TeeJay Interviews Cody Belew : New Album, Voice Finalist, Awesome Guy

Cody Belew

Cody Belew was a finalist on Season 3 of The Voice where he was mentored by CeeLo Green.  Cody has his own album coming out, so we thought we needed to get in contact with him... This is what we learned:

TeeJay Today: Give us a quick bio.... Mom and Dad, siblings, hometown, etc...
Cody Belew: Grew up in Beebe, Arkansas. Steve and Lisa Belew- parents. Casey Belew- younger brother

TeeJay: Tell us about some of the jobs you've done in the past that aren't music related that got you to where you are now.

Cody: When I was a kid, I worked for a man that cut and baled hay during the summers. I worked my way through every job (starting with dishwasher) at a local restaurant. They used to call me out of the kitchen to sing happy birthday and present a piece of pie to customers.

I worked on a chicken farm, in a grain mill, a Christmas tree lot, and a coffee shop. Most notably, I worked for a number of years as a tailor altering clothes. That lead me to designing and building costumes for my college theatre program. I went on to minor in theatre.

 

TJ: Tell me everything about your first big show that you played.

CB: My first big show wasn't a big show in terms of capacity, but it really set the tone for every show after that. I was set to play a Wednesday night at the little jazz club in Little Rock, Arkansas. I told them I felt that I was ready for a weekend slot, and promised that I could fill the place if given the chance. They wouldn't allow it. Wednesday it was. I played the gig, sold out the show. They only had one waitress on duty and the crowd nearly ran her to death. My crowd drank their bar completely dry!!! HAHA. I never played another Wednesday night. From then on, I was a top draw. :-)

 

TJ: What one artist do you look up to the most and why?
CB: I really look up to Lady Gaga right now. Not because of her music, but because of her work ethic and how she as structured her business. She is very savvy and knows how to build a good, strong team of people around her. I want to do that for my own career.

 

TJ: If you had to choose one song that summed up your life and challenges, what would it be?
CB: "thank you falettinme be myself" -Sly and the Family Stone. 

 

TJ: In 3 words, describe your freshman album?

CB: Refreshing, Sexy, Twerkable

TJ: Tell us about the tour coming up!

CB: Planning a few dates in the Midwest at the moment. Chicago being the one I'm very excited about. I'm playing the Hard Rock Cafe there on November 8th.

TJ: Tell us about the album dropping sept 3rd in your own words!  

CB: Its my pride and joy. It's my soul's work. This album achieves what I said I was going to write- timeless pop music that is relevant, catchy, and fun to listen to. I want listeners to fall in love with this project.

TJ: Favorite song on the album? (We know its hard to choose just one)

CB: "Give Me Your Love"

TJ: Biggest inspiration?

CB:  My family. I want to make them proud.

TJ: What is one thing that you want future fans to know about you?
CB: I am not artificial, and I am not in the business chasing celebrity. I want to leave a legacy of good music and good, strong live shows. If you're willing to go on this journey with me, I promise I won't let you down.

Rapid Fire: Favorite: (one word answers)
Animal- Falcon
Color- Olive Green
Food- Grilled Pork Chops
Sports team- Tennessee Titans
Song- "Up To The Mountain"
Sport- Tennis
Artist- Spencer Tunick
Magazine- Architectural Digest
Actor/Actress- Shirley Maclaine
Number- 12
Astrological sign- Taurus
Movie- Fried Green Tomatoes
Book- "The 13th Tale"
Drink- Whiskey and Coke
Interviewer- Oprah

TJ: Single or Taken?
CB: taken

TJ: Describe your perfect date?
CB: A really great restaurant and an amazing bottle of wine, OR going to the movies. 

TJ: Favorite music collab you've done?
CB: Cee Lo Green, of course!

TJ: What is the last dream you remember?
CB: I dreamed a tornado came through during a snow storm and after it over it was a sunny, summer day.

TJ: Can we get some tips from "The Voice" ?
CB: SMILE- there's ALWAYS a camera on you. haha

TJ: What is one fact about you that no one else knows, not even your close friends and family?
CB: If I told you then it wouldn't be something no on else knows!!

TJ: Where can we find your Album?
CB: iTunes with physical copies in stores around the US soon.

TJ: What was it like working with CeeLo?
CB: A genuine artist. It was a dream working with him. He always keeps things fun.

TJ: Any dirt or weird habits you can spill on CeeLo?  
CB: He has 3 little diamonds embedded in his teeth.

TJ: If someone were to write the Cody Belew biography the first sentence would read.....
CB: They used to call him "the boy that sings."
TJ: If the same biography were made into a movie, I want ___CB: Richard Madden_______ to play me!

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer my silly questions!

Don't forget to go buy Cody's NEW ALBUM at the link below and as always please follow us on twitter!  @CodyBelew and @TeeJayToday

 

Movie Reviews... Whoop! Whoop!

I went and stayed the entire day at the movie theater the other day to catch up on all of the new releases then I watched a few oldies on Netflix the other night....  Let's dive in shall we..

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters

I was lucky, I was able to see this movie a full day before everyone else.  It was great.  It has been getting mixed reviews because it is not Twilight, Harry Potter, or The Hunger Games.  As much as I like those films, I think it should get bonus for NOT being like those other films.  It took a different route.  This installment adds a few more stars to the mix (Stanley Tucci, Nathan Fillion) and of course all of your favorites including Logan Lerman.  The best lines go to Stanley Tucci and Nathan Fillion, but you will have to watch it to get those.  The special effects are amazing, I especially liked the water horse thing that pops us in the movie.
Another thing is that parts of the movie are actually rooted in Greek mythology: golden fleece, the gods, their attributes, the metal bull, etc...
Go see it in 3D in the theaters, you won't be disappointed!

Turbo

This CGI animated cartoon film was enjoyable.  It has Ryan Reynolds as Turbo, the snail that dreams of entering the INDY 500.  It was funny, had some heartfelt moments too.  I took my 2 younger brothers to see it, they really wanted to see it, I wanted to see something else.  They really enjoyed it, but if you don't have some younger ones to go see it, you might want to wait til this one comes out on video.

 

Wolverine

Easy... LOVED IT.  I am a huge action super hero person.  This one felt more gritty than any other of the Wolverine movies, (including XMEN).  In this one we get to meet new mutants, The Viper!  Great movie, it really builds onto Wolverine, Hugh Jackman is still ripped and can carry this franchise even further.  I like how it explains some of the Nagasaki and that it was just another theater of war that Logan was in.  Go See It!  *I was extremely excited to see the Easter Eggs at the end of the film!

I also watched a couple older movies, if you remember them or have something to say about them, comment below or send me some tweets!

I also watched:
The Faculty
The Rescuers: Down Under