CeCe Peniston is “Finally” back headlining a two-day Pride Street Party at The Cuff! She has a brand new single and curves that will give you vapors. Peniston will be joined by Lisa Lisa of Cult Jam fame and Kennedy Davenport from RuPaul’s Drag Race among others. Tickets are gonna go fast. Better get to The Cuff early and get one of those magical wristbands.
Don’t miss CeCe Peniston live on stage at The Cuff this Sunday, June 24th! She took a few minutes out of her schedule to talk to us. Check out our interview below.
Earle Dutton (ED): Are you excited about coming back to Seattle?
CeCe Peniston (CC): Oh yes, I am. I used to come there all the time when my friend Scott was living. It has been a while since I have been to The Cuff. I am really glad to be coming back. It is a great memory for me. They are always so good to me. It is just great energy.
ED: What can we expect in the show?
CC: I’ve got some new music. I put together a new vibe for the show. I have some new songs I might put in there. I have changed it up. I think my energy in general is different from previous shows at The Cuff.
ED: Are we going to get to hear your new single “Hot” live?
CC: Oh yes! I am going to do that one as well.
ED: What is your favorite song to perform live now? I know it probably changes pretty often.
CC: It changes on different days. It just depends on my mood. It all depends on me. I just like sing in general. It is just a love that I have.
ED: What is it like performing “Finally” after all of these years?
CC: It is definitely a blessing. I never thought I would still be doing music after all these years. The first year, I was making all kinds of money and I moved out into an apartment. I had plenty of money to go buy a house and I just didn’t. I just didn’t know it was going to last. I was just used to working a 9 to 5 job and didn’t know how everything worked. I was still shopping at Lerners (laughter). I didn’t know any better. I was just a normal girl. I still am now as well. I was just simpler than I am now.
ED: How did it feel when “Finally” really took off? It was in Priscilla Queen of the Desert and I bet every drag queen has covered it at least once.
CC: It has been overwhelming some times. You can travel all over the world and hear a song that was a poem when I was a teenager. I should say, I was a young adult. I was in London one time and heard it over the radio in a car. It was a poem that became a song that became a classic. It is a song that holds a lot of great memories for a lot of people.
ED: What was it like to be on Celebrity Wife Swap?
CC: (Laughter) That was fun! People were laughing at me and asking, if I could really cook. I can throw down. People don’t need to be playing around with me (laughter). The kids were great. They were so cute and funny. Once we got to know each other, it was great.
ED: I love the cover for the “Hot” single. It is giving me the vapors. How do you feel about it?
CC: Well, thank you! (laughter) That is why I had to spend so much time in the gym. I needed to make sure I was on target. It is all good so far. It has been a great response to the new song and to the cover.
ED: Were you nervous about the photo shoot?
CC: I wasn’t’ really nervous. I just wanted it to look great. I kind of kept it simple sexy with my choices.
ED: What has been the best part of your fitness journey?
CC: I think it is really the peace of mind in knowing that I can wear some of the things I want to wear. I feel good in my clothes. It is really beyond the visual part and just knowing that you are healthy.
ED: You did a lot of touring and shows last year. What was your best take away from all of that?
CC: My best take away was that this is not an easy field of work to do. It is very rewarding though. Once you do the hard work and step on stage with the mic, you see all these people that still love you and are attached to your music. That is real take away. You have the hard work in between. It is really the eighty percent to get to that twenty percent. It is a lot of work but also a lot of rewards.
ED: You just celebrated the 25th anniversary of “Finally”. Music has changed a lot over the years. Do you find it daunting now?
CC: I feel like your life is a little bit more on blast. Back in the day, you could be a lot more private about what you were doing in your life. I feel like people are pretty rigid in the fact that if they don’t know you they really don’t have time for you. It is like, I don’t care what you did before, what are you doing now. They are just really that raw about it. It is what it is.
ED: Would you change anything about your career 25 years ago if you could?
CC: I don’t like to live on regrets. I like to keep it moving. It would be nice to see what “Finally” would be doing right now if it was a hit in this moment. It would be nice to see how the social media works out.
ED: Do you have a message for LGBTQ youth since it is Pride season?
CC: Just be you. Enjoy life. Don’t let anyone tell you who you are. I just posted today, “People who tell other people that their dreams are ridiculous are the people that have given up on their dreams.”
Connect With CeCe Peniston
Website (here)
Facebook (here)
Twitter (here)
Instagram (here)
