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Sarah McColganLast year, Ro James was an opening act for Mary J. Blige and Maxwell on their King & Queen of Hearts tour.
This week the Grammy-nominated artist steps out on his own, as he embarks on his first headlining tour. The singer tells ABC Radio that his onstage experience opening for Mary and Maxwell taught him some valuable lessons as a performer.
“Touring with them was amazing. I feel like they both are icons in their own right. Mary — Queen of Hip Hop Soul. Been doing this for 20 years. I’m a big fan of ’90s R&B, so Mary fits right in there. Maxwell, same thing. He’s the crooner. All the women love him. But, what it taught me, just watching them perform, it allowed me to really break free of all my fears of performance,” he says.
The “Permission” star also says that although he has traveled to many different cities and towns around the world, he is very eager to revisit them during his 25-city tour.
“I’m excited to go back everywhere. I feel like, on these tours, I was basically the opener. And so with the opener, you get a short amount of time with your set. By the time you start warming up, it’s time to get off the stage. So, I’m excited to really go back and share my artistry with everywhere that I’ve already touched,” he adds.
Ro’s XIX tour kicks off this Friday in Portland, Oregon with Kevin Ross, Candice Boyd and St. Beauty as the opening acts.
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