A Backstreet Girl: The Story of Mindi Abair

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Jun 20, 2000 Source: Aisha L. Johnson, Freelance Reporter Submitted By: If you are a Backstreet Boys fan, you may have caught her playing the sax and other instruments for their Millennium tour. Or even better yet, doing her own thing in a solo act opening for AJ AKA Johnny No Name. Mindi Abair has a sizzling style that is mark of an excellent performer all around. She can sing, play a number of instruments and she knows how to work a crowd. After her shows she likes to give back to the fans by offering autographs and pictures. I was able to catch a glimpse of her in action after her performance with Johnny No Name in Atlantic City last April. Fans circled around her like vultures trying to get a taste of this new musical flavor Abair promotes. One fan, almost in tears, wanted to give her a hug and ask her advice on working on her own saxaphone playing skills. Abair smiled and urged her to "keep working and don't stop - even when people tell you otherwise." Before Backstreet, Abair has worked with quite a few performers, such as Adam Sandler, and has appeared on quite a few shows, like Melrose Place, BET Jazz Central, the MTV Music Awards and more. I was able to have a question and answer session with the up-and-coming star. Here is a run down from Mindi Abair herself: What is your full name? Full name....Mindi Abair. (you don't get my middle name [smile]) Where are you from? I was born and grew up in St.. Petersburg, FL....kind of a retirement beach town. Great place to grow up. How old are you? When is your birthday? Oh...you can't ask a girl her age! My birthday is may 23rd, though! Tell me about your family… I have no brothers and sisters. I grew up on the road with my dad's band from the time I was born thru age 4. (It's hard to have 1 kid on the road, not to mention more!) My dad played sax and keyboards in a soul band called the Entertainers. We then moved back to St.. Pete where my dad started working with about 8 rock bands as a talent director. I would always sit in the practice rooms and listen for weeks at a time. My mom is not a musician. She keeps my dad and I grounded! What were your dreams as a child? What did you want to be? My dreams....I always wanted to play and sing music. It was pretty much all I ever did and all I was ever around. It seemed normal to me. I was always in the school band and i also did the all-state bands in Florida. I was in a few of the symphonic all-state bands in high school and then I auditioned and won the 1st chair position in the all-state jazz band for Florida my senior year. That was great. My dad had a studio next to my bedroom from the time I was 5 so I was constantly hearing stuff that he was doing. Who are your mentors, musically and otherwise? Mentors....I always listened to my dad play. I sound a lot like him on sax. Basically, I've just listened to a lot of different musicians and a lot of different styles of music over the years. I've gone through phases of who was my hero at what time. I've gone from Blondie to the Go Go's to Miles Davis to Cannonball Adderley and Wayne Shorter to now listening to a little bit of everything......bands like Garbage and Portishead and a lot of pop and rock music. What previous training, vocally and instrumentally, have you had? Training.....like I said...I was always in the school band and choir and I learned a lot from that. I never really had steady lessons until I was in college. I got my bachelors degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. It's in performance/woodwinds. Which do you prefer, singing or playing? Why? I love singing and playing different instruments. I hope I'll never have to choose. Did you play for anyone before the Backstreet Boys? I've played for many people other than the bsboys. Check out my site. My bio is on there with the bands and tours listed that I've done. To name some....Adam Sandler, L (jazz keyboardist), Jonathan Butler (r&b/jazz guitarist and vocalist), Teena Marie (r&b vocalist), John Tesh (new age keyboardist). I'm on Adam Sandler's album, What's Your Name?, and Bobby Lyle's album, The Power of Touch. And I've always had my own band....since college. How did you get hooked up with the Backstreet Boys? I was referred to the bsboys when they needed a percussionist/saxophonist/keyboardist. They were looking around for a girl who played all those instruments and as far as I know, the girl who plays for Billy Joel is the only other one who plays those instruments besides me! So they called me and someone from the tour came over to my house and I showed him a few clips of me on video of me with different artists. He said...you're hired and you leave for Belgium in three days. Yikes! I just got off the road from that tour 2 weeks ago...just in time to start the Johnny No Name tour! Which Backstreet Boy do you relate to the most and why? Which band member? I don't have a favorite bsboy. AJ rode our bus in Europe so I got to know him more than the other guys. But they're all great guys and we all get along very well. As for the band guys....we all pretty much hang out together. What is in your future? More Backstreet Boys touring? Singing/playing for their album? Solo career work? My future is devoted to my own music. I'm really glad that I'll have time to work on new music for me now. And hopefully I can tour more with my group. I think I've done as much as I can as an independent artist. Right now we're looking at different record labels so I can take my music to the next level. There's nothing better than playing and singing songs that you wrote! What advice would you give to individuals interested in pursuing a music career, of any aspect? My advice to anyone who wants to get into the music industry is to practice, practice, practice as much as you can and become great at what you do. Then go do it as much as you can. Meet everyone in your industry. And go be who you are. And never quit. It's not an easy industry. So, keep going even when everyone says you can't do it. There is no such word as can't if you love what you do. A special thanks to Mindi Abair for her time! For more information on Mindi Abair, check out her site at: http://www.mindiabair.com -- Aisha L. Johnson http://www.geocities.com/mystic_storm112 Comment on this item. Recent Comments Submitted by: johnanz http://imrdsoacha.gov.co/silvitra-120mg-qrms Submitted by: mia pron khalifa E6xdQC Just got a Blogger account, it works good, but how do I find different users blogs I like with search. I remember there is a way, but I am not seeing it now. Thanks for your help.. Comment on this item. 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