We were lucky to catch up with Shioban Ashford recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shioban , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

At a very young age. When I was young around 3 or 4 and I wasn’t attending school. My mom would get my siblings on the bus and start her cleaning. We had the entertainment system that had A TV, a record player and storage included. She would sit me up there and put on a record and sing and dance with me. I would then wait until our family and friends were around and I would sing Luther Vandross. Even at that young age it wasn’t about what I sounded like it was music brought me joy.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I was involved in sports during school. So I didn’t take choir or anything. I always sanged in church and our band teacher did not find out that I could sing until I was in the 12th grade. Something happened to one of the perfomers and she was looking for a replacement. My friend told the Band Teacher that I could sing and she was so surprised. She asked me to sing a song and I wasn’t 2 lines she said come see me you are performing in the program. She said how could you be here all this time and never once let me know you had talent. That Band teacher was Ms Davis at my High School Booker T. Washington. Around the age of 18 a friend of mine from Church asked me to join him and his fiance gospel group. I did and we sanged and traveled locally for about 2 years. Later I went to the club my cousin Don Valentine and his band played there and my family would go listen. So they invited me to come and when I got there Don called me up to sing I was like what is happening. I got up there and did a song and let me just say I was not great but also not bad. So as time went on and I would frequent the club and sing every night I went my Cousin Don invited me to sing with him on Beale Street at the Tap Room. We sang in that club for at least 10 years and was very successful. One night my cousin Don called me and said I won’t be there tonight I need you to hold it down by yourself. I was so scared but grateful that he had confidence that I could do it. After that I never looked back I then started to form my own band and we have been together for several years. Although I was scared to take the steps I just told myself to be confident and believed that If I wasn’t capable the opportunity would not have been given. So I push those feeling down and pushed forward.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

One of the most rewarding thing I look at in this industry is the fact that I have a band that includes people who are family to me. My drummer has been playing with me at least 10 years and the lowest amount is my bass player he has been around for 6. That is the most rewarding thing to have people around you that beleives in you and stick by you. Another rewarding factor is my Mom attends all my shows and know every song. Of course she does. She taught me all the genre’s I know. So it makes me proud to see me doing things that make her heart smile because Music has always been a big part of my family lives.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My Children drives me to keep forging ahead. I have spent so much time away from them that I have to make it count for something. I have to show them that if you love something you never give up on it. Make your sacrifices count for something.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.baunieandsoul.com
• Instagram: baunieandsoul
• Facebook: Baunie and Soul/ Shioban Renise Ashford
• Other: Tik Tok- Baunie and Soul

Image Credits

Frank Chin