Ron Cartier
I’ve performed all over the world as
a singer. I had the #1 record in the United Kingdom in 1994,
I’ve performed at Universal Studios in Los Angeles;
opened solo for the O’Jays; provided entertainment in
President Clinton’s presence. I’ve been honored
in so many ways. And RAP, Inc. has been with me through it
all because the concepts I learned stayed with me.
I am a member of one of the best known R & B groups in
the country, the Persuaders. We’ve just completed a
new CD, but people still call for our classic “Thin
Line Between Love and Hate”. I am also a person blessed
to have RAP, Inc. in my life. Now, I am sober, but back then,
my drug of choice was heroin. Later I smoked lovely. And I
drank alcohol. The drinking probably was the worst.
My addiction led me to RAP three times. The first time in
the 80s, I didn’t stay. The second time, I stayed for
18 months and gratefully graduated in 1988. I came back to
RAP as a client the third time in 1999. It was a very humbling
experience.
But one of the concepts RAP taught me and that I truly believed
was “The disgrace is not in the falling, but in the
failure to rise.” Understanding that, saved my life.
Singing has always been a part of my life, so naturally, I
brought it into RAP with me. During my second stay, I produced
and recorded a song for RAP called “Positive Image”.
It was written by my colleagues Richard and Robert Poindexter
and Ron Clark and Mrs. Yetta Galiber were the Executive
Producers. To this day, “Positive Image” remains
RAP’s theme song. You can hear it on their website.
Washington, D. C. is my home, but I live in New York now and
was there when the planes destroyed the World Trade Center.
Like so many others, I worked at ground zero to try to help.
This was before we knew that the air was toxic. As a result,
my respiratory system has been compromised. I am still able
to perform, but without the power and stamina that I once
had. Nevertheless, I intend to share the gift that is my voice
and to tell my story to help save others as RAP, Inc. saved
me.
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