Reggie and Ladye bring incredible joy and hope with their music and are great contributors to the Kingdom of God."
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Q: How did you two meet?
Reggie:
We met when I was auditioning for the choir at Ole Miss. I noticed Ladye while she was sitting next to my friend in the soprano section. She came up to me after choir period was over and said, “Hi, I’m Ladye Love Long and if there’s anything you need help with transitioning into Ole Miss let us know.” She was Miss University at that time and that was part of her job and might I say she was very good at it. Her energy was infectious to say the least. And of course, I thought she was a beauty!!
Q: When did you first perform together?
Ladye:
I guess the first time we performed together would have been when Reggie joined the University of Mississippi choir the following semester and the choir traveled to Europe for a tour and international competition. We were both chosen to be soloists for that competition.
Q: What was your first job in the music industry?
Reggie:
Our first job was as backup singers for Hall of Fame vocalist Larnelle Harris. We moved to Florida where Ladye sang with Voices of Liberty at Disneyworld (Epcot) and I started singing sessions for Disney soundtracks and other projects.
Q: What are some highlights of your career?
Ladye:
We have been honored to be part of some incredible moments. We sang with Larnelle inside the Kremlin in Moscow just a few days after the fall of the Soviet Union. Of course, singing at Carnegie Hall in New York City is always a thrill. When Reggie and I did a tour of 28 countries, that was a wonderful time. We were both thrilled to be able to visit with Billy Graham and sing at the Cove for him. When Reverend Graham died, Reggie was honored to sing at his funeral with the Gaither Vocal Band.
Q: What advice would you give to up and coming artists?
Reggie:
There have been a lot of changes in the music industry since we first started, but I always encourage up-and-coming artists to keep your dream alive, but also try to be realistic. Put 110% into every moment. Treat people with the highest respect even though they might not be returning the favor. Be prepared to work like you’ve never worked before and forfeit many nights of sleep along the way. Building a music career is about the journey and not the destination.
Q: What are the unique challenges being married as touring artists?
Ladye:
We’ve been together pretty much every moment of our professional lives. We generally have the same goals and creative opinions, but sometimes disagree on the process of getting to those goals. Sometimes, we have some intense moments of fellowship (smile)! I don’t think we differ that much from any other married couple. There are challenges to being constantly together, both in work and family life. But it’s all we’ve ever known, and honestly, it's been an amazing life together.
Q: How has your faith changed/grown since you started your career?
Reggie:
The main goal has never changed—sharing the love of Jesus. We want to be an encouragement to others and give them hope. Like most people, our faith has been strengthened through adversities, pains, and joys throughout the seasons of our lives, but those things have made us want to share our main goal even more.
Q: What are some issues about touring worldwide that most people would be surprised to know?
Ladye:
There are always the usual challenges that come up occasionally with passports and visas. When we were in Norway for a concert, all of our music tracks were tuned to the A440 universal tuning standard, but the piano there was tuned to 432. We quickly improvised, and learned to be flexible and ready for anything on stage. But one thing we have always been struck by is that when we have shared our faith through music in other countries, there is an instant connection with people in whatever country we may be visiting. We are more alike than we are different, and have formed life-long friendships with people around the world.
Reggie:
We met when I was auditioning for the choir at Ole Miss. I noticed Ladye while she was sitting next to my friend in the soprano section. She came up to me after choir period was over and said, “Hi, I’m Ladye Love Long and if there’s anything you need help with transitioning into Ole Miss let us know.” She was Miss University at that time and that was part of her job and might I say she was very good at it. Her energy was infectious to say the least. And of course, I thought she was a beauty!!
Q: When did you first perform together?
Ladye:
I guess the first time we performed together would have been when Reggie joined the University of Mississippi choir the following semester and the choir traveled to Europe for a tour and international competition. We were both chosen to be soloists for that competition.
Q: What was your first job in the music industry?
Reggie:
Our first job was as backup singers for Hall of Fame vocalist Larnelle Harris. We moved to Florida where Ladye sang with Voices of Liberty at Disneyworld (Epcot) and I started singing sessions for Disney soundtracks and other projects.
Q: What are some highlights of your career?
Ladye:
We have been honored to be part of some incredible moments. We sang with Larnelle inside the Kremlin in Moscow just a few days after the fall of the Soviet Union. Of course, singing at Carnegie Hall in New York City is always a thrill. When Reggie and I did a tour of 28 countries, that was a wonderful time. We were both thrilled to be able to visit with Billy Graham and sing at the Cove for him. When Reverend Graham died, Reggie was honored to sing at his funeral with the Gaither Vocal Band.
Q: What advice would you give to up and coming artists?
Reggie:
There have been a lot of changes in the music industry since we first started, but I always encourage up-and-coming artists to keep your dream alive, but also try to be realistic. Put 110% into every moment. Treat people with the highest respect even though they might not be returning the favor. Be prepared to work like you’ve never worked before and forfeit many nights of sleep along the way. Building a music career is about the journey and not the destination.
Q: What are the unique challenges being married as touring artists?
Ladye:
We’ve been together pretty much every moment of our professional lives. We generally have the same goals and creative opinions, but sometimes disagree on the process of getting to those goals. Sometimes, we have some intense moments of fellowship (smile)! I don’t think we differ that much from any other married couple. There are challenges to being constantly together, both in work and family life. But it’s all we’ve ever known, and honestly, it's been an amazing life together.
Q: How has your faith changed/grown since you started your career?
Reggie:
The main goal has never changed—sharing the love of Jesus. We want to be an encouragement to others and give them hope. Like most people, our faith has been strengthened through adversities, pains, and joys throughout the seasons of our lives, but those things have made us want to share our main goal even more.
Q: What are some issues about touring worldwide that most people would be surprised to know?
Ladye:
There are always the usual challenges that come up occasionally with passports and visas. When we were in Norway for a concert, all of our music tracks were tuned to the A440 universal tuning standard, but the piano there was tuned to 432. We quickly improvised, and learned to be flexible and ready for anything on stage. But one thing we have always been struck by is that when we have shared our faith through music in other countries, there is an instant connection with people in whatever country we may be visiting. We are more alike than we are different, and have formed life-long friendships with people around the world.
Family...
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