(September 21, 2019) Dee Dee Simon is that singer who often opens for headliners who are confident in their own abilities. And they had better be, because there is a real good chance that this East Bay soul singer will show you up if you bring less than your best. However, that didn’t prevent performers such as Patti LaBelle, Jeffrey Osborne and Chaka Kahn – just to name a few – from tasking Simon with warming up the crowd.
And after listening to “If I Leave You,” Simon’s new ballad (coming September 30), it’s easy to see why. “If I Leave You” is a soulful ballad in the truest sense in that it draws from our secular and spiritual musical traditions. Simon, whose earliest musical memories came from singing in the Baptist church, is well versed in both traditions.
Musically, the tune draws from gospel, blues, R&B and rock. Topically, Simon sings “If I Leave You” from the standpoint of a woman who knows her worth. She understands what she brings to a relationship and she knows that her lover will lose should she decide to leave. One question courses through every word she directs toward the object of her ire: is he willing to take that risk? Check out “If I Leave You” right here.
By Howard Dukes
World Premiere!
Dee Dee Simon – “If I Leave You”