Lizzo Met Her Creative Director After Getting Into a Bar Fight
Lizzo’s rise to success has been nothing short of astounding, but for fans of the outspoken proponent of self-love and being bold about it, it is also completely earned. The singer has definitely taken some unconventional approaches during her rise to fame, sparking controversies over her clothing while continuing to preach a message of confidence and building one another up in her lyrics. She has also stunned audiences with her musical talents that go beyond her impressive vocal range and include extensive training on the flute.
In a new interview with Vogue, Lizzo revealed some fascinating details about her past and her rise to success, and one of those includes the unusual circumstances surrounding the way she met her creative director.
Lizzo was raised in Houston, Texas
Born as Melissa Viviane Jefferson, Lizzo spent her childhood in Houston, Texas where she first found a passion for the music field in gospel, but later got into hip hop as her friends broadened her musical horizons. She took an interest in sharing her talents from an early age and remembers calling into the radio morning show so that she could perform a freestyle. In sixth grade, she started playing the flute, and she would take those talents into marching band throughout the rest of her middle and high school years.
When it came time to go to college, Lizzo picked the University of Houston and became a music major. Unfortunately, her father fell ill during her junior year, and she ended up leaving school when the impact of his illness strained their finances. Lizzo, who had always been good at school, felt very disappointed by this move that she saw as a failure. Looking for a fresh start, the star packed up and headed to Minneapolis where she became a food critic, but the siren call of her musical roots was too strong to ignore for long.
A key connection helped Lizzo break out in her career
Living in Minnesota, Lizzo managed to get connected with none other than Prince himself. She collaborated with the celebrated musician on his 2014 song “Boy Trouble.” That would turn out to be Lizzo’s breakthrough moment. The rise to fame, however, was not exactly a quick one. She created what would eventually become her first big hit — “Truth Hurts” — but its inclusion on her 2017 album didn’t see a lot of success, and Lizzo considered giving up the business entirely. Luckily, the song was featured in the 2019 film Someone Great, and this time it stuck.
Collaborations have always been a big part of Lizzo’s path to fame. While she had to turn down an appearance in Cardi B’s “WAP” video, Lizzo has demonstrated herself to be a collaborative artist who likes to find ways to mix and share talents. Many of her songs are also dotted with messages about friendship and the power of building other people up, so it makes sense that Lizzo’s career would be marked with incredibly important partnerships.
Lizzo has an important relationship with her creative director
One of those key partnerships is with a woman named Quinn Wilson. Wilson has been Lizzo’s creative director for almost a decade. She started out in the role of makeup artist but quickly rose to a more important position within Lizzo’s professional team. Wilson puts forward innovative ideas and has been credited with helping Lizzo rise to success while maintaining a coherent visual and aesthetic image.
In the Vogue interview, Lizzo dished on just how she and Wilson met. She was walking with another friend at the time. The pair of women were both banged up because they had gotten in a bar fight the night before. Lizzo explained that there was an altercation involving a cell phone, and Lizzo had “a little goose egg from hitting the concrete.” It was at this moment that a car stopped to let Lizzo and her friend walk past. The woman driving the car was Wilson, and Lizzo turned to her friend and said, “We need friends like that in our life.”
What Lizzo wants, Lizzo gets, and fate would again put her in Wilson’s path just a few days later. From that point, the three friends became inseparable, and Lizzo credits putting the friendship first with the success that their partnership has brought: “we have always made sure that the relationship is what we prioritize. It’s never been money. It’s never been the career.”
