the Super Bowls that was down there, and they needed interns. So I, like, I volunteered to work for them, and I got put in working with talent relations, which basically means I was working right directly with the recording artists and the actors and actresses who came to do the show. And I basically had to keep track of them, like, you know, because it's— they had to go on at a certain time. So I had to be very aware of what time it was and who was going on when. So that went by, and then they called me back and said, do you want to work for MTV? And I'm like, I don't want a regular job, but I'll do anything that you have live. And so they said, okay. And I think I did, I did that for 12 years. And at the end, the director of talent relations was leaving MTV and she offered me her job. And I was like, what? Wow. And I, you know, but I still, again, I was living on the beach and I didn't want to move to, you know, the big old concrete jungle in New York. So I turned it down. And I have to say, that's probably the only thing that I regret doing. Was not going. Yeah. That freedom in the sea. Because you're feeling if you went back there, you'd be trapped in this fast-going nonstop. Yeah. See, trapped is the perfect word because when you're an independent person, you don't wanna feel trapped. And that is a big thing to bring ourselves from that. I was saying that, you know, when you're living by the beach and as you did, to go from that thing to go in a bit and get trapped, you can press because you're a free spirit with, you know, all that's going on there. And that freedom was a big thing, but for your career, it, um, is something that you do regret in life. You know, we will have regrets, um, but You know, we move on from them regrets. So where we are now is you've done the Grammys and then obviously met everyone's dream that loves music. Oh God, I'd love to meet this person, love to meet them. And you've seen them, you've seen what goes on backstage that none of us see. It fascinates us. So for us, your life is very fascinating in how you've done this, you know, and And as I say, Kamerunian people, you know, reading that bio, there's a person behind that bio. And like yourself, you know, still being very humble. And the time that you spent shows your commitment by 15 years, 12 years, you know, being with these people and building up trust and relationships with people. And during that time, still being humble, kind to helping others. Um, so when we come to that and we're talking about the Grammys, you've got a nonprofit organization, haven't you? Yes, I do. It's called Inspiring Youth Dreams. I take underprivileged youth to the Grammys every year to inspire them to live their dreams like I did. And how that came about was I had a friend whose son lived— his family lived like 3 paychecks behind, and they couldn't— he wanted to play guitar And he couldn't— they couldn't afford to buy him a guitar. So I did. I bought him a guitar, and I got him lessons, guitar lessons. And he started— he was so happy. He just— the tears just rolled from his eyes. He could not believe he actually got a guitar and he was getting lessons. And so this, again, this light bulb just goes on. And it made me so warm in my heart that I decided that was something that I wanted to do on an ongoing basis. And with the connections, and with the connections that I made while I was working at the Grammys, I now get to take the kids to— I call them kids, they're youth. I get to take them to the nominee party, the Grammy nominee party. I get to take them to rehearsals. I take them on a backstage tour where they go underneath the stage and see all the thousands of microphones that the artists use. They go into the rooms and see the guitars all, you know, and one year, a couple years ago during rehearsal, the camera guy let one of the, one of the youths run the, the camera for rehearsal, and he was just ecstatic, you know, and I'm just like, so cool, you know, and I was like, thank you, thank you. And so yeah, it not only warms their heart, but it warms my heart. Yes, which it is, because obviously where they are been able to see. Well, for example, for example, we were at rehearsal. I'm in awe of them because, you know, when you love music and going to that, I think, you know, when that is your dream, you walk into a room, I think, for those kids that are there, like, look at this, you know, the guy that you got that the guitar for. I think, wow, look at this, look, wow, that experience and that lift, that uplifting that you give and the empowerment of that, the pure kindness of your invisible hand to take them there, using your connections to get through there. And we're talking about connections, I mean, people, you know, to get these people to go there, you have to raise money, don't you, to do that? Yes, I do. I, uh, I pay for as much as I can out of my pocket. Um, I— for the last 7 years I paid out of my pocket, and a couple years ago I decided to do fundraisers. So, and who'd you— there's some, um, thanks that we've got to give to, um, people that— people you know that have done it. Lady Gaga, for instance, then she donates stuff for these kids to go. Yeah. She actually sends signed, like, autographed pictures and, you know, items to auction off. So to raise money. And Pink does as well. There's a whole— I mean, there's a whole bunch of them. There was a major band that when they went off tour, they would sign their guitars or drum skins and Um, I would auction those off to take the kids. And one year, I knew— I know the manager for Motorhead, and, um, he was— they were in New York, I think it was in New York, and he let me take a guitar into the concert, and they signed the guitar, and they gave me drum skins, they gave me picks, they gave me like everything, you know. And it was— I was so blessed to be able to get all that stuff from them. Oh, completely. And it just shows again through music that helping hand, there's helping mental health, helping that child that parents was 3 paychecks behind, that he wanted that guitar. And doing that, and with this nonprofit, could you read out the, um You know, people— do you take donations as you do obviously for fundraising? How can somebody who's there listening want to donate to this, um, to help that? We do, but I don't really solicit donations just because I'm a firm believer that things will come, you know. I'm not, I'm not the type of a person that will ask for things, pretty much. That's fine, that's fine. And that is again showing your humbleness, isn't it? But, you know, for people, you know, when they have to do this, you know, like Women's Radio Station, we don't force it out there. If people would like to donate, they can for mental health, like they're doing, you know, was that then people have that choice to go on the website and do it. Um, so thank you for that part. So we're now at the part where you've done these Grammys and everything like that, and obviously you are a songwriter. You know, you've also never had that passion for writing songs, haven't you? Yes, I do. And I also love to produce music, which is— I love being in the studio. But I'm going to take, you know, so people know, this is the humble person of Lynn. Lynn that helps others, the hand that supports, high-profile friends that can, you know, that give her stuff, high-profile people she's worked with and, you know, films, etc. But this wonderful person who is the icon. But I'm very much aware that, um, you might be coming to London soon. Yeah, I'm really excited about that. I'm really looking forward to it. So for the, uh, listener, they will find that on my show I brought a young girl onto the show, Free Your Mind, Let's Talk About It with LKJ. With a young girl called Lauren Swift. People have heard her story where she opened up and she sang in her kitchen for us. Yes, it echoed. Yes, it did that. It wasn't pitch perfect, but it was about encouragement that she did and sang on that thing. And for people to go, "Oh, it might sound a bit echoey," that just shows a stone in their hand that they're going to throw. 'Put that stone down, put that stone down because that hurts.' Because Lauren had suffered through bullying since the age of 13, trying to find herself, and through her mind she'd lost— had no confidence. And then COVID came along, you know, lockdown, that made her, you know, somebody feeling trapped. And then because Lauren was trying to find out who she was like yourself, you know, by expressing that through music and her passion for music and being bullied, except her neighbour, you know, gave her some singing lessons, etc. But Lauren's confidence was flat, done, gone. And with these people throwing the stones and still throwing the stones, and I will say, when I know that somebody comes on my radio show and frees their mind to help others, the people criticize it or bring that down, you need to go and look at yourself. You need to go and look at yourself and in the mirror because you're suffering with issues. You're suffering with issues to throw— because you're picking up stuff and you're hurting somebody. When people go on to any of these shows, the mental health shows or anything, you go on this show to free your mind. Now, when Lauren was criticized for singing live on this show— this show is, you know, because of COVID we're doing it from home, so it's much difficult, so things will echo— but the fact that she had the confidence when I asked her to sing from that kitchen— don't criticize it because when it comes across, it echoes— because the whole reason she sang in the dark was because bullies were picking on her, saying it wasn't good enough. But let me just tell you now, for those people that listened to that show and criticized her for not echoing, please let me introduce you. You are now this wonderful icon in America, has now become the management for Lauren Swift, haven't you? Yes, I have. And I'm very excited about it because you're bringing this girl out of the dark with encouragement, voice coaching, with, you know, the silent partner and record producer Nick Tabor. These— those three people are working with you to make, um, Lauren— this is right. So for those listeners that listened and directly criticized Lauren themselves. And because she had the confidence to come on a radio and open up and free her mind, picked up stones and then started bullying her. I class that as bullying, don't you, Lynn? No, I— no, I don't like bullying at all. But that was bullying, wasn't it? That people that you're a bully. Go and look in the mirror. Let's come on my show and it's, you know, free your mind and get this out and get you on that. Because with— can you tell me, because obviously you've done the Grammys, you've done the Oscars, you know, Lady Gaga, all these top people and people that you know. What did they say when you played that song that I sent to you of this guy girl. She came on my show. I needed to help her. We need to help people. We need to find things. And with womensradiostation.com, we do the connection to try and do that and help a person. When I sent you that, um, clip of her singing in the dark and you— and being musical, and all the artists in the green room from everything, and Lady Gaga, all of them, all of them you work with, all of these wonderful people you work with, and as a songwriter, what did they say? What is America's opinion to Lauren Swift? Everyone I talked to said that she's amazing. Her voice is amazing. I mean, beyond amazing, they said. Yeah, so she, you know, I mean, I am aware that she's playing at the O2 as well on the 15th of January. Supporting with Jack O'Shea behind Dire Straits Legacy that's coming back up. Massive people. So if you are on a show and you do sing in a kitchen, you are— and it may echo out— people are there to support and they will bring you out. And for her, she's got an amazing, amazing journey. And so you've signed her, so anybody that's wants to know, because the newspapers are picking up on it now, they want to know who it is. And I must say, for anybody listening to the show, anybody wants to contact Lauren Swift, you now have to go through Linda Nelson, who is heading the management with Nick Tabor. And Nick Tabor's coming on our show next week because this is Yeah, he's coming on next week to follow this show about the girl Lauren Swift that was on here that sang in the dark as well, to free her. Because this is, you know, she's been linked to say she's as good as Adele, that, you know, everyone thinks— people have seen about her, cannot believe this girl and how wonderful she is. So all those bullies and all those stones, sorry, you know, she is going to shine. There is a light that is going to shine on her, this Northern Star. And she is a Northern Star that's going to be magnificent, you know. And, and she is, isn't she? So yeah, it's funny because all of my friends now, or a lot of them, want to write for her, you know. They want to be involved in it. And I'm just like, well, you know, we'll see, because I'm trying to shield her as much as I can from that. Lauren Swift, yeah, even in America they do. In America they want it. In the UK, she's there. Everybody wants to hear when they hear that voice. So when you put in, um, Lauren Swift Liverpool Echo, that girl singing in the dark, no longer singing in the dark. So when she came on to womensradiostation.com I freed her mind with myself and connected with me and lots and lots of wonderful people that other people do listen, that don't hold a stone in their hand. We help, and with Women's Radio Station, um, we do help and support, and we will find that support. And now she has a network of people, voice coaches, she's got, um, life coaches, everybody's out and build her and work with her. To make her strong. She's living her dream, she's finding who Lauren is, and to learn that I can stand up there and shine. And for yourselves, you know, this wonderful journey, you know, she will be recording her music, working with these top people, but also getting her ready for the O2 on the 15th, which— are you coming over? Yes, I'm, I'm going to be there. I'll probably be there before. I'll try and find some tickets and, you know, because I've done a lot with Jack O'Shea myself, I'm very excited. I've interviewed Trevor Horne, well, not interviewed him myself, but the 5 of us went on to support Dire Straits and explained that Jack O'Shea, we went on the right bus. But I have been asked and we will be joining, and I will be joining Lorraine, yourself, Nick Tabor, and Richard Sorellen Barnett, because these are people that I've interviewed and people together, and this connection is building a support chain to come up where you're freeing it and helping others. And the Right Buzz radio station are fantastic supporting on that. But unfortunately, Lynn, we, you know, we will be bringing you back later to hear some more on Lauren But again, anybody that wants to know any information on Lawrence Swift, as you see this radio station earlier, now when she's this humble girl that's come on to talk, is now connected with this iconic, um, lady called Lynn Nelson, who will be back on my show to tell us more and everything on that. And also Nick Tabor and Follow the journey. With Women's Mental Health, it's about not just doing that and, you know, you come off and it goes. It's about a journey, the journey of life that we have, and the empowerment of music, the empowerment of an invisible hand, the empowerment of— if you've got a voice, open up. Don't be frightened to open up. Somebody is listening, like you were listening. You were listening to that show and you heard her and I sent you the clip from the Liverpool Echo on that and then that made a connection where she'd been talking of God in there. But for myself, Lynn, and all the listeners, I'm looking forward to your journey and catching up with you in London to express this, you know, see how your journey's going with Lauren Swift, etc., with Nick, um, and for your life. I think it's very exciting for you because you do offer that hand of support. You're there. And, and to have such an icon that has come and took this girl from this show, um, I can't thank you enough. But however, it's a pleasure being here to say goodbye on this one occasion. Thank you for coming on. Free your mind. Let's talk about it with our Kato. My pleasure. Thank you.