We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful HB Gibson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with HB below.

HB, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

As a child I’ve always wanted to be in show buisness. I watched a lot of tv. The shows, the actors, the characters, they were like my friends during my lonely times as a kid. I wanted to act and I wanted to play music. Problem was, I lacked discipline. I took a few guitar and piano lessons, but I never finished. As far as acting I didn’t understand how to go about it. Acting/theater was a kind of scary and unfamiliar void that I somehow knew required me to be vulnerable. And that frightened me. Later on in my late teens, I spent my time making music with a keyboard and drum machine that my mother bought me.

HB, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Born and rasied in Newark NJ, I produced tracks for local groups that didn’t go anywhere. Before online distrubution services, the music biz gatekeepers decided who could release music to the masses. Also I wasn’t crazy about the idea of having to answer to someone. I met a lot of people in the music biz, but never got far. I made mostly house music back then because I was somewhat of a club kid. It was exciting and positive music and I met a lot of cool people… and a lot of shady people too. So I spent my twenties just dreaming and making music for myself. I later started experimenting with other kinds of music like jazz and rock. Acting didn’t come in until my mid thirties when some friends of mine introduced me to a theater group called The Pheonix Ensamble. I was encouraged to audition for their stageplay production called They Sing Christmas Up In Harlem: The Lennox Avenue Christmas Carol. Despite having no prior experience, I landed the role and performed in my first professional stage play at Newark Symphony Hall Black Box Theater. During that production I recalled all the times my step mother took me to plays and performing arts events as a kid. I remember she took me to see a broadway play called Timbuktu which starred Melba Moore and the late Ertha Kitt and later on another play called It Ain’t Nothing But The Blues. I believe that those experiences planted a seed in my spirit. After that production, I knew it was time to get educated in the art of theater so I can be a more proficiant actor. I attened the New Jersey School Of Dramatic Arts… and nope I never finished. Never the less, I started landing roles in various plays, indie films and web series. Later in my late 40’s, while living in Atlanta, I developed interest in voice acting. My significant other, award winning filmmaker Rouge Rose, bought me RODE NT-1A . After buying some more equipment and materials I managed to create a voice booth. It was at that moment I had an epiphony that THIS was where I was supposed to be. Something about being in that studio just connected with my insides. Unfortunately, 6 months into living in Atlanta, Rouge and I were displaced due to a fire. We took it as a sign from God to return back up north. Myself going back to New Jersey to care for my mother and Rouge back to New York to care for her father until his passing. I then built a studio in a closet of my mother’s house. And this is where I believe God opened a door for me: after using my gift of video streaming production for my church (I had a lot of experience making shows on YouTube), He blessed me with a moderate voice acting career. I got my first voice acting job with author Brian McMickle for his audiobook for his amazing, sprawling and epic scifi novel, Echo Nova Delta. After that I got jobs voicing video games, films and more audiobooks. I develpoed a following for my voice role as The Watcher from the Roblox horror game, Apeirophobia as well as characters for some of the Torture Star/Puppet Combo horror games. It was quite a dream come true to voice a game and see popular gamers like Markiplier and CoryXKenshin play them and seeing them react to my characters. Later I was given a Fender Telecaster by a friend when I told him that my guitars were stolen after the fire in Atlanta. Rouge brought a keyboard which came with a digital audio workstation, and I started making music again. And thanks to services like Tunecore I released my first single titled Hurry Up Life with an EP/Album on the way. Rouge came up with the name, Luv Ya 2 Life Music Publishing as one of my favorite sayings is “Luv Ya 2 Life”. I made music and starred in her first short film The Visuals where it won multiple awards. I also won multiple best actor awards in several film festivals.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I’m just at a point where I’m just grateful to God for all that has been acessed to me. I’m grateful that with companies like Tunecore, Distrokid and CD Baby anyone can release music if they want to without a gatekeeper or going through the motions with record companies. it’s rewarding to know that you’re free to do as you wish with no deadline except the ones you place on yourself. You can also make films and release them in theaters and streaming services.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

At this age or 56, I came to the realization that it’s no longer about being famous, it’s about saying “I did it”. If you just love the art and not give into the lust for fame, I think you can just enjoy LIFE as a whole.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hbgibson.wixsite.com/hbgibson
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrhbgibson
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HBGibsonActorCosplayerYouTuber/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@HBGibson
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/hb-gibson
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3716382/

Image Credits

HB Gibson and Rouge Rose