Kristine Weitz has made quite a name for herself by dropping her surname down to just the initial W, and by unleashing a steady hit parade of songs onto the masses.
Speaking of parades and the masses, Kristine W will be making the rounds at San Diego’s LGBT Pride festival, as she performs her Love Never Fades tour at 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 16.
The high energy showcase will feature the venerable performer providing musical clues as to why she has enjoyed success on the charts. Kristine W currently holds the world record for most consecutive No.1 Billboard club hits with nine under her belt, which places her above Madonna and Janet Jackson with seven apiece. She has even bested Elvis Presley as being the singer who has done more shows at the Las Vegas Hilton than any other performer in its history.
Her latest single “Fade” is another feather in her hit making hat, while her Straight Up With A Twist CD reveals the jazzier side of the chanteuse, as she puts her own stamp on a diverse range of reinterpretations including her inaugural hit, “Feel What You Want” and Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” on the two-disc endeavor.
LGBT Weekly caught up with this gay favorite, and she gave us the lowdown on her career highlights, and why she is not so straight up with a twist.
San Diego LGBT Weekly: “Fade” is your 16th No. 1 hit on the Billboard dance charts. Does that distinction ever get to be old hat, or is it still thrilling to you?
Kristine W: No, it’s totally thrilling, because it’s harder than ever to actually get a No. 1 hit now, since you’re competing against a lot of top people; your Rihanna’s, your Beyoncé’s and your Jay-Z’s. It’s not really a dance chart anymore, basically it’s a pop dance remix chart, there’s very few dance artists on the charts anymore.
You have a lot of great honors on your resume, like your world record for most consecutive No. 1 Billboard club hits. Which one means the most to you on a personal level?
I think when I won my Billboard award for best song/best music video for “One More Try,” that was really something quite amazing that year; it was just a really cool time. I remember that, it sticks out in my mind.
But honestly, my greatest moments have been with the fans at different shows; those moments that you could just take a picture of, because it’s just so great. My most treasured times, musically, is being out in the trenches with my fans.
Straight Up With A Twist was a four-year endeavor. How did you decide to do a jazz album?
I’ve been a jazz singer pretty much my whole life, and that’s why I think I was attracted to it when I got to London to record “Do What You Want” 14 years ago.
I was a very soulful singer, and jazz had improv; I could sing jazz and scat with the best of them, and that was a blessing. My mom was a jazz singer, she did more standards, and I really honed my skills at jazz choir in high school. That’s why I dedicated Straight Up With A Twist to my high school jazz choir teacher.
Are there any other musical genres you’d be interested in exploring in the future?
I love R&B, and I’ve sang so much of the tunes and I know that material; I’d love to do a funk project.
What was the experience like to reinterpret your very first hit, “Feel What You Want” as a jazz arrangement?
It was super fun, and it went full circle, because basically that’s how it was created around a piano and it was very simple, and to put a jazz swagger on it was really cool. The album was a lot of fun to make, because it’s a total chill out project. With dance music, you have this whole different energy, and being able to take it down and groove was a very enjoyable process making it.
What element of celebrating San Diego Pride are you looking forward to the most?
I have a lot of friends there, and I think just celebrating what a great community it is, and how far San Diego has come as a tight-knit gay community. I’m very proud of San Diego and having performed there for the last ten years or so, I’ve seen the strides that have been made and that makes my heart happy when I go there.
What do you make of the term gay icon?
Well, if somebody calls me a gay icon, obviously I’m very flattered. Because to become a gay icon, you have to be pretty damn good at what you do; you have to seriously earn that. When people tell you, “Oh, I’m the Queen of Pop, or I’m the King of this and that,” you really have to earn the gay icon deal, and that’s one of the highest honors, honestly.
To keep up with Kristine W and for information about her upcoming appearance at Spaghettini’s Jazz Club in Seal Beach on July 23, log onto KristineW.com
