KUDOS (from CLIF PAYNE) Kudos to the First & Foremost:   "I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord." Psalm 104: 33-34 Voila!  We have an album!  My debut solo CD!  And, there are so many folks to thank . . .   Beginning with my producer, Preston Glass: What a magnificent presence and creative force you are! Thank you for guiding this project so wonderfully as producer, song writer, arranger and adviser.        Larry Batiste, your talent as writer, vocalist, arranger and mentor gives Welcome To My World an aura that is quite spiritual. Couldn't have done this project without you, Preston G and Larry B!   A huge thanks to Klaus Lovgreen at Evershift for believing in me and in believing this project. Kudos to all the wonderful musicians whose talents grace this album.   Including Reggie Calloway from Midnight Star: Absolutely beautiful sounds, man!  You've got the magic flute! Maxine Jones, formerly of En Vogue: Your voice is truly golden, full of sheer joy. And the incomparable, legendary Freda Payne: I had to pinch myself a few times to actually believe you and I were singing a duet together!  You are absolutely wonderful!    Thanks to engineer Ari Rios at Laughing Tiger Studios in the San Francisco Bay Area:  I love your studio and enjoy working with you. To the good folks at Private Island Audio in LA--thank you so much for your incredible work and amazing studio!  The crew at Inthespotlyte Entertainment for their creative video and photo lenses with Warren Foster and Brett Watson. Thanks also to photographers Curtis Jermany at Mood-ology Photography, Eddy Bee at Eddy Images & Bob White.  Thanks so much to all my pledgers and Indiegogo. You are helping to send this album worldwide! Much appreciation to all the teachers who taught me how to do what I do through  the years--including Professor Portia Maultsby and the IU Soul Revue,  the generations of Singing Hoosiers, Professor Emeritus David Baker, George Ross, Margaret Strong,  Mr. Jerry Hoover, vocal coaches Seth Riggs, Chip Hand, Roger Burnley and Kathy Kennedy.   Thanks to the city of Evansville, Indiana that raised me and gave me my beginnings as a performer--McFarland Baptist Church, New Hope Baptist Church and North High. The San Francisco Bay Area where I honed my craft.  And, of course, thanks to the neighborhood of Harlem that is my artistic reference point--the land where I was born.  Performers who have been a huge support & encouragement to me and my music--including  Bobby McFerrin, Kurt Elling, Richie Havens, Boz Scaggs, Lionel Richie, Harvey Mason, Bill Champlain,  Bob Haggart, Emilio Castillo, Clairdee, Teddy Randazzo Jr., Morgan Ames, Ellis Hall, Grady Wilkins, Sonny Turner, Frank Goldstein and Nat Story.   Big thanks to Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis and Dionne Warwick for the honor of opening for them in concert. Kudos to Bill Withers and The Classics IV for writing two of the great songs on this album. Kudos to the scores of singers, musicians and songwriters I've worked with over the years. Thanks to Don Heckman of the LA Times writing about me and pianist Fred Hersch for his kind words. Special thanks to the great doctors and physical therapists at Breakthrough Physical Therapy and St. Francis Hospital and all the assistant support people who helped me after my accident.  Blessings to you for getting my legs to walk again! To all my friends and fans worldwide--What would this album be without YOU?  If we could do one massive group hug, I would!  YOU deserve it for believing me, supporting me and helping to make this dream project come alive.  YOU ALL deserve a standing ovation and so much more for your dedication!  This album a lifelong dream come true and my gift to YOU! Welcome To My World is dedicated to my parents:  Harlem musician James "Buddy" Payne who was violently taken from me before I had a chance to know him.  And my mother, Aline McIntyre Payne who gave me the gift of singing.  She called herself my "biggest fan." Thanks to my grandparents, the Rev. & Mrs. McIntyre. To my entire family for their loving support--Especially to my son and daughter, Myles and Emily, make me proud and whom I love dearly!