A Conversation with Tywanna Jo Baskette (continued)

PM: So what was the first video you were ever in?

TJB: Maybe it was this guy named Stevens, a comedian. Ray Stevens, is that right?

PM: Ray Stevens.

TJB: Ray Stevens, a comedian. It was called "Mississippi Squirrel Revival," which is kind of weird, because I'm recording in Mississippi.

PM: Right.

TJB: But I was like the scarlet woman, the woman in red that shouldn't be in the church.

[laughter]

PM: Right. And what other early videos can you recall, first breaks in that domain?

TJB: Steve Winwood, Alan Jackson.

PM: Which song of Steve's?

TJB: There's two videos. One is called "I Will Be There," I think. [singing] "I will be there when you call..." Do you know that song?

PM: Um, I think so.

TJB: I'm trying to find the video. I have them here somewhere.

PM: And then Alan Jackson, that's a big break--well, a big video, I mean.

TJB: Yeah. And then there's this guy Jeff Preiss, I've done a couple of things with him.

He actually shot the Chet Baker documentary, Let's Get Lost. That was done with Bruce Weber.

PM: Wow. I've never seen that. Is that great?

TJB: Yeah, it's really great. I was happy to work with him a couple of times.

PM: I saw a Thelonious Monk documentary last night, Straight, No Chaser. That was amazing. I've never heard of that Chet Baker one, Let's Get Lost. I'll have to check that out.

TJB: "I Will Be There," I found that one, but I can't find the other one. Anyway, it was two videos at one time, like one after the other, and both directors hired me.

PM: Was that Nashville or New York?

TJB: They were L.A. directors but it was shot here.

PM: So you've been in a surprising number of videos, right? What's that number?

TJB: I think it's 53.

PM: Holy geez.

TJB: But there used to be so many of them shot here. I could have worked every single week.

PM: And is it well paid work? Is it decent pay? What's the deal with that?

TJB: Sometimes it is. I guess it depends on the budget.

PM: But it's a one-time fee, right? There are no residuals?

TJB: Yeah. The only thing I ever got residuals on was America's Most Wanted.

PM: Wow. What did you do for them?

TJB: I played the drug addict girlfriend of the drug dealer.

PM: Nice.

TJB: Yeah, strung out on heroin.

PM: You're skinny enough for the part--I should say thin. Skinny is not a nice word. You're thin.

TJB: Thanks.

PM: Yeah. Didn't you say the other day that something you were in--you started off a video in a clothes dryer? Did I hear that right?

TJB: Oh, yeah, Delbert McClinton. And now me and Delbert McClinton have the same publicist. How weird is that? [laughs] How weird is it that I even have a publicist, right, Frank?

PM: Oh, I think you're going to get famous.

TJB: That's a scary thing. I really just want to have a washing machine--

PM: Which is an interesting segue.

TJB: --like just normal comfortable things.

PM: It's an interesting segue from starting a video in the dryer to saying that all you really want is a washing machine.

TJB: Oh, that's true. It's funny.

PM: So that Delbert video where you--oh, it was "Come Together" by the Beatles, right?

TJB: Uh-huh. That was directed by Michael McNamara.

PM: Do you have any clips of these videos you're in? I'd like to see them sometime.

TJB: Sure. I have a lot of them. I have a reel of my favorite ones, and then I have a whole bunch of the other ones on separate tapes.

PM: Have you done acting, like film or stage yet?

TJB: Yeah. I hate stage, though.

PM: Why?

TJB: Actually, performing live in front of an audience as a singer songwriter person is very similar to acting a part on stage, because it's all immediate, and there it is. That's why I prefer acting in front of a camera. It's completely different.

PM: When I was attempting to take some pictures of you the other day, it amazed me how you behaved in front of the camera. It was beautiful to see you just kind of unwind and pose. Because that's something I could never do. I'm very comfortable with performing music, but when somebody puts a camera in my face I go into abject fear.

TJB: I've always been comfortable with a camera. It's just performing live or doing live theater, uhh, I can't do that.

PM: You opened up just like a flower the way you struck some poses for me that kind of--I don't know, took me by surprise--

TJB: Oh, really?

PM: And wonderment. I thought, wow, look at her, how beautiful she just got for the camera there. That's really amazing.

TJB: Did you think they were nice?

PM: I thought they were beautiful.

TJB: I can't wait to see. I noticed you took one of Derek's set list. That was a good idea.

PM: Ah, yeah. [Acutally, because I'm no photographer, they didn't turn out worth beans, all dark and blurry.]

Well, call me when you get back from Oxford, and let me know when you're in. I think the CD is going to at least begin to make you famous, or make you famous, one or the other. And I think you deserve all the good stuff that comes from it.

TJB: Thanks, Frank. That would be amazing.

PM: And fond regards to Clay Jones, and tell him I want to talk with him.

TJB: Do you have his number?

PM: No. I'm looking for a pencil right now. Okay. Well, I've really enjoyed hanging out with you lately and being friends again, and talking with you today. And I wish you really good things for Fancy Blue.

TJB: Thanks, Frank. I hope you got something usable today. I just ramble and give dumb answers.

PM: No, no. You're fascinating and don't know.

TJB: [laughing] Okay, if you say so.

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