Branden James – Lyrics of My Life: My Journey with Family, HIV and Reality TV

By starrymag | September 23, 2020

By: Sammi Turano

 

 

Q) Tell me about how “America’s Got Talent” was a turning point in your life and career.

 

A) Finishing as a finalist on “America’s Got Talent” was a huge turning point in my career. It opened my eyes to commercial music and made me see how much happier I was singing popular songs. In the opera world, I had to be perfect and play another character. I much prefer to be myself on stage and I believe the imperfections in a pop song are what make the art form beautiful and intimate. The recognition I still carry with me from the “AGT” brand was a huge asset for me and has opened more doors than I could have otherwise done myself.

 

Q) What are some of your favorite memories from doing the show?

 

A) I loved showing up at Radio City Music Hall in New York City every day for “work.” It was a lifelong dream of mine to perform on that stage and I got to do it five times at least. It felt very special to know the whole building was rented out for our performances. The halls are filled with the energy and legacies of the world’s biggest stars. I would be so honored to go back and perform there again someday.

 

Q) What is some of the best advice you got from the judges?

 

A) Mel B told me, “Don’t forget, the camera loves you. Use that to your advantage.” Heidi Klum said that I should never stop being who I am and keep telling my story. These were very valuable pieces of advice that I’ve taken with me for many years now.

 

Q) If you were given the opportunity to do “AGT: Champions,” would you go back?

 

A) I would go back in a heartbeat! I would absolutely love to be on the show now, knowing what I know now. I think I’d be better at it.

 

Q) What made you decide to release your book Lyrics of My Life now?

 

A) The book was meant to come out in November 2019, but it was delayed once when it changed distributors and then a second time when the pandemic happened. In some ways, I’m happy it was delayed. I think more of the world can relate to what it’s like to live in the midst of a deadly virus.

 

Q) What were some challenges of writing the book?

 

A) The biggest challenge was tapping into all of the painful moments in my life and reliving them in order to accurately describe what it felt like when I was in them. I shed a lot of tears and was quite melancholy for a while. The other challenge was allowing myself to be brave enough not to filter anything and admit that I’d hurt some people and made plenty of mistakes along the way. I was worried about what people might think of me, but have only seen that people have greater respect for me since I’ve shared all of my personal stories.

 

Q) Were any parts of your life you deemed off limits for this memoir?

 

A) There were some names and places changed to protect certain identities, but the framework of my entire life story is in this memoir.

 

Q) You share a lot of personal details about your life in the book? In what ways do think people can relate to you by reading it?

 

A) I wanted to lead by example and share as much of myself, both good and bad, as possible. I hoped it would encourage others to do the same. I think when reading my stories people will realize how much more similar, we are to one another than we are different. I believe we would be much less divided if we simply shared more of ourselves with others.

 

Q) What do you hope people take away from reading Lyrics of My Life?

 

A) It was important for me to lay out a road map of sorts for young people especially who might be struggling with their own sexuality or their HIV diagnosis. We all have things that happen to us, but we must not let those things define us. We have the ability to rise above our trials. I also hope that people get a better window into who the LGBTQ+ community is and where our hearts lie. Reducing stigma around HIV/AIDS is something that I hope to have accomplished from reading this book. HIV/AIDS is not a death sentence anymore and with proper education and medication we have the power to eradicate it—even without a cure. In 2020, in the age of COVID-19, I think it’s important for people to remember that this too shall pass.

 

Q) What are some other projects you are working on?

 

A) My husband and I just released a full-length debut album called Chasing Dreams, which received a high amount of critical praise. We were named “Best Unsigned Artists” by Music Connection Magazine. We are in the beginning stages of planning for a Christmas album release in 2021. I’m fine tuning my original songs and delving into some creative exercises in order to stoke some more material for a second book.

 

Q) What would you like to say to your fans and supporters?

 

A) To my fans and supporters: thank you for accepting me and loving me just as I am. You’ve restored my faith in humanity and I could not be more grateful that you’ve stuck by me through all of my ups and downs.