They Haven’t Met Me

Tonight I was rereading some parts of Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. I needed some encouragement so I normally pick up one of my many self-help books to get my mojo back. The first two chapters of the book talk about how you must have a BURNING DESIRE to achieve a goal in order for the goal to become reality. That started me thinking about myself.

I started out as a teenager in my father’s band, Electric Image, over three decades ago. This is me and some of the band members with my mom. I cannot tell you what year this is! 🙂 R.I.P Donald “Bird” Bryant and my mother Joyce Vick…

Back then I was a nervous kid who didn’t trust her own ability but I always knew I wanted to be on stage. I hadn’t been on stage in that capacity before so my stage presence sucked and my voice was very green. Needless to say, I didn’t feel very good about myself. I was in that band until I was about 30. During that time, of course I got a lot better but I still didn’t really trust myself.

It wasn’t until I was about 35 that I joined another local band called Rhythm Express. Here’s a flashback…

I became close friends with the bass player in that band. He stopped and looked at me one day and said “What are you doing? Why are you in this band? You should have your own!” And he repeated it so often that I started to believe it. Eventually, he and I left that band and started mine together. I was about 39 by then and had finally begun to believe that I had the talent and the business savvy to pull something like this off. TOOK LONG ENOUGH! This was around 2015….

I decided to make a CD. Along with that same bass player, we created a 10 song really roughly produced CD called “Can’t Stop Me”. I did it myself but I’m not a music engineer. But, it was decent enough to get folks to listen to it so I set out to perform my originals and some covers live. I hit the Southern Soul circuit first but was encouraged by my good friend DJ Heavy, that I should go for Beach Music too, although he was booking me for Southern Soul gigs at the time. They are very similar so I thought, what the hell?

Obviously, since I was just starting out, these were very lean times! I decided to quit my job and focus solely on music. When I say I was broke… I WAS BROKE! I couldn’t really afford to keep good musicians because I couldn’t pay what they wanted. We did catch a break once when East Coast Entertainment took us on and gave us a gig. I thought “Finally, we can make some money.” Well, that quickly went south when three of my musicians didn’t show up for that gig. East Coast dropped us immediately and I was never given another shot.

Man, did I want to quit! But something told me I couldn’t do that. I just couldn’t. So, I kept rolling and got a couple gigs at Deckerz down in North Myrtle Beach, where the Beach Music scene is huge. Somewhere along the way, I ran into Mr. Neal “Soul Dog” Furr. He was an extremely popular DJ down in NMB who somehow took a liking to me. He said I reminded him of a younger Ms. Jody! (This wasn’t the last time I would hear that.) He started playing some of my songs on his show. Here we are…

Neal Furr and Miss Mini at the CBMA 2016

He invited me down to the Carolina Beach Music Awards in 2016, stuck an artist tag around my neck and acted as my tour guide in North Myrtle Beach. He took me around to meet more musicians, and I was allowed to do guest spots at Deckerz and the Spanish Galleon. I was allowed backstage at the awards and everything! It was great! Here’s me at the Galleon! If you want to see more images from that trip, head over to my Photos.

In talking to him one day I explained my goal to be one of the most popular bands in Beach Music. He said, “Beach bands with female leads don’t usually do too well.” I said, “They haven’t met me.” He smiled and said, “That’s true!” R.I.P. Neal Furr. You are missed.

That has been my mantra from that day forward. If anyone tells me what I can’t do in this business….THEY HAVEN’T MET ME! I went from doing free gigs whenever someone gave me a shot and losing musicians left and right to being choosy about what gigs I want to take now and having a wonderful group of musicians that have become like family.

I am so thankful for the journey and all of the experiences I’ve had. Seven years out here on my own and I’ve been nominated for a few awards in Southern Soul and my fan base is growing every day on both sides, BUT it’s not over yet. My goal is STILL to be at the TOP of both Beach Music AND Southern Soul.

There are venues that I have yet to play. There is still more money to be made. (Doing OK but there is still A LOT of room for improvement!) I know that to get where I want to be that I cannot stop. I will not stop. I guess you could say I have a BURNING DESIRE.

That is my two cents for today. Thanks for reading y’all and keep on listening…. Until next time…. And who knows when that will be?

Published by Miss Mini

Catrese Green (West) a.k.a "Miss Mini" was born in Rocky Mount, NC and grew up in the small town of Sharpsburg, 5 miles further south. She got her pseudonym from her grandmother who nicknamed her “Minnesota Fats” because she was a chubby baby. The nickname was shortened to Mini and has stuck with her over the years. Mini began singing with her father, in a Top 40 band called “Electric Image” in 1990. The band traveled throughout the southern United States performing for many different types of audiences. With the band she was exposed to and performed music from the R&B, Country, Blues, Jazz Southern Soul and Beach genres. She has covered songs by Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Shania Twain, Alicia Keyes, The Supremes and various Southern Soul music and Beach music artists. After traveling with the band for more than 15 years, Mini longed to step out of her father’s shadow. She left the band and put her music on hold while she explored other career paths. In 2009, she began to reevaluate her life. This reflection led her back to her first love, music. She now has her own band that performs her original music as well as cover tunes. She has been touring throughout Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Her new album entitled “Can’t Stop Me” was released in December of 2015. The hit song “Ole School Style” as well as other singles from the album, are receiving national airplay on Beach and Southern Soul music stations. Currently, “Ole School Style” is #23 on Soul Dog’s Smokin’ Top 45 Southern Soul Hits countdown. She has performed at the Annual Blues Festival at Carter’s Lounge in Warrenton NC alongside greats such as Roy C. and Maurice Wynn. She has also done countless club engagements, the most recent being at Deckerz Bar and Grill in North Myrtle Beach, which has won the award for best show club at the Carolina Beach Music Awards for 2014 and 2015. Upcoming performances include the Raleigh Seafood Festival, the Pittsboro Roadhouse and many others. Find her on bio, pictures, video and more at www.reverbnation.com/missmini and on YouTube, just type Miss Mini in the search area. You can also email missminimusic@gmail.com or call (252) 452-1272 for bookings. View more posts

3 thoughts on “They Haven’t Met Me”

That’s a very good read about how you got to where you are. You have the 3 most important ingredients: talent, determination and perseverance. It may be a slow process, but your star is still rising. I’m damn glad I know you.

LikeLike

Great Bio Miss Mini, I’m so glad I was part of the ride along the way. I’m so proud of you….keeping pushing and you will make it to the top.
Donald.

LikeLike

I loved reading your story and it is an inspiring one. Your talent is undeniable. By the way, had someone told me you were a “beach band” I would never have heard you! I feel like I have been foundered on the same old same old, same old here in the “hinterlands” of NC. It’s just not my scene, and I know your band has way more to offer than what I think of as “beach (blech!) music.” I’ve experienced the diversity of your musicians and your vocal talent, and I love it. I’ll see you on April 30th in the Whirligig Park…and don’t forget, all of y’all are invited to come to the party after your gig!

LikeLike