Today, we’d like to introduce you to Rachella “Rolex” Searight. Rachella “Rolex” was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented JD Williams.
Rachella “Rolex”, thank you so much for joining us today. We’d love for you to bring our readers up to speed – can you introduce yourself and share your story?
Wow. I have been singing and recording since I was 3years old! I started singing professionally as a young tenderoni around 10 years old with my family and close friends. Later I started singing with a group of singers that my mom put together called “Inspired” and we sang around the metroplex. A few years after that I was part of a gospel choir that originated out of the high school I went to. That group was called New Deliverance. After a few years of singing with ND, my Mother, Dr. Linda Searight, started thee God’s Property choir and the rest is history. GP is the group that propelled me to bigger and better opportunities in the music industry.
I graduated high school from the prestigious Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas Tx. Going to that school introduced me to a world of creativity and freedom within my craft. I learned how to be a professional performer, actor, singer, songwriter, bgv, and all-around musician from that school.
Dr. Linda Searight, matched with Booker T., is responsible for where I am today. If it weren’t for the exposure my parents gave me and the teaching and fine tuning from Booker T., I wouldn’t even be doing this interview lol. I’m so proud to talk about where I come from because we simply cannot ever forget what it took to get us to this place.
I also have to mention my close friends and family whenever I talk about how I got to where it is I am today. My brother, Robert Sput Searight, was my first MD (musical director). He was our first choir director and everything lol. He taught us how to pay attention and follow and be flexible singers, ready for anything. (which is why I call him Sputaneous). My beautiful sister, Robin Searight Stanley was my first singing buddy/manager. She was always there with me laughing at everything our brother told us to do. She also has always been in my corner advising me throughout my singing career. Our parents never hesitated to put the three of us on program at our church, where we sang original music written by Sput. I cannot forget my sisters Candy and Peaches West, daughters of the fabulous Tommye Young West. We sang everywhere together when we were young. Our parents always had us on program lol!
Another group of people I want to elaborate on as I talk about where I started and how I am where I am today is God’s Property. This choir was founded by my mother Dr. Linda Searight in 1992. We sang around Dallas and surrounding cities for years before being invited to appear on the Bobby Jones Gospel Show where we got major exposure. I would say maybe a few months or so later we linked up with the one and only producer, Kirk Franklin, and released a record (Stomp) in 1996. That one record sold millions and broke records that have yet to even be matched. I’m so proud to have been a part of a Grammy award winning, ground breaking, history making, and trend setting group. The notoriety I gained will be forever stamped in my music career for the rest of my life.
Please talk to us about your creative work and career. What should we know?
My art is one that comes from a place of extreme creativity. I’m a mixture of gospel, Jazz, funk, soul, rock, reggae and RnB. I’ve had the opportunity to perform with sooooo many great and wonderful legendary artists in my career. Kirk Franklin, Kim Burrell, Erykah Badu, Prince, Celine Dion, Lalah Hathaway, and Snarky Puppy just to name a few. I am a professional back ground singer. I toured with God’s Property from 1997 to 2005 and beyond. During that tour I split some dates with Erykah Badu in 2002 where she took me overseas to Germany and Findland-Norway. A moment I will never forget. With my music you will feel inspired and uplifted. I tend to touch on deep subjects in my songs because I aim to reach an audience that often gets overlooked in a lot of today’s demand. I strive for my lyrics to meet people where they are and remind them of their passion and their future. That they can be whoever and whatever they set out to be. I have looked up to Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Lalah Hathaway, and Ledisi. I have always patterned myself from them and held myself to a high standard from following them. I want the readers to know how passionate I am about my music and the things that I have gone through in life and how it has impacted me. How it all has played a huge part in how I execute when it’s time to perform. My work is my life and my music is straight from my heart to your listening ears. I’m a songwriter and also a poet. Many have no idea about my poetry as it is often translated to song. I started out writing poetry 20 years ago. I write songs that I can relate to and that I feel deeply about. Songs about things that I have delt with and gone through personally. Also, songs that just make me feel good and make me wanna dance. My songs speak life into people and give them hope. That has always been my goal. I’m currently singing and creating with Azwalf Hazworf and the Love Session Orchestra. You can catch us every Monday night from 10-2am at The Freeman Cajun Cafe in Deep Ellum of Dallas. I also perform around the city with several other artist such as Drea Randle. You can also catch me performing a solo set here and there. I love what I do and am blessed to be able to do it time and time again.
As you know, we’re big fans of JD Williams and we know you’ve worked with them quite a bit as well. We’d love to hear about your experience working with JD Williams.
Omg I have known JD for years! He often tells people he used to look up to me and my family as we sang and performed around the city. I love how he has admired us for so long! It’s an honor to know anybody is out there watching what you do and looking up to you and learning from you. It’ keeps you humble to know there are people who view you as someone important to follow. JD is my BROTHER! He joined Love Session almost a year ago and it has been nothing short of a good time every single time we hit the stage. It’s not easy for anybody to join a group and do a show with no rehearsal, and to get up there and pull it all off with little to no direction is simply perfection. Since day one with the band JD has been consistent and his light has shined throughout the group. We are better with the Guru!
I see JD as becoming one of the most powerful and important people in the industry for real. He is business minded and focused on doing what it takes to promote the people and businesses he is connected to. TheSundayTakeout is one of the hottest media platforms and live social outlets in the entire dfw metroplex! If you connect with him, you can guarantee positive results every time. He provides a live experience, media coverage, and interviews for the music and arts scene in Dallas and surrounding areas. And he’s growing so be on the lookout for more from him as he takes his talents on the road!
I absolutely LOVE JD of The Sunday Takeout and am so blessed to share the stage him, with him every week. He is my person and God knew our creative hearts would be together one day. Singing with him is like a breath of fresh air. His energy on stage can’t be matched. He gives you the ability to be free and feel good doing what you love.
Instagram: Rolex Wonder
Twitter: @SputSister
Facebook: RachellaHowan
