By starrymag | January 7, 2014

Melissa is the 5^th Eliminated Contestant in the episode that aired Wednesday,
January 31, 2005

ROAD TO STARDOM, airs Wednesdays at 8 PM ET/PT on UPN

 

 

Q) Why did you decide to apply for the show?

 

A) It just happened by chance that the morning of the audition I heard about it. I kind of just went at the last minute and my reasoning was because I heard it was a Missy Elliott show.

 

Q) What was your audition process like for the show?

 

A) It was crazy! It was so many people and you had to wait in line so long. Basically, there were a million judges during the couple auditions that you had. It was nerve wracking, but you had to go up there and give it your best and hope they like you.

 

Q) What was it like meeting Missy Elliott?

 

A) I think that everybody has a different answer to that. My answer is that, for me, she was just very cool. She was a really cool person for me to meet because she gave me another chance on the show. She was very down to Earth, sometimes sarcastic, but I loved that because I am a sarcastic person, too. It was very cool to get the chance to meet her.

 

Q) What was it like on the old and new tour buses?

 

A) The first one was gross and disgusting. It actually smelled worse than it looked on TV! The first one was really bad, but you put that behind you when you are on a reality show with that many people on the bus and a camera crew. It was like every time you get on the bus you get a whiff of it and get used to it, but every time you get off and get back on you smelled it again. The second bus was amazing and very nice. The whole feeling on the tour bus was crazy because they have the windows covered with black paper so we never knew where we were going. It was definitely a crazy experience for me.

 

Q) Who do you plan on keeping in touch with anyone from the show?

 

A) Definitely. I’ll try to keep in touch with as many people as possible. It is hard to say because there was a few people I don’t like that I didn’t exchange numbers with so that is the only reason that we don’t communicate. I’ll try and talk to Cori, Akil and Jessica. Just random people at random times and I will try and keep an eye on people to see what they are doing and if this has taken them anywhere.

 

Q) What did you learn about music and the entertainment industry from being on the show?

 

A) I learned to be more confident in myself. When you believe in yourself it shows to others and it makes them want to believe in you too. That was something I learned on there and just to know that the way that you perceive yourself is the way that everybody perceives you.

 

Q) How did you feel performing in front of music legends Dallas Austin and Tina Marie?

 

A) That was crazy! I was like wow! After a while you get comfortable with them being your judges. It was exciting to perform all these different times in front of such amazing legends. It was very exciting, every time you never knew what kind of performance you are going to get. It was very cool to be able to have them as our judges.

 

Q) What are you going to do now that you are no longer on the program?

 

A) I am just working on my music career. I’m living in LA and pursuing things musically with my manager and producer. I’d like to keep it unknown I guess. He is a legendary producer in R&B and a lot of different genres of music. Basically, I’m just working on having a CD and hopefully being able to come out in the summertime.

 

Q) How did you feel that Frank B was willing to sacrifice himself for you?

 

A)I felt happy, but sad at the same time because I liked Frank a lot. He was just a very cool guy to hang around with. I was kind of in awe that he would say something like that. I felt confident in myself that he felt that confident in me. I felt it was really cool for him to say something like that to me. I really wasn’t expecting it.

 

Q) You were very determined on the show and even got two shots from Missy Elliott. Do you feel you had enough time on the show to shine?

 

A) Oh yeah! I think that besides the fact that I got half way through the episodes on there, I thought that I got a lot of airtime and attention from the camera. That was all good. I got a couple of chances to show my voice. The fact that Missy believed in me was a good positive thing for me too.

 

Q) Why did you decide to stop singing when Jermaine Dupri’s phone rang?

 

A) You know, I didn’t know exactly what was going on when we were there. I knew it was a performance challenge, but I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on and I didn’t figure it out until afterwards. I stopped because that is kind of my nature to be polite and I was thinking if I was singing for him directly than I want him to hear me. At the same time I wanted to be polite, I was like; he’s getting a phone call, why is he getting a call right at that time. Afterwards I figured out that I screwed up, but I guess that is something I can’t take back.

 

Q) What was your favorite moment from being on the show?

 

A) My favorite moment that they showed when I sang outside in front of Nicky and she told me to sing like it was my last record. I thought that was probably my best performance throughout the whole show. That was definitely my favorite part because it was the time when I got to shine for a little bit.

 

Q) What advice do you have for future contestants?

 

A) Just be yourself, be strong and if you have a God given talent to let it shine. Believe in yourself as much as your talent shows. The big thing is being confident in what you have otherwise they aren’t going to believe you and feel you have what it takes. That was my lesson learned. That is something I would pass on to other people.

 

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

 

A) Thank you for watching me and to watch closely because I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right back out there, hopefully by summertime. I want to thank the people who have supported me, my family, my friends and my boyfriend and basically everyone who have been there through thick and thin. It has definitely molded me into the person I am today.