Ain’t No Stoppin’ Bebe Sweetbriar
Interview & album artwork by Frank Fanucchi | Photos by Justin Barrett
Frank Fanucchi (FF): Let’s travel back to the year 2010, location: Beatbox SF. I walk through the doors just as the host of that night’s event announces, “up next, Bebe Sweetbriar singing live!” Moments later you come on stage, you start to sing and as you do I begin to realize what song you are singing – and it’s a BIG song! I’m thinking to myself ‘wait, they said singing LIVE right? Can Bebe sing a song this big?’ Meanwhile the song is building, and building, and getting bigger by the note, until… there it is – all the power, all the volume, all the feels… Bebe sure can sing a song this big! The song was And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going from Dreamgirls. And ‘when I tell you’ I was straight shookith! I mean SHOOKITH! And I never underestimated you again (laughs).
That moment will forever live rent-free in my mind. Now more than a decade later, you are releasing your first complete album, Ain’t No Stoppin’ Me Now (ANSMN). An album that took me full circle, right back to that moment I first heard you sing. This project feels like a homecoming. All the character, all the emotion, it’s all here and I am so happy for you!
Tell me a little bit about what inspired you to put this together.
Bebe Sweetbriar (BS): Theres only been a handful of times I’ve sang at Beatbox so I do remember. And as you know, I’ve recorded music before but the closest thing to this particular format was when I was in A2B and we did a compilation of Christmas music. However, I have never done a solo compilation of different songs like this, though I have always wanted to.
At the beginning of last year, I was feeling some-kind-of-way about the performance art of drag, where it was going, and how like any other group of people – the drag community can be very ageist. If you are a person of a certain age, you are kind of put aside regardless of your talent or how you present yourself. I began feeling that I was falling into that group. So after the covid pandemic I was kind of rediscovering myself and I realized I really wanted to get back into music because I felt I had something new to bring to it – so this is where the title of the album Ain’t No Stoppin’ Me Now comes from – it suggests that where some may want to count me and others of a certain age bracket out – I’m coming full guns loaded baby! Nothing’s gonna stop me from attaining my goals.
And with this album I wanted to reach the more mature gay population. I think so many times LGBTQ+ artists cater more towards a younger demographic, and I wanted to reach some people who are in my age bracket as well.
(FF): So, I am curious about this era of Bebe Sweetbriar. In the past you’ve recorded songs that I would say fall into ‘the breakup era’ with songs like Free To be Me, Cleanin’ House (a favorite of mine by the way – but I may be bias) and maybe even A2B’s Read My Mind… and then there was what I am going to call ‘the lust era’…?
(BS): (Laughs) sex appeal let’s call it ‘the sex appeal era’.
(FF): Okay, ‘the sex appeal era’ with songs like Show It Off, Dontcha, I Wantchu Back (which has a refresh on this album), and Save Me. Now this current era feels more settled in, more comfortable, is this a reflection on your life currently?
(BS): Well, I think for artists in general they pull from what is going on with them at that time. Painters paint by what they are going through at that time and singers and songwriters are no different. So, yes, I do think this reflects where I am currently. As you know I do have a partner now, which during those other times I did not. So yes, I am settled with that. I am comfortable with the way my performance schedules and demand for me is currently… I think in general there’s nothing for me to prove anymore, not only for people out there but for myself. When you reach a certain age, you are kind of like fuck it! (Laughs) and you know I am kind of at that point in my life. Except for things that make me happy. And I knew that I was at a point where if I was really going to do this album… I needed to do it now and stop putting obstacles in front of myself – (but) be patient about doing it.
(FF): So, what are we going to call this era? The ‘fuck it’ era?
(BS): (Laughs) How about ‘the middle finger era’ that’s what we are going to call it…
This is not like the singles I’ve done so far where it’s like 3 weeks all-in, this took some time. I wanted it to be perfect in terms of me, you know, so if I needed to go back and redo something then that’s what I did… I sang everything on it, I sang the leads, I sang the backgrounds, so that’s a lot of singing and not every time in the studio was I vocally at my best. I used to pride myself on being able to go into a studio and lay a couple of tracks and I was done. But there were a couple of days with this album where I struggled vocally, but you know I kept doing it. My producer Leo Frappier is so great when it comes to bringing out the best of what you have to give at that time – he would talk with me and be like “you know technically that was good but I didn’t feel it, and I know you can bring more.” He would sit me down and bust out the teas – he has this collection of exotic teas that always make me feel relaxed – so he’ll be like “do I need to pour you some more tea” (laughs). So, yea he got me out of that mindset of ‘oh that’s fine’ and brought out my best. And that’s why I work with him.
(FF): So, you and Leo sound like a perfect match.
(BS): Yes! Once I convinced myself I was going to do this album, I quickly contacted my trusted producer Mr. Leo Frappier and said “this is what I want to do. It’s going to be 6-9 songs, and I want to put them all together and I want to show the depth of my music taste and the depth of my vocal ability.”
(FF): So, there was a lot of intention behind the songs chosen for this album?
(BS): I did choose songs that, though not written by me, spoke of me, or spoke to me, and where I am now, where I have been and where I am going. The first single Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now, from which the album title was derived – is where I am right now as far as motivation. As the song says, “I know sometimes you run into brick walls but right now is the time for us to move forward,” I kind of feel like I’m Kamala Harris right now (laughs). You know, it’s like, don’t worry about the naysayers, don’t worry about the people in your life who say one thing to your face but in reality, are pushing you aside to get where they want to be. You can’t let that kind of stuff stop you.
Then of course You’ve Got a Friend is another song that I cover on the album… I have a lot of acquaintances, but I have very few friends and those friends that are in my life, as you know – are very important to me and I wanted to speak to that. Those are the people that you can call on anytime. And while you may not speak to them every day – you know that when you do it’s very important…
Then I wanted to do a song about life in general (with) The Best Things in Life Are Free from the movie Mo’ Money that speaks to… you don’t have to work hard to love a person or a project – that comes naturally and that costs nothing. And I also wanted to represent that life, no matter how difficult it feels to you in the moment, there are always things in life that bring you joy. Butterflies, birds flying, you know all those simple things in life that we can sit back and close our eyes and enjoy. Life doesn’t have to be complicated; we make it complicated.
(FF): So, this album is your response to Marie Kondo asking, “what brings you joy?”
(BS): (Laughs) it brings me joy. A lot of hard work though. It took 6 months to record. Leo and I have been in the studio since December 2023.
(FF): Unfortunately, as you know, my partner and I’s eldest pup lost his battle with kidney disease earlier this year. When that happened you sent me the sweetest message and attached to it was your rendition of Carole Kings You’ve Got a Friend (which is on this album) and while listening to it, the line “I’ll come running” instantly put a picture in my mind of him always running to us when we’d come home. He was just the sweetest, and that song is truly always going to remind me of him now… I don’t think I have a question here… (laughs) or maybe I do… when you selected these tracks were you intentionally choosing to put these together as a kind of range of emotions? Because listening to it – each song is unique in the way they evoke different emotions in the listener.
(BB): Hmmm, I don’t think I broke it down from an emotional standpoint but the messages that I wanted to put out there dabbled in different emotions. I think each song sounds different and maybe that’s what you are picking up on. I think when singers sing from an emotional place the emotion makes the song unique. A very happy song, or a dance song will sound different from a ballad or a sadder one. I think each song kind of takes my voice in a different direction. I really had fun making it. I don’t think I am the best singer, but I think I have a good ear – I always love finding the backgrounds and harmonies and things like that and this album gave me the opportunity to do that. The only song that doesn’t contain those variations is Felling Good. With that track it just made sense to be a very raw stripped-down version. I don’t even think it’s a layered vocal… that’s when singers will sing many lines or tracks over each other to make it thicker or sound cleaner. Also, the beginning of that song was my lil ode to Whitney Houston in that I recorded it without any music, like in I Will Always Love You – and I think that you can really hear the emotion in that part of the song.
(FF): You have renditions of Shalamar’s Make That Move and Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross’s The Best Things in Life Are Free. These are the two I am most excited to see you perform live. Especially Janet because… it’s Janet!
(BB): (Laughs) With Make That Move, I have been a huge Jodi Wately fan since I can remember. Ever since even before Shalamar. She was my it girl. I really wanted to get a chance to do this track because I love the vocals and the harmonies and the structure of that song. My favorite line is “so many times by holding back you let the good things pass you by,” and that line to me speaks volumes. So many times, I didn’t go somewhere or do something because I was my own worst enemy and got in the way of making those things happen.
I think some people might be curious as to why, knowing this is a covers album, I didn’t shy away from popular tracks. Because well-known songs will automatically be compared to the original. But a lot of artists’ biggest songs are in fact covers. That is a testament to just how good artists like Luther Vandross and Whitney Houston are, in that they can make another person’s song so memorable that it sounds like their original. So, I didn’t shy away from songs because of who sang them before or how popular they are. I just wanted to do them because I liked them and because they fit for what I wanted to accomplish on this album.
I am curious how people will respond to some of the tracks because we made some changes in the composition. I wanted to do something like Lauryn Hill did with Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You and Killing Me Softly – originally much different sounding tracks… And I hope people will enjoy it.
It’s a tough thing to determine what to perform live. You know I did perform Ain’t No Stopping Us Now live at San Francisco Pride Main Stage this year and I had a crew of 6 dancers, choreographed, the whole nine yards. So now when I think about doing that song I am like ‘I can’t do that song without my people with me’ (laughs). But some of the mid-tempo tracks on there like The Look of Love and You’ve Got a Friend don’t require any of that.
(FF): Alright so here I was listening along and enjoying the music – and making notes on what to talk to you about today – trying my hardest not to text you and say anything about my thoughts on these songs. But when this track came on… I broke. I texted you right away and was just like ‘BITCHHH! I know you did not sing Nina Simone’s Feeling Good.’ I have no words, that song is epic, it’s everything, it’s one of my partner and I’s favorite songs, and you killed it. I just needed to let you know that. (Laughs)
(BB): Oh, thank you! That means a lot. That song has been recorded by everybody and their grandma (laughs). My partner and I… we have this love affair with Nina Simone, and you know when you think about the black movement and music that goes with that you can’t not think of that song and Nina Simone. You know it’s really coincidental that I am doing this, at this time, because so much of what I was feeling when I wanted to do this album, is coinciding with what is happening politically as well. When I am looking at this campaign for president, and I listen to the democratic nominee’s message – I am like wow, a lot of what I was feeling and where I needed to go personally is being mirrored in this campaign. It’s ironic almost that the feelings I was having inside – a group of likeminded people have made into a focal point of the country. Because ANSUN could have easily been used as the theme song for this campaign as well as several other tracks on the album. All of that is just wonderful. Even though revolutionary songs can sometimes be considered combative, they also can really stir up a lot of hope. I am reminded of Harvey Milk and the hope he brought. I think the timing, while coincidental, is very valid right now.
(FF): So, before I let you go, I want to take you back once again…
(BB): Uh oh you better hurry – get me now cause the Alzheimer’s is kicking in (laughs).
(FF): (laughs) …so, it’s early 2011, location: the former Harvey’s restaurant in the Castro, SF. We are having lunch. Both of us are in a weird place in our lives. A little unsure about work, our love lives a mess, not much direction for our futures. So, we made a list of things that we saw for ourselves in our futures. And periodically through the years, while I have no idea where this list went, I do remember many of the items you had on yours, so when you accomplish them, I like to remind you. One item I remember you confidently adding to the list was that you planned to release an album – an album that was just you. An album of music of your own or music that meant something to you. And well… this October 18th, you can check that off your list.
(BB): YEAH… I think a lot of times in the past, you know, we were talking about obstacles and relationships. Now being in a relationship with someone who is also in the arts and has a fundamental understanding of what I do, and the commitment that is required to do that well – makes checking these boxes easier. It is hard to find a partner that isn’t threatened by that, I mean you know this being artistic yourself and also having a partner who is artistic… when you are with someone who understands the grind there is no jealousy or resentment when you are spending a lot of time on your craft. I think that is a hard thing to find in any relationship or at least that has been my experience. My relationship now is very supportive, so I don’t have to worry or feel guilty when I go into the studio that at the end of the day my craft might interfere with my relationship. So, I owe a lot of the outcome of this project to having that support to be able to go out there and do this.
(FF): Well, I want to thank you for putting on a face for this (laughs) and for those reading, the first single Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now is out now wherever you stream music. Join Bebe October 9th, from 7pm-9pm at Midnight Sun in the Castro, SF for a listening party right before Castro Karaoke hosted by Bebe Sweetbriar. Then on October 18th Ain’t No Stoppin’ Me Now, the album, will be available o stream.