Dans le conflit qui oppose les 1st Ladies of CHIC à Nile, Luci a décidé de s'exprimer, malgré les possibles conséquences pour elle...
Je vous joins ci-après, le message qu'elle a adressé à son principal soutien. Vous trouverez au début et à la fin quelques mots de celui-ci.
Je vous invite à méditer les mots de Luci, il me paraît difficile de soutenir Nile sur ce coup, mais bon, comme d'hab', j'attendrai la version de Nile sur le sujet, avant de me faire ma propre opinion... ceci dit, Luci est très convaincante... enfin, à chacun de se faire son avis !..
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A MESSAGE FROM LUCI MARTIN
Many of you are aware of the unfortunate situation that is going on with Norma Jean Wright, Luci Martin, Alfa Anderson & their former employer. For those of you who aren't aware, a lawsuit was brought forth against these three ladies, by their former employer. There has been a lot of back & forth regarding this situation & most of the parites concerned are aware of our varying opinions.
Personally, I think that the whole situation stinks & is unnecessary. I've lost a great deal of respect for the instigator of the suit & as a FORMER FAN, I am totally disgusted about this whole mess. As I have said to many of you, Norma Jean & Luci Martin are totally aware of the support that many of you have spoken in their behalf & are appreciative.
The other day, I received this message from Luci & she wanted me to share this with all of you. From her lips to my ears. Here is Luci's message to all of the fans who have been so supportive of her & Norma Jean for these many years......
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"Hi Juice,
I have been reading all the opposing conflict regarding this unfortunate situation and cannot, despite advise from "those who know best" to keep quiet or careful about what I say, remain silent any longer. I would like you to post this for me as I cannot get on the web site.
I feel the need to address this because it distresses me that so many are in conflict over something that should never have escalated to this level. I thank you Juice from my heart for the love and support and for voicing many of my own views but as appreciative as I am, I am also sad over all of it.
Let us first clarify something, NEVER have we sought to make this a competition nor to pretend to be more than we are or impersonate that which we aren't. We do not pretend to be CHIC, we bill ourselves to imply and clarify that we are not. Had we been dubious in our presentation, would we have been asked back by the very promoters that hired us?
There lies the conflict, one that we can prove despite negative leaks stating otherwise. How grateful and honored it was to be asked to perform what is clearly a vital part of my history. We were asked to host a theme event, a 80's party and thought nothing of it. Who would have imagined it would lead to additional parties. We just had fun, took it for nothing more than it was and when those that saw us enjoyed themselves, they started to spread word of the "good times" they had. So naturally, others began to call and still we are speaking of maybe 6 gigs per year, certainly not the whirlwind career upset and definitely not enough to cause this type of revolution.
Still, It became the chance to revisit what, for me, like you, was a very special time in my life. It was not a way to acquire personal gain off the backs of someone else's work. For those of you who assume that we have no rights in this, let me simply address that in this manner. Whatever your line of work, imagine this ...
You are a nurse and worked for several years with a practice. While there, you improved and learned additional skills such as say, learning a special technique in drawing blood. You decide to move on and in your next job, you perform those same skills you did at the old one. You are sued for doing it with a person saying that it was his name and not your abilities that gained you employ and that you should stop.
Or perhaps you are a carpenter or a secretary, or choose any profession and through your own personality added something to the learned skill that was unique to you, but because you perfected it at a former job, you are forbidden to work in that field. Does this make sense to you? What we have here is a denial of history, or resume. Your life experience or job experience cannot be erased simply because you acquired them elsewhere. They still are a part of what made you who you are and what allows you to perform in that field.
Perhaps that is infantile in its example but my point is, this is my resume. It is my history regardless of what skill was used to accomplish the final outcome. I will go one step further...a group of your friends and yourself get together and decide to create an idea and image to achieve a united goal.
Your face is used to promote an image of unity, your time is used to promote sales. You do interviews as a group, sign autographs as a group. You don't sit in a hotel while your friends take photos for covers, or get asked countless questions about your life, when it comes time for a bio to be done for a magazine, you aren't excluded because you are just an "employee". You are committed to showing up and sharing details of your life with the public.
You neglect your family and friends, relationships because that is what successful people do to gain continued success. You present an impression to the world that you are a united unit and one they can bank on. Then suddenly one of your partners decides you are no longer useful to his needs and attempts to act as though your existence was of less value than it really was. He attempts to erase you from the past, attempts to edit his reality therefore diminishing yours.
Think about how that would be for you. All that you were proud of, that your family held pride about, brought to trial as though you were committing a fraud by being yourself and NOT pretending to be a part of something but continuing to do what you were known for doing and have been doing all your career.
Ultimately the choice is the public's. The public is not some mindless group of people who needs to be told who to like and who to see. The public doesn't need restrictions placed on them and determine what they wish to spend their money on. The public should never be placed in a position such as this, nor should they be made to feel that their past was based on a lie, and neither should we.
My point is not a bitter or angry one. It is simply to have you understand that I, like you, am confused at why this has been so negative and mean. I have nothing bad to say of any of my former members, I carried a piece of each of them. We had a marriage of sorts. We are bound together by a positive history of a happier time. It is cruel to tarnish that and childish to possessively throw a tantrum because no one else should be allowed to play with your toys.
We did not beg people to come see or, to like us, or want to revisit a better time with them. We cannot force people to come see us and frankly, I give people more credit than to assume they do not know the difference between two ladies and a group with a band. Please, I have more respect for the audience we stand before. And more respect for the music I was a part of many years ago.
Nile Rogers and Bernard Edwards (let us not forget him) produced something special, they are amazing in their talent, that is a given. No one can ever threaten that. I have heard so many good things about the show Nile and the new Chic band do. I am not in competition with that. Do not debate this or compare us, as we are very different and it only makes what was special, ordinary and predictably "showbiz" .
I was young when we did this TOGETHER, and had I known better I may have done some things differently legally. But one thing I would not have done was cause those of you who allowed me to live out a dream feel cheated in any way. Please do not speak negatively of Silver either. I do not find it tp be my way but nevertheless, she is a wonderful talent from what I have heard and I will not be thrown into some kind of silly cat fight over nonsense. I can't change the minds of folks.
You will feel what you feel, but know that there are no sides, there is simply right and wrong. And whether you agree or not, I was a member of a GROUP that left me with a legacy of pride that is shared by my children, family and friends and no one can wipe that out simply by purchasing a mark 11 years after the disbandment of its original contributors.
In the meantime, as long as there are those of you that remember what it was like to dance the night away without restriction. To romance that special someone, or simply rekindle an easier more relaxed time in your life, I will continue to do my best to make it possible as long as I am asked to do so and with much love and respect for your support.
Thanks for the ear and thanks to all of you I have had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know, this second time round, You bring me joy."
Luci Martin
Former vocalist from the group "CHIC"
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I agree 1,000% with Luci when she says that this is a sad situation. It is indeed sad & many of you know how I feel about it. I think that my first entry in my "This Is Bull***!!!, expresses my feeling exactly. I am both disappointed & disgusted about all of this & frankly, I think that it stinks.
I wish Norma & Luci nothing but the very best. They were the ones whose voices we danced to in those glorious Disco Nights & the ones whom we grew to love. These ladies are the "Real McCoy", the authentic article, if you will. As such, they will always have my support, as well as my love.
I can't say the same for everyone else involved!
NILE VS FIRST LUCI & NORMA... LUCI TALKS !..
Moderators: Thierry, Electrofred, frenchic
La réaction de Luci force le respect.
Elle rend hommage à Nile et Bernard et même défend Sylver : c'est vraiment une Lady dans l'âme !
Je suis évidemment 1000 % ok avec Wonder B : tout tourne autours de l'utilisation de la marque CHIC, voilà tout, au moment où Nile veut faire revivre CHIC : ça tombe très mal en fait.
En plus ne pas oublier que New CHIC et les First Ladies tournent avec exactement le même répertoire !
Luci et Norma auraient tournées à la fin des années 90, Nile n'aurait pas broncher car CHIC était pratiquement mort, de l'aveu même de Nile.
Enfin, espérons que le nouvel album soit un succès et alors les choses seront remises à leur place.
Nile l' a un peu cherché quand même en mettant pratiquement 6 ans à sortir un nouvel album
Elle rend hommage à Nile et Bernard et même défend Sylver : c'est vraiment une Lady dans l'âme !
Je suis évidemment 1000 % ok avec Wonder B : tout tourne autours de l'utilisation de la marque CHIC, voilà tout, au moment où Nile veut faire revivre CHIC : ça tombe très mal en fait.
En plus ne pas oublier que New CHIC et les First Ladies tournent avec exactement le même répertoire !
Luci et Norma auraient tournées à la fin des années 90, Nile n'aurait pas broncher car CHIC était pratiquement mort, de l'aveu même de Nile.
Enfin, espérons que le nouvel album soit un succès et alors les choses seront remises à leur place.
Nile l' a un peu cherché quand même en mettant pratiquement 6 ans à sortir un nouvel album
Merci BERNILE pour nous avoir transmis cet émouvant réquisitoire de Luci, une grande dame assurément. Son hommage à Sylver est du plus bel éclat. Respect.
Elle a consacré avec talent sa jeunesse et son énergie à CHIC. Personne n'aimerait être "gommée" de la sorte.
D'accord Nile et Nard ont créé CHIC et Nile se doit de défendre le label CHIC surtout après la disparition de Nard. Maintenant, il y avait des moyens peut-être moins expéditifs qu'un procés...
D'un autre côté c'est le show-bizz.
Nile est dans son droit mais Luci touche au coeur... C surement ce qui est reproché à Nile aujourd'hui.
Je rejoins Frenchic quand il dit que Nile devrait sortir ce nouvel album tant attendu pour enfin dissocier le CHIC Classic et le New CHIC. C'est la clé.
2 groupes avec un répertoire commun amène forcément à l'ambiguité voire au conflit.
Ce que je ne comprends pas, c'est qu'avec son génie il devrait bien pouvoir nous produire au moins un smash hit estampillé CHIC pour enfin sortir de ce marasme juridico-commercial contraire à l'esprit de CHIC. Rappelez-vous : "la fantaisie, c'est chouette !" ...
Elle a consacré avec talent sa jeunesse et son énergie à CHIC. Personne n'aimerait être "gommée" de la sorte.
D'accord Nile et Nard ont créé CHIC et Nile se doit de défendre le label CHIC surtout après la disparition de Nard. Maintenant, il y avait des moyens peut-être moins expéditifs qu'un procés...
D'un autre côté c'est le show-bizz.
Nile est dans son droit mais Luci touche au coeur... C surement ce qui est reproché à Nile aujourd'hui.
Je rejoins Frenchic quand il dit que Nile devrait sortir ce nouvel album tant attendu pour enfin dissocier le CHIC Classic et le New CHIC. C'est la clé.
2 groupes avec un répertoire commun amène forcément à l'ambiguité voire au conflit.
Ce que je ne comprends pas, c'est qu'avec son génie il devrait bien pouvoir nous produire au moins un smash hit estampillé CHIC pour enfin sortir de ce marasme juridico-commercial contraire à l'esprit de CHIC. Rappelez-vous : "la fantaisie, c'est chouette !" ...