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Vy Higginsen’s “Mama I Want To Sing” star, Dr. Richard Hartley
March 3, 2023
Hosted By: G.Keith Alexander
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BIOGRAPHY
Richard Hartley is a New York-based pastor, singer, arranger, songwriter, actor and musical director who has spent much of his career helping other major artists sound their best. He’s recorded and/or performed with Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Tricky, Kelly Price, Candi Staton, a tv appearance with Ms Aretha Franklin and and a movie appearance with the legendary Diana Ross. Starting as a youth in New York, Richard began singing at the age of four in the Church of God in Christ and grew up to be one of the premier choir directors in New York City. After being selected for a role in Vy Higgensen’s “Mama I Want To Sing” he went on to hold several principal roles in this hit musical, touring in fifteen countries with this production and appearing on many cast recordings. He appears in two Mariah Carey videos and has performed on The Grammy Awards show, Late Night With David Letterman, Show Time At The Apollo, Soul Train, The Rosie O’donnell Show, The Soul Train Music Awards, Donnie and Marie and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Richard Hartley can be described as Luther Vandross onstage with Walter Hawkins and The Hawkins Family, infused with the rhythms of Sade and Maxwell as backed by a band reminiscent of Earth, Wind & Holy Ghost Fire!! Richard has travelled and performed in London, Germany, Italy, Yugoslavia, West Africa, Australia, China, Turkey, Italy all through the Caribbean, Greece, Vienna and Japan 100 times.. Where he frequently has sold out tours and appears on national television, The Apollo, Beacon Theater, Lincoln Center and several appearances at Carnegie Hall! For the past 26 years Rev Richard Hartley has served as Pastor and co-founder of HAVEN INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES in Rockaway, New York, which began in the private home of co-founder Shepherd Mother Naomi Hartley. Haven is the home of the dynamic HAVEN HOUSE CHOIR. The choir has made tv appearances appeared at the Apollo Theater, Carnegie Hall and BBKINGS Club and have recently recorded a soon to be released project, “Journey to the Good Life”. Known as a non traditional gospel choir the HAVEN HOUSE CHOIR is poised to make their mark in gospel history, along with their sister choir the Tokyo Soulmatics Mass Choir. Rev. Hartley enrolled and received his Bachelors and Masters in Theology and also received his Doctorate in Divinity this May 2014 from the Mason Kelly Washington Religious Institute, in Freeport NY, founded by Bishop Frank O White, where he was bestowed the honor of Valedictorian by school President Dr Juliet White. Richard and family has recently filmed the first season of a reality show based on his life and personality entitled ‘THE REV”. This eight episode series is filled with the daily shenanigans of the Hartley family. Produced by NBC/USA it is now available on demand everywhere. He recently starred in the first Juneteenth celebration movie “BlockParty”, released theatrically and on BET Television.
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
Richard Hartley talks about being a New York-based pastor, singer, arranger, songwriter, actor, and musical director