Key points:
• Stokley Williams is a Grammy-nominated solo artist and Mint Condition lead singer.
• Williams’ hit song “Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)” gained popularity on TikTok.
•He will perform at a Valentine’s Day concert in Tucker.
R&B fans know Stokley Williams as a Grammy-nominated solo artist and lead singer of legendary band Mint Condition.
Gen Zers and avid TikTok might recognize his velvety vocals from the sped-up version of his hit song, “Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes),” which was featured in several videos highlighting dads and granddads in their heyday as “heartbreakers.”
However folks come across the 58-year-old musician’s music, he intends not only to deliver melody but healing in every refrain.
“What I’m doing is about bringing people together, healing,” Stokley shared in an interview with Rough Draft Atlanta. “Your message can either be positive or negative, and my thing is bringing the positive to every show that elevates.”
On Valentine’s Day, Williams will bring that energy to “Love and Laughter with Stokley & Friends” at Tucker’s Londzell Performing Arts Theatre. The concert and comedy show, which starts at 7 p.m. on Feb. 14, will feature Stokley, singer Kari Epps, and comedians JJ Williamson and Kelly Kellz.
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• New live performance venue brings funk and soul to Tucker
“I like new venues, and I’m hoping people can come out for the music and take your eyes and your spirit of the world for a moment and just breathe a little,” Williams said.
The Minneapolis native said returning to the Atlanta area is a reminder of his early days with Mint Condition. In the 1990s, Williams spent a lot of time in Little 5 Points with his bandmates while performing at smaller venues throughout the area.
“It’s always been an exciting city,” Williams said. “It’s creative. A lot is going on business-wise down here, like with the Tyler Perry Studios.”
Meant to be Mint
As a child, Williams formed his musical foundation by playing African drums and soaking up music from Prince and Maurice White. As a teenager, he and some fellow musicians formed Mint Condition. Their funk sound resonated from the start, with a young Williams laying lead vocals from the drum set. His voice and the band’s signature sound caught the attention of legendary producing duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in 1989.
The release of the band’s debut album, “Meant to be Mint,” yielded “Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes),” which stayed on the Billboard R&B charts for 34 weeks, along with the Top 10 hit “Forever in Your Eyes.” In 1994, their single “U Send Me Swingin” from their second album “Mint Factory” peaked at No. 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Patience and community
The band’s decades of making music and touring have led Williams to dream collaborations, like joining one of his favorite artists, Prince, on tour in 2010. His duet with Kelly Price on her song “Not My Daddy” led to his first Grammy nomination.
Being a part of a band, not just a successful one, has the potential to teach life lessons that make way for excelling in all facets of life, Williams said.
“I’ve always been a communal kind of person,” he said. “People, especially young folks, don’t always know how to have the patience for that. I think it is important to be a part of a group, a part of a core before you do anything, because you’ll know how to deal with people. It’s a unique journey.”
Williams said he is taking notes from the younger generation about exploring and understanding AI. Despite the emergence of chart-topping AI artists and potential competition from those artists, Williams said he is not worried about the trend overtaking “real music.” He compares the technology to other machines and tools that have been programmed to improve music over the years. Like a rhyming book, he noted, AI can provide a basis for spurring creativity, but it can’t replace it.
“Technology’s always driven any industry, and if you’re behind at some point, I mean, you’re gonna get left behind,” Williams said. “So I just say be informed about it and use it as a tool. As far as musicians, don’t use it as a crutch.”
Tickets for “Love and Laughter with Stokley & Friends” are available at https://www.londzellpat.com. The show begins at 7 p.m. Feb. 14 at Londzell Performing Arts Theatre, 3993 Lavista Road, Tucker.
