The Texas Tenors are back with a new concert, “Rise,” filmed in 4K resolution for their second PBS special. Texas Tenor Marcus Collins tells us about the new special and more.
Ted Simons: THE TEXAS TENORS COME FROM THE RANKS OF COUNTRY, POP AND OPERA MUSIC. TOGETHER THEY'VE WON THREE EMMYS, AND THE GROUP'S BEEN NAMED ONE OF BILLBOARD MAGAZINE'S TOP 10 CLASSICAL ARTISTS. THE GROUP'S ALSO FEATURED ON A PBS SPECIAL.
Texas Tenors: AMAZING GRACE º º HOW SWEET THE SOUND º º THAT SAVED A WRETCH LIKE ME º º I ONCE WAS LOST, BUT NOW AM FOUND º º WAS BLIND BUT NOW I SEE º ºº [APPLAUSE ] >>
Ted Simons: HERE NOW IS THE ONE THEY CALL THE "CONTEMPORARY TENOR," WE WELCOME MARCUS COLLINS.
Marcus Collins: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
Ted Simons: LOOK AT YOU UP THERE. HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE TEXAS TENORS?
Marcus Collins: I THINK WE ARE A GROUP THAT DEFY THE DEFINITION. THE COSTCO CROSS OVER GROUP. WE SING GOSPEL, AMAZING GRACE YOU HEARD, WHICH WE LOVE. IT'S NICE NOT TO HAVE THE CONSTRAINTS OF A SPECIFIC GENRE. IT'S NICE TO PERFORM THE MUSIC WE LOVE. WE MAKE THE DECISIONS ABOUT THE MUSIC. WE HOPE FOLKS LOVE THE MUSIC AS MUCH AS WE DO.
Ted Simons: WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED, WHAT DID YOU HEAR ABOUT ALL OF THIS? WHAT WERE YOU EXPECTING? DID WHAT YOU EXPECTED COME TO FRUITION.
Marcus Collins: J.C. HAD THE IDEA TO PUT THREE OF US TOGETHER FOR AMERICA'S GOT TALENT. WE WERE FRIENDS BUT NEVER SIGNED TOGETHER. HE SAID HEY, LET'S MAKE A GO OF THIS AND TRY TO SUPPORT OUR FAMILIES. WE DID AND WE GOT TO THE FINALS. WE DID NOT EXPECT ANY OF THAT. WE DIDN'T EXPECT AMERICA TO RESPOND TO US THE WAY THEY DID. I THINK SOMETHING RESONATED WITH FOLK, ESPECIALLY WITH SONGS LIKE GOD BLESS THE USA. OUR VIDEO ON YOUTUBE WENT VIRAL. I LOVE THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT WENT VIRAL. IT'S NICE TO SEE INSPIRATIONAL THINGS GO VIRAL.
Ted Simons: WITH THAT IN MIND, HOW DO YOU DECIDE? YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SING CERTAIN THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT SING WELL. HOW DO YOU FIGURE OUT THIS IS A SONG THAT WORKS?
Marcus Collins: JOHN IN OUR GROUP ORGANIZES OUR VOCALS. HE KNOWS OUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES. THE TWO OF THEM ARE CLASSICALLY TRAINED. I TRAINED ALSO, BUT I'M MORE OF A POP SINGER. HE'S THE CLASSICAL SINGER AND J.C. HAS A LIGHT LYRICAL VOICE SO EMOTIONAL. HE SINGS BRING 'EM HOME. IT SHOWS THE DIVERSITY OF BRING 'EM HOME TO A POP SONG LOOK JUST THE WAY YOU ARE WITH BRUNO MARS. I WOULD SAY JOHN WOULDN'T SING BRUNO MARS AND I WOULDN'T SING TOUGH GUY.
Ted Simons: YOU COULD IF YOU HAD TO.
Marcus Collins: THAT'S TRUE. THERE IS A SONG CALLED SOMETIMES I DREAM WHICH IS A MIXED POP SONG AND HAS ARIA IN IT. WE SING IT TOGETHER. YOU WILL DEFINITELY SEE IT PLAYS TO OUR STRENGTHS. I DON'T SING THE THINGS I SHOULDN'T AND HE DOESN'T --
Ted Simons: YOU ALL STAY CLOSE TO YOUR LANES, RIGHT?
Marcus Collins: WE DO.
Ted Simons: PERSONALLY, WHEN DID YOU START SINGING?
Marcus Collins: I STARTED WHEN I WAS FOUR. MY MOM IS IN THE STUDIO. SHE WILL VOUCH FOR THAT. MY PARENTS WERE A HUGE INFLUENCE IN MY LIFE. I WOULD START SINGING AROUND THE HOUSE. THEY STARTED HAVING ME SING FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. I STARTED IN TALENT SHOWS AT FOUR, FIVE, SIX YEARS OLD, AND GREW UP IN THE TALENT SHOW CIRCUIT.
Ted Simons: I THINK MOST FOUR-YEAR-OLDS THINK THEY CAN SING. HOW DID YOU KNOW -- HOW DID YOUR PARENTS, FAMILY, FRIENDS, DID THEY TELL YOU?
Marcus Collins: I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD SING.
Ted Simons: HOW DID YOU FIGURE OUT THAT YOU COULD SING?
Marcus Collins: I WAS PROBABLY TALKING IN RHYTHM. I'M SO BLESSED TO HAVE A FAMILY WHO IS ENCOURAGING. YOU WERE TALKING EARLIER IN THE SEGMENT ABOUT EDUCATION, ABOUT FAMILY. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT FAMILIES SUPPORT THEIR KIDS, AND HELP THEM REALIZE THEIR DREAMS. I'M LIVING PROOF OF THAT. I HAVE AN AMAZING SUPPORT SYSTEM. MY FAITH AND THE STRENGTH IN OUR GROUP AND OUR FAMILIES, J.C. AND JOHN HAVE IMMEDIATE FAMILIES. THEY ARE MARRIED WITH KIDS. IT'S A WONDERFUL THING TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM AND DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND MAKE A LIVING OUT OF IT.
Ted Simons: YOU ACT. YOU HAVE DONE ACTING.
Marcus Collins: I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE DONE IT WELL.
Ted Simons: SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE MORE CONFIDENT SINGING THAN ACTING.
Marcus Collins: I WOULD SAY SO. I LOVE ACTING. I MISS IT SOMETIMES. I FEEL LIKE, THERE ARE SO MANY AMAZING CHARACTERS AND SONGS IN OUR SHOW, THAT I GET TO BECOME A CHARACTER EVERY NIGHT ON STAGE. WE SING THIS 12 MINUTE TRIBUTE, AND I GET TO BECOME A CHARACTER IN THAT. WE SING MUSIC OF THE NIGHT FROM PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. NOT THAT I FEEL LIKE THE PHANTOM EVERY NIGHT. WE LOOK INTO THE AUDIENCE AND FEEL WE HAVE A CONNECTION WITH PEOPLE. THERE IS A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE THAT HAPPENS AT THE LIVE SHOWS.
Ted Simons: I WAS GOING TO SAY, THE PEOPLE OBVIOUSLY ENJOY YOUR WORK. WHEN YOU ARE UP THERE, SEEMS YOU ENJOY IT. IS IT EVER A GRIND FOR YOU?
Marcus Collins: NO, IT'S NOT.
Ted Simons: ARE YOU SURPRISED BY THAT?
Marcus Collins: I AM. WE LOVE IT SO MUCH. IT'S THE BUSINESS SIDE. WE RUN OUR OWN BUSINESS. WE ARE SELF PRODUCED. IT'S THE BUSINESS SIDE THAT'S TAXING SOMETIMES. WHEN YOU ARE HOME BOOKING FLIGHTS FOR THE GROUP AND TRAVEL FOR THE TOUR BUS AND ADVANCING THE DATES ON THE ROAD AND TALKING WITH VENUES AND MAKING SURE THEY HAVE WHAT WE NEED WHEN THEY ARE THERE. THAT'S THE PART THAT GETS IFFY.
Ted Simons: THEN AGAIN --
Marcus Collins: IT'S FOR THE BENEFIT OF THAT LIVE SHOW FOR THE MAKING OF THIS MUSIC. IT GOES TOWARD THAT. WHY COMPLAIN?
Ted Simons: IF YOU COMPLAIN, WE HAVE TO ASK WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOU. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SUCCESS AND CONTINUED SUCCESS, PLEASE. NICE TO MEET YOU.
Marcus Collins: THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. IT'S BEEN SO MUCH FUN. MY GRANDMA AND MOM AND STEP DAD ALL WATCH THE SHOW. MY GRANDMA IS WATCHING RIGHT NOW. SHE'S IN APACHE JUNCTION. SHE'S WATCHING. SHE WOULD BE HERE IF SHE COULD. GRANDMA, I LOVE YOU. MOM, I LOVE YOU. SHE'S RIGHT OVER THERE.
Ted Simons: GOOD TO HAVE YOU. WE SHOULD NOTE THAT THE TEXAS TENORS "RISE" AIRS TONIGHT AT 7:00 ON ARIZONA PBS. I'M SURE GRANDMA WILL BE WATCHING. FRIDAY ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," IT'S THE JOURNALISTS' ROUNDTABLE, A NEW LAW EXPANDING THE STATE'S VOUCHER SYSTEM FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS IS PUT ON HOLD. THIS AS ANOTHER NEW LAW THAT MAKES IT TOUGHER TO "PUT" ISSUES ON THE BALLOT, SURVIVES A COURT CHALLENGE. THAT AND MORE FRIDAY, ON THE JOURNALISTS' ROUNDTABLE. THAT IS IT FOR NOW. I'M TED SIMONS. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING. ºº ºº
"ARIZONA HORIZON" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FRIENDS OF ARIZONA PBS, MEMBERS OF YOUR PBS STATION. THANK YOU
Marcus Collins, The Texas Tenors
