Now Playing
Richard Cormen Vanessa Williams is excited about her empowering new anthem, “Stand for Change,” featuring other theater favorites Billy Porter, Audra McDonald, Wendell Pierce and more.
Williams tells ABC Audio the song was written for her Black Theatre United organization, which launched in June 2020, following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.
“We wanted to know what we could do,” she says. “Is it a police reform, is it advocacy? What can we do? So we created Black Theatre United and we’ve had some amazing opportunities and events that we’ve created and sponsored.”
The singer said “Stand for Change” was written by Dave Schroeder and Philip Edward Galdston, who co-wrote two of her biggest hits, “Sweetest Days” and her Grammy-nominated single, “Saved the Best for Last.”
Williams felt it was the perfect “theme song” for Black Theatre United, a coalition of actors, producers, stage managers and more using their voices to effect change. “Not only a theme song for us, but this could be an opportunity to fund our cause and make money,” adds Williams.
She said it “took forever to coordinate vocals” for the “Stand for Change” for the music video since everyone recorded their part separately, due to COVID-19.
“Then we all did the video together at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on a cold winter night. And then and then a couple of people did theirs remotely because we’re all working,” explains Williams. “So it’s a wonderful anthem for what we began as and what our mission is, which is standing up for change.”
By Rachel George
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Audra billy change joins McDonald Porter stand vanessa williams
