By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
November 24, 1999
Former Luvabull Jody Russell is following in the footsteps of Paula Abdul, who parlayed a cheerleading gig into a singing career.
The 28-year-old Chicagoan has a lot to root for these days, too. Her debut album, “Just in Time,” already has sold 100,000 copies in the local Asian-American community. Its popularity in this relatively small market set the stage for a nationwide release this week.
“I wanted to start small and get a little following going with the record,” Russell says. “I got a really favorable response from the Korean-American community. Their support gave me a lot of courage to release this album nationally.”
The album was produced by former Prince bassist Andre Cymone. Her first single, “Tell Me,” received a positive review in Billboard magazine for its perky pop, blended with doses of R&B, funk and gospel.
“I would’ve been happy to release a `Christian’ album,” Russell says. “But I think things happen for a reason. The material that came together for this album just didn’t go that way – maybe one day though.”
Describing herself as a go-for-broke type of person, Russell says that she has always had the initiative to make something of herself.
So when the major labels didn’t come knocking, Russell took a D.I.Y. approach to record-making and started up her own indie label, KPC, which she oversees from her Lincoln Park home.
“Because there are no Asian pop stars in America, I don’t think a lot of the major labels know what to do with us,” she says. “I’m too impatient to sit around waiting for someone to pick me. I have no illusions of being the Ricky Martin of Asian pop. But I’m willing to give it a shot.”
Just as comfortable onstage as in the recording studio, Russell actually showed an astute eye for business early on. While barely out of her teens, she operated a graffiti airbrushing company on the South Side.
“I’m not afraid to struggle,” she says. “If you work hard, you’ll succeed. Making money in America is one of the easiest things to do. There are so many opportunities here.”
Born in South Korea, Russell was adopted by an American family when she was 5 years old. An adoption advocate, Russell established Angels for Adoption – a Web site devoted to the cause of adoption. For more information about the singer or Angels for Adoption, go to www.jodyrussell.com.
