BONUS EPISODE: Aaron Burroughs | Turning Church Gospel Into Funk and Chasing The Artist's Dream

The Social Exchange

Aaron Burroughs grew up singing gospel music for a black church in Ann Arbor Michigan.

He moved to Verrmont as an adult and started a band (an entire style of music) inspired by his gospel roots as well as his love and admiration for musicians like Prince, Whitney Houston, Parliament and more. Or, you might say he started an entirely new genre of music.

You see, Burroughs took the familiar-to-some preacher-esque energy and aesthetic, and turned it into dance-worthy funk, soul and party music.

He was a major influence in Vermont, where he started his group, "Funkwagon", and Vermonters are lucky that he decided to take on this life-changing project in our neck of the woods.

Of course, my bias leans heavily on Burroughs, since I was fortunate enough to be one of his band-members and song-writers.

One example of his MO: He and I (and others in the group) took a traditional gospel song called, "Been So Good To Me"-- whose chorus was, "Jesus, you've been so good to me", we arranged it as quick-pace, four-on-the-floor tune, and we changed the words to "Baby, you' been so good to me". You can hear our version of the song in the outro music of this episode)

I give him the full TERRY GROSS on this episode as I discuss his upbringing; his move to VT; what it was like to be a gay black man in a state that is 97% white; his family dynamics; his current projects, and much more.

SUPPORT AARON BURROUGHS:

Please support Aaron by checking out his Funkwagon Facebook page (where he often preforms live) here https://www.facebook.com/FunkwagonVT.FunkwagonDT

DONATE TO AARON'S VENMO @Aaronburroughs-4

And check out these songs (in which I'm featured):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAhBvPVjbwM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCgGscxR54M