Heart to Heart Shanghai's annual holidays event to raise money for children's heart surgery is back and this year promises to be massive. A pair of America's Got Talent winners will be the special headliners for the evening concert. During the day they'll be lending their expertise and sitting in the judge's chair as part of the Battle of the Bands event involving students. We chat with 2010 winner Michael Grimm about winning the show, his upcoming blue eyed soul project and sitting in the judge's chair.
Happy Thanksgiving. Are you excited about coming to China?
I can’t wait to go to China. I’m happy, happy, happy. This will be my first time going but I’m such a big fan of China and their culture. I would love to go to the Forbidden City. That’s my number one thing but I know it’s far away from Shanghai. I’d like to get on a bullet train and see the countryside of China.
How did you get involved with this concert?
Somebody called me and said America’s Got Talent has moved into China’s Got Talent. I said a little hello in Mandarin for China’s Got Talent and after that, I got a call about being a judge for a Battle of the Bands and doing this great thing for the kids out there and I’m all about that.
You get to be a judge. How are you as a judge? Are you tough?
I’ve been over 25 years in the music business, it may seem like I’ve started my career now but I’ve done many things in my career and I know music very well but I’m not a harsh person. I will get the facts. I love cultural music and I’m doing my research on it. If I hear good music and a great singer, that’s all I’m going for. Pitch – making sure it’s right on pitch and mainly emotion.
You won America’s Got Talent where you are critiqued after every performance. What is that like?
I’m used to it. I always love criticism coming my way because I am my own worse critic so I could choose any criticism myself.
Who was the harshest judge/hardest person to impress on the show?
It happened to be Sharon Osborne but they were all great judges. And she was right. All of them were correct about their criticisms that they had. I took it to heart and came back on if I could and I was pretty lucky to get to the next show each time. To be honest, I didn’t know I was going to get as far as I did even up to winning the show and being next to that little girl Jackie Evancho – that was my worst nightmare because she was a powerhouse – after that, I knew the show needed to be dedicated to her. I was thinking of the best way I could bow out and was so happy to be on the last episode. When they called my name, I thought I must be living in some alternative dimension.
What was the day after winning like?
It was an out of body experience. I could only see myself from a distance because it didn’t feel real. There were paparazzi following me around in Hollywood which is something you don’t always see. You feel like a star. It was wonderful. I gave the money I won away. I bought a house for my grandmother and it was just dirty money – something that needed to be out of my hands as quickly as possible. So I gave it to all my friends and family. I got married on it, that’s all I spent on myself.
You famously proposed on Ellen. How did you get this idea?
I wanted to propose to her but I didn’t know how because she told me, “we can go get married at the courthouse by a judge and that it didn’t have to be a real big wedding” but she also said real cute, “you better propose to me right or else you have to do it again.” So when I went on the Elllen show, I was talking about it and they said that if I wanted to do it here that I can. So I pulled my ring out and they got some roses and it was awesome. I didn’t try to one up everyone else out there; that was what she told me and I figured how can you beat that moment.
Since winning the show, how has your career changed?
People still recognize me. I’m very humbled by it all. I can’t believe I won first of all and that years later people still come up to me. It shows the impact of the show and that people really got to really vote. I feel like the President of the United States – sometimes people come up and say, “I voted for the little girl but my wife voted for you.” So I’m very humbled by it all.
You can’t exactly feel confident competing against a little girl in a singing contest?
Not only a little girl but a little girl that had such a talented voice.
Are you working on any new projects?
I am. The project is called Fairy Tales and we’re getting some live stuff down for a live CD and we’re going into the studio to do some new originals very soon. I’ll be going to Nashville to pursue some of that stuff here.
How is Nashville?
Nashville is my place. I’ve been to LA and recorded with Don Was and a lot of great people there and in New York, but Nashville gets me a little better because I’m from the South. I do more of that Americana, southern based soul style.
With the new album, are you moving into a new style of music?
The album will be more blue eyed soul in light of Bill Medley from the Righteous Brothers is going to accompany me on the album. He’s writing some of the songs also and I might do a Barry Mann and Cynthia Wyle song and they’re legendary. I might even do some duets like I’ve done in the past so that’s really the ultimate album for me.
How long have you been working on this one?
A long time. I have many albums worth of songs actually and we need to sit down and figure out which songs will go on which. I’m not going to do one album but a few of them and release them periodically.
What is your favorite cover to sing?
I love Otis Redding. My current favorite one would probably be ‘It’s Too Late’ by him.
This concert will involve students in Shanghai. What do you recommend for them for performing?
A lot of people tend to think that people hear with their eyes but I want them to really dig down inside and grab the soul and emotions to the song. I want to see that more than anything. I want to see heartache and despair. If the song is about something happy, let’s see a smile on your face. I really want to see them dig down deep into who the essence of the song.
From your experience on America’s Got Talent, what was the biggest lesson you learned?
I learned a lot. The biggest one was to leave my hat on. (laughs) It’s kind of a joke but I took it off and looked and thought what I weird looking head I had, so I put the hat back on and I did the song ‘You Can Leave Your Hat On’ by Randy Newman. It carried me throughout the show and became the motto for me but there was a lot of things I learned - probably things bigger than that - but on the comedy side, that was the biggest thing I learned.
Is there anything you would like to add?
I’m just excited to see China and the culture more than anything. I’m very humbled and excited to be a part of this. This is a highlight of my life.
// Michael Grimm performs at the Save a Life: Battle of the Bands with America's Got Talent Winners, Dec 7, 7.30pm, RMB100-180. Mercedes-Benz Arena, 1200 Shibi Da Dao, by Zhoujia Du Lu 世博大道1200号, 靠近周家渡路 (400 610 3721)
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