The life of Ray Chew parallels that of characters depicted in Horatio Alger's famous "rags to riches" stories. Although raised as a child in the Grant Houses of Harlem, Chew's successful transition from Harlem to Hollywood has been the sheer product of luck and pluck in the competitive world of the music business.
Over the course of Ray Chew's career, he has served as a member of the Saturday Night Live Band, music director of Showtime at the Apollo and bandleader of NBC's The Singing Bee. His impressive resume was given a significant boost, however, when he was tapped to serve as the bandleader of the 2008 Democratic National Convention and President Barack Obama's Neighborhood Ball. More recently, in June 2009, Chew coordinated the musical direction of the 9th Annual BET Awards, which paid tribute to the late Michael Jackson.
As the 75th Anniversary Gala for the Apollo Theater appeared on the horizon, Ray Chew managed to squeeze some time out of his busy schedule and settle down for an interview with Clayton Perry — reflecting on Quincy Jones, Showtime at the Apollo, and the necessity of mentorship.
My pastor always used to say, "A man cannot have a testimony without first having a test." When you look back over your long career, is there a pivotal moment – in your transition from Harlem to Hollywood – that you feel has defined you?
Yeah. I have had several transitional moments. Through them all, I have learned that life will have its fair share of ups and downs. And those are just moments. You can have a great wonderful moment but that's a moment, too, and that will pass. So will the ones that are not so pleasant. You want to strive so that you can create more pleasant moments than unpleasant moments. The only way to do that is stay in this game – the game of life. Some people make early exits. I have friends of mine who committed suicide, things that put a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Over the years, I have become known as somebody who perseveres, a warrior in life, a learner and a student of life and I continue to be. That's kind of my philosophy in life. Every day I wake up, I start anew. I'm refreshed. I ask for a new anointing. I pray to Jesus who is my Lord and Savior. Every day I look very enthusiastically upon what's in front of me. Whenever I have an opportunity to speak, I like to speak to the ear of young people, so that they don't give up on themselves or their dreams.
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