UB Interview Series: Shirley Murdock Speaks on Her Amazing Career

Since the age of 15, Shirley Murdock aimed for a gospel career. In the `80s, Roger Troutman, funk bandleader for the group Zapp snagged Murdock a record deal with Elektra Records where she recorded Top 10 R&B hits such as “As We Lay,” “Go On Without You,” “Husband” and “In Your Eyes.” Then, in 1999, Bishop T. D. Jakes took Murdock under his wing and invited her to sing on his #1 CD, Sacred Love Songs. Since, then, she’s toured in gospel stage plays and recorded gospel hits, like the Stellar and Dove Award nominated “I Love Me Better Than That.”

Success came quickly for Murdock with the release of her gold-selling debut LP, Shirley Murdock on Elektra Records. After her initial hit, “No More,” stormed the dance charts, the tender ballad “As We Lay” shot up to #5 on the Billboard R&B singles chart and also charted nicely on both the Top 40 adult contemporary and pop charts in 1986.

A chance meeting with Bishop T.D. Jakes at a post-service gathering at Murdock’s pastor’s home, led to her recording “The Lady, Her Lover, and Lord,” on his Sacred Love Songs, project in 1999. The Home project received a warm embrace from the gospel world and reached #9 on the Billboard Top Gospel albums chart in 2002.

In March TV One‘s Unsung featured the legendary vocalist. Tishelle from UB spoke with Shirley about her amazing career, memories of Roger Troutman, Unsung, forming a group with the late Teena Marie, her testimony and more!

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UrbanBridgez.com: How did “Computer Love” come about?
Shirley Murdock: I was a signed artist to Elektra when Computer Love came about. We were making my record and I traveled with Roger and he gave me the opportunity to come out and travel with him doing background. Which was great for a young artist ready to come out and debut. We had came back to the studio after traveling and I had heard the track and hook. I wrote the verses when we were in a rehearsal hall, I was going back and forth about what the lyrics should be. That opened the door for more writing. To know that we wrote a song so long ago that is still relevant till this day. Not knowing that people would be meeting people and finding love on websites and the way they are now with social media. He was really ahead of his time, so that’s mind blowing. To also know other artist such as Dr. Dre and Tupac sampled the song. So it has proceeded to have life, it’s like Computer Love was our baby then Computer Love had grand-babies. We got grand kids with Computer Love (laughs).

UrbanBridgez.com: Speaking of classics, with As We Lay. You did Unsung recently and mentioned how important for you is was to have that line about, God’s not going to give you another woman’s man. Why was that so important for you
Shirley Murdock: Because I didn’t agree with infidelity but I also know that it’s life. Sometimes people make permanent decisions based on a temporary situation. But I think it’s so important to know there are consequences. So to me to just sing the song as it was, would be part celebratory just as we lay. There has to be some type of morals, some type of turn-around to the story, to not just leave people in an as we lay messed up situation. I thought the answer should be that you have to think about the consequences. So that’s why I added those lyrics “we should have counted up the cost. But instead we got lost, in the second, in the minute, in the hour.” I wanted to point out how people are effected by our choices. So we can’t be so selfish to make decisions that are good for us, when everybody in your life is going to be effected by it.

UrbanBridgez.com: What do you want people to get after watching your episode of Unsung?
Shirley Murdock: I just want them to get a gymslips into my life and into my journey. You know growing up in Toledo, Ohio and having a dream. All the steps and everything that happened, to make my life become a dream come true. Also to encourage other people with a dream, that their dream can come true as well. I’ve gone through a lot, I’ll be 62 years old this year. There’s a lot of life, a lot of living and a lot of things that happened. Ups and downs, triumphs, failures, but at the same time it’s about being able to get up. And having faith will get you through anything. To be able to have had an effect in this music industry, is mind blowing. Being a little girl listening to music and hoping and dreaming one day that I might get to share my gift to the world. And also watching people on the big screen and hoping to one day be on stage with them. So it’s just been an amazing journey and to just have the opportunity to open up the door and have people to come in and take a peek.

UrbanBridgez.com: What does Unsung mean to you?
Shirley Murdock: Well unsung by recognition, would be unknown or unrecognized or upraised. But for me Unsung is an opportunity to for people to take a peek into my life. For me to share mt story. It doesn’t mean that it’s over, because as long as I got breathe and can keep doing what God blessed me to do. I’m gonna keep doing it until I’m sixth feet under.

UrbanBridgez.com: Shanice and Kelly Price both appeared on the episode and said great things, what do you think of them both vocally?
Shirley Murdock: I love them both, they’re amazing! They are absolutely amazing. I remember meeting Shanice years ago and she was a big fan. And I love her voice, it’s so sweet and has such a wonderful range. She’s still using it and she’s still doing it. I’m so happy she’s still in the industry and sharing her wonderful voice with us. Kelly Price in an absolute beast (laughs)! When I met her we were both in Atlanta, we were both going to Bishop T Jakes’s Woman thou art loosed and I happened to be riding in the same car. She told me then how much of a fan she was. So she redid “As We Lay” she asked me to be apart of her video, which she didn’t have to do. And I got a chance to say, baby now I know you think that you love that man, but God’s not going to give you someone else’s husband. I love it because she understood what the song was all about and it was not a celebratory song but more about regret. At the time when I did As We Lay there was no video, so when she was able to do the video. She was able to take the story to her fan-base. She was able to take it beyond to those who didn’t know about Shirley Murdock an even further. But she was also able to explain the story even better because of the video. And we have done the song together many times. She is just amazing songwriter, and has a song that I want to do for my next project. So she’s just amazing and I’m so happy for the success that she’s having. She’s moved on to television, so it’s really really great. So I celebrate those beautiful sistas.

UrbanBridgez.com: Speaking of another power vocalist. How did the collaboration with you and the late Teena Marie come together for “Solider” and what was that experience like working with her?
Shirley Murdock: Oh my gosh Teena. My husband is the musical director for Zapp. I had came out to visit them and when I do come out to see my husband I surprise them by doing Computer Love. They happened to be opening for Teena Marie. I met Teena and we talked and we just fell in love. It’s so funny because she wanted us to start a girl group. It was going to be me and her and we were trying to figure out who else was going to be in it. We didn’t really get a chance to do it, on this side of living. But we’ll get the chance to catch up on the other side and get our group together (laughs). But she was just an awesome person and very spiritual person. We were talking about the lord and stuff and like Zapp, they had prayer before they would hit the stage. Recognizing that our gifts come from God and we’re suppose to be a blessing to the people. To inspire and uplift hearts, when we sing and do our shows. So later she called me and told me that she wanted me to be apart of her album. Oh my god, you know I was honored. You know it was a yes on my lips! So we recorded it and I just felt so honored. It really broke my heart when she passed away, but again because I know she’s a believer. I know I’ll see her again. Life is the layover till eternity, so I’ll see my sister again. I know that all good gifts come from God and we might have funk night in heaven. There are so many people who I’ve met that are believers in this industry. Like my God friend Regina Belle, Kelly Price, just so many people that love God in the industry. They’re sharing their gift, but what I know about them is they are also sharing their love of the lord. And share the good news, which is the gospel. Charlie Wilson has an excellent testimony. He talks about his experience and his testimony & his love for God. We all have this wonderful opportunity to share our music and to share or life and to share or faith.

UrbanBridgez.com: Recording R&B and Gospel, was it ever challenging for you to the point that you had to debate. Whether you wanted to follow what people thought you should do, or what was in your heart?
Shirley Murdock: Well let me answer like this… I started off as the Unsung episode said as a young girl watching Shirley Temple. Recognizing that God gave this gift. And I thought that I was going to have the opportunity to share my gift to the world. I thought I was going to be mainstream. But as I grew my relationship with God. My desire changed. I said well maybe I’m just suppose to sing gospel. And I was satisfied with that and happy to do that. I pursued the Gospel but those doors never opened. I had opportunities as you saw on the episode, so many times to sing R&B and I turned it down and when I finally met Roger Troutman, I turned him down too. But he left that door open. And so I was like God, why is this the only door opening for you? So I walked by faith into the door God opened. Strong enough in my faith knowing, no matter what job I have, everybody has a secular job. If you work at the gas station that is a secular job. The bottom line is we have to stay faithful, wherever God plants us. Just be faithful in your station. Holding those secular jobs, I was still Gods daughter. It didn’t change my relationship with God. As I prayed and pondered and talked to my family and friends about this decision, on whether not to walk through this door to sing secular music. I understood no matter where I am and no matter where I go, I am truly who I am. So I walked through that door.

Now while I was in R&B my testimony is not drugs, it was not alcohol or a depraved life. It was the holy spirit of keep it, if you want to be kept. Staying close to God and staying close to my family kept me rooted and kept me grounded. It kept me humble. I remember my choir director saying at an early age, don’t get puffed up! It’s an old saying (laughs). If you get puffed up, God can’t use you. And I never wanted to be in a position where God couldn’t use me. So even throughout my whole secular career. The very first album, we were mixing As We lay. And I told Roger, that this record can not go out without me saying something to the lord. He said do you have something and I said yes. It was a little song about 30 seconds called Tribute. It goes, I shall not forget what you’ve done for me. I should not forget how you set me free. Everywhere I go, everyone will know Jesus lives within my soul. Thank You for this time to say what’s on my mind. You are everything to me. So even in my secular music, I had opportunities to share my faith. To share with people the love of God. You know, just the hug of God. All those things about God, because God is with me every step in life. How can everyone be touched if everybody stays within the four walls of their Church. The great commission is what are you there for, not stay in the house! So with all of that in mind, the hard decision now that I’m faced with is this opportunity with Bishop Jakes. To sing gospel, but I’m told I can’t do both. So what do I do? God I love you more than any of it, when you’re ready, I’m ready! I was signed to Warner Bros. and asked Roger to get me released so that I could fulfill my heart desire and to sing gospel. And he did that for me. I was released on paper in December of 1988. Roger passed away in April of 1999. I stayed away from my mainstream music for about seven years. It was important because people had to get to know me. To come away from the As We Lay girl. To really get to know my heart. And to fulfill my passion for the lord and fellow believers. In that interim I know I’m called to be an evangelist. I’m singing the good news and I’m preaching the good news. God showed me how to use everything, which was my prayer. God gave it all back to me. And now I am walking in my purpose. I understand my purpose and I’m walking in it in freedom and not afraid of what people think about the call on my life.

UrbanBridgez.com: Well Okay…Preach!
Shirley Murdock: Alright little sis, I had to give what I call the spirit of that I don’t give a jack about what anybody thinks. The only one I want to please, is him. I understand my journey. If somebody else don’t get it. That’s okay, maybe I’m not for you, but God got someone for you. If you can’t take me singing R&B, telling the world God is not mad at them. So tell me why when I sing a song like Stand or The Dream that Would Not Die. Or sing for a woman that is going through domestic abuse, I love me better than that. Then to stay here quiet or to lay here and die. I want my joy back, I want my peace back, I want my strength back. If you got a problem with that, take it up with my daddy, it’s all good (laughs). Look this good news, is like a very big buffet. Honey there is green beans on there, pork, etc, the whole buffet is set up and the father has invited everyone to this wonderful banquet. If you don’t like green beans then move on down to the asparagus baby. But by all means, get you something to eat!

UrbanBridgez.com: Love it! What is one of your fondest memories of the great Roger Troutman?
Shirley Murdock: Wow there’s so many. Let me think though, that’s a hard question because there’s so many. Here’s one, when I received my Gold album Anita Baker was there, my mom was there, Larry Chapman was there and Roger was there. So for him to be there at that moment, it was very very special because he was so much a part of that.

UrbanBridgez.com: Out of all of your catalog, what are three of your favorite songs?
Shirley Murdock: I love Go On Without You. Because that was a song that originally wasn’t suppose to be on my record. I sing on the hook with Billy from the Ohio Players. I didn’t know what that song was about. But for me to be able to sing the song and to do all of those adlibs, I had to imagine loosing something very valuable, but getting it back. So for me it was gospel. I thought about how devastating it would be to lose my relationship with God. But reconciliation and the fact that we’re all jacked up. Man kind is jacked up. We’ve all lost our relationship with God. But the lord loved us so much, he gave us Jesus. So it was after that, that I went back and found out what the song was all about. So I love Go On Without You. I also love Computer Love. That’s something very special, because it’s something that I did with Roger. I love In Your Eyes, that’s a song that I wrote about my husband. There’s so many songs, I love them all. Because again, if I didn’t let it in, I couldn’t let it out. Does that make sense? Like what comes from the heart reaches the heart. So I have to let it in and internalize it and live it and experience it. Then let it out, because if I’m not feeling it. You won’t feel it either.

UrbanBridgez.com: Okay! I’m actually happy you said In Your Eyes because Aries from UrbanBridgez.com wanted me to tell you personally, that “In Your Eyes” is his favorite song by you & he’s a huge fan.
Shirley Murdock: Wow, say hi to Aries for me!

UrbanBridgez.com: Tell us the story about that single?
Shirley Murdock: Well In Your Eyes is a song I wrote about my husband. Just looking into his simple brown eyes. My husband is the most wonderful person that I know. He’s the type of person, I tell him all the time. When I grow up, I wanna be like you. He’s just a wonderful, kind hearted person. He’s very loving and empathetic, sympathetic to people. He’s a born again christian and a man of God. And he’s my best friend and a wonderful father as well. We got married in 1988 and that song came out in 1991. I was also pregnant with my son when that song came out. It was my heart and how I felt about him. I just wanted to express it. And it was like, when I woke up this morning the very first thing I saw was your face. You know, it’s very personal and very romantic. As you can tell, I’m a romantic at heart (both laugh). And he still does it for me. It’s been 31 years (June). We don’t always agree, but when we argue we end up laughing. I wouldn’t trade it and if I had the opportunity to do it all over again, I absolutely would. The lord hooked a sista up real good! (both laugh)

UrbanBridgez.com: What’s the secret to a love like that? I mean, how do the rest of us get that (laughs)?
Shirley Murdock: What we have in common, is our love for the lord. We were Church kids who came into the music industry. We became friends. I think friendship is the best ship to be on. Because you can love somebody, but not only do I love him. I like him a whole lot! Friendship and faith, I think those things are very important. Having things in common is great and I think we also balance each other out. I think I’m crazy and he’s not (laughs). So that helps. He’s also very patient with me and we’re both artistic.

UrbanBridgez.com: Would you ever consider doing another live album, of your classic R&B singles and album/Zapp tracks?
Shirley Murdock: I think I would love to do that! I would love to do that in front of a live audience. Recently, I did a unplugged show here in Dayton, OH. It was a Funk Unplugged and I was invited to do the second performance. Even though I got funk, we did a Soul Unplugged. People were singing along it was beautiful. So I would love to do a live album of those classics. That is something that I would be very interested in doing. You started something, I think I’m going to have to look into that.

UrbanBridgez.com: Hey now!
Shirley Murdock: I think the fans will enjoy it.

UrbanBridgez.com: Anymore acting in your future, I know you were in the movie Sweating in the Spirit.
Shirley Murdock: Yeah, go to my website shirleymurdocklifesongs.com there is a list of the films I’ve been in. On that site you can also see all of the music I’ve recorded. But yeah I really would like to do more. So from your lips, to Gods ears.

UrbanBridgez.com: Can fans expect any new music from you soon
Shirley Murdock: Yes, currently you can go to iTunes for my 3 song EP. This is really my first mainstream project since my Elektra debut, 1991’s Let There Be Love. Everything between that has been gospel. The songs are called Good Man, The Little Things & Call Me. So I really hope you guys will go and check those out.

UrbanBridgez.com: I’m on it! Anything else you want to leave with your fans?
Shirley Murdock: I want them to know how much I appreciate them! I’ve been able to last this many years in this industry, I always give glory to God first. But also to the fans, radio personalities who play the music. Wonderful people like yourself, who make sure my story is told. You put me in a position where I’m able to share my life and story with your viewers. I also want them to know that they can keep up with me on Facebook & Twitter. I appreciate you so much, if you ever see me out there, Roger taught me how to stay touchable to the people. That’s how I’ve been able to survive this industry. By being touchable to the people and I can’t do what I do without you. I love and appreciate you and I look forward to seeing you guys the next time I’m out.