Chandra Currelley

Chandra Currelley is one of the music world’s most extraordinary artists, with the ability to make her music a unique experience. Her first major gig was touring with the jazz funk legend, Roy Ayers, which produced the duet “Let Me Love You” from Ayer's Sony album “I’m the One”. The Pittsburgh Courier noted “her chops are powerful, but she reaches upper and lower registers effortlessly….she’s also quite a fantastic scat vocalist”.
- Urban Round Up

Chandra Currelley has her own unique sound. In an article by Black Radio Exclusive (BRE) Magazine, she was cited as being the “Perfect Lead Singer”. - Best of Atlanta Concerts

Chandra is interviewed about her career and her new direction! - Father's Footprints.com

Chandra gives her take on meeting Tyler Perry and the early days of their relationship! - WOW Magazine

The multi-talented Chandra Currelley has the range to do it all, from acting on television, movies and onstage in plays as well as singing. Currelley is best known for her contributions to Tyler Perry plays, movies and TV shows, but she’s already made a name for herself within the entertainment industry as a legendary singer. As Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse enters it’s fifth season, Chandra Currelley has become the breakout star of the series playing the down to earth housekeeper, Ms. V. Chandra sat down with Parlé Magazine to discuss her career and plans for the future.


Parlé Magazine: How did you end up landing the role of Ms. V on For Better or Worse?
Chandra Currelley: I met Tyler Perry back in 1993 when he came to see me at a play. He ended up asking me to do one of his first plays, “I Know I’ve Been Changed.” From there we built a working relationship and a friendship. He gave me work by putting me in a lot of his plays (i.e. Madea’s Class Reunion, What’s Done In The Dark, Madea Gets a Job…) When he did his first movie, Diary Of a Mad Black Woman, he gave me a cameo as an emcee at the club (The club was named after Chandra in the movie) Shemar and Kimberly go to. Tyler Perry eventually got into television while I was still doing his plays. When he came up with For Better Or Worse, he had a character that he had written for me. I did an episode with Tasha Smith, who’s on the show and the people loved me enough to keep having me come back. This season of the show is going to be my character’s breakout season, there’ll be lots of episodes that’ll feature my character Ms. V.

Parlé: On top of being an actor on a hit TV show, you also have a career in the music business, can you tell us about that?
Chandra: Before I ever got into acting I was a singer, I was the lead singer of SOS Band. Before that I worked with Roy Ayers, this was about the time Mary Davis, the original singer had left the group to pursue a solo career. They wanted someone who could sound like Mary but not sound like her at the same time. Someone from the group reached out to me when they heard me on Chaka Khan’s “We Can Work It Out,” which was originally a Beatles’ song. They asked me if I could sing like Mary and I told them, “If you pay me, I can do it.” I was with the group for 7 years. We had many top twenty hits, the first single I did with them went top five. I ended up leaving the group in the early 90’s to go into theater and that’s where I met Tyler Perry.

Parlé: You’ve had success in both music and acting, if you had to pick one, which would it be?
Chandra: I would say music because that’s how my whole journey started. If I hadn’t been singing I would have never got into acting. As an artist, I’ve learned to be versatile which has allowed me to take everything I do to a different level each time. Sadly, when you get to a certain age in the entertainment industry those calls don’t come in like they used to so it helps to be able to branch out into many different fields to keep myself active.

Parlé: You’ve recently started work with a new play called “The Strength of Love,” can you tell us about that?
Chandra: It’s a locally produced play here in the Atlanta area. It’s a play that asks the question, “How deep is your love?” You ever had someone you like ask you to do something and it’s like “Whoa, I don’t love you that much.” This play is like that, it challenges us to rethink our relationship with others. The script is based on a book “The Five Languages Of Love” by Gary D. Chapman, he wrote the book for couples. I’ll only be in the play for one night but I do hope the play gets a chance to tour.

Parlé: Besides the Tyler Perry Productions, where else might people have seen you?
Chandra: Working with Tyler Perry is probably what I’m best known for, which is cool because he’s helped me pay my bills. Before that, I worked in regional theater with Tony Award winning director Kenny Leon, he owns one of the few African American theater companies in Atlanta. I also did a play with Kandi Burress (Real Housewives of Atlanta). I toured a lot with my music last year. I’m always working.

Parlé: How do you find time to relax for yourself?
Chandra: I have a fabulous husband and a gifted son who understand what I need. They help take the stress and pressure off me. There are two things I love to do when I have time, (1) looking at old classic movies and (2) playing Xbox. When I’m writing or creating and I get stuck, playing Madden helps me unwind.

Parlé: Are you working on any upcoming projects?
Chandra: I have an album out called Relationships. It features a lot of cameos from well known people in the music industry that people may not know but should. I have Jennifer Holiday’s music director doing one song on the album. I called it Relationships because I was bringing all these people together. I also called it that because we live in an age where people are so disconnected from one another. I wanted to do something to bring us all closer together. Pearl Cleage is a playwright that I’ll be honoring in May and I’m working on another TV show pilot as well as a few music videos to promote the album.

Parlé: Where can the readers and fans reach you online?
Chandra: My main website is www.chandracurrelley.com but they can also find me on Twitter @chandracurrelly, facebook.com/Chandra.currelley and Instagram @3AGAPE.

Parlé: Do you have any words of inspiration for the readers?
Chandra: Prepare yourself for longevity because you don’t know how long something will last. Work your craft until you can’t do it anymore. Sometimes you’ll do something and you won’t get paid or you won’t get paid enough but stick with it. Sometimes people need to hear ‘No’ because everything’s not for everyone but that’ll allow you to find what works for you. - Parle Magazine

ATLANTA, Ga., April 7, 2015 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Powerhouse performer Chandra Currelley breaks out in the fifth season on Tyler Perry’s “For Better or Worse” in an expanded role capacity with more laughs, more lines and more wisecracking hilarity as the beloved “Ms. V.” Ms. V is the down-to-earth housekeeper for the show’s central characters Marcus and Angela, played by Michael Jai White and Tasha Smith. Currelley appears on the season premiere show, in the episode “Healing Hands,” airing on OWN, Friday, April 10 at 9 p.m. ET and rambunctiously returns throughout the season.

Currelley has become a fixture in the Tyler Perry imprint. A veteran entertainer, she has roots in several of Perry’s productions, both plays and films, including “Madea’s Big Happy Family,” “Diary of Mad Black Woman,” and “Tyler Perry’s A Madea’s Christmas.”

Many of her recent television fans are surprised however when they realize Currelley boasts a musical legacy that positions her squarely in the realm of old school R&B, jazz, gospel and even funk. As a singer and songwriter, Chandra Currelley has enjoyed a fascinating career. She was the former lead singer for funk legends the SOS Band and also a former lead singer for master vibraphonist Roy Ayers. She actually propelled the SOS Band’s string of top twenty Billboard hits with the CD’s “Diamonds In The Raw,” and “One Of Many Nights,” where she wrote several songs, including the single “Broken Promises.”

Currelley is also an independent recording artist with three CD’s under her belt including “The Real Me” and “Love Songs,” which contains the hit song “Love Again” from the film, “Diary of a Mad Black Woman.” Her latest CD is “Relationships.”

Tyler Perry originally hired Currelley to play Ms. V in 2011 during the first season of “For Better Or Worse” when the show aired on TBS. The series is a spinoff of the characters in the movie, “Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married,” which was released in 2007. The television show is the longest running scripted series on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network. Ms V’s expanded role in season five gives Currelley additional episodes and more interaction with the original cast. Twenty more episodes are currently in production for the fall season and are being filmed now at Tyler Perry Studios.

“I’ve done a lot of things, but a sitcom was not one of them,” reveals Currelley. “Starting in season one, Tyler Perry graciously groomed me into the role of Ms. V. and now I believe she is one of the funniest characters on television! I am just having so much fun with her and viewers are going to love her even more in this fifth season. Tyler Perry has this incredible gift of being able to take you out of your comfort zone to a place where you feel free and uninhibited. This is what he has done for me when it comes to bringing Ms. V to life. He’s a genius. I’m just so blessed to know and work with him.”

Currelley’s loyal fan base loved her as the singer in the nightclub “Chandra’s” in the “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” and as “Shirley” in “Madea’s Big Happy Family.” Most recently, she performed in Kandi Burruss’ (“The Real Housewives of Atlanta”) “A Mother’s Love.” Currelley is the 2014 recipient of the Lady Soul of Jazz award and has starred in the world premiere of “Jesus Christ Superstar Gospel.” The Gospel Choice Award nominee has performed at The White House, toured Europe and Asia and has appeared in numerous theatrical plays directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon and Debbie Allen.

Chandra continues to dance to her own beat with two nominations at the upcoming 2nd Annual Black Women In Jazz & The Arts Awards on April 12, 2015 in Atlanta. She is also currently in rehearsal for the stage play “The Strength Of Love,” opening April 18 in the metro Atlanta area.

Actress, singer, songwriter and yes, former funkster, Chandra Currelley always does it her way. Tune in to OWN’s “For Better or Worse” and get with Currelley at http://chandracurrelley.com/ .

“For Better or Worse” promo: https://youtu.be/p4wRa6hTUYQ .

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