Erica Gimpel Beyond Race Magazine Interview 2010
Erica Gimpel shot to fame, ironically, when she appeared on Fame; she played the role of the fiery “Coco Hernandez” (which Irene Cara originated in the film) in the TV series. Fame debuted on NBC in 1982 and ran for six seasons. Although Gimpel left after the third season, she reappeared on the series for the remainder of its run, and her vocals were heard during the show’s opening theme. In a sense, she was the ideal choice to play “Coco,” having attended New York’s High School of the Performing Arts in real life. Some of the other folks who appeared on Fame included Lori Singer, Michael Cerveris and – briefly – Janet Jackson.
Erica Gimpel shot to fame, ironically, when she appeared on Fame; she played the role of the fiery “Coco Hernandez” (which Irene Cara originated in the film) in the TV series. Fame debuted on NBC in 1982 and ran for six seasons. Although Gimpel left after the third season, she reappeared on the series for the remainder of its run, and her vocals were heard during the show’s opening theme. In a sense, she was the ideal choice to play “Coco,” having attended New York’s High School of the Performing Arts in real life. Some of the other folks who appeared on Fame included Lori Singer, Michael Cerveris and – briefly – Janet Jackson.
Following Fame, Gimpel stayed busy as an actress as she alternated over the years between television, film and theater. On the small screen, she has had recurring roles on ER, Profiler, Veronica Mars and other series. Some of the films she has appeared in, meanwhile, include Smoke, No Such Thing, Freaky Friday and more recently Veronika Decides to Die.
Following Fame, Gimpel stayed busy as an actress as she alternated over the years between television, film and theater. On the small screen, she has had recurring roles on ER, Profiler, Veronica Mars and other series. Some of the films she has appeared in, meanwhile, include Smoke, No Such Thing, Freaky Friday and more recently Veronika Decides to Die.
Now Gimpel has released her first CD of original music, Spread Your Wings and Fly. The album, which was recorded last year in Los Angeles, captures her during a live benefit concert. Gimpel herself sings and plays piano and is backed by a crack band. In addition to the title track, some of the highlights include the opening “Night Sky” (my personal favorite) and the closing “Joyce’s Serenade,” the one instrumental on the album. In between are nine other songs that generally find Gimpel working comfortably in a jazz-pop context.
Now Gimpel has released her first CD of original music, Spread Your Wings and Fly. The album, which was recorded last year in Los Angeles, captures her during a live benefit concert. Gimpel herself sings and plays piano and is backed by a crack band. In addition to the title track, some of the highlights include the opening “Night Sky” (my personal favorite) and the closing “Joyce’s Serenade,” the one instrumental on the album. In between are nine other songs that generally find Gimpel working comfortably in a jazz-pop context.
In a way, Gimpel is perfect for Beyond Race Magazine – not just because of her creative talents but because she grew up in Manhattan in a multi-racial family. In fact, she and her family were close with Suzanne Vega’s family – a coincidence, as Suzanne was the subject of my September column. Discussing her youth, Gimpel says, “My father’s Slavic and my mother [concert singer Phyllis Bash] is African-American. They were always simply my mother and father. And now that they’ve been married almost 50 years, I really respect the courage [they had] at the time… and [their] belief that they could be an example of what happens when the races come together in love. I’ve always been committed to not necessarily going beyond race but in a sense honoring our differences to see our similarities.”
In a way, Gimpel is perfect for Beyond Race Magazine – not just because of her creative talents but because she grew up in Manhattan in a multi-racial family. In fact, she and her family were close with Suzanne Vega’s family – a coincidence, as Suzanne was the subject of my September column. Discussing her youth, Gimpel says, “My father’s Slavic and my mother [concert singer Phyllis Bash] is African-American. They were always simply my mother and father. And now that they’ve been married almost 50 years, I really respect the courage [they had] at the time… and [their] belief that they could be an example of what happens when the races come together in love. I’ve always been committed to not necessarily going beyond race but in a sense honoring our differences to see our similarities.”
I recently caught up with Erica Gimpel over lunch when she was visiting New York City. A lovely person inside and out, she gave me a great interview:
I recently caught up with Erica Gimpel over lunch when she was visiting New York City. A lovely person inside and out, she gave me a great interview:
How did you first develop an interest in music?
How did you first develop an interest in music?
It starts with my mother. My mom was a concert singer. Hearing the tone of her voice, and the soothing experience I had with her, was what really inspired me.
It starts with my mother. My mom was a concert singer. Hearing the tone of her voice, and the soothing experience I had with her, was what really inspired me.
Your new CD is Spread Your Wings and Fly. Tell me a little about where and when you recorded it.
Your new CD is Spread Your Wings and Fly. Tell me a little about where and when you recorded it.
I recorded it in March 2009. It was a live recording and I did it in honor of the Downtown Women’s Center of Los Angeles, an organization that’s been around for 30 years. Their whole mission is helping women get off the streets. There’s a very big homeless population in downtown L.A. [So] I did it as a benefit concert to raise money for this organization. I had given them clothes and other things in the past and I was just really struck by the work they’re doing. I wrote the song “Spread Your Wings and Fly,” which is the title of the CD, [as] my anthem to women.
I recorded it in March 2009. It was a live recording and I did it in honor of the Downtown Women’s Center of Los Angeles, an organization that’s been around for 30 years. Their whole mission is helping women get off the streets. There’s a very big homeless population in downtown L.A. [So] I did it as a benefit concert to raise money for this organization. I had given them clothes and other things in the past and I was just really struck by the work they’re doing. I wrote the song “Spread Your Wings and Fly,” which is the title of the CD, [as] my anthem to women.
Another wonderful thing that’s happened with my music [involves] “Healing Blue,” a performance piece using dance, music, video and photography to raise awareness about breast cancer. The Lineage Dance Company has been performing this pieice for five years and each dance is inspired by actual women who have been in the battle with breast cancer. This year the artistic director of the company, Hilary Thomas, invited me to perform and to use some of my music as the narrative throughline. It was beautiful to perform my song “Love Will Come Back to Me” onstage with the dancers! I will be re-joining the company on February 18, 2011 for a repeat performance of “Love Will Come Back to Me” at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
Another wonderful thing that’s happened with my music [involves] “Healing Blue,” a performance piece using dance, music, video and photography to raise awareness about breast cancer. The Lineage Dance Company has been performing this pieice for five years and each dance is inspired by actual women who have been in the battle with breast cancer. This year the artistic director of the company, Hilary Thomas, invited me to perform and to use some of my music as the narrative throughline. It was beautiful to perform my song “Love Will Come Back to Me” onstage with the dancers! I will be re-joining the company on February 18, 2011 for a repeat performance of “Love Will Come Back to Me” at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
The first song on the album is “Night Sky.” I like that one a lot and I was wondering if you could tell me about the inspiration for that.
The first song on the album is “Night Sky.” I like that one a lot and I was wondering if you could tell me about the inspiration for that.
Sure. I grew up in upper Manhattan, on 100th Street. And we had a shared alley with a lot of other tenement buildings. I’d wake up to the sound of roosters crowing and it was a very Latin community too. And I had an uncle who was a doctor – he’s now retired. He had a house in Martha’s Vineyard. As a child, he invited me with my cousins, his daughters, to go to Martha’s Vineyard. And there’s a ferry that you take from Woods’ Hole, Massachusetts to the Island. My cousins and I would make the trip; we’d go every two years.
Sure. I grew up in upper Manhattan, on 100th Street. And we had a shared alley with a lot of other tenement buildings. I’d wake up to the sound of roosters crowing and it was a very Latin community too. And I had an uncle who was a doctor – he’s now retired. He had a house in Martha’s Vineyard. As a child, he invited me with my cousins, his daughters, to go to Martha’s Vineyard. And there’s a ferry that you take from Woods’ Hole, Massachusetts to the Island. My cousins and I would make the trip; we’d go every two years.
That place, Martha’s Vineyard, was a place where as a child I felt a sense of calm. And when I was on the fery ride coming back and I was looking up at the stars and on the ocean, which is my favorite place to be, that’s what inspired that song.
That place, Martha’s Vineyard, was a place where as a child I felt a sense of calm. And when I was on the fery ride coming back and I was looking up at the stars and on the ocean, which is my favorite place to be, that’s what inspired that song.
I know you spent quite a bit of the summer in Dublin. Tell me a little about that experience.
I know you spent quite a bit of the summer in Dublin. Tell me a little about that experience.
I was asked to come to Dublin to be a celebrity judge on what you would call the American Idol of Ireland, in a sense. What it was more specifically -- they were launching Fame: The Musical in Ireland. Since I had been on the series and I had come from the school itself, they wanted me to come and share my perspective on what I felt about the singers who were trying out for the show.
I was asked to come to Dublin to be a celebrity judge on what you would call the American Idol of Ireland, in a sense. What it was more specifically -- they were launching Fame: The Musical in Ireland. Since I had been on the series and I had come from the school itself, they wanted me to come and share my perspective on what I felt about the singers who were trying out for the show.
That was what the job was on paper. But I fell in love with the people of Ireland. The level of music over there and the singing and just the honesty of people was so refreshing. These young people who were trying out for the show were so talented. I was blown away by the talent of the artists there. And I ended up meeting Vyvienne Long, who is Damien Rice’s cellist. Now she’s doing her own stuff, she just released her CD called Caterpillar Sarabande. So we got together and I said, “I would love to do something with you. Cello is an instrument I’d love to write for.” So I did my whole CD in Ireland with just cello and piano and me on vocals – and it was so beautiful. She and I did a concert at the end of my filming of the TV show. It was just a wonderful way to end my trip in Dublin.
That was what the job was on paper. But I fell in love with the people of Ireland. The level of music over there and the singing and just the honesty of people was so refreshing. These young people who were trying out for the show were so talented. I was blown away by the talent of the artists there. And I ended up meeting Vyvienne Long, who is Damien Rice’s cellist. Now she’s doing her own stuff, she just released her CD called Caterpillar Sarabande. So we got together and I said, “I would love to do something with you. Cello is an instrument I’d love to write for.” So I did my whole CD in Ireland with just cello and piano and me on vocals – and it was so beautiful. She and I did a concert at the end of my filming of the TV show. It was just a wonderful way to end my trip in Dublin.
Take me back to the ‘80s. How did you first get involved with Fame, the TV series?
Take me back to the ‘80s. How did you first get involved with Fame, the TV series?
I actually went to Performing Arts High School. It was when it was a really small school on 46th Street. And they had a private screening of the movie for all of us. I remember after seeing the movie with my friends, we were dancing down the street we were so excited. And I used to rollerskate at that time. I would spend right hours a day on my rollerskates. I was also]modeling at the time, and my modeling agent said, “They’re having these auditions for this role. Do you wanna go?” [So] I went for the role, I went there on my rollerskates (laughs). And then I was flown to L.A. to screen test for it and that was it.
I actually went to Performing Arts High School. It was when it was a really small school on 46th Street. And they had a private screening of the movie for all of us. I remember after seeing the movie with my friends, we were dancing down the street we were so excited. And I used to rollerskate at that time. I would spend right hours a day on my rollerskates. I was also]modeling at the time, and my modeling agent said, “They’re having these auditions for this role. Do you wanna go?” [So] I went for the role, I went there on my rollerskates (laughs). And then I was flown to L.A. to screen test for it and that was it.
Tell me about some of the other things over the years that you’ve done that people might not know about.
Tell me about some of the other things over the years that you’ve done that people might not know about.
What I feel really grateful about is because I’ve done acting, singing and writing music, I’m always dancing between the three. I did theater here in New York also and one of my favorite memories is working with John Malkovich in a Sam Shepard play. That was a world premiere here in New York. Some of my favorite TV stuff is working on ER, which a lot of people know about. And this other show I did, Veronica Mars.
What I feel really grateful about is because I’ve done acting, singing and writing music, I’m always dancing between the three. I did theater here in New York also and one of my favorite memories is working with John Malkovich in a Sam Shepard play. That was a world premiere here in New York. Some of my favorite TV stuff is working on ER, which a lot of people know about. And this other show I did, Veronica Mars.
[But] all the time, I was always writing music. Sitting at the piano for hours, writing and having little gigs here and there before I moved to California. But mostly in a very cocooned environment. I really wanted it to come from me and give myself that time. I just felt as though that was something that was very precious to me. I wanted to give myself permission to see what came out of my life.
[But] all the time, I was always writing music. Sitting at the piano for hours, writing and having little gigs here and there before I moved to California. But mostly in a very cocooned environment. I really wanted it to come from me and give myself that time. I just felt as though that was something that was very precious to me. I wanted to give myself permission to see what came out of my life.
So in a way this CD was many years in the making.
So in a way this CD was many years in the making.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
Tell me about some of your favorite songwriters or musicians.
Tell me about some of your favorite songwriters or musicians.
A man that touches my soul is Donny Hathaway. He was so dynamic. I felt his soul and everything he was saying. Laura Nyro is someone that really touches me. Stevie Wonder is huge for me. And the Irish singer Damien Rice – how he uses words and music is beautiful.
A man that touches my soul is Donny Hathaway. He was so dynamic. I felt his soul and everything he was saying. Laura Nyro is someone that really touches me. Stevie Wonder is huge for me. And the Irish singer Damien Rice – how he uses words and music is beautiful.
What do you have planned for 2011?
What do you have planned for 2011?
I’m in the process of getting this all together. It feels like a European tour is what I’m gonna launch in 2011… So that’s gonna happen and then probably in mid-2011 I’m gonna do my next CD. I’ve got a lot more music that I wanna record.
I’m in the process of getting this all together. It feels like a European tour is what I’m gonna launch in 2011… So that’s gonna happen and then probably in mid-2011 I’m gonna do my next CD. I’ve got a lot more music that I wanna record.
words by Dave Steinfeld
words by Dave Steinfeld