Rosie O’Donnell: ‘You Don’t Need Prozac If You Have A Good Macy Gray Song!’
First Published: June 23, 2010 4:24 PM EDT Credit: Access Hollywood
Caption Macy Gray and Rosie O’Donnell speak with Access Hollywood, June 23, 2010NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Rosie O’Donnell has been a longtime supporter of Macy Gray and the statuesque singer has always been grateful.
“I’ll never forget, at the Grammy’s that year when she told everybody to buy my album at the end of the show,” Macy told Access Hollywood about a moment in the early ‘00s when Rosie championed the singer in a very public forum. “I freaked out ‘cause I wasn’t expecting that. It actually changed everything. I mean, my record label did a good job, but I think Rosie saved my life.”
Rosie, who joined Macy for the interview with Access, said she was touched by Macy’s kind words, but she continues to stand by her championing of the singer, who just released her latest record, “The Sellout.”
“It was such a unique sound when the first record came out and I was like, ‘Who the hell is this?’” the music fan and SIRIUS XM Radio host told Access. “It was unbelievable to me — like nothing I had ever heard before and so when the Grammy’s were over, they said you have 20 seconds, I’m like a little shout out for Macy Gray.”
Rosie has championed a number of artists over the years, but she admitted to Access she is an uber-Macy fan.
“I have every single song. I follow her all over the place. I’m in the fan club, you know,” Rosie said. “I’ve been to see her in concert many times. She let me sing backup twice so I, I just think she’s an extraordinary talent… Her voice is so unique, but the words too; it’s all so poignant.”
Rosie went on to say that Macy’s voice has lifted her out of depression before.
“I was so depressed. I was in such a bad mood one day. I was in the car driving home with the kids and the radio was on and I was like, ‘There’s a new Macy Gray song,’” Rosie said with a smile. “I’m like, ‘You don’t need Prozac if you have a good Macy Gray song.’”
Macy admitted that she has invited her pal – who comes with a Broadway background – to join her on tour, but Ro’s expanding family keeps the mom at home.
“Well, I invited her, but she has nine children,” Macy said, referring to Rosie’s children with her ex, Kelli Carpenter, and those of Ro’s current girlfriend, Tracy Kachtick-Anders. “I don’t know how you’re gonna work that out.”
“Listen,” Rosie chimed in. “It’s do-able.”
“Is it?” Macy asked.
“Yeah! ‘Cause they know: Macy Gray. Then the kids!” Rosie laughed.
Macy too is a mom and Rosie said the singer’s motherhood and her age – she is 42, have added to the singer’s new album.
“That’s what this record feels like to me – her stepping into the authentic her,” Rosie said.
“I just try to like, always tell the truth with my music and make it pure and just pour my heart out,” Macy said of her tunes. “And have it be natural you know, like free range.”
“Free range! Exactly, right,” Rosie laughed.
“Rosie’s right you know, you grow up a little bit and you realize that it’s too much work you know to try to be something else,” Macy added. “It’s stressful and it’s exhausting. When you finally just say, you know, this is me… take it or leave it, then you know a lot of things fall into place.”
Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
