The key to success is not one size fits all, but it most certainly always starts with self confidence. After all, if you do not believe in yourself, who will believe in you? Well aware of the power of one’s self, entertainment industry PR veteran Angelo Ellerbee has plenty of sound advice to give – not only to his clients, but to anyone looking to find balance and striving for success.
Working with a long list of legendary artists including Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Dionne Warwick, plus more, Mr. Ellerbee has more than a few years experience working in the music world. A busy man, he recently took the time to chat about working in publicity, his latest book The Sense of Success, his new Ellerbee Elegance Label, plus more.
CrypticRock.com – You have been involved in the entertainment business for nearly five decades now. Working in publicity, artist development, management, etc, you have attained a great deal of success. First, tell us, what has your experience been like working in entertainment?
Angelo Ellerbee – Phenomenal and challenging as all rewarding work will be. I had a lot of choices in life, but found working with talent and sharing my own are the most satisfying.
CrypticRock.com – You certainly have done a lot over the years. You have worked with everyone from Mary J. Blige, to Alicia Keys, to DMX, to Dionne Warwick. Everyone is unique in their own way and have their own outlooks/personalities. What challenges have you faced in communicating with different people through the years?
Angelo Ellerbee – Their willingness to listen to guidance and the different ways they approach their career. Like you said, each is unique, so I have to approach them with their individual needs.
CrypticRock.com – Yes, everyone certainly has their own way of thinking. What is fascinating about you is that you have never limited your work to just entertainment. You have worked with clients in business as well. How important is diversity to success?
Angelo Ellerbee – Well, we have more than one industry in the world and more than one type of professional. All forms of business need promotion from commercial ads to the local telephone directory. My position as a publicist is to bring the media to all clients and expose the public to their businesses, products or performance.
CrypticRock.com – You are right, everything needs some sort of promotion to reach people. Having worked with so many successful artists, what advice do you have for aspiring talents looking to make their way in the music industry?
Angelo Ellerbee – Love yourself, know yourself, and then find a team who will compliment your talents and see them through their mission as artists. Know what sort of team you need and in what order: do you get a manager before you get an attorney? Do you need a manager before you have an act to manage? These are steps you have to take long before you present your art to the world.
CrypticRock.com – That is some sound advice. As the owner-operator of DoubleXXposure Media Relations, what are everyday challenges you usually face?
Angelo Ellerbee – Spin doctoring when an artist gets themselves into trouble, keeping it honest, but showing both sides to the story. Getting artists who are not prepared for the fame because they’ve had no development. To shape it, craft it, takes training, and preparedness.
CrypticRock.com – It sounds like it can be a lot of hard work. With your vast experiences, you applied your knowledge to writing in the form of the Ask Angelo in 2016. Now you return with your new book The Sense of Success. What inspired this latest book?
Angelo Ellerbee – The need to tell everyone about their inner power. Empowerment is vital with so many mental health issues going and we all have the God-given sense of achievement, but we don’t all know it. This book points you inside to you and teaches you how to inhale the aroma of potential.
CrypticRock.com – It sounds very inspiring! The book is very informative and gives insight to your own personal experiences. That said, everyone makes mistakes, everyone fails at some point. What has been the key for you to overcoming adversity that has come your way?
Angelo Ellerbee – God first, and learning to be romantically in love with myself second. If I don’t have that as my foundation and the lessons my mother, Eva Ellerbee, placed in me at a young age, as well as mentors like James Mtume and Dionne Warwick who had weathered the industry long before I had – If I don’t have all that, I have nothing.
CrypticRock.com – Everyone needs some sort of guidance and advice in life, right? To join the book, you also have a line of candles. Do the book and candles go hand in hand, and could you foresee the development of more candles/products under the label Ellerbee Elegance?
Angelo Ellerbee – Yes, the candles provide the ambiance of peace, yet invigorate the mind and senses so that by the time you pick up the book, you’re all in! My Ellerbee Elegance line is going to expand with all kinds of home décor and the candles, t-shirts, as well as books, all complement one another and are available on my website ellerbeelegance.com.
CrypticRock.com – It all sounds quite exciting. With the candles and The Sense of Success out now, what is next for you?
Angelo Ellerbee – Lectures throughout the southeast until the end of the year. Media appearances and workshops are all on the plate, and perhaps another book by fall of next year.
CrypticRock.com – Wow, it sounds like you are keeping rather busy on top of running DoubleXXposure Media Relations. Last question. We also cover Horror and Sci-Fi films on CrypticRock. If you are a fan of either or both genres, what are some of your favorites and why?
Angelo Ellerbee – I’ll tell you what, there is horror enough in the daily news that we need the films to take the edge off our fears, so whatever is clever… I’m there.
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