February 27, 2025 • 29 mins
Wrapping up Black History Month, my guest is Dr. Yvette "Diva" Williams. When her twins' father left her to raise them alone, telling her she was nothing but a "sorry welfare mother."
This was 1993.
Instead of buckling, Yvette used her good upbringing and values from her parents, matched them with her voice talent, earned advanced college degrees, played on the radio for a while, wrote and published a book, became a bodybuilder and launched a musical career, with four albums of original music in her catalog, and new music out now.
Yvette explains where her "Diva" distinction comes from, and her passion for civil and human rights.
Follow Yvette on IG. Watch her Cincinnati Reds national anthem performance.
Click here to bounce to Diva's website.
This was 1993.
Instead of buckling, Yvette used her good upbringing and values from her parents, matched them with her voice talent, earned advanced college degrees, played on the radio for a while, wrote and published a book, became a bodybuilder and launched a musical career, with four albums of original music in her catalog, and new music out now.
Yvette explains where her "Diva" distinction comes from, and her passion for civil and human rights.
Follow Yvette on IG. Watch her Cincinnati Reds national anthem performance.
Click here to bounce to Diva's website.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
This week on iHeart Sense, we are all here trying
to survive, and I don't like people just surviving. We're
all here to thrive. We're all here to live, and
we all deserve that opportunity.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
If you're looking for a little inspiration today, well I've
got it for you. A cheerleader for people. She's talented, educated,
and dedicated to making the most out of life. You're
going to want to meet my guest today, doctor Yvette
Diva Williams. She's a Southwest Ohio woman whose journey has
taken her from the bottom to the top, left with
twins to raise alone, finding her way out and up
(00:38):
using her love of music or passion for people to
achieve her dreams of becoming an author, producing four albums
of original music, and working with some of the biggest
names in the country. And that shares with us the
struggles of being a single mom, an aspiring musician, a
PhD student, and a black woman, and how she looks
at challenges and obstacles as opportunities to shut down the
(00:59):
naysayers and re invent herself.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Now on iHeart Cincy with Sandy Collins.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Well, we're wrapping up Black History Month and today's guest
is an amazing and inspirational singer, songwriter, author, radio host,
voice talent, mother of twin girls, and fierce friend, doctor
Yvette Diva Williams. She lives here in southwest Ohio. Deve
and I go way back, more than thirty years. We
(01:26):
met when we both worked in Dayton Radio, and I
always felt so good anytime we spent time together. She's
that kind of a person. She's one of those who
make you feel like you can do no wrong. She
sees you, and she sees everyone for who they are
and relishes our differences, celebrates our uniqueness. She's experienced many
(01:46):
of the things that can break somebody, like sexual assault
and harassment, racism, abandonment, hostility in the workplace, and misogyny.
Yet Ivette sees these challenges and obstacles as opportunities now
to shut down the names and reinvent herself. So welcome,
Doctor Yvette Divo Williams. Welcome to iHeart Cincy, old friend.
(02:07):
Let's talk a little bit about all of that, Sandy.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
You know those twins that you talked about, those kids,
you know they're thirty one.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
That's what I was doing. The math. Oh my gosh,
and they're in they graduated from college, they're working. Is
that right?
Speaker 3 (02:21):
They did? And they live in New York City.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Oh my lord.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
One is in high fashion and the other one is
working in tech sales.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
It sounds like they're in the heart of it.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Let's catch the thick of it.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Yeah, So first of all, you are, let's go backwards.
You're a singer. You have four albums under your belt,
with probably more in your writing books ready to be produced.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Ingle drops tonight?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Does it really?
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Alw isn't that hilarious? What serendipity is? I did you know?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
I was.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Knew this is fabulous?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
No, I didn't, But tell me about it. What what
you've got going on song is called chosen.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
I have always you got those of you who know me.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
And Sandy, you probably knew this, especially since when we
were in radio. I mean, yes, I was on the
hip hop and R and B and the contemporary hit
radio side. But I've always been a rocker because I
would always hang out with our folks at the X
and at tuiz So.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
And was just always just into the music and everything.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
So I I met a producer and he's also a
guitarist and he's so talented. His name is Ryan Wolf,
and he said, dive, I've got this for you, and
I said, okay. He was like, listen to this, and
I went, oh my god, I've been.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Broken leg in one, but to be.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So I heard it. I immediately wrote to it. It
was amazing, And while I was doing it, I dedicated
the song to my favorite band, Disturbed, who I'm sure
you've seen those pictures, and those are the guys that
actually put me on the map and really allowed for
me to get my music out to the mass, you know,
(04:28):
the masses, and really you know, they were my push
and I love them for believing me. I love them
for everything they've done. You know that that what what
do I want to call it?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
The that moment in time?
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Just that moment but them like in that endorsement.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
So speech, well, let's tell everybody what happened there. You were,
you were, you loved their song, and you had been sick, correct,
and then somehow you ended up on stage with them
one of their concerts. So fill in the blanks for me.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Okay. So I bought a meet and greet with my bestie.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
We went to Pittsburgh and drove up there and just said,
you know this, this city is available, let's go.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
And so we drove up there and.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Did the meet and greet and Amy she said, all right,
that what are you going to do when you meet
the guys?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
I said, I'm gonna sing to them. It's all I got.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
So she said, good girl, that's how we're doing this.
So I sang to them backstage. They and what I
did was I took one of their songs from their
record Evolution, and rewrote it. We wrote the lyrics, basically
thanking them for their music that got me through a
very very very dark period. So I sang that to
(05:53):
them backstage. They apparently loved it. They called me up
on stage and had me sing it to the crowd
and the leaves. I was not prepared for that, Sandy,
I was. I was like three glasses of wine in.
I had no idea.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
That couldn't hurt that much, right, I had no idea.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Yeah, but I don't mix wine and music when I'm performing.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Okay, okay, okay, So, oh my gosh. So I was like,
oh my lord, how many thousands of people saw this.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
That night? About fifteen thousand.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Okay, So you're on stage with disturb.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Arena, and then that video went viral, so somebody got
it and and that video went viral, and then that
video made it to the hands of Arnold Schwarzenegger's people,
and that's how I ended up becoming his national anthem singer.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
And that is the Arnold Sports Conference, if you will,
that happens in Columbus every year. And so you've done
this how many times? Three? Four times? Now, is that right?
Or so you got to meet Arnold and then that
that led to other great.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Cincinnati Reds and being just being requested across the country
to perform our national anthem and just perform in general.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Well, and that's the interesting thing is that that is
and I'm sure you can say this, that is like
the hardest song in the world to sing because the
octaves are so far apart, and when people do it badly,
it's painful.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
They remember it.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
You remember it and you just sing it beautifully. And
I've seen the video online of you singing at the
Reds game back and I think it was last summer.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Was that last summer I started two summers ago?
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Okay for the room, I was thinking it was that
far along ago, okay, But anyway, So you so I
saw that video and you just nailed it. It's so
hard to do a cappella. It's so hard to do
with all those speakers and the sound is bouncing all
aroun around you and to hit the right there's no music.
You got to you know that, you got to hit
the right pitch. And you just nailed it. And that's
(08:07):
why you're being asked to go everywhere else because it
it's just a beautiful rendition. What made you want to
sing that for Arnold and then become kind of the
de facto singer in other places?
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I have always well, I've been trying to get on
that stage and do the national anthem for the Arnold
Classic for like ten years prior to that, I just.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Didn't have the connection. I didn't know how to do it.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
And they and and the next thing I knew they
were She called me and.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
She was like, hey, you still want what would you
so like to do the national?
Speaker 1 (08:40):
I was like, wait, wait, what, Holy Sam, with my emotions,
this is not the time.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah. Yeah, So that kind of capped, if you will,
this career that you've had. You loved music from a child,
you grew up in a musical home. Tell me a
little bit about your parents and their influence it's on you,
and then how that turned you into an aspiring musician.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
My father was a self taught musician on about five instruments,
predominantly percussion. That is where I get my gift for percussion,
and that's why I, you know.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
I love them.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
My mother is a classical pianist, and I always regret.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
You know, she would always say, because I was like, no,
I want to focus on this. I want to focus on.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
This because I was in piano lessons with my brother
and you know, and then all of a sudden we
just lost interest because we were teenagers and it wasn't
cool anymore and we didn't want to do it.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
And now, oh my gosh, I regret it so much.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
So now I'm looking for a new piano teacher because
I wouldn't start back. But but yes, so I've always
had music.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
My uncle was an opera singer.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
I had another auntie that was an opera singer on
my dad's side. My mom's brother was another opera singer,
and he did much work with the New York Philharmonic,
And I mean, it was just it was just I've
always been surrounded by music, and then of course once
I you know, loved it, and you know, I continually
(10:15):
surrounded myself with it. You know, I'm I'm driven by music.
I tell people all of the time. You know, in
anything you do, there's a rhythm.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
True, And we we met for that same love. Most
radio people go to music for that very reason and
and we absolutely love it. But you were writing songs,
and then not too long after that, I think you
started recording your.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Own music, Yes, sitting in the mid nineties, still recording
when I was in radio.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Actually, yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
And so you got four albums and you can get
them wherever you stream music. You want to throw those
names out there so people know what to look forward,
Doctor Yvette Yava Williams.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Yes, yes, So.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
My Spotify channel is Yvett Diva Williams, as is my
I Tunes page or Apple Music page title, Google Amazon,
all of them. So my stage name is Vett Diva
Williams only because there are like fifteen other Yvette Williams
in the world that sing.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
I couldn't believe that.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
So I said, all right, well we'll just drop the
radio name in there and that'll differentiate me from everyone else.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
So that's why I did it.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah, so the Diva part came from your radio days.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Oh yeah, John Stewart gave me the name Diva years
ago because he I was actually going by Evette for
a very long time.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
And then he.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
We were at a remote, no our John Stewart from
ninety four.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
A. You're talking about I mean you've been Robin elbows
with some famous people here Jana Jackson, and we're talking.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
They're talking thirty years ago almost now.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
So no, no, no, not even thirty.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
It was about twenty something, about twenty because the girls
are thirty one. So yeah, yeah, about twenty five roughly.
But no, he was r THEPDT at ninety four five.
At that time, we were on a remote and I
was screaming, and he.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Said, what is the matter. What's the matter?
Speaker 1 (12:16):
And I said, I woke a fingernail and he went,
oh my god, your name is Diva.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
That's it. That is how that name came about. And
it has had nothing to do with singing. He didn't know.
I sang none of it.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Oh my god, no, but it fits. And then somewhere
in there and your musical career, your radio career, you're
raising two children on your own. You gotta doctor it.
You became doctor Vett Divat Williams, which is always just
blown me away because, let me tell you something, I know.
(12:48):
I know smart people of it. I know people that
have gone through doctorate programs, and I know how hard
they say it is. And the thing that you did
that and working full time and raising two kids by
yourself and doing a music career and supporting communities and
being an activist and all these other wonderful things that
you do is just so impressive to me.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Oh my gosh, Sandy, Now you just made me feel
so tired.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
You make me tired by just reading your resume.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Now, oh mg, you just made me realize that I
don't sleep. That's what she made me realize.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Well, my mom said you'll sleep when you're dead, and
I've always kind of, you know, in the back of
your head, although we do need our sleep, but so
you do need sleep.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
I mean, it's a joke and we take that all
in good.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Stride, but we definitely do. We take our rest very seriously.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Well, you got to take care of yourself, and you
prove that too, becoming another thing in your resume getting
into bodybuilding.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Yeah, I've always loved that. Yes, actually I was competing
when I was in radio.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Now see I didn't know that about you.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Yeah. I was always an amateur bodybuilder.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
I never got too deep into it, but I loved it.
And I only competed for about three or four years
and stopped because, well, Sandy, I like food.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Yeah, guilty.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
I liked to eat.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
And I'm not turning away chocolate. And I'm not because
I I it was. I look, I I was allergic
to chocolate up until I was forty years old. So
you know what what happened, I don't know. I accidentally
ate it and it didn't bother me. And then I
ate more and it never bothered me. And I said,
I called my mommy, and I said, Mommy, I've outgrown
(14:31):
my allergy to chocolate. And I never looked back.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Oh goodness, that's good to.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Hear between chocolate and and reesling. That's that's that's that's
the go to, right there, one and one and the other.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Nope, bind doing it.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
I'm kidding, but no, really, I do love it, and
I do still.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
I enjoy staying in shape and I enjoy.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Just all of the I love everything about about I
call it iron therapy for me.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Oh yeah, love it. One of the things I wanted
to talk to you about is your fierce protection and
your fierce activism, if you will, when it comes to
the LGBTQ community, to the ethnic communities that suffer so
much discrimination, and can we talk about that for a minute.
(15:22):
You are just a fierce lover of people.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
I am my daddy always.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
When my daddy left this earth on July fourth, twenty eighteen,
you know, he had always said everything is love.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
And that I carry that with me. That's how I live.
That's my mantra, So I do. Everything is love.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
You know, we are just a planet full of individuals,
full of people, and everybody is just trying to do
their best.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
That's really all this is. You know, I've never been
one too.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
I mean, as an African American woman who has been
discriminated against, bullied, teased, picked on, pushed around, you know,
you know I've hit rock bottom several times. You know,
for me, I never want to see anybody there. That's
(16:19):
just not a place to be. That's not I mean, granted,
you can always pick yourself up from it, but saying
there are a lot of people that don't.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Right, There are a lot of people who don't.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
And so I just try to do my best to encourage.
You know, we are all more than what we seem.
We are all created.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
You know, in God.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
We are all God's creatures, God's creations. We you know,
we are all here for we all have purpose. You know,
your journey isn't mine. Mine isn't yours. Mine isn't my neighbors.
My neighbors isn't mine. You know, But it just makes
no sense to me. It's never made sense to.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Me how we cannot have.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Community with one another and celebrate our differences rather than
just beat each other up over them, rag on each
other over them, discriminate over them, not help one another
enjoy watching others not be able to thrive because of
(17:28):
who they are.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
That makes no sense to me.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
My guest today is doctor Ivett Diva Williams. She's a singer, songwriter, author, performer,
radio talent and former bodybuilder as well. We're gonna have
more with Yvette coming up. This is iHeart Sinsey. This
is fifty five KARC and iHeartRadio Station. I'm Sandy Collins.
(17:53):
This is iHeart Sinsey A tri State Public Affairs show
here during Black History Month. Back to my conversation now
with doctor Yvette Eva Williams. She's a Dayton based singer, songwriter, author,
a preferred singer of the National Anthem, a mother of two,
and a fierce friend. So, Ive, how did you become
so fierce about accepting people for who they are? You know?
Speaker 3 (18:18):
I am. I am a mutt. I am I.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Am created with with all kinds of of of different
you know, ethnicities. I recently just traveled to uh to Africa.
I spent about a week and a half in Ghana,
which is where I learned that my ancestral roots are.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
And it was just so.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Empowering and and even when I came back from there,
I be if there is a way for me to
come back any fiercer than what I was when I left.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
It indeed happened.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
And you know, I tell everyone at Pride, you know,
at at at.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
Any type of event anywhere I'm.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Invited, you know, from Black Cultural Juneteenth, the lgbt QI
plus Pride events or whatever it is that I'm invited to,
I said, I'm your ally.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
I'm fierce. I'm a fierce ally.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
I do not play I am not the one, honestly
to piss off.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
We are all.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Here, you know, to do our best. We are all
here trying to survive. And I don't like people just surviving.
We're all here to thrive. We're all here to live, and.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
We all deserve that opportunity.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
And there's just too much out here and too many
out here that are just hell bent on making sure
that people like me, like you, like my cousins, like
my family, like my friends, like my neighbors, aren't given
these same opportunity, and it makes no sense. And I
(20:04):
will I will fight for you. I mean, I've often said,
you guys am tired.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
I'm so tired. I'm so tired, and then.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Something else happens and I'm like, well, fired the fuse,
let's go, you know.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Right, While a lot of people are proud of the
fact that they fight, they're not really likable, you know.
And then you get this angry black woman kind of
a thing going on. You don't have that. You have
this charisma, this acceptance, this love. The way you come
across is so effective because you walk the walk, you know,
(20:35):
you don't you do it with love, You believe what
you're doing and you're you. You only put up your
Duke's when you have to, and I think that that
is probably part of your success, is to be able
to just be this loving, accepting, talented, funny friend, performer bodybuilder.
(20:56):
What else have I But I got author? You got
a book out there? Tell me about your book that
you wrote. When did you find time to do that?
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Oh my gosh, My my book is Diary of a
dev It's on Amazon.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
It's actually it was my master's thesis.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
In all honesty, you know, But I wanted to. I
wanted to touch on something that you had brought up
just a second ago, just with.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
The whole, with the with the uh, the.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Persona and the you know I.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
I I wanted.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
I want to tell people that I don't buy too
much into the the whole, like the stereotype of this
whole angry black woman thing. I I don't inherently believe
that we are angry, but you know, it takes a
lot to really feel like you've been carrying the world
on your shoulders for so many years, and and there
(21:46):
I think rather than being angry, there are so many
of us were tired.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
Yeah, we're tired, you know. It's I don't.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
I don't, you know, I've never bought so much into
the whole.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
You know, angry black women, and I I.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
And those those who who are you know seeing you know,
who are seemingly this quote angry black woman type thing.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
I I don't. I don't see it as that.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
I look at it as women who have, you know,
particularly black women, who have had so much put on
them that you know, after a while, you know, sometimes
being strong is.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
Really an overstatement. You're not an overstatement. It's just it's
it's not all it's cracked up to be. You know,
you know, we don't, we get tired.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
It's exactly anybody you know, and and you know and
even on this on this whole you know, with with
you know, not buying into the whole angry black woman.
I know plenty of white women who have you know,
and and Latina women who have that same fire you
know in them, you know who who don't really see
(23:00):
it as as an anger, but just it's almost it's
it's a fuel sandy, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Well, you know what it has. It has seeped over
to this whole Karen thing uh for for white women,
this whole idea of white women who are privileged and
angry and they feel entitled, and there's just all this
stereotype of this kind of a person. And I think
what the angry black woman stereotype just explains. These two
(23:29):
things explain a type of personality in in in that uh,
in that group that you know many oftentimes they have
reasons to be upset, and we've we've just kind of
distilled them down into cartoonish names. And it's uh, if
you get rid of all of that and you just
realize every person is doing their best, like you said, uh,
(23:54):
and they're tired, and they're hurt, and they're grieving something
no matter what whther or not you know that or not.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
People hurt people. Yes, they just they do. That is
really a thing. That is It's really a thing. Yeah, really,
you know, and and and it's it's sad, but that
cycle just continues to perpetuate itself over and over and
over and you know, trying to be someone to break cycles.
(24:23):
I've always tried to be a cycle breaker with my daughters,
just about trying to break cycles, to do things differently
to I mean, for all intents and purposes, I was
really supposed to be a stereotype.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
I was a.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
Single African American mom with two kids, working, you know,
two and three jobs at I was not supposed to
be in I put in quotes. I was not supposed
to be where I am.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Someone in your life told you that, and they tried
to put that label on you, of course. Yeah, and
you broke it out and you did it through music, education, love.
Let's put love first. You did it through love, education, music, passion. Uh.
You want the best for family, all of it. Yeah, yeah, absolutely,
(25:13):
I tell you what. I'm so glad we got a
chance to catch up here today, Doctor Yvette Diva Williams.
You can find her online on her website. You can
also find her music on all the platforms, and you
can find her book at Amazon called Diary of a Diva.
So read about that. I'm going to go get that
now because I haven't gotten a chance to read that yet.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Oh, let me know. When you get it, I'll sign
it for you.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Say yeah, that's awesome. Well, now I know you're tired.
I'm tired of reading your resume. It's too long, it's
got too.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
Many you are silling?
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Yeah, you got any shows coming up? Or what do
you got coming up for the spring summer.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
I am, well, I'm going to do my annual Viva
la Diva. I always have a birthday party blowout and
turn it into a performance along with some kind of.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Benefit, you know.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
For for an organization. So this year I'm going to
use Ellie's Rainy Day Fund and raise money for them
because they saved my puppers. They're a nonprofit that Oh
my gosh, this is intense. It's so beautiful. But this
(26:37):
is a nonprofit. They give monies to pet owners who's
puppies or kittens are in need of life saving surgeries
but can't afford it. And my little frenchie had my widow.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
When she had iv D D. Yes you little girl, Yes,
you little girl. When I came back.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
From Africa and I thought I was gonna have to
put her down?
Speaker 3 (27:12):
What is so.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
Intravertebral disc disease?
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Oh sounds painful? It was.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
I came home and my dog was paralyzed.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
And so what's the name of.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
Athletics gave out and it was horrible.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
I just knew she was gonna have to be put down.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
You know.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
The surgery was fifteen thousand dollars.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Sandy, what I didn't have that.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Yeah, and so who's the group that helped you.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Ellie's Rainy Day fund?
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Okay, I ain't gonna do a big uh Viva la
Diva div Yep.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
I will I'll send you. I'll send you the flyer and.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
I'd love to see that's coming up in April. I
guess right, yes, April.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
Yep, It'll be April twelfth.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
And this is my I want to say, this is
my tenth year.
Speaker 4 (28:10):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
That's awesome. Always thinking about other people, Honey, you're just amazing.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Well, you know, I mean when we do for others,
we inherently do for ourselves.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
That's true. But a lot of people do for themselves
and it doesn't help anybody.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
As we're experiencing.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Yes, proud of you, and.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
I will also be proud of you. This is beautiful.
I'm so glad that you have this show.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Sounds good? All right, Sweedie. I'll talk to you soon.
Thanks again, excited to hear.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
Thank you, bet bye love.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Doctor Yvette Diva Williams of Dayton, thank you for being
my guest here today on iHeart Since Now. If you
miss any of this show you want to find out more,
you can go to the iHeartRadio app and look on
your podcasts for this show dated for this Sunday. And
if you have a guest, you've got an idea of
somebody in your life that is making a difference, an organization,
(29:08):
a fundraiser, we'd love to hear from you. Just shoot
me an email to Iheartsinsey at iHeartMedia dot com. Iheartsinsey
with an I at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks for listening today.
We'll see you back here next week on this iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Station, iHeart Sensey. It's a production of iHeartMedia, Cincinnati,
This week on iHeart Sense, we are all here trying
to survive, and I don't like people just surviving. We're
all here to thrive. We're all here to live, and
we all deserve that opportunity.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
If you're looking for a little inspiration today, well I've
got it for you. A cheerleader for people. She's talented, educated,
and dedicated to making the most out of life. You're
going to want to meet my guest today, doctor Yvette
Diva Williams. She's a Southwest Ohio woman whose journey has
taken her from the bottom to the top, left with
twins to raise alone, finding her way out and up
(00:38):
using her love of music or passion for people to
achieve her dreams of becoming an author, producing four albums
of original music, and working with some of the biggest
names in the country. And that shares with us the
struggles of being a single mom, an aspiring musician, a
PhD student, and a black woman, and how she looks
at challenges and obstacles as opportunities to shut down the
(00:59):
naysayers and re invent herself.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Now on iHeart Cincy with Sandy Collins.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Well, we're wrapping up Black History Month and today's guest
is an amazing and inspirational singer, songwriter, author, radio host,
voice talent, mother of twin girls, and fierce friend, doctor
Yvette Diva Williams. She lives here in southwest Ohio. Deve
and I go way back, more than thirty years. We
(01:26):
met when we both worked in Dayton Radio, and I
always felt so good anytime we spent time together. She's
that kind of a person. She's one of those who
make you feel like you can do no wrong. She
sees you, and she sees everyone for who they are
and relishes our differences, celebrates our uniqueness. She's experienced many
(01:46):
of the things that can break somebody, like sexual assault
and harassment, racism, abandonment, hostility in the workplace, and misogyny.
Yet Ivette sees these challenges and obstacles as opportunities now
to shut down the names and reinvent herself. So welcome,
Doctor Yvette Divo Williams. Welcome to iHeart Cincy, old friend.
(02:07):
Let's talk a little bit about all of that, Sandy.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
You know those twins that you talked about, those kids,
you know they're thirty one.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
That's what I was doing. The math. Oh my gosh,
and they're in they graduated from college, they're working. Is
that right?
Speaker 3 (02:21):
They did? And they live in New York City.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
Oh my lord.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
One is in high fashion and the other one is
working in tech sales.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
It sounds like they're in the heart of it.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
Let's catch the thick of it.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Yeah, So first of all, you are, let's go backwards.
You're a singer. You have four albums under your belt,
with probably more in your writing books ready to be produced.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Ingle drops tonight?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Does it really?
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Alw isn't that hilarious? What serendipity is? I did you know?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
I was.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Knew this is fabulous?
Speaker 2 (02:58):
No, I didn't, But tell me about it. What what
you've got going on song is called chosen.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
I have always you got those of you who know me.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
And Sandy, you probably knew this, especially since when we
were in radio. I mean, yes, I was on the
hip hop and R and B and the contemporary hit
radio side. But I've always been a rocker because I
would always hang out with our folks at the X
and at tuiz So.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
And was just always just into the music and everything.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
So I I met a producer and he's also a
guitarist and he's so talented. His name is Ryan Wolf,
and he said, dive, I've got this for you, and
I said, okay. He was like, listen to this, and
I went, oh my god, I've been.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Broken leg in one, but to be.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So I heard it. I immediately wrote to it. It
was amazing, And while I was doing it, I dedicated
the song to my favorite band, Disturbed, who I'm sure
you've seen those pictures, and those are the guys that
actually put me on the map and really allowed for
me to get my music out to the mass, you know,
(04:28):
the masses, and really you know, they were my push
and I love them for believing me. I love them
for everything they've done. You know that that what what
do I want to call it?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
The that moment in time?
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Just that moment but them like in that endorsement.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
So speech, well, let's tell everybody what happened there. You were,
you were, you loved their song, and you had been sick, correct,
and then somehow you ended up on stage with them
one of their concerts. So fill in the blanks for me.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Okay. So I bought a meet and greet with my bestie.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
We went to Pittsburgh and drove up there and just said,
you know this, this city is available, let's go.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
And so we drove up there and.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Did the meet and greet and Amy she said, all right,
that what are you going to do when you meet
the guys?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
I said, I'm gonna sing to them. It's all I got.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
So she said, good girl, that's how we're doing this.
So I sang to them backstage. They and what I
did was I took one of their songs from their
record Evolution, and rewrote it. We wrote the lyrics, basically
thanking them for their music that got me through a
very very very dark period. So I sang that to
(05:53):
them backstage. They apparently loved it. They called me up
on stage and had me sing it to the crowd
and the leaves. I was not prepared for that, Sandy,
I was. I was like three glasses of wine in.
I had no idea.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
That couldn't hurt that much, right, I had no idea.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
Yeah, but I don't mix wine and music when I'm performing.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Okay, okay, okay, So, oh my gosh. So I was like,
oh my lord, how many thousands of people saw this.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
That night? About fifteen thousand.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Okay, So you're on stage with disturb.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Arena, and then that video went viral, so somebody got
it and and that video went viral, and then that
video made it to the hands of Arnold Schwarzenegger's people,
and that's how I ended up becoming his national anthem singer.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
And that is the Arnold Sports Conference, if you will,
that happens in Columbus every year. And so you've done
this how many times? Three? Four times? Now, is that right?
Or so you got to meet Arnold and then that
that led to other great.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Cincinnati Reds and being just being requested across the country
to perform our national anthem and just perform in general.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Well, and that's the interesting thing is that that is
and I'm sure you can say this, that is like
the hardest song in the world to sing because the
octaves are so far apart, and when people do it badly,
it's painful.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
They remember it.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
You remember it and you just sing it beautifully. And
I've seen the video online of you singing at the
Reds game back and I think it was last summer.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Was that last summer I started two summers ago?
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Okay for the room, I was thinking it was that
far along ago, okay, But anyway, So you so I
saw that video and you just nailed it. It's so
hard to do a cappella. It's so hard to do
with all those speakers and the sound is bouncing all
aroun around you and to hit the right there's no music.
You got to you know that, you got to hit
the right pitch. And you just nailed it. And that's
(08:07):
why you're being asked to go everywhere else because it
it's just a beautiful rendition. What made you want to
sing that for Arnold and then become kind of the
de facto singer in other places?
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I have always well, I've been trying to get on
that stage and do the national anthem for the Arnold
Classic for like ten years prior to that, I just.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Didn't have the connection. I didn't know how to do it.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
And they and and the next thing I knew they
were She called me and.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
She was like, hey, you still want what would you
so like to do the national?
Speaker 1 (08:40):
I was like, wait, wait, what, Holy Sam, with my emotions,
this is not the time.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah. Yeah, So that kind of capped, if you will,
this career that you've had. You loved music from a child,
you grew up in a musical home. Tell me a
little bit about your parents and their influence it's on you,
and then how that turned you into an aspiring musician.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
My father was a self taught musician on about five instruments,
predominantly percussion. That is where I get my gift for percussion,
and that's why I, you know.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
I love them.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
My mother is a classical pianist, and I always regret.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
You know, she would always say, because I was like, no,
I want to focus on this. I want to focus on.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
This because I was in piano lessons with my brother
and you know, and then all of a sudden we
just lost interest because we were teenagers and it wasn't
cool anymore and we didn't want to do it.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
And now, oh my gosh, I regret it so much.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
So now I'm looking for a new piano teacher because
I wouldn't start back. But but yes, so I've always
had music.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
My uncle was an opera singer.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
I had another auntie that was an opera singer on
my dad's side. My mom's brother was another opera singer,
and he did much work with the New York Philharmonic,
And I mean, it was just it was just I've
always been surrounded by music, and then of course once
I you know, loved it, and you know, I continually
(10:15):
surrounded myself with it. You know, I'm I'm driven by music.
I tell people all of the time. You know, in
anything you do, there's a rhythm.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
True, And we we met for that same love. Most
radio people go to music for that very reason and
and we absolutely love it. But you were writing songs,
and then not too long after that, I think you
started recording your.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
Own music, Yes, sitting in the mid nineties, still recording
when I was in radio.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Actually, yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
And so you got four albums and you can get
them wherever you stream music. You want to throw those
names out there so people know what to look forward,
Doctor Yvette Yava Williams.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Yes, yes, So.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
My Spotify channel is Yvett Diva Williams, as is my
I Tunes page or Apple Music page title, Google Amazon,
all of them. So my stage name is Vett Diva
Williams only because there are like fifteen other Yvette Williams
in the world that sing.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
I couldn't believe that.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
So I said, all right, well we'll just drop the
radio name in there and that'll differentiate me from everyone else.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
So that's why I did it.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah, so the Diva part came from your radio days.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Oh yeah, John Stewart gave me the name Diva years
ago because he I was actually going by Evette for
a very long time.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
And then he.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
We were at a remote, no our John Stewart from
ninety four.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
A. You're talking about I mean you've been Robin elbows
with some famous people here Jana Jackson, and we're talking.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
They're talking thirty years ago almost now.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
So no, no, no, not even thirty.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
It was about twenty something, about twenty because the girls
are thirty one. So yeah, yeah, about twenty five roughly.
But no, he was r THEPDT at ninety four five.
At that time, we were on a remote and I
was screaming, and he.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Said, what is the matter. What's the matter?
Speaker 1 (12:16):
And I said, I woke a fingernail and he went,
oh my god, your name is Diva.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
That's it. That is how that name came about. And
it has had nothing to do with singing. He didn't know.
I sang none of it.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Oh my god, no, but it fits. And then somewhere
in there and your musical career, your radio career, you're
raising two children on your own. You gotta doctor it.
You became doctor Vett Divat Williams, which is always just
blown me away because, let me tell you something, I know.
(12:48):
I know smart people of it. I know people that
have gone through doctorate programs, and I know how hard
they say it is. And the thing that you did
that and working full time and raising two kids by
yourself and doing a music career and supporting communities and
being an activist and all these other wonderful things that
you do is just so impressive to me.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Oh my gosh, Sandy, Now you just made me feel
so tired.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
You make me tired by just reading your resume.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Now, oh mg, you just made me realize that I
don't sleep. That's what she made me realize.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Well, my mom said you'll sleep when you're dead, and
I've always kind of, you know, in the back of
your head, although we do need our sleep, but so
you do need sleep.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
I mean, it's a joke and we take that all
in good.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Stride, but we definitely do. We take our rest very seriously.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Well, you got to take care of yourself, and you
prove that too, becoming another thing in your resume getting
into bodybuilding.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Yeah, I've always loved that. Yes, actually I was competing
when I was in radio.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Now see I didn't know that about you.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Yeah. I was always an amateur bodybuilder.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
I never got too deep into it, but I loved it.
And I only competed for about three or four years
and stopped because, well, Sandy, I like food.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Yeah, guilty.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
I liked to eat.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
And I'm not turning away chocolate. And I'm not because
I I it was. I look, I I was allergic
to chocolate up until I was forty years old. So
you know what what happened, I don't know. I accidentally
ate it and it didn't bother me. And then I
ate more and it never bothered me. And I said,
I called my mommy, and I said, Mommy, I've outgrown
(14:31):
my allergy to chocolate. And I never looked back.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Oh goodness, that's good to.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Hear between chocolate and and reesling. That's that's that's that's
the go to, right there, one and one and the other.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Nope, bind doing it.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
I'm kidding, but no, really, I do love it, and
I do still.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
I enjoy staying in shape and I enjoy.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Just all of the I love everything about about I
call it iron therapy for me.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Oh yeah, love it. One of the things I wanted
to talk to you about is your fierce protection and
your fierce activism, if you will, when it comes to
the LGBTQ community, to the ethnic communities that suffer so
much discrimination, and can we talk about that for a minute.
(15:22):
You are just a fierce lover of people.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
I am my daddy always.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
When my daddy left this earth on July fourth, twenty eighteen,
you know, he had always said everything is love.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
And that I carry that with me. That's how I live.
That's my mantra, So I do. Everything is love.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
You know, we are just a planet full of individuals,
full of people, and everybody is just trying to do
their best.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
That's really all this is. You know, I've never been
one too.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
I mean, as an African American woman who has been
discriminated against, bullied, teased, picked on, pushed around, you know,
you know I've hit rock bottom several times. You know,
for me, I never want to see anybody there. That's
(16:19):
just not a place to be. That's not I mean, granted,
you can always pick yourself up from it, but saying
there are a lot of people that don't.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Right, There are a lot of people who don't.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
And so I just try to do my best to encourage.
You know, we are all more than what we seem.
We are all created.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
You know, in God.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
We are all God's creatures, God's creations. We you know,
we are all here for we all have purpose. You know,
your journey isn't mine. Mine isn't yours. Mine isn't my neighbors.
My neighbors isn't mine. You know, But it just makes
no sense to me. It's never made sense to.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Me how we cannot have.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Community with one another and celebrate our differences rather than
just beat each other up over them, rag on each
other over them, discriminate over them, not help one another
enjoy watching others not be able to thrive because of
(17:28):
who they are.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
That makes no sense to me.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
My guest today is doctor Ivett Diva Williams. She's a singer, songwriter, author, performer,
radio talent and former bodybuilder as well. We're gonna have
more with Yvette coming up. This is iHeart Sinsey. This
is fifty five KARC and iHeartRadio Station. I'm Sandy Collins.
(17:53):
This is iHeart Sinsey A tri State Public Affairs show
here during Black History Month. Back to my conversation now
with doctor Yvette Eva Williams. She's a Dayton based singer, songwriter, author,
a preferred singer of the National Anthem, a mother of two,
and a fierce friend. So, Ive, how did you become
so fierce about accepting people for who they are? You know?
Speaker 3 (18:18):
I am. I am a mutt. I am I.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
Am created with with all kinds of of of different
you know, ethnicities. I recently just traveled to uh to Africa.
I spent about a week and a half in Ghana,
which is where I learned that my ancestral roots are.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
And it was just so.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Empowering and and even when I came back from there,
I be if there is a way for me to
come back any fiercer than what I was when I left.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
It indeed happened.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
And you know, I tell everyone at Pride, you know,
at at at.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
Any type of event anywhere I'm.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Invited, you know, from Black Cultural Juneteenth, the lgbt QI
plus Pride events or whatever it is that I'm invited to,
I said, I'm your ally.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
I'm fierce. I'm a fierce ally.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
I do not play I am not the one, honestly
to piss off.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
We are all.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
Here, you know, to do our best. We are all
here trying to survive. And I don't like people just surviving.
We're all here to thrive. We're all here to live, and.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
We all deserve that opportunity.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
And there's just too much out here and too many
out here that are just hell bent on making sure
that people like me, like you, like my cousins, like
my family, like my friends, like my neighbors, aren't given
these same opportunity, and it makes no sense. And I
(20:04):
will I will fight for you. I mean, I've often said,
you guys am tired.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
I'm so tired. I'm so tired, and then.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Something else happens and I'm like, well, fired the fuse,
let's go, you know.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Right, While a lot of people are proud of the
fact that they fight, they're not really likable, you know.
And then you get this angry black woman kind of
a thing going on. You don't have that. You have
this charisma, this acceptance, this love. The way you come
across is so effective because you walk the walk, you know,
(20:35):
you don't you do it with love, You believe what
you're doing and you're you. You only put up your
Duke's when you have to, and I think that that
is probably part of your success, is to be able
to just be this loving, accepting, talented, funny friend, performer bodybuilder.
(20:56):
What else have I But I got author? You got
a book out there? Tell me about your book that
you wrote. When did you find time to do that?
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Oh my gosh, My my book is Diary of a
dev It's on Amazon.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
It's actually it was my master's thesis.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
In all honesty, you know, But I wanted to. I
wanted to touch on something that you had brought up
just a second ago, just with.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
The whole, with the with the uh, the.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Persona and the you know I.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
I I wanted.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
I want to tell people that I don't buy too
much into the the whole, like the stereotype of this
whole angry black woman thing. I I don't inherently believe
that we are angry, but you know, it takes a
lot to really feel like you've been carrying the world
on your shoulders for so many years, and and there
(21:46):
I think rather than being angry, there are so many
of us were tired.
Speaker 3 (21:50):
Yeah, we're tired, you know. It's I don't.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
I don't, you know, I've never bought so much into
the whole.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
You know, angry black women, and I I.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
And those those who who are you know seeing you know,
who are seemingly this quote angry black woman type thing.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
I I don't. I don't see it as that.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
I look at it as women who have, you know,
particularly black women, who have had so much put on
them that you know, after a while, you know, sometimes
being strong is.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
Really an overstatement. You're not an overstatement. It's just it's
it's not all it's cracked up to be. You know,
you know, we don't, we get tired.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
It's exactly anybody you know, and and you know and
even on this on this whole you know, with with
you know, not buying into the whole angry black woman.
I know plenty of white women who have you know,
and and Latina women who have that same fire you
know in them, you know who who don't really see
(23:00):
it as as an anger, but just it's almost it's
it's a fuel sandy, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Well, you know what it has. It has seeped over
to this whole Karen thing uh for for white women,
this whole idea of white women who are privileged and
angry and they feel entitled, and there's just all this
stereotype of this kind of a person. And I think
what the angry black woman stereotype just explains. These two
(23:29):
things explain a type of personality in in in that uh,
in that group that you know many oftentimes they have
reasons to be upset, and we've we've just kind of
distilled them down into cartoonish names. And it's uh, if
you get rid of all of that and you just
realize every person is doing their best, like you said, uh,
(23:54):
and they're tired, and they're hurt, and they're grieving something
no matter what whther or not you know that or not.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
People hurt people. Yes, they just they do. That is
really a thing. That is It's really a thing. Yeah, really,
you know, and and and it's it's sad, but that
cycle just continues to perpetuate itself over and over and
over and you know, trying to be someone to break cycles.
(24:23):
I've always tried to be a cycle breaker with my daughters,
just about trying to break cycles, to do things differently
to I mean, for all intents and purposes, I was
really supposed to be a stereotype.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
I was a.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
Single African American mom with two kids, working, you know,
two and three jobs at I was not supposed to
be in I put in quotes. I was not supposed
to be where I am.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Someone in your life told you that, and they tried
to put that label on you, of course. Yeah, and
you broke it out and you did it through music, education, love.
Let's put love first. You did it through love, education, music, passion. Uh.
You want the best for family, all of it. Yeah, yeah, absolutely,
(25:13):
I tell you what. I'm so glad we got a
chance to catch up here today, Doctor Yvette Diva Williams.
You can find her online on her website. You can
also find her music on all the platforms, and you
can find her book at Amazon called Diary of a Diva.
So read about that. I'm going to go get that
now because I haven't gotten a chance to read that yet.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Oh, let me know. When you get it, I'll sign
it for you.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Say yeah, that's awesome. Well, now I know you're tired.
I'm tired of reading your resume. It's too long, it's
got too.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
Many you are silling?
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Yeah, you got any shows coming up? Or what do
you got coming up for the spring summer.
Speaker 4 (25:55):
I am, well, I'm going to do my annual Viva
la Diva. I always have a birthday party blowout and
turn it into a performance along with some kind of.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Benefit, you know.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
For for an organization. So this year I'm going to
use Ellie's Rainy Day Fund and raise money for them
because they saved my puppers. They're a nonprofit that Oh
my gosh, this is intense. It's so beautiful. But this
(26:37):
is a nonprofit. They give monies to pet owners who's
puppies or kittens are in need of life saving surgeries
but can't afford it. And my little frenchie had my widow.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
When she had iv D D. Yes you little girl, Yes,
you little girl. When I came back.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
From Africa and I thought I was gonna have to
put her down?
Speaker 3 (27:12):
What is so.
Speaker 4 (27:14):
Intravertebral disc disease?
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Oh sounds painful? It was.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
I came home and my dog was paralyzed.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
And so what's the name of.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
Athletics gave out and it was horrible.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
I just knew she was gonna have to be put down.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
You know.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
The surgery was fifteen thousand dollars.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Sandy, what I didn't have that.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Yeah, and so who's the group that helped you.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Ellie's Rainy Day fund?
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Okay, I ain't gonna do a big uh Viva la
Diva div Yep.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
I will I'll send you. I'll send you the flyer and.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
I'd love to see that's coming up in April. I
guess right, yes, April.
Speaker 3 (28:04):
Yep, It'll be April twelfth.
Speaker 1 (28:06):
And this is my I want to say, this is
my tenth year.
Speaker 4 (28:10):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
That's awesome. Always thinking about other people, Honey, you're just amazing.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Well, you know, I mean when we do for others,
we inherently do for ourselves.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
That's true. But a lot of people do for themselves
and it doesn't help anybody.
Speaker 3 (28:26):
As we're experiencing.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Yes, proud of you, and.
Speaker 3 (28:32):
I will also be proud of you. This is beautiful.
I'm so glad that you have this show.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Sounds good? All right, Sweedie. I'll talk to you soon.
Thanks again, excited to hear.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
Thank you, bet bye love.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
Doctor Yvette Diva Williams of Dayton, thank you for being
my guest here today on iHeart Since Now. If you
miss any of this show you want to find out more,
you can go to the iHeartRadio app and look on
your podcasts for this show dated for this Sunday. And
if you have a guest, you've got an idea of
somebody in your life that is making a difference, an organization,
(29:08):
a fundraiser, we'd love to hear from you. Just shoot
me an email to Iheartsinsey at iHeartMedia dot com. Iheartsinsey
with an I at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks for listening today.
We'll see you back here next week on this iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (29:25):
Station, iHeart Sensey. It's a production of iHeartMedia, Cincinnati,
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