We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lisa Perkins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Lisa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?
Yes. When I started my band, after two months of rehearsing we had our first performance. Within six months of establishing my band, I had performed for every type of event except a bar mitzvah. With that came a lot of jealousy and resentment towards me from a lot of male musicians. Therefore, I was rumored and mischaracterized as a woman who was doing horrible things to get ahead.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I started performing professionally with my 5 brothers as a child. We were trained by our dad, who was a very well known musician in the Montgomery area. He had his own band called Tom Perkins in the Wild Hannibals for many years and they did all of their rehearsing at our house in our living room. We grew up watching my dad and his band, and therefore also developed an interest in music by default. He started training us as children under very strict guidelines, and would not allow us to take any shortcuts. After performing with my brothers for many years throughout the state of Alabama, as the Perkins band, we grew apart and when our separate ways and started our own endeavors. At one time, we had five different bands among us, all performing at the same time in different areas. In 1999, my brother Eric, Todd, and I partnered together and formed Titanium entertainment. After a couple of years of doing that with them, we went our separate ways and Todd established breathing music, I have Titanium Music productions group, and Eric has Eric Perkins music. Titanium Music productions group is a full production recording studio and music production company. We provide life sound and lights, artist, development, artist management, audio, and video recording, and other things pertaining to music. In 2022, I formed a nonprofit organization called Music to my ears, whereby my company hosts music education conferences to educate the music community. In 2023, I was asked to take over as President of Montgomery Area Musicians Association, when the former president resigned. What sets me apart from others in my field is that I am not only the head of owner of Titanium Music Productions Group and President of Montgomery Area Musicians Association, but I am also an African-American female who is not afraid to compete in a world that is mostly dominated by men and can carry my own. I am most proud of the fact that I have mentored and trained so many musicians and given them the necessary tools and skills that they need to succeed, whether it be on stage with me personally as a part of my own unit, training them to run their own unit, or teaching them the knowledge that they need to have in order to succeed in the music industry.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Very early into my career with my band Lisa & The E-Lusion, I was performing at a couple of venues in Auburn Alabama and packing them out. One particular night after a fantastic performance, the owner of the club told me that he had to let me go. I was confused and devastated, especially since the crowd was so hyped that night that I had to do an encore. The place was still packed and I was done performing 30 minutes prior. He explained to me that he had received a call from a booking agent (whom I had had a disagreement with), who was booking a few band’s there. This guy told the club owner that if they continue to book me, then this particular agency would not send any more bands to their establishment. Therefore he had to choose between me and the agent. I was crushed. I asked him have I not been doing a good job? He said yes ma’am you’ve done a fantastic job… biggest crowds we’ve ever had. But he’s threatening to not send any more bands my way if I keep you so I don’t have a choice.
That conversation lit a fire under me like no other. I knew I was being targeted and blackballed. Therefore It made me more determined to come out on top. I realize I had to work 10 times harder to overcome those obstacles but that’s exactly what I did. Over the course of a few months, I found out that this guy had blackballed me out of at least 10 venues by spreading vicious lies and false accusations against me and my band. I’m very proud of the obstacles that I’ve overcome because it made me
So much stronger and determined. It wasn’t easy, and there were a lot of sleepless nights and wet pillows. But I made up my mind that I was not going to let the devil stop me, and I didn’t. .
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Yes. Current my goal is to create a platform in the Montgomery area, spearheaded through Montgomery Area Musicians Association to celebrate and honor our own musicians in an upscale way, just as large as the Grammy awards. With God’s help, I strongly believe we can get this done. Our target date is sometime in the fall of 2026. It will be called the MAMA AWARDS GALA.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thelisaperkins.com
- Instagram: @lperkj
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1NbSjdNQFQ/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Linkedin: Lisa Perkins Jackson
- Youtube: Lisa Perkins Jackson
