A Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Love took some time to chat about her recent accomplishments and future plans.
Last year, Darlene earned a standing ovation at the Academy Awards during her acceptance speech when her film 20 Feet From Stardom was named “Best Documentary.” “That was a surprise. After you win an Oscar, it seems that everything goes downhill after that, but that is not really true,” she said with a laugh. “We knew we were nominated, but we weren’t expecting to win. When we won, I was just excited and wish I had been there, but I had to work,” she said. “Now, I want a Grammy award for Darlene Love. I think everything worked out great.”
As a result, her Oscar win opened many doors for Love, especially after struggling for three decades in the music business. Fortunately, at 73 years old, her career is stronger than ever and she is performing sold-out concerts all over the world.
At this year’s Grammy awards, 20 Feet From Stardom swept the “Best Music Film” category, an award that she shares with Judith Hill, Merry Clayton and Lisa Fischer. She was unable to attend the ceremony due to her tight tour schedule.
Love is expected to be releasing her first full-length studio album, which was produced by her friend, Stevie Van Zandt this spring, which will feature songs that were written by such esteemed musicians as Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello. “Stevie was amazing. I was in the studio with him twenty years ago, and over the years, he has changed and so have I. Working with him on this new album was great since we Skyped together and we would go over songs that way. Technology is amazing today,” she said.
While there is no release date for the CD yet, she hopes that it will be out in the late spring. Her tour schedule is quite busy this year, but Love is as ready as ever, and hopes her band can keep up with her. “I know how to rest my voice. When I do a show, I don’t go out after the show is over. I go back to my hotel room and go to bed. I rest my voice after my show,” she said.
The rock sensation was featured on Bette Midler’s new album It’s The Girls, where both songstresses duet on “He’s Sure The Boy I Love.” “That was fun and I thought the song was great since it’s a duet song. Being with her in the studio is a hoot,” Love said. “Bette was working with me and she has the nerve to be nervous. I wish I could be on tour with her.”
She revealed that her vocal range spans three octaves, which is an impressive feature.
This past Christmas was quite bittersweet for Love, she celebrated her final performance on The Late Show with David Letterman on December 19, after a 28-year run singing her No. 1 holiday hit “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” “Oh wow, that was amazing. This year, I am wondering if anything is happening on TV,” she said with a sweet laugh. “I form my Christmas tour around the David Letterman show. We always do it the week of Christmas. I got to see the people from his show every year, and sometimes twice a year.”
For more information on Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Darlene Love, check out her official homepage, as well as her Facebook page.
