Rising Stars: Meet Sky Covington

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sky Covington. 

Hi Sky, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started singing in the choir at West side unity Church in Detroit. Then my mother put me in a drama programs funded by Ruby Dee and Ozzie Davis. I was in the Glee Club. I was always singing, dancing, or writing something and creating as young as I can remember. 

I married young. Divorced Young. And then I went on a search to find compassion. I wanted to make songs like the songs I heard. growing up as a child, or better yet, listening to the music of my grandmother’s pass. I wanted my music to be with much empathy and compassion. Coming up I had a very beautiful childhood we had a wonderful family, a big family. too But I was always feeling like I just lacked compassion. So, I went on an incredible journey with my army bag I found at the Goodwill and at the time there weren’t any laptops so I carried my typewriter in my backpack. my journey began in Atlanta where I got my name from a woman that we roomed with. We listen to music and drink wine all night and came up with the name Skye from watching and looking up at the Atlanta Sky which was pitch black beautiful. Then I travel to San Francisco where I learned how to really write. And my search for compassion who are still pending. I lived in Las Vegas for a while. I lived in San Luis Obispo. and have traveled the world. And from there I moved to New Orleans. When I got to New Orleans it was something out of a book. The smell, the people, the thick Air. The music. I remember walking down the street and being greeted by the locals. I remember the power of the night and the nights were long and they dragged and the Jazz and the people and the just the whole life and City it was like something that I never thought I would ever experience in my life and I was right there in it. And I just felt so much empathy and so much compassion for the people in the history. And that’s when I fell in love with jazz. I have always loved Jazz from the movie The Lady sing the blues by Barry Gordy starting Dianna Ross. But New Orleans it made me respect jazz and at that time I even kneeled to it. I wanted it to mold me 

That’s how it all started from that point there. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Most of my struggles were self-inflicted. But there was a moment in time where I was raped and that changed my outlook on life. I was 14 lied to my mother about going to choir function and went over to someone that I was attracted to, home, and was violated. And I think that was just about the hardest thing for me to conceal. And nothing with numb the pain of that one time in my life. But, Jazz writing, my music, always calmed me. I jokingly say sometimes that jazz saved my life. Even though I know it was God. But other than that, and that was a big one. Life has been kind to me. And the only real struggles that I may come across is the ones that I put on myself. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have a large body of work in productions. Coming up in Detroit it was hard for me to get gigs so I decided to create gigs on my own. I put the whole thing together for many years alone. I love hosting. I love loving on my people. I love being a woman and I am determine to keep the preservation of jazz continuing I am the founder of the preservation of jazz. I have a production called the satin doll review 11 Jazz vocalist of Detroit performs 11 Jazz grates female jazz greats. I have another production call at Take 5 it’s a five male jazz grates of Detroit perform five male Jazz Legends of our time. And I have performed the Billie Holiday tribute for 21 years. I also perform The Abbey Lincoln tribute and the Nina Simone tribute. Outside of my tributes, I am known in the house industry as Nikki O. I’m also a jazz poet. So, I would say I specialize in the full body of entertainment. My mother told me very young that “You are only as good as your last gig”, so I’ve always stayed relevant in my community. Never had the desire to take a break although in my present years, I believe that balance is so important. But ideas are also important as well. And when I have an idea, I am known for putting it on the stage immediately! 

One of the most things that I am proud of is my family. I divorced my husband young but after 23 years we remarried, 12 years in and it’s been an amazing time. Just the time that I reunited with my husband was around the time that I started winning the Detroit Music Awards for outstanding jazz vocalist 11 times. WOW!!! And that means a lot to me to be noted in your own Community as something that you wanted to be as a brown girl, as a child 

Is such a true honor. 

What sets me apart is my true love for God, family, and community. I really enjoy service. 

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
I do have advice. Your talent is for healing, that’s what it was given to us for. We have to go in it for that reason and in most instances, that alone. Get out if you are doing this for the money… We have to go into our craft creating with the intention of love. Music nowadays I believe are being used to manipulate and harm us. Well, the music that’s being pushed the most. But for the most part, music can change your whole being for the good if you use it effectively. Search for the better parts of you when you are on that stage because so many people in that audience are depending on you to lift them up… Not like God does, but like rtyhme does.

I wish I knew when I started how important a balance life is. 

Contact Info:

• Website: skycovington.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ft.skycovingtonisnikkio
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skycovingtonofficialpage/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/skycovington
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/sky-covington
• Other: https://musicwikidetroit.org/index.php/Sky_Covington

Image Credits
Walter Miller