Kristine W took over the dance club charts like few others in her time. Many people may not realize that she has released seven albums, coming behind Madonna and Beyonce for most club play in the past decade. She holds the world record for the most consecutive number one hits on Billboard's Club chart. Recently W shifted to a new style with a double jazz album entitled Straight Up With a Twist. Bringing her act to town for two events it was time to chat a bit Nunn on One.
Windy City Times: Hi, Miss W.
Kristine W: I thought I would call you a bit early, I am picking my daughter up from school soon.
Windy City Times: You are so domestic. How do you do it?
Kristine W: I don't know how I do it. I am still trying to figure that out. I pull it all off somehow.
Windy City Times: Where do you live?
Kristine W: I live in Las Vegas but I am originally from the northwest. I lived a couple of hours east of Seattle. I am from a farming community. That is why I am so normal!
Windy City Times: It is all how you are raised, right?
Kristine W: That's right. You are raised in a farming community then you stay real normal. They don't let you get weird.
Windy City Times: I recently visited Vegas and learned you got your start performing there.
Kristine W: I put myself through school doing that. I performed in different bands then started my own. That morphed into a show. Pretty soon we were performing six nights a week and had done more shows than Elvis.
Windy City Times: What is the connection from that to your dance career?
Kristine W: I had always loved house music and dance music since I was a kid. I was originally doing cover songs when I performed at the casinos. I did my own house mixes and everything. I would take a pop song and make it more dance. I eventually hired dancers and the show was like a live music video. We would do a Duran Duran medley but do a house version of it. We added energy and would sound more modern. Or we would take Janet Jackson's "Let's Wait a While" and make it a four on the floor. People that were gambling loved the energy of the music. It got so popular it was called Kristine W Comes to the Music. The room was so small that they built a showroom called The Nightclub at the Las Vegas Hilton to move it into. In 1996 people from Europe came over and were watching the show. The UK record company people loved my original music and they liked my song from the movie Indecent Proposal. Everything snowballed and the next thing I knew I was traveling back and forth creating music.
Windy City Times: And now look at you with 15 number-one hits!
Kristine W: It just happened and basically came from being a working musician. I supported myself performing live all the time and still do. The records are fun but I never make money off of them. But they help with getting me booked at shows around the world. I am very thankful and glad that I am a hard worker. I have had the tenacity to pull it off.
Windy City Times: It has kept you grounded and good to your fans. I met you years ago at the Virgin Megastore in Chicago and you were so nice to talk to in person.
Kristine W: Oh, yeah! That would have been the Stronger album. There are so many artists that don't get how the fans are. They will be with you long after the hit records come and go. You have to connect with them. You have to make music about them not make music about you. You can get a couple of hits about being a drunken mess and getting your ass kicked by a guy but that gets uninteresting after a while. People want to be uplifted and need it. I try to hone in on the fans and listen to what they say after the shows. They give me so much creative fuel.
Windy City Times: Now you have the jazz album.
Kristine W: Yes, and that was fan driven too. That was started right after Clubland, which was pretty jazzy. There were jazz overtones with "Feel What You Want." There was scatting and everything in that album. I started getting e-mails from the fans. "When are you going to do a jazz album?" I knew it would be expensive and take a long time because I was going to have to finance it myself. No one is going to believe a dance artist is going to do a killer jazz album until it is done and they hear it. We started it in 2006 and started with it Carlos Santana's guys. We played with all the big boys such as people that toured with Marc Anthony. One of them even did shows with Tito Puente in his last years.
Windy City Times: So there is a Latin influence? I heard some bossa nova.
Kristine W: Yes, bossa nova, samba. I have all Latin players. It has a sexy Latin vibe to it. That was what I wanted to do, something that was different. I wanted it to be played at dinner parties, pool parties, and people could saunter around and be fabulous with a martini and enjoy each other's company. It was a way for me to be a part of the mix.
Windy City Times: Do you play saxophone on it?
Kristine W: Yes, I do.
Windy City Times: It impressive to hear you play the saxophone live. I don't know if you are doing that at Roscoe's or not.
Kristine W: I think I will bring my horn to Roscoe's. We will bust it out. That will be fun.
Windy City Times: Yay! You have remixes from Straight Up With a Twist, too?
Kristine W: Yes.
Windy City Times: A greatest hits is up and coming also?
Kristine W: We are working on that one. Fade is the seventh single and coming out right now. That one just went out to the Billboard reporters. It is going to enter at number 45 from what I was told. It is really doing well. It's a song for the fans "You won't fade away from me."
Windy City Times: Would you ever do a musical?
Kristine W: I would love to do Broadway. I think I auditioned for a Broadway show at one time. I can't remember which one it was. The producers were really uptight and I thought this is not the right one for me.
Windy City Times: Maybe they could do one about you.
Kristine W: That would be killer! I have always wanted to do a musical called Land of the Living.
Windy City Times: How tall are you?
Kristine W: Six foot. That's why people thought I was a drag queen for so long!
Windy City Times: Is your favorite color red? You are doing an appearance at a Red Dress Party…
Kristine W: Actually no, but that's all right. I will wear red, honey!
For more of Kristine W's work check out www.kristinew.com .
Look for her in town at Roscoe's Tavern & Café, 3356 N. Halsted, on Friday, April 15, at 10 p.m. She is also appearing at the Red Dress Party benefiting HIV/AIDS research Saturday, April 16, at 525 W. Monroe, with her performance at 10:30 p.m. Log onto to www.roscoes.com and chicagoreddressparty.org for tickets and details.
