Today we’d like to introduce you to René Lucas-Williams.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always said that Vintage Got Soul was destined to be, I was actually at one of my lowest moments in my life when I set it up.
As an athlete, I was lucky enough to travel the world as both a soccer player & coach. Unfortunately in 2017, my soccer career came to an end as I ruptured my patella tendons in both knees at the same time which is near enough unheard of! If you’re an athlete and reading this sometimes you just know when you’re done… and when I went down on that pitch, I just knew that my sports career was done.
As I spent most of my time in Chicago I fell in love with the music culture, especially the blues… Chicago’s nightlife actually inspired me to create Vintage Got Soul!
I was literally stuck in the bed for months with my injury so as a positive focus I decided to bring “A Taste of Chicago” to Birmingham, UK. I started with a one off live music event with no intentions to host anymore. Six years later we are a fundamental hub for the entertainment industry, managing artists, conducting tours, and bridging the gap between UK and US and the Old School & New School. But we aren’t stopping here; we are climbing and building daily, bringing together artists who would never have met without us. Our passion for the music means we are on the lookout for new talent and music fusions every single day. The opportunities are endless.
“Vintage Got Soul pushed me to be resilient…. they do say music is a natural healer.”
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Honestly, as there isn’t anything like Vintage Got Soul we didn’t really face any challenges up until Covid. As we all know, the hospitality & entertainment industry got hit with a ton of bricks and unfortunately, I personally know many companies that didn’t survive the pandemic. I feel fortunate that we actually benefited from the lockdown as we used the time to rebrand….now look at us.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
So as the founder of VGS, I’m also the host aka “the man on the mic” for every show. I often get booked as a motivational speaker between the US & UK which has picked back up now the world is heading back to normality. I pride myself on being able to ensure a crowd of any size up and enjoying themselves at my events.
Away from my brand, I’m heavily involved in the community and I have to say that one of my proudest achievements was during the pandemic.
As we all know, there’s a huge divide between the police & the community which has been an ongoing issue for generations. In my hometown Birmingham, UK I became the Diversity & Inclusion consultant for the West Midlands Police where we successfully changed the police training curriculum on how they approach “Stop & Search” in the community.
Since the Stop & Search was introduced in 1981 this was the first time the curriculum had been reviewed and changed……Black history.
What sets me apart from others is my continuous drive to never settle for less. Anything life throws at me I deal with and bounce back even harder. Trust me you have to be built differently and after everything I’ve been through I truly am blessed……..prayers up!
Who else deserves credit in your story?
One of my biggest role models in life is my late grandad Allen Lucas.
Grandad really taught me everything he knew the old school Jamaican way. In fact, my grandad gave me my first reggae mixtape when I was six which featured King of dancehall Beenie Man. Who would have thought 26 years later I would actually get to interview the man himself. You can find the interview on our youtube channel, what an experience that was…Legendary!
My Grandad really pushed me to “be the change I would like to see in the world” so I will use this moment to thank him and I’m pretty sure he’s very proud of my work so far.
Contact Info:
- Email: rene@vintagegotsoul.com
- Website: www.vintagegotsoul.com
- Instagram: @renesword @vintagegotsoul
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VintageGSoul/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ-5cepnNm4jJnmIimIASxQ
