Jocelyn Brown

Backstage at Electric Paradise, Brown remains every bit as powerful, passionate and candid as the voice that made her famous. From pioneering the original disco and house era and working alongside some of music’s greatest names to the vocal behind the immortal “I’ve got the power” sample, hers is a career woven into dance music history.

Yet behind the extraordinary voice is a woman whose outlook today is surprisingly simple. For Brown, it is no longer about what is left to achieve, but gratitude, family and an unwavering faith that has carried her through more than half a century in music.

It’s a pleasure to meet you Jocelyn and thank you for speaking with Music-News today.

What did the original disco and house scene have that today’s scene doesn’t?
“A lot more life,” she says without hesitation. “It was brand new, so it was something they had never dealt with before. It was original. We were pioneers. We paved the way.”

Would you tell me about one studio moment, with a great musician that you’ve never forgotten.
“Michael Bolton,” she recalls. “When I did one of his songs, it was outrageous. It was just before he did the ballad that made him a superstar – How Am I Supposed to Live Without You. That came out and took him to the top.”

What’s one record people would be astonished to discover features your voice?
“‘I’ve got the power!’” she answers.

That instantly recognisable vocal originated on Brown’s Love’s Gonna Get You and was later sampled on Snap!’s global dance hit The Power – meaning millions have heard Jocelyn Brown’s voice without necessarily realising it was hers.

What keeps you going and singing live after all these years?
“God,” she replies. “This guy’s work. He is my life.”

It is an answer that reveals another side to Brown. Beneath the powerhouse performer is a woman for whom faith remains central to everything.

Do you still have things you want to achieve, or do you simply take whatever comes next?
“Whatever festivals they do from here on is a blessing. Now, just the work that God allows me to do.

“God has allowed me to work, pay my rent, take care of my children and have a life. And as long as He keeps doing that for me, I’ll keep moving on.”

Do you leave it in God’s hands?
“Every single day. Even when it’s really hard. I turned around to Him this morning and said, ‘Just help me.’ And He’s done it.

“I say to my children, ‘Don’t make plans. He’s already made it.’ As long as you believe and have faith in that, it’s done. There’s nothing to worry about or think about. Just keep moving on.”

After more than five decades of music, Brown has nothing left to prove. Her voice has already become part of dance music history. But backstage at Electric Paradise, it is clear that the force driving Jocelyn Brown today comes from somewhere deeper than the dancefloor.

As she puts it simply: “As long as I’m here, I’ll do the work that I have to do.”

Thank you Jocelyn (share a hug).