MANSFIELD — Condrea Webber was 9-years-old when her aunt overheard her singing Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” in her bedroom.
She remembers being embarrassed when her aunt came in, but remembers fondly how she told her ‘You’ve got something.’
“I’ve always loved to sing, but I was always shy,” Webber said.
The encouragement of her family and Madison music teachers who asked her to sing solos helped her confidence rise.
“I just started seeing other people in the industry who were my shape, my size,” she said. “I didn’t want those things to hold me back. Some times as a teenager it does, but it was like ‘I can sound like that.’”
Today, Webber is a bit of a local celebrity to those involved in the Mansfield music scene.
“I love it,” she said with a large grin. “I’m a bit of a people person. I’m a hugger, so if I come up and give you a hug, that’s just who I am.
“To be able to be known in a positive light, I think is great. It’s just nice to be identified as that.”
She began her vocal career as a singer for weddings and funerals and the First Assembly of God’s gospel choir. Then she landed a leading role as the witch in Into The Woods.
“The director was Robert Franz, and the music director was Deb Logan,” Webber said. “They really took me under their wings and molded me into who I am today.”
In addition to making appearances as a vocalist in shows and events like Final Friday at the Brickyard and The Miss Ohio Pageant, Webber is the lead vocalist of the band Alter Ego. The band is comprised with Alice Bond, pianist, Rollie Harper, percussionist, Travis Ferrell, Clearance Ross, guitar and Ed Jonnet, saxophone.
“I love my band; Together we make magic,” she said of the band she’s been with for just short of a year.
Fittingly, Webber’s first song with Alter Ego was ‘Respect.’
“We went for it, and when it was all done they said, ‘Can you please stay?’” Webber remembered with another smile. “To have them behind me and follow me like that it was a great charge to have your own, more intimate band.
“We’re all getting so close — we’re all in friendship love.”
Webber said Alter Ego is an R&B/Funk band with a plethora of talent.
“What we do is we take music and put Alter Ego on it.”
Webber said she still feels support from her family, recognizing her three children and her father as her biggest fans: Terence, 17, Tonne, 15, Torre, 9 and Calvin Cannada, respectively.
“These four people are my biggest fans and my biggest supporters,” she said. “Without them I would not be where I’m at right now. Without them I wouldn’t be sitting here.”
Her family also supports her theatrical endeavors and encourages her to pursue her interests.
“Christmas Carol is coming up, and I was thinking about doing that at the Renaissance Theater, and it’s my son’s senior year. I told him I was thinking about doing this show. ‘I know it’s around football season, and I don’t want to miss any of your games or your banquets.’ He said, ‘Mom, I want you to do it,’ ” she said.
“My kids push me to do things. They know it’s a passion for me. They also see it makes me happy. It’s my outlet.”
By day, Webber works as the food service director at Richland School of Academic Arts. She is in charge of all the state-funded programs for the school lunches.
“Our food is catered in, so I do the food,” she said.
But Webber is more famous for energizing the students each Friday with what she calls, “Glee Day.”
“Each Friday I pick out a couple kids to share their talents on the stage in the cafeteria. If no one volunteers, then I sing.”
It was the invention of Glee Day and Webber’s vocal talents which led to the school referring to her as ‘The singing lunch lady.’
“For me it is like a life goal. Ever since I was little, I was the youngest child. So I’ve always loved children. So to be a role model, that person it’s really an honor. It really is,” she said.
“It’s important because you have to be able to show that I can not only talk it, but I can also walk the walk. For me I have to show them respect before they can give me mine.”
Webber’s talent is without question, but perhaps the most impressive attribute is her ability to show love for children and those who pursue music in the area.
“I would tell them to not hold back. Even if you are going to do it in front of the mirror because you’re eventually going to come out of that shell and somebody is going to be super impressed with what they are hearing,” she said. “Don’t let age, size, color — any of it hold you back.”
