America’s Premier R&B Historian "Tyrone DuBose" is Preserving the Legacy, Charts, & History of R&B!

 Interview by: Gina Sedman

Who are you, what is your profession? My name is Tyrone DuBose. I am considered America’s premier R&B historian. My profession is preserving the legacy, charts, and history of R&B music.

Tell me about your background and how you got started. As a teenager, I would listen to American Top 40 in Cincinnati, Ohio. My idol on the radio was Casey Kasem. As time went on I created my radio show called Timeless Traxx, based on the top R&B songs in America according to the national R&B charts. I then went on to become a contributor for the television show UNSUNG on the TV One television network, and now a contributor for Sheryl Underwood's radio show with over 500 outlets.

What was the most memorable moment of your career? I would say it was having the opportunity to meet my idol, Casey Kasem. He gave me pointers and tips on how to become better at creating a show similar to the one in which he did. It was a lifetime meeting I will never forget. Also, making history by winning the Black Music Awards three times in one year for my radio program, Timeless Traxx in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and a People’s choice award. Recently, I won the Hollywood African Prestigious Award for Best Voice Actor in Hollywood.

What was your most challenging moment and tell me about any opposition you’ve encountered on your career journey? I believe part of my opposition was being around people who didn’t believe in my dream. I allowed the energy of others to affect my destiny.

Who are your influences and what was/is your motivation? The Rocky movies made a tremendous impact on my life. Not because he lost, but because he never stopped trying. It reminded me a lot about my life when I felt low. I never give up on anything in which I want. My struggles have been my strength.

What compromises have you had to make regarding your career choice? I think the biggest compromises I made was having a full-time job during the day, and then driving 147 miles to a radio station in Barstow California to be on the air all night. It made me stronger because I knew that as time went on, I was going to find my way and figure out my destiny. There were times I went when I had very little money, but I held onto it as long as I could to get to the level at which I am today. 

Do you consider yourself a role model to this younger generation? If so how? I wasn’t sure at first, but I will say that if anyone has learned the lesson of not being concerned about quitting, it’s the one thing that I try to teach everyone. That no matter what age, no matter what it is you.

Have you ever had to compromise your moral values for success and what are your boundaries? I can truly say, I can’t recall or remember any times in which I compromised who I was for the sake of wanting to be someone else. I have always wanted to bring people up with me. And I made a promise to myself that I would never step on someone else to get here. That’s the one thing I can feel proud about. Everyone’s dreams are important. Years ago, when I was at my absolute lowest, I remember watching an Oprah Winfrey show where John Travolta was speaking about his life. At the end of the program, Oprah said, “John, thank you so much for coming on the show. You have the rare quality of making people feel good about themselves when they are around you.” He then started crying. And I said to myself, I can do that. It was all I had. I have really tried hard to never look down on someone unless I’m helping them up.

What are some of the life lessons you have learned while in pursuance of your lifelong dreams? One of the most significant lessons I have learned in life is that not everyone will accompany you on your journey. I have come to the realization that I was trying to be perfect for people who were flawed themselves. I kept being reminded of my own imperfections, and at times, I found myself surrounded by people who I thought were my friends but turned out to be strangers. However, once I accepted that not everyone is meant to be a part of my journey, I started making progress. I stopped dwelling on friendships that were over and, unfortunately, had to let go of some family members too. Rather than dwell on rejection, I built a bigger circle of people who supported me. This shift in focus allowed me to concentrate on what I needed to do to take my dreams to the next level, and this has changed my life forever. I have learned that family is not just the people you were born into, but those who choose to be with you. What I had perceived as a struggle was actually equipping me with the tools to become my best self.

How has COVID-19 positively affected your career? There is a part of me that believes that this may be the last time in my entire life that I have an opportunity to focus on getting the utensils of a full plate of dreams to work. So I started cleaning out my closets, my personal space, things that I didn’t pay much attention to before that I do now. The more I got rid of, the more I was beginning to get things done. Ironically, this is probably been one of the best years of my journey. And more importantly, it allowed me to plan my work, and work my plan.

Tell us about your current and future projects. I recently finished my first publication called, “The Four Seasons Of R&B”, which are my top pick of the top 10 groups of the decades from the 1960s through the 1990s. I call it the four seasons because music was never the same before the 60s and after the decade of the 90s. It also included one-hit wonders and other items that will allow people to remember the times in their lives when music was an important part of their history.

What steps does someone have taken to reach their greatest potential? Nothing in life begins without a plan. You have to know what you want, why you want it, and plan to get there. You have the responsibility of guarding your heart, protecting your dreams, and securing your life. If something’s not adding up, then you have the responsibility to subtract it. And remember, the access to your energy should always be a privilege. I became a firm believer that you can’t win your year, your month, or anything else without winning your day. If you lose people along the way who can’t appreciate your dreams or your goals, get people around you who will. Manifest your dreams in silence. You never hear a tree grow.

What advice would you like to give those traveling in the same direction as yourself? Master one thing at a time. Someone asked me what did I, and I told them that I did television, radio, and voiceovers. He looked me right in my face again and said, “But what do you do”? And I didn’t have an answer. He said, “You don’t know what you want, but the next time someone asks you a question of that nature, you better have an answer”. That changed my entire life. It doesn’t mean you can’t do 10 things, but master one, so that you can branch off into being more.

YouTube link (1)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTPiUukL8jw16ssoVCgnRlg

Website

www.randbhistorian.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/TimelessTraxxTDuBose

Instagram

tyrone_dubose

Twitter

randbhistory

END OF INTERVIEW