The inaugural eight episodes initially appeared on NBCUniversal Media Group’s Oxygen True Crime network but can be found streaming on Peacock and a multitude of other services such as Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.

Captain Lee was profiled by Lifestyle in a two-part series in October 2021 when he was with the Bravo series and he provided an update during a recent interview with Lifestyle Media Group Editor-in-Chief Kevin Gale. The following transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity.

When we interviewed you in 2021, Below Deck was still running. How did you feel about your run with the show and then how it ended?

I certainly didn’t expect it to end. I was shocked. Never saw it coming, came right out of left field.

Did they explain why?

We’ve all heard those same things: “I think we’re going to move in a new direction.” It’s funny because the numbers are great, the ratings are great, and I told him, “I think it’s the first time I’ve ever been fired for doing a good job.” He said, “Well, you’re not being fired.” I said, “Oh. I must have misunderstood. I thought five minutes ago I had a job, and now I don’t; what am I missing here?” But no, I didn’t appreciate the way that it was handled. I was very pleased with my run. I had 10 really, really good years with a lot of really, really good people who were great to work with.

So what did you do in the interlude and how did Deadly Waters come about?

Well, I did a little thing called “Couch Talk with Captain Lee and Kate.” That was fun, where we got to sit around the sofa, have cocktails and make fun of Bravo shows. I had a pretty good time with that and got paid for it.

We talked a couple of years earlier about this crime show and nobody seemed to have any interest in it at that point. Two years later they said, “Well, maybe we should pull it off the shelf, dust it off and take another look at it.” So, they did and we did eight episodes, all of which did really, really well as far as the numbers went. I’m looking forward to it coming back next year. At least I hope it does.

Where did the ideas come from?

They do a deep dive into murders that have taken place. Some are really kind of confusing because you look at how they were perpetrated and you just go like, “No, nobody would think of that. Nobody’s that dumb.” As you dig deeper into it, you realize, “Well, yeah, they are that dumb.” For all of ’em, it’s such a terrible waste of human life and when you try to dig into why it happened or put some rhyme or reason to it, it’s virtually impossible. You just can’t understand what went on in somebody’s mind that caused them to go off the deep end.

I read that you said that a lot of the perpetrators don’t even really know much about being on the water.

They don’t know about boats. They don’t know about water. They don’t know about the ocean. They wouldn’t know a tide or current if it ate ’em for dinner.

The first episode was called “Ghost Ship.” These guys chartered a boat, “Joe Cool,” in 2007. They wanted to go to Bimini, which is 50 miles from Miami Beach, and they were paying $4,000, which is a huge red flag. Nobody would pay $4,000 then for a one-way trip. They didn’t want to fish. They just wanted to be dropped off. It doesn’t take long to get into the Gulf Stream current, which runs north up the Florida coast at about five to seven knots. They get out into the Gulf Stream. They kill all four people on board — the mate, the captain, the deckhand and his wife — and then they turn and head south. Now they’re going against the current. Their plan is to go to Cuba. The throttles are wide open against the seven-knot current and they couldn’t understand why they ran out of fuel. They ditch the boat and they take the life raft and they try to get to Cuba and they’re some 30 miles away. They got caught by the Key West Coast Guard sector.

What would you say your favorite aspects of the show are?

Seeing justice done and seeing what part the ocean plays in dealing with karma. You thought you were all that smart and you did these horrendous acts, just horrific, and you thought you were getting away with it. Then, all of a sudden, here comes Mother Nature. All of a sudden, karma either busts you and you end up in prison for the rest of your life, or you end up dead.  

We had a story of a guy that to celebrate an anniversary, he takes his wife out and kills her. He rents a speedboat. It’s flat, calm. He says, “We got hit by a rogue wave.” Well, they were the only boat out there that got hit by a rogue wave because none of the rest of them did.

One guy actually went so far as to rent a plane after he killed this girl. He rented a plane with his buddy who later copped a plea but couldn’t live with his conscience and ended up killing himself. No loss to the world there. He has her body wrapped up in chains and then cinder blocks. He takes it up 2,000 feet high and throws her out of the airplane. Well, by the time she hits the water, she’s doing about 140 miles an hour, and the cinder blocks might as well be Jell-O at that point. They just come apart, so she doesn’t sink and that was his undoing. You were going to use Mother Nature and you were going to use the ocean to cover up or to help you perpetrate this horrific crime and almost every time Mother Nature comes up and goes, “Not so fast, big boy. We’ve got other plans for you.” I love the karma part of it

Did you have a favorite episode in the first season?

God, there were three or four of ’em that stuck out, but the Joe Kool one was probably the most disturbing because a man, his wife and two of his best friends died for nothing, for nothing. There was no game plan. They were going to go to Cuba. Have you ever seen anybody trying to smuggle themselves into Cuba?

Is there something that surprised you the most about doing this show, which is based on crime, as opposed to the previous show where it was sort of the ongoing actions of your crew and the passengers?

It was totally different. When I did “Below Deck,” all I had to do was be myself. We didn’t have any script. What happened, happened. But with this, there’s a certain script that you have to follow because there’s a chronological timeline. There’s other people that don’t get involved until later on in the story and you have to narrate the story. I had never had any experience being a host or a narrator, and it’s a totally different world. They hired an acting coach to teach me how to be a good host and how certain words need a little bit more inflection and you should pause a little longer after a statement like this. We would just go over every script until I was like, “I’m sick of this.” But I wanted to get it right. I had a great coach. Her name is Marki Costello. Her granddad was Lou Costello of the famous duo comedy duo, Abbott and Costello

I read about the tragic loss of your son from drugs. I can’t imagine the grief you went through, but you seem to try and do something positive in the aftermath. I read about you trying to get a barge for a rehab center. Is that something you’re still working on?

We’re still working on it. We’re exploring all possibilities, and it’s so G– damn frustrating because you just can’t get people to get serious about it. I went and I testified in front of Congress and a very bipartisan committee. A lot of their children were opioid addicts and had survived. Some didn’t. Retelling my story to them was probably one of the hardest things I’d ever done because I wanted so badly for Josh’s story to make a difference, and I was so disappointed when it didn’t.

It’s just people pay lip service to it and that’s it, and it’s on to the next catastrophe. But we lose an average of 270 to 300 people every day to a drug overdose, and 70 percent of those are opioids. That’s like an airliner falling out of the sky once a day. How much do you think our government would have their G– damn knickers in a wad if we were dropping an airplane out of the sky once a day?

A lot of it’s fentanyl poisoning, where they think they’re taking one thing, but it’s been laced with fentanyl to make it cheaper and to make it more potent, and more addictive. Kid goes to a party with a bunch of his friends, maybe it’s his first year in college, his first frat party. Somebody says, here, I got a Xanax, we’re all going to do it. So, he pops the Xanax and he’s dead.

He’s not a junkie. He’s not an addict. He made a bad choice and he paid for it with his life. You try to tell people that and I don’t know how to get through to people. I keep speaking about it. Every time somebody will give me a forum to get up and tell my story, I’ll do it. And I just hope that some days, some way it’ll make a difference. It’ll maybe save some person’s life.

On a more positive note, you have this stud thing going on, and I see you have some boat daddy-labeled merchandise on your website (captainlee.com).  Do you have older guys thanking you for showing older guys like us can be studs, too?

Damn right. There’s no age limit as far as qualifying for being a stud at all or being a boat daddy. I think being a boat daddy, though, you do need a boat or at least access to one

The post Boat Daddy Is Back appeared first on Lifestyle Media Group.

KC ranks as one of the most iconic musicians in South Florida history and still lives within 10 miles of where he grew up in Hialeah. The band’s classics include “Get Down Tonight,” “That’s the Way (I Like It),” “Boogie Shoes,” “Rock Your Baby,” “Please Don’t Go” and “Yes I’m Ready.” In 1975, the band was the first to score four No. 1 pop hits since the Beatles did it in 1964.

Disco may have gone out of vogue amid punk and new wave at one point, but the band’s music is a vibrant part of pop culture. Its website notes the music has been featured in more than 200 motion picture soundtracks and every major sporting event in the world.

KC was interviewed via phone by Lifestyle Group Editor-in-Chief Kevin Gale a week before the tour kicked off. The following transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Congratulations on celebrating 50 years of music. What is the ride like these days?

It’s pleasant. I love what I’m doing, and I really enjoy it and there’s no pressure to do anything to be anywhere or whatever. I’m just enjoying it.

What can fans expect at your upcoming show at Hard Rock?

It’s definitely all the hits. There’s 15 of us on stage. It’s me, it’s the band, it’s the music. I like to say the music is the magic.

Talk a little bit about the band and the dancers and choreography. I read that there’s a lot more choreography these days than originally.

We’ve hired top choreographers during the years. The guy who choreographed this show choreographed the Michael Jackson, “This is It” [a residency in London that was canceled because of the singer’s death]. His name is Travis Payne. I just want to give the people a show. I don’t like to just stand up there and not do anything

Do you have some members of the band or your dance team who have been with you quite a while?

Well, the percussionist , Fermin Goytisolo, started playing with me on the second album in 1976. He’s from Miami and was born in Havana. I have musicians who have been with me a year up to since 1990 when I came back.

 I would guess that you’re getting multiple generations of families at shows these days.

My demographics have always been kind of like that, even from Day One. It still is that and it’s great to see the different generations come out to the shows: babies, grandmas, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers and sisters.

You grew up in Hialeah. Do you still live down here part of the time or all the time?

 I still live here in Miami. Pretty much within 10 miles from where I was born.

Talk a little bit about early in your career. I read that you worked at a local record store and then you hung around a recording studio owned by Henry Stone.

Well, at the record store we would place orders on Mondays and Thursdays and pick ’em up on Tuesdays and Fridays. Back then, record manufacturers had local distributors. One of the largest wholesale record distributors in the United States was in Hialeah and called Tone Distributors. Upstairs was a recording studio. I met everyone at Tone and eventually left the record stores and asked Henry for a job. He didn’t have a job at the time, so I went to his competitor and I got a job there. Then, after work, I would go hang out at Tone and just do whatever was needed to be done after hours and then eventually made my way upstairs and started writing songs with some of the other writers there. And then one day went in and made my own song.

What was that song?

“Blow Your Whistle.” [Released in September 1973.]

When things started moving ahead, you had such an incredible run there in a few short years. What was it like to go through that?

Excitement on one end and then loneliness on the other end.

I read that you had throngs of fans looking for you and you had to hole up in a hotel a lot.

It happens to a lot of artists. The success brings recognition. I would get to a hotel and it would be 5,000 to 10,000 people outside the hotel. I would never go through the front door. I always went through the back door. I never knew what it was like to go through the front door of a hotel.

I would be looking down at all these people and wanting to be right down amongst them, but knowing I really couldn’t. You kind of feel isolated in a way. They had guards on every exit, every elevator up to the floor that I was on and I was just being shuffled around kind of that way. Other band members and people could go out and do whatever they wanted to. I really wasn’t able to do it and it felt very isolated and I was very lonely at times.

What’s it like for you now? Do you still get recognized?

Since then, I grew a beard and stuff, so I kind of move around pretty easily through public spaces and I haven’t really been that visible on any kind of social stuff, so I do pretty good moving around.

What’s life when you’re not touring these days? Do you have certain things you like to do for fun or do you have hobbies, pets?

I have my dogs. I love to play tennis. I like to ride my bike and I just like to do normal things that people do: Go to the movies, go to nice dinners, have some nice wine and socialize with my friends and my family and all of my pets, my dogs, the birds, the ducks. And I like to travel.

What kind of dogs do you have?

I have Golden Retrievers.

Oh, how many?

Two.

Okay, that’s a handful.

It is. One is 2 years old and one is 8.

Are you in a relationship?

No, I’m single.

I bet you’d be a good catch.

I just enjoy my freedom.

How does it feel to see your music continue to be a cultural touchstone, such as being sampled by rappers and turning up in TV shows and movies?

It’s sort of getting the last laugh. I don’t think we’ve ever gotten the credit that we deserve for what we did do. There were a lot of naysayers about the music, about disco, about the whole thing throughout the years and they always tried to tear us down. To see that our music not only influenced so many other types of music but is so popular in today’s culture is just amazing to me. And it’s kind of like just getting get the last laugh. So, yeah, that’s kind of how I feel about it.

That sort of addresses the next question I was going to ask about the whole Disco Sucks movement, although I saw that you sort like to refer to your music as dance and that it has heavy R&B elements to it.

The guy who created that whole scenario actually came to a Marlins game. In the middle of the Marlins game, he apologized to me. What was really weird is everybody thought that the whole world did that. It only happened in one place in Chicago that one night. The media can really blow things up beyond what it actually is sometimes. [The event at the Chicago White Sox’ Comiskey Park on July 12, 1979, included a box of disco records being blown up in the middle of a doubleheader. A riot ensued and the second game was forfeited because the field was unplayable.]

You had a time when you were retired, and I’m curious what brought you out of retirement?

Arsenio Hall wanted to see a reunion of the band on his stage on his TV show, and so I did the show and then kind of realized that I had stopped doing something that I really enjoy doing when I quit the business. I just didn’t want to have anything to do with it. I was so tired of the political part of it and the pressure of the whole thing and everything, and I just wanted to have nothing to do with it after 1984. Once I came back out, I just realized what I was missing what I love to do and I hadn’t really put any thought into it until that TV show.

What keeps you going these days?

I love what I’m doing and I have a great band, an amazing band, and it’s so much fun to be with them on the stage and off the stage, and just to see people smiling and having a good time and creating new memories or reliving old memories. There’s nothing like it. Being on that stage is my happiest moment in life.

Is there one song in your repertoire that you say, I’m never going to get tired of performing this?

All of ’em. I’ll never get tired of them.

What honors or chart performance things or other accolades do you hold most dear?

I have nine Grammy nominations. I have three Grammy awards. I have American Music Awards. I have awards from other countries. I’m just happy that I’m able to make people happy with my music. All those accolades and things are just material things. And the most important thing to me is that the music uplifts somebody in a time of sorrow or time of a sickness or an illness—just in life, period. My music comes on and they feel happy and it makes their day a little bit brighter. So, I think that’s what’s most important beyond all the other stuff that comes with the awards and all that sort of thing.

Are you in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

No, I’m not.

Is that just because of your genre? It seems like you deserve to be in there.

I have no idea. I mean, I am surprised by who gets in and who doesn’t. It is what it is.

I read a Connect Savannah article in 2022 that indicated you were working on a new album and you thought it was some of your best stuff.

I started the project back in 2012. I have 56 new songs or whatever. I’m releasing a new song next month song I wrote with Lewis Martineé who did Expose.

What’s it called?

“I Get to Love You.” And my musical comes out in Edinburg, Scotland [on July 31.]  I have a new artist called Nines who has a song coming out that I wrote called “In the Back of My Cadillac.” So, there’s a lot of things going on.

Tell me a little more about the musical.

Well, they came to me about three, four years ago and just in the last year or so, it’s escalated to where they’re doing a 60-minute premier of “Who Do Ya Love” at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. Hopefully, it runs 25 days and does well enough to go from there to the West End in London and then eventually Broadway. I’m really excited about it including the guy who wrote the book, wrote the movie, “Pretty Woman,” J.F. Lawton. I have some great directors and music directors who have been involved with other major productions. Lisa Stevens is the director. It’s just a great team and a lot of excitement about it.

It’s not a jukebox musical about my life up to the success of chasing the Sunshine, but all the music fits the story very well. It’s kind of a story of growing up here in Hialeah, or Miami, with me, another guy and two girls, and it’s our story. [The listing for the musical says it features over 20 tracks including “Give It Up,” “Please Don’t Go,” “Get Down Tonight,” “Boogie Shoes” and “That’s the Way (I Like It).”]

Is there anything I haven’t asked you that you might want to share with our Lifestyle readers in South Florida?

I’m excited to be at the Hard Rock as always. I love performing there. And they finally opened up the top tier and we’re almost at a sellout. The shows were always amazing there and in this show, I’m adding a little something before the show for the audience and it should be a fun night.

By the way, I also see you have a fan club. Is that still pretty vibrant?

It is and we have great merchandise at heykcsb.com.

Photo credit:  Courtesy of Adkins Publicity

The post KC and the Sunshine Band: Dance Pioneer Keeps Passion for Performing appeared first on Lifestyle Media Group.

HAILS FROM: Born and raised in Pompano Beach.

FIRST GUITAR: “I used to go over to my buddy’s house, and we’d play Xbox but he only had one controller and he wouldn’t let me play. I was about 13 or 14 years old and there was this guitar there and I just picked it up one day. I remember someone showing me when I was like eight or nine years old how to play ‘Smoke on the Water’ so I immediately started playing that.”

THE SOUND: Blues infused rock-n-roll

FAVORITE VENUES: “The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton is where we got our start and it’s my favorite club to play, hands down. It’s just like walking into your living room – you know how it smells, how it feels, you know how it looks and you’re just comfortable in that environment. It’s easy to create there. But we’ve played in almost every place you can play in South Florida. The Hollywood Beach amphitheater is a gig I really enjoy, too.”

DAY JOB: “We were full-time gigging and touring and doing everything all the way up until COVID hit, and once COVID hit, we lost everything. All of our tour dates, a small deal at a record label fell through when their funds dried up. Part of me likes to have other interests and activities going on throughout the day, though. It’s beneficial. I have a day job that allows me to tour whenever I want and set my own hours doing home interior and exterior renovations, bathroom remodels … construction.”

SET LIST MUST: “ ‘If I Stay This Way’ and ‘Promised Land,’ a kind of rocked out Delta Blues that goes into an extended jam, both from the 2021 album ‘Red Sun Rebellion.’ ”

BAND SOULMATE: “Drummer Bobby Van Stone. He’s my best friend. I’ve known him since kindergarten. I couldn’t imagine playing or performing without him next to me. He’s the yin to my yang. All the s**** negative qualities I have, he’s right there with all the good ones.”

SOFLA’S MUSIC SCENE: “I think SoFla’s audiences are wanting to see what a band’s made of. What’s your tunes? What do you sound like? What’s your feel? What kind of energy are you giving off on stage?”

THE LAST WORD: “I don’t see my life any other way but as a musician. I’ve done other things. I was a firefighter for the Town of Palm Beach and Palm Beach County and I’m grateful for everything I learned in fire service. I’ve left a lot behind, and I’ve accomplished a lot, too. I know if I don’t have music in my life, I’m a train wreck.”

CATCH THEM LIVE: The Funky Biscuit, Boca Raton, Friday, March 15, and Blues and Brews Bistro, Thursday, March 21, Ormond Beach, and “we have a ton of summer tour dates. I’m so stoked to get on the road.”

FOLLOW: Instgram @ shawdavisblackties, https://www.facebook.com/shawdavisblackties

INFO: https://www.shawdavisblackties.com/

WATCH FOR: A new record coming out this year.

LISTEN: On Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, Google Play. “Everywhere!”

The post Live and Up Close: Shaw Davis & the Black Ties appeared first on Lifestyle Media Group.

HAIL FROM: Lucho moved from Peru when he was 19 in 1993 to Tamarac; lives in Boca Raton. Fred moved from Brazil to California when he was 23 in 1993, then in 1994 to Margate, where he still lives.

BAND NAME: “I was going through a breakup,” says Lucho, “so I started going to a therapist and he said, ‘You do music, that’s your weekend therapy.'”

THE SOUND: Top 40s rock, alternative and Latin rhythms with influences ranging from rock and alternative to hip hop.

MUSIC INTRO: Says Lucio: “My dad had this keyboard in his office when I was probably around 12 or 13 and I would play that. There was a cover band that lived across the street from my house, so I would go and watch them rehearse. I joined my high school band and played clarinet, but then I found a broken guitar and I ended up fixing it. So, I just taught myself. But I didn’t get more serious until I moved to the States. Says Fred: “My dad was a disc jockey and radio personality in Brazil, and I would go to the studio with him and spend hours. We would listen to everything, the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, then I got into ’70s rock, then into metal music. When I was 10 years old, I told my parents I wanted to play drums. And when I was 13, I got a drum set, even though my dad didn’t want me to be a musician. In 1993, I moved to California to actually study music.”

DAY JOBS: Says Fred: “I have a family, three kids, the whole nine yards, so yeah it is necessary to have a day job.” Says Lucio: “I’ve been a loan officer for a long time.”

SET LIST MUST: “Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus.’ We do a cool version of that song. We change the beat on that one.”

PRE-PERFORMANCE RITUAL: “We have one first drink. You ready for it? It’s an Old Fashioned” (whiskey cocktail).

BAND SOULMATE: Each other. Says Fred: “Lucho and I, we always had this very close bond as musicians and now we’ve become friends, of course. We rarely disagree with each other. After COVID, we wanted to reevaluate what we do, and we decided to become just a duo. It took a different shape. Our identity changed for the better.”

SOFLA’S MUSIC SCENE: “I think the music scene has changed since COVID,” says Fred. “I’ve seen a lot of tribute bands coming up, like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and even a Meat Loaf tribute band.” Says Lucio: “You know why? It might be because concert tickets are so damn expensive.”

THE LAST WORD: “A bar is an interesting place, and we have fun with that – we like the chemistry of a bar, it has a lot of stories of a lot of different people,” says Fred. “Our mission and our set list is to get everyone dancing. Those are the best moments ever. I like that feeling,” says Lucio.

CATCH THEM LIVE: In March, every Wednesday at Max’s Grille, Boca Raton; Thursday, March 7, Igot’s Martiki Bar, Lake Worth; Thursday, March 14 and 28, Friday, March 22, Original Fat Cat’s, Fort Lauderdale; Saturday, March 16 and 30, Briny Irish Pub, Pompano Beach.

FOLLOW: Instagram @myweekendtherapy

The post Live and Up Close: My Weekend Therapy appeared first on Lifestyle Media Group.

HAILS FROM: Born and raised in Davie; lives in Sailboat Bend, Fort Lauderdale

FIRST GUITAR: “Music was always playing around the house. My dad was a total audiophile. My parents gave me a guitar for my seventh birthday and basically told me I was going to take lessons until I was out of high school. The guitar became like an extra limb. My dad started playing guitar when he was 23 but never followed through so when he started me, I think he was saying, ‘Don’t give it up like I did.'”

THE SOUND: Americana. “Not quite country, not quite rock and roll …”

FAVORITE VENUES: “Crazy Uncle Mike’s in Boca Raton is really fun. They have a good scene. I think it helps that Oteil (Burbridge, the bassist for The Allman Brothers Band) pops in there from time to time. That venue is a great in-between spot for us. Right now, it’s Tin Roof in Fort Lauderdale. (It) brings out a really big crowd and people are so excited to be there for the music.”

SOURCE OF PRIDE: “In about 2019 or 2020 I really started writing music and the record I have out right now is called ‘Twenties.’ I recorded it when I was 30 — so last year. It is a collection of songs written in my 20s in the order they were written. They were songs I always found myself coming back to. We are about to record another EP called ‘Artemis’ at Rain Cat in Jensen Beach, the same place as the first one.”

DAY JOB: “I was playing out about four or five times a week right before COVID hit. And, so, in 2019, I was at a point where I probably could have done music full time. Then 2020 came around and it kind of knocked that back. I’m working in yacht management and focusing on better gigs. I did the bar and restaurant circuit so long it kind of led me out of why I loved playing music; it was becoming a grind. I play out maybe four or five times a month and every gig is fun because of that.”

SET LIST MUST: “Velvet Underground’s ‘Rock & Roll.’ It’s just such an f’in good song and we play it really big.”

BAND SOULMATE: “Drummer David Nordstrom. We are just so connected and coordinated as a duo.”

PRE-PERFORMANCE RITUAL: “Maybe I’ll go for a run or workout to get my brain right. And then I do a vocal warmup because the vocal thing came so much later than guitar for me so I’m still just trying to learn how to build my voice out properly. Maybe a shot of tequila before we go on.”

THE LAST WORD: “I hope that when people see me perform they realize how much my heart is in it. I’ll put on the same show whether I’m playing to five people or 300. I just want to keep plugging away at my music, to keep writing new stuff and keep recording new music.”

CATCH HIM LIVE: Tin Roof, Fort Lauderdale, Saturday, March 9 and Saturday, March 30. “We’re hoping to go out on tour before the end of the year to promote both ‘Twenties’ and ‘Artemis.'”

FOLLOW: Instagram: @RyanHopkinsMusic

WATCH FOR: “Artemis” out this summer.

LISTEN: On Apple Music, Spotify, iTunes, Pandora

The post Live and Up Close: Ryan Hopkins appeared first on Lifestyle Media Group.

The band’s 1992 love ballad “End of the Road” spent 13 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, beating the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll himself — Elvis Presley’s — previous 11-week run. In the following years, the band surpassed their own record twice; in 1994, “I’ll Make Love to You” spent 14 weeks at number one, and in 1995-1996, “One Sweet Day” spent 16 weeks at the top.

The band blazed a new trail for other multi-vocalist groups like 98 Degrees, NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys to find fans and fame.

But after Boyz II Men’s meteoric rise, some thought the band’s fire would burn out. Now, 30 years later, the band is still breaking records. In July, 40,000 people flooded into a lakeside amphitheater in Eisenhower Park to see them perform. The band holds the distinction of being the best-selling R&B group of all time with 64 million albums sold. They’ve appeared in Hollywood movies and had a residency at the Mirage Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. They have won four Grammy Awards, nine American Music Awards, nine Soul Train Awards and three Billboard Awards.

It’s safe to say the Boyz found the magic ingredients to make music with longevity. In this brief email interview with Lifestyle Media, Morris shares his connection to Florida and his insight on how the band has lasted the test of time.

What do you think the magic is? What has made your music so timeless?

I think it’s the fans. They decide what’s timeless or not.

Your music has gained a global following. What themes at a human/soul level are crucial to creating music that translates globally and resonates universally? 

Empathy. You have to have it to be able to write and relate to others lives and what they go through.

You’re based in Tampa. Can you please share your history and connection to Florida?

I’ve always wanted to live in Florida since I was about 23 years old. One of our early shows was in Miami, and from Philly I never knew there was water that blue in the US. So ever since then, I’ve wanted to be down here. But I knew I couldn’t move unless I was on the water.

Has Florida — its music, people, culture —  influenced your music in any particular way? 

I haven’t been down here long enough to say but we love the vibe and the fans when we have tour stops in this state.

You were once quoted saying “to me we’re in a day and age now where there will probably never be any legendary artists ever again because our attention span is too short.” — Can you elaborate on why you think today’s music scene is not apt to produce legendary artists anymore? 

We don’t value things the way we used to, and we also don’t have patience. Becoming legendary takes time…time that most people don’t have anymore. They want everything now.

What advice do you have for young men — either as aspiring musicians or purely as human beings?

Learn to master controlling your mind. Everything we ever do, think, try to say, or act on starts in our mind. If you learn to not act on every thought that comes through it, then you’ll have better control of your destiny.  

Photo of Boyz II Men courtesy of Matt Mendell

The post The Ingredients of Timeless Tunes appeared first on Lifestyle Media Group.

Gone were Atkins’ tights, pointe shoes and classic repertoire. She performed instead in her bare feet, her arms shaped into repeating geometric right angles. Movements were staggered and more measured, with moments of effortless fluidity. Graham’s more modern, raw style accentuated Atkins’ versatility and soul as a dancer.

When Atkins exited the stage, she was hugged by Lourdes Lopez, artistic director of Miami City Ballet. Ordinarily a post-performance exchange like this would have included a congratulatory remark or a slight critique. But this time was different. Lopez held Atkins’ hands and squeezed them, looking her square in the eyes.

Then, she uttered a single word: “Principal.”

She had been elevated from principal soloist to the highest position a performer can reach in a professional ballet company—principal dancer, beginning with the 2023-2024 season. It was the bullseye for which Dawn had been aiming since she first set foot in a dance studio at age 5, the culmination of decades of tireless training, daily discipline and occasional bloody toes crammed into pointe shoes.

With one single word, Lopez made Atkins’ lifelong vision come true.

“It was one of the coolest moments of my life,” Atkins recalls.

After she finished crying, Atkins FaceTimed her sister and mother. They’d watched Atkins chase her dream with dogged determination since she was a child.

“You did it,” her sister said.

As a young girl, Atkins was homeschooled and started dancing in a small studio in Vermont. Then, around age 10, her family moved to Virginia where she was thrust into a public school with 2,000 students. She enrolled in a dance studio with a much larger body called Richmond Ballet. Soon, Atkins was dancing every day, including weekends during “Nutcracker” season, and sometimes before school.

“The balance between going to school, and then going to a different place for dance started to get hard,” Atkins, now 29, remembers. “I was doing all my homework in the car. I wasn’t hanging out with my school friends. I couldn’t do anything school related. I left school early every day for ballet.”

Atkins’ mother saw that perhaps her daughter needed a different approach.

The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) had a program geared for high school students pursuing dance. The director of the school, Ethan Stiefel, is a globally celebrated, charismatic dancer pop-culturally known for his acting role as the zealous dance teacher in the 1990s blockbuster film “Center Stage.” He was a principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre and the artistic director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Atkins’ choice to audition for Stiefel would reframe her interest and dedication to dance.

“I think [Stiefel] might’ve offered me the scholarship right after the audition,” Atkins says. “I was like, ‘Of course! This is crazy!’ He was such a demanding teacher but so inspirational at the same time.”

Stiefel bred in his dancers a deep-rooted rigor.

“One day he said, ‘I always wonder if I had just worked a little bit harder each day, or just one of the days, where would I be now?’ And I remember thinking, ‘That’s ridiculous. He’s one of the best male dancers ever in the entire world.’ But it really shaped a work ethic for me. There’s always room to work harder.”

Her hard work at UNCSA paid dividends in 2011 when, right out of high school, Atkins was offered a spot as a trainee at Boston Ballet under the directorship of Margaret Tracy (a former principal dancer for New York City Ballet). The school is known for its classical foundations in Balanchine, which took Atkins’ technical precision to the next level. It later benefited her when she auditioned for MCB. It was in Boston that Atkins transitioned from student to professional. She moved up to artist of the company in 2013 and second soloist in 2019.

While Atkins’ goal of becoming a professional dancer was underway, another fairytale was unfolding. Returning home from the dance studio each night, she would run into a kind and attractive neighbor in the elevator of her apartment building. They’d chat. He worked in finance. Before long, they began dating. Atkins began touring with Boston Ballet, including a program in Paris. Straight out of a Hollywood romance, the neighbor-turned-boyfriend joined her. He proposed close to the Eiffel tower. In June 2022, roughly 10 years after they met, Atkins and her fiancé, Edsall Hilty, married along the Seine River.

Hilty, who knew nothing about ballet when the couple first met (he desperately called a friend’s wife, early on, and asked her to tell him everything she knew about dance) has since been to 16 “Nutcracker” performances.

“He’s amazing,” Atkins says with a laugh. “It’s so cool to hear the things he notices [about dance] that I’ve taken for granted.”

The couple relocated to South Florida in 2021 where Atkins auditioned for MCB. She advanced from soloist to principal soloist to principal dancer in just two years.

On an almost daily basis, Atkins leaves her husband and two dogs (her “favorite topic”)—a golden retriever named Duke and a Boston terrier pug mix named Chappy—at their home in West Palm Beach to board the Brightline train and commute to Miami for dance rehearsal. Ninety minutes of technique class precede six hours of rehearsal with a short lunch break in the middle. The 2023-2024 company, which is comprised of 12 principal dancers, three principal soloists, five soloists and 28 corps de ballet, have become “like family,” Atkins says.

“The atmosphere among the dancers is really special here at Miami City Ballet,” she says. “It feels like people genuinely support each other. If someone’s doing a really hard piece and it’s a section where they get really tired, you can hear the support cheering from the sides of the room. … I think that’s so important. It’s such a hard profession. We take our work really seriously, but we also have fun with it.”

Another thing she loves about MCB: artistic director Lopez.

“It’s special to work for a female artistic director,” she says. “She [Lopez] was a principal in New York City Ballet, so she can relate to the female dancer in such a close way that I think contributes to how she runs the company. And it’s probably part of the reason the culture is as positive as it is.”

A nurturing culture, Atkins says, is essential, especially for an art form that takes such a toll on every aspect of one’s life. Self-care, she says, has also become increasingly important as she envisions her life long-term.

“This career is fleeting. I had to ask myself, ‘Am I a whole person beyond that?’ It [dance] requires so much dedication. It’s easy to leave everything else out in the dark,” she says. “I’ve really started prioritizing being a whole person. I enrolled in Northeastern University, got my degree there, and earned my real estate license. It’s important to develop yourself socially and have a support system beyond the studio.”

For this year, however, Atkins will focus on savoring the sweet fruits of her lifelong labor in her new role as principal dancer.

“You don’t think about what it’s actually going to be like when you achieve your dream. You just work toward achieving it,” she says. “So, now, I want to just be in this moment, knowing that I’ve achieved my goal.”

Photo credits: Alexander Iziliaev

The 2023-24 Season

Miami City Ballet’s upcoming season promises the full spectrum of ballet—modern works, contemporary programs and traditional masterpieces. There will be multiple world premieres of new works along with  beloved classics. Performances are staged at three venues throughout South Florida—Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach (701 Okeechobee Blvd.), Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale (201 SW Fifth Ave.) and Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami (1300 Biscayne Blvd.).

The 2023-24 schedule includes:

              • George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker”: More than 100 dancers perform this holiday classic against a backdrop of Tchaikovsky music, wintery sets and dazzling costumes. Dates: Dec. 8-10 at Broward Center; Dec. 15-24 at Arsht Center; Dec. 28-30 at Kravis Center.

              • Winter Mix: Two world premieres by choreographers with local connections highlight this program. “Analogo” by Miami-born Margarita Armas and “Paganini, In Play” by MCB School resident choreographer Durante Verzola both debut along with “Firebird” (the reimagining of a 2019-20 smash) and “Concerto DSCH” (an acclaimed work by Alexei Ratmansky). Dates: Feb. 3-4 at Kravis Center; Feb. 9-11 at Arsht Center; Feb. 17-18 at Broward Center.

              • Spring Mix: Along with the world premiere of “Delight” from Brazilian choreographer Ricardo Amarante, MCB presents George Balanchine’s “Agon” (with a groundbreaking score by Stravinsky) and “Following the Subtle Current Upstream” from Alonzo King. Dates: March 8-10 at Arsht Center; March 23-24 at Kravis Center.

              • “Swan Lake”: The reinterpretation of this classic by Alexei Ratmansky features more than 50 MCB dancers and Tchaikoveky’s legendary score performed by a live orchestra. Dates: April 18-21 at Arsht Center; April 25-28 at Broward Center; May 10-12 at Kravis Center.

Visit miamicityballet.org/2324season for ticket information and program details.

The post Right on Pointe appeared first on Lifestyle Media Group.

“Number one, Rick is prettier than me,” Sammy Hagar quips amid a belly laugh. “Plus, he had a bigger hit with my song than I did [“I’ve Done Everything for You”] When I released that song [in 1978], it bombed. He comes along [in 1981] and has a top-10 record with it.

“So, I’m thinking, maybe he can do that with my rum!”

Truth be told, the former front man for Van Halen—whose 50 years in music, starting in the early 1970s with Montrose, includes a prolific solo career—was doing just fine on his own when it came to adult beverages. Long before the likes of George Clooney, Bob Dylan and The Rock had launched their spirit brands, the Red Rocker had bought and sold Cabo Wabo tequila, a multimillion-dollar venture that opened the industry door for other celebrities. Today, in addition to Beach Bar Rum, Hagar’s portfolio includes Sammy’s Beach Bar Cocktails (all-natural ready-to-drink rum concoctions) and his Santo line—Mezquila (the first tequila/mezcal hybrid], Tequila Blanco and Reposado.

As for his day job, Hagar shows no signs of slowing down. His supergroup The Circle—which takes the stage Oct. 29 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood—has put out critically acclaimed new music (the 2022 album “Crazy Times”) and a delicious serving of raucous covers (“Lockdown 2020,” released amid COVID-19) over the past few years. Expect a major fall announcement about The Circle’s tour plans for 2024.

Hagar touched on music, spirits and much more during an exclusive interview with Lifestyle.

Your success with spirits is the stuff of legend. What originally piqued your interest about the industry?

I went to Guadalajara to shop for furniture for the Cabo Wabo Cantina [the famed bar and live music hub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico that Sammy launched in 1990] as well as for the condo I had bought there. My Mexican partner suggested that we go to the town of Tequila—and drink some tequila. So, we visited three or four distilleries and sampled 100-percent agave. This wasn’t the tequila for [mass consumption]. You sit down with these farmers, and they want to show off their personal stock, not the stuff they’re selling to the guys across the street. This was from a recipe by the Rivera family, which had been making tequila for like 80 years.

It blew my mind. I thought, wow, when we open the cantina, I need my own tequila. I was so excited about the idea.

We talked to the right people, asked them to make this [same] tequila for the cantina, and they said, yes. Just bring us some bottles. So, that got me in. We bought these little barrels, and we’d serve the tequila out of that. There was no label. Someone tasted it, thought it was the best tequila he’d ever had, and he wrote an article. Soon, another person reaches out and asks if I want to bring the tequila to America. I said, “I don’t know what I’m doing. But, [expletive], sure.”

So, I went back to the farmers. Remember, I wanted the small batch that the ranchers made for themselves. They said “OK. Bring us more bottles.”

We started small, but then we started getting crazy orders. We went from hand-blown bottles to factory-made bottles. We couldn’t keep up with the supply. The good news was that I was dealing with the farmers—and they had all the agave. People ask how I pulled it off. That’s why. Pretty soon, the farmers were telling other clients, “Sorry, we can’t sell you anymore agave—we’re smoking over here with Cabo Wabo tequila!”

It was so much fun watching it grow, watching these farmers buy trucks to load agave instead of donkeys pulling carts—and, later, seeing them build mansions for their families. Watching all those people win, and me win, and seeing this tequila on a bar shelf? It was like hearing your song on the radio. It really put the hook in me.

When I sold it [an 80-percent interest to Gruppo Campari in 2007 for a reported $80 million], I’m going, “[Expletive!]. I want to do that again!” It’s like making a hit record. You want to make another one.

How many musicians and celebrities have approached you about different deals or just seeking advice?

Probably 20, 25 people or more have hit me up. Mainly, it’s about the liquor industry. The only advice I can give is that it’s a tough industry. I got lucky the first time around. The light just popped on one day. I didn’t plan that.

With these new brands, it’s much more of a struggle—and more of a huge investment. So, I warn people: If you have an extra $10 million to $40 million, you need to be willing to lose that if it doesn’t work. That’s the industry.

People also hit me up for investments. To me, it’s easier to make money than to keep it. I’m a conversative son-of-a-gun. I don’t try to make money with money. Betting on the stock market? Betting on someone else’s housing project investment? I’d rather put that money into my own housing project, one that I can control. Once you give other people your money, they don’t care about it as much as if it were their own money.

If I want to make money, I can play guitar and I sing. I have products. I can make appearances. And I can dig a freakin’ ditch if I have to. I’d rather do something and get paid for it than say, “I’ll put this money here and try to double it.” You might as well go to Vegas and have a good time in the process because it’s really like gambling.

Is there a business opportunity that you regret passing on?

Absolutely. There were so many real estate deals when I first went to Cabo and bought the Cabo Wabo footprint for $100,000. It’s a huge piece of property, right in the middle of downtown. I have no idea what it’s worth today.

People were also talking to me about buying property way out of town—50 acres on the beach for $500,000. Today, Mike Meldman [one of the founders of Casamigos tequila with George Clooney and Rande Gerber] has one of his Discovery [Land Company] properties there. And it’s $11 million to $20 million for one lot on the beach. He has about 200 lots. That $500,000 now probably would be worth $500 million or more.

But back in the day, I’m thinking, “A half-million dollars? In some piece of Mexican desert with a cactus on it?” [Sammy laughs]. There’s probably 10 deals like that I could have invested in. So, I’m not as smart as you think.

Let’s switch gears to music. You clearly love playing with The Circle. Why has this been such a satisfying chapter in your music journey?

It’s the first band I’ve been in that can play my entire catalog as good, or better, than the original group.

Alex Van Halen was a John Bonham fanatic. We never made a Van Halen record without him telling the engineer, “I want this drum sound.” It was always Led Zeppelin. It was “When the Levee Breaks,” “Good Times, Bad Times,” “Kashmir.” He was looking for that sound on our Van Halen records.

So, when we play Van Halen songs with The Circle, [drummer] Jason Bonham [John Bonham’s son] says in his British accent, “Oh mate, what Alex was trying to do was when my pop used to hit this high hat” or whatever it is. He knows exactly what Alex was going for. So, that’s one thing.

Then you have Michael Anthony. Back in the day, Alex and Eddie [Van Halen], and even David [Lee Roth], had their thumb on Mike so much. He’s such a fantastic bass player. He has hands and chops like John Entwistle [of The Who]. Plus, he sings like nobody’s business. So, having him off the leash is like, “Wow!” Mike is finally adding what he wants to play. He’s better than he ever was in Van Halen.

And Vic Johnson, once again, is the unsung hero. He can play Jimmy Page on Led Zeppelin songs. He can play Ronnie Montrose. And he can play Eddie Van Halen. He’s so incredibly versatile.

It breaks my heart that Eddie is gone [the legendary guitarist died in October 2020]. We never got together and played music again. That’s why we’re putting more and more Van Halen into our sets. Because the fans are never going to get that again. It just has to be played. We even have Mikey singing a couple of David Lee Roth songs [from early Van Halen], like “Runnin’ with the Devil” or “Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love.”

I love it. I get to take a little break and have a cocktail.

For five seasons, you were able to spend time with old friends and musicians you’ve long admired on “Rock & Roll Road Trip” (which ran from 2016 to 2020 on AXS TV). Which episodes stand out for you?

Every episode was a treat. But John Mellencamp is one because we became such dear friends after that show.

John is someone who can make you very uncomfortable because he’s such a bitter and angry artist. He always has been and always will be. We finished the interview and, yeah, it had been uncomfortable. When it was time to perform together, John wanted to do a murder ballad written by a blind guy in the 1900s. Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan had recorded it. I’d never heard of it. I tried to put some harmonies on it, and John goes, “No, no. No harmonies. Harmonies are wimpy.” We only played a part of the song because it has like 100 verses—and I was reading my verse off a teleprompter. So, he made it difficult for me.

But then, afterward, he goes, “Do you want to come up to my house?” I’m like, sure. I ended up staying all day, walking around his gardens, hanging out and just talking about old times. He played me some new songs, and I played him some new songs. That’s honestly one of the best “Rock & Roll Road Trip” outcomes. If I write a new song now, and I’m not sure about it? I play it on an acoustic, sing it into my iPhone and send it to John.

And he tells me straight [expletive] up what he thinks about it. There’s no ass-kissing. No consideration for my feelings. None of that. And I love it.

On The Circle’s latest album, “Crazy Times,” the poignant track “Father Time” stands out. You’re clearly taking stock because “Father time … is looking over [his] shoulder.” Is there a story behind that song?

This is about five years ago. [Sammy and wife Kari] were returning to our home in Maui. We lived way out in the boonies, on a cliff overlooking the ocean. You’d drive past these beautiful tropical palms and bushes until [the view opened up] and you’d see the house. By the time you reached the end of the driveway, you’d feel like you’d been there 100 years already. When you get in a place that peaceful, everything slows down immediately.

As soon as I’d get to that house, I’d take off my clothes and go naked until we had somewhere to go. Or until someone came to the house.

So, my wife goes to the store to pick up some things; it’s about an hour away to get to town. While she was gone, I picked up a guitar that I always had in Maui. This guitar has written almost every song since “Red Voodoo” [a 1999 album with his former band, the Waboritas], especially some songs that are really meaningful to me.

So, I’m sitting there near the cliff listening to the ocean waves crashing. The waves are rough on Waipio Bay; you can almost feel the house shake. “Crashing waves clawing at the shore … that’s been going on forever or more.”

I just started writing what I was feeling in that moment. I got my cell phone, hit record and started singing. That song wrote itself—music, lyrics and even the bridge. “I Can’t Drive 55” was like that too. That [song] came out of me straight, from beginning to end. Same with “Eagles Fly.”

After I finished, I was tearing up. I tried to play it again, and it broke me down. I could hardly sing it. So, I sent what I first did straight to John Mellencamp. And John went, “Sam, that song sounds like it’s been around awhile.” That’s [quite] a compliment from John. He’s saying that song is here to stay.

“Father Time” came from the ether. The spirits. The angels. From whoever was around me. That Maui property was very spiritual. And very scary at night sometimes, just because it was so still, so quiet and so dark. I sold it right before COVID-19 because it was falling apart.

But we owned it 27 years. That was my go-to, my sanctuary.

You have older sons (Aaron and Andrew) from your first marriage, and two daughters (Samantha and Kama) with Kari (his wife of nearly 30 years). How were you a different dad with the girls?

That’s a pretty deep question.

When I was young, I didn’t have businesses. I just sang, played music and toured a lot. So, I wasn’t around as much. When I was, we did everything. Hiking, swimming, I taught them how to fish, how to hit a baseball. That worked out well because if I had girls first, I wouldn’t want to play with dolls. [Sammy laughs]

With the girls, I’m in a [different place]. I’m not struggling. I think I gave them more security. The girls knew they had a dad; we all went together on summer tours. They also got a dad who was more mature.

But all four knew they were loved. That’s the one thing that will always carry through their whole lives and make them feel comfortable in the world. They have someone they can count on and turn to. … I was raised by a single mom, but guess what?  I knew she loved me. I never felt lonely, like I had nowhere to go. That’s a horrible feeling for a child.

I’ve seen so many miserable rich bastards in my life. All that matters to me, when I see someone, is that they’re open-hearted. They’re kind. And they’re willing to be kind to other people. That comes from being loved. Love is the key to everything.

Sammy Hagar & The Circle

When: Oct. 29, 7 p.m.

Where: Hard Rock Live, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood

What: Expect a rollicking evening of classic rock favorites with The Circle—bassist Michael Anthony from Van Halen, drummer (and Delray Beach resident) Jason Bonham and guitarist extraordinaire Vic Johnson—that draws from Hagar’s wildly successful career as a solo artist and front man for bands including Van Halen. In addition to hits and deep cuts from Hagar’s chart-topping run with Van Halen (1985-96), fans of the Red Rocker can rest assured they’ll hear songs like “I Can’t Drive 55” and “There’s Only One Way to Rock.”

Tickets: myhrl.com

The post Lifestyle Exclusive: Sammy Hagar appeared first on Lifestyle Media Group.

As the native of Wisconsin describes it, growth mindset involves prioritizing how you perceive things, separating identity from performance, and enhancing skills and intellect through hard work, dedication and positivity. He shares a conversation he recalls having with his parents during middle school. Alec was distraught over a B-plus because he so wanted to earn nothing but As.

“My parents asked if I tried my hardest, which I did,” Ingold says. “‘Then why are you upset?’ they said. ‘It’s the effort that matters. It was never about the grade.’”

This May, standing before a graduating class at Miami Dade College, Ingold offered a similar nugget as part of his commencement speech: Who you are, how you want to show up every day, matters so much more in life than what you do.

“These are messages that football coaches are telling us on a daily basis,” the 27-year-old says. “But the lessons all originated with that middle school conversation with my parents.”

The twist on what Ingold describes as an idyllic upbringing in the football haven of Green Bay is that his parents adopted Alec as an infant with the help of a faith-based organization. His mother, Chris, is a third-grade teacher; his dad, Pat, works on the office side of a Wisconsin paper mill. The couple still live in the same house where Alec grew up.

“I remember my dad waking up at 5 a.m. every day and staying late,” says Ingold, who has a sister, Sydnie, eight years his junior and the biological daughter of Pat and Chris. “Work ethic was so important to both of them. My dad was a [two-time All-American] wrestler at [Northern Michigan University]. So, I had him on the athletic side. And my mom was all over me about school and the importance of education.

“I was able to live with that family for my entire life, until I went to [the University of Wisconsin]. I never had realizations of how troubling foster care could be. Mine was a picture-perfect adoption story.”

Ingold’s ongoing appreciation for the impact that an empowering example can have on a young life has driven him to pay it forward. Last year, AdoptUSKids, a national organization that strives to find loving, permanent families for children and teens, honored Ingold in Washington, D.C., with its Adoption Excellence Award.

And with good reason.

Since entering the National Football League in 2019 with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent, and even during his standout career at Wisconsin (he was the only fullback invited to the 2019 Senior Bowl and 2019 NFL Scouting Combine), Ingold has looked for ways to give back when it comes to adoption organizations and the foster community.

“I always looked up to athletes when I was young; they were like superheroes to me,” he says. “There’s a responsibility that comes with this platform, and I try to carry it with awareness.

I’ve always wanted to use my testimony for good in the world. Being able to share spaces with kids that I can relate to? This is my lane. This is a journey I can walk during my playing days and long after.”

Early last year, he launched his namesake organization, the Ingold Family Foundation. It’s a culmination of the passions, interests and teaching moments that led Ingold to this point in his career—one that recently was rewarded by the Dolphins with a contract extension through the 2026 season.

“The vision was to take the pillars I’ve experienced in different areas—financial literacy (he earned a personal finance degree at Wisconsin), football/athletics, and family support—and invest in foster youth in elementary, middle and high school,” Ingold says. “We want to provide as many lessons as possible without [them having to] fight and claw for that kind of information. Somebody, beyond the teacher or caseworker. The hope is that it strikes a different or deeper chord.

“We’re trying to create environments of inspiration, where kids feel empowered to be themselves and chase their own dreams. Because, why not?”

Back in Green Bay, Ingold has hosted a Foster Youth Football Summit, reminding kids that family can be whoever is around you—including your teammates or your friends. He’s also partnered with the Pathways Program at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, which encourages young adults who’ve been in the foster system to “design and create a personal vision for a well-lived and productive life.” Ingold’s own passion for financial literacy resulted in a Money Mini Camp.

Locally, since joining the Dolphins last season, Ingold already has connected with nonprofits including Junior Achievement of Greater Miami, Children’s Home Society Florida and the Jason Taylor Foundation. He says there are plans to bring some of the initiatives he launched in Green Bay to South Florida.

His interest in providing foundational skills for young adults speaks, in part, to alarming statistics from the National Foster Youth Institute, which reports that 20 percent of the estimated 23,000 children who age-out of the foster system each year in the United States instantly become homeless.

“There’s no support system at that point,” he says. “So, we’re trying to give them tools and relevant life skills [in their teens],” Ingold says. “How to budget. How to save. How to write a check. What’s your credit score? All these little things can add up and give you a better understanding of how to stand on your own two feet.”

Though his is a different backstory, Ingold says there are challenges he’s experienced that are relatable for foster and adopted children. For example, he’s dealt with identity issues since he was a child.

“I was afraid of mirrors growing up,” Ingold says. “I didn’t have that visual representation of what I was supposed to look like 30 years down the road. I was taller than both my parents by second or third grade. It was never a secret that I looked different. Identity was a hurdle for me, and I struggled to get over it.

“That’s what football was for me, in some ways. It was an escape from those identity issues. I loved being part of a team in youth football. I loved knowing that my job was going to help the person next to me.”

Still, Ingold is quick to note how fortunate he was to be raised in the warm embrace of a permanent family. Ingold’s parents even stayed in touch with his birth mother, exchanging occasional letters with her about Alec’s progress. When he was in the third grade, his parents asked if he would be interested in meeting her. He agreed.

“Honestly, I can’t remember now what she looks like,” he says. “It’s that visual thing. I remember her coming over and us having a nice conversation. She [made sure to explain] that me ending up with my parents wasn’t by chance. It was an educated situation of everyone communicating and making sure that I was being raised by the best family possible.

“I’m so grateful for that.”

After becoming a national spokesperson for AdoptUSKids following his rookie season with the Raiders, his birth mom reached out again. It was the first time they’d spoken since the meeting in third grade.

“She’s happy. And I’m doing what I’m doing,” he says. “It’s what it needed to be. It was a short chat, but cool.”

Having suffered a season-ending torn ACL in November 2021 (from which he fully recovered in time for the 2022 season with Miami), Ingold understands that players are only one hit away from turning the page on their NFL careers. Not only does he take none of his professional football journey for granted, but he’s always looking for ways to put his current platform to good use.

“To be able to host football camps, to do work through the foundation … it’s an opportunity for me to speak from the heart about football, about the lessons you can learn from teamwork and discipline. That might not get millions of views on Instagram. But, hopefully, it’ll change somebody’s life.”

Original photos by Eduardo Schneider

Action photo courtesy of the Miami Dolphins

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The South Florida resident, born Gabriela Bueno, looks every bit the social media sensation she’s become for her polished pop music videos on YouTube and her playful short takes on TikTok that make the most of her supple dance rhythms and curvaceous Brazilian beauty. Over the past two years, videos for four of her singles—two high-energy collaborations (“Pretty Girl Lit” with Justina Valentine and “Earthquake” with Mikaila Murphy) and two solo efforts (“Belly Dancer” and the soulful “One Too Many,” released in March)—all have eclipsed 1 million views.

Meanwhile, her popular TikTok page (gabbyb_music)—which exploded amid COVID-19 thanks to a single video that captured Gabby at her hip-shaking best—now has 3.7 million followers and more than 45.1 million overall likes.

It’s the kind of success as a singer and dancer that the 23-year-old dreamed about as a youngster. In those days, though, the dreams were as much about escaping as they were about realizing her potential.

An only child to parents who know all about being in the spotlight—her mother, Michelle Honnie, delighted audiences as a Samba dancer and singer; her father, Mestre Leitao, has gained international renown as a Brazilian martial arts master in the discipline of capoeira (which combines dance, acrobatics and spirituality)—Gabby grew up on the move.

Her family left Brazil when she was 3, settling in Avignon, in the southeastern Provence region of France. Seven years later, they moved to North America, where Gabby spent middle school and ninth grade shuffling between Massachusetts and Canada. The family finally settled in South Florida; Gabby spent two years at Broward County high schools before finishing her senior year at home.

What happened during her traditional classroom years speaks to her current role as official ambassador for Boo2Bullying, a youth development and suicide prevention nonprofit that offers resources and support for those who’ve struggled with bullying and discrimination.

Gabby (who just released her latest single and music video, “Leche”) opens up about the incidents that shaped her childhood—but that ultimately led to the inspired example she’s setting for fans of all ages. (For info about new music, pop-up events and club appearances in South Florida, visit gabbybmusic.com.)

You’ve been candid about the bullying you experienced as a youngster. What kind of impact did those incidents have on you growing up?

I started having an imaginary friend when I was young. Her name was Diana. And I started spending a lot more time with my Barbies. That’s where my obsession began. I have over 300 Barbies in my room right now, plus the Dream House. For me, it was a way to combat the loneliness [and pain] from the bullying. Barbies made me feel comfortable. That was my safe space.

When we lived in France, the bullying was more physical. Kids would act like your friend, and then they’d push you down or spit on you. One kid bullied me all the time at recess. He’d kick me and pull my hair. It wasn’t just me, though. Other kids were getting bullied at that school. But the teachers wouldn’t do anything. One girl dug [her nails into Gabby’s hands] and it left me bleeding. I showed the teacher, but the girl said I started it by pushing her. So, we both got in trouble.

I was one of the only Brazilian girls, but [in retrospect] I don’t know if it was about that. Like, there were a lot of kids at that school from the Middle East. I do know my parents suffered with me. So, we moved to Massachusetts.

What kind of bullying did you encounter there?

That was racism. It was surprising because there were a lot of Hispanic people there, including other Brazilians. But the popular kids were the skinny blonde girls with blue eyes, the football players. I wasn’t the only brown girl at my school, but there was this discrimination against foreigners. Even the teachers would make me feel dumb because I didn’t know the language very well. I had this French kind of accent when I spoke English, and people in class would laugh at me.

I did have a friend, this cute white girl, and she had been good to me. But she had this other friend who had a birthday party. My friend invited me to the party. I was 12. When I got to the party, the other girls were all white. And they kept staring at me. It was weird. And it made me feel awkward.

At one point, the birthday girl went to talk privately to her parents. The parents came up to me and said that they’d have to drive me home.

They kicked me out of the birthday party.

My friend did offer to leave with me, but I told her to stay. I was so upset. I’ve never cried so much.

These are such formative years for a young girl. What was this doing to your self-esteem?

[Tears begin streaming down Gabby’s face, and her voice cracks as she speaks.]

I started disliking my own skin. I didn’t like my hair. For the longest time, I wanted to be blonde. I didn’t like myself or the way I looked. I wanted to be white, so badly.

It wasn’t until much later, as my music career started to [blossom], that I began accepting my skin as it is. I’d even avoid the sun because I tan so easily.

Did music play a role in helping you survive these years?

Music always helped. When I listened to Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, I felt better.

Whenever I watched artists on TV, I’d imagine what it would be like to sing and dance on stage. I always dreamed about it. Part of it was the idea of proving all these kids wrong—I can be cool!

I could envision all of them being in the gym, at some assembly—and me performing these songs that I’d grown up on.

But I always felt a bit like the ugly duckling. I did go out for school plays, but I never got the main roles. The pretty blonde girl would be the lead character—and I’d be cast as the tree.

Finally, in high school after we moved to South Florida, I had a chance to play Fiona in a musical production of Shrek. But I declined. … That’s a whole other story that speaks to a song I wrote—“Lost with You”—about a boy, my first love, who controlled everything that I did. He didn’t want me to be a dancer or a singer. He didn’t want me to do anything. The reason was that he wanted to be a pastor. He was religious to the point where if God told him to jump off a bridge, he might do it. So, every time I wore something tight, something that felt right to me, he would make me feel bad.

Did that experience impact your feelings about relationships?

Right now, I don’t want anything to do with a boyfriend. I haven’t wanted that in years. … I’ve just been focused on my music. My songs have been more of an anti-love type of thing.

When did you begin taking steps toward a career in music?

It started with trying to grow my social media. Danny Adelstein, who’s my manager now, was my best friend before any of this. He’d help me with Instagram. I didn’t know where it would lead. Music is so hard to break into. I thought more about the actress side of it—performing in musicals, where I could sing and dance and be someone else. I used to do that on a day-to-day basis as an escape. I’d go to school and secretly pretend to be a vampire. I was a weirdo.

During my senior year, Danny’s dad [Mitch Adelstein], who’s my godfather now, heard me sing. He’s the one who made it possible for me to start in music, and I’m so grateful for him. I was just singing for fun, but he was impressed. Out of nowhere, he offered to invest in my career. [Note: Adelstein is the owner of the Chicago Sports Spectacular, the Midwest’s largest sports collectibles show. He ultimately started a music label for Gabby, Muy Bueno.]

We started doing cover songs, pop songs, in English, Portuguese and French for social media. Then we went to Atlanta, where I recorded my first song. I didn’t write it. I had songs in my diary, but I wasn’t ready for that yet. We did three songs and made videos for all three. Right now, I’m hating my first song—which was “Under My Skin”—because it’s too bubbly. It’s me as a person, but it’s not me in my music. I’m more aggressive as a performer.

But you didn’t go viral as a singer. Your big push came from a dance video, right?

We were doing serious music but also posting silly videos with [other artists’] viral song sounds. I posted one of those videos the day after everything shut down [due to COVID-19]. I had filmed it in Chicago. It’s just me dancing, the way people dance in Brazil. It’s like belly dancing but more aggressive.

But people thought I was a belly dancer. It blew up first in India. Some of the people there actually thought I was Indian. Overnight, I went from 10,000 followers on TikTok to 100,000. That video now has over [41.2] million views.

Because of that, I became a professional belly dancer [in the sense that] record labels in other countries would pay me to belly-dance to their artist’s songs. They wanted my audience. I used to do that a lot.

Later, when my followers heard me sing, they started enjoying that too. Eventually, I did a song called “Belly Dancer.” I studied the belly dance culture, learned more about it and worked with a teacher before recording the song and video.

Suddenly, I’m this social media influencer—and it all started because of belly dancing.

How does the attention you receive now—as a talented, empowered, beautiful woman—resonate with you given everything you’ve been through?

I was a blonde in the beginning of my career, still trying to be white. But since around age 19, I slowly started getting back to my natural hair. And then I stopped straightening it and started leaving it curly. Now, I even get my Brazilian tan because it’s a famous thing to have that tan line. I’d never do that before. But I don’t care now.

I think it’s because of the way my career has gone—and mostly because of my fans.

There’s this app called Likee for younger kids. I have about 700,000 followers, and many of them are little girls, some as young as 5. I hear the stories from them. “This kid at school called me stupid and ugly. But I love you Gabby, you inspire me.”

Now that I’ve shared my story, kids are asking me for help. It’s positive for them to see that there’s another person out there who’s gone through the same things. They’re not alone.

Social media is still a bully platform, and it can be brutal. The more popular you are, the more hate you get. But, oddly, it’s made me even stronger. I’ve gone through way worse in real life. All of the [support and positive feedback she’s received from fans] has helped me with my own insecurities. They give me so much confidence.

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