Dexter Wansel has many strings to his bow as a singer and songwriter and has worked with stars such as the Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder.
So he was “overwhelmed” by the enthusiasm of music students when he led a masterclass at Resonance, a music institute in Dudley.
Dexter gave students advice on the music industry alongside Digital Jukebox Records CEO Mark Anthony and recording artist Damon Williams.
Mark Anthony said: “The students found it very informative, it really concerned them to hear about the state of the music industry.
“Dexter was overwhelmed, he was so happy to talk directly to the students, he thought it was absolutely fantastic.
“We even went to lunch after the discussion with some students and even answered questions.”
Dexter was honorably discharged from the US Army in 1970 and launched his musical career playing keyboard and synthesizer.
He went on to a star-studded career, co-producing the Jackson 5’s 11th studio album and creating hits for artists including Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys and Ariana Grande.
Besides that, Dexter was Stevie Wonder’s best friend and his mother was Billie Holiday’s best friend.
However, the music industry has evolved over the years and Mark Anthony thinks it’s more of a minefield than ever.
Mark added: “I loved the questions the kids asked and it’s really important because the recording industry is a mess right now. The kids wanted to understand.
“Artists are now confined to social media, whereas back then we had vinyl, CDs and live performances. Now kids are in a digital world and it’s restrictive – if you don’t aren’t popular, you won’t be heard. And many skilled and talented musicians aren’t heard because they’re not popular.”
Dexter Wansel and Mark Anthony will host another talk and masterclass alongside Damon Williams at the University of Wolverhampton’s Performance Hub in Walsall at 11am on Tuesday.
