(laid back music) ♪ Please don't tell you what you need to say ♪ ♪ To give you every little bit of piece of me ♪ ♪ See what we have was good ♪ ♪ But never understood ♪ ♪ For reasons anyone would want to leave ♪ ♪ I keep praying that ♪ ♪ You won't leave me ♪ ♪ 'Cause together it seems like family ♪ ♪ See, I want you back in my life to stay ♪ ♪ 'Cause I need you every second of the hour of the day ♪ ♪ Yeah, I want you, I want you, I want you, I want you ♪ ♪ I want you back in my life, baby ♪ ♪ Oh, oh yeah ♪ ♪ And I want you back in my life soon ♪ ♪ I want you back in my life soon ♪ ♪ I want you back in my life this time, this time ♪ ♪ I want you back in my life soon ♪ - I never sing in church.

I never did any of that.

Never.

- [Host] Why not?

- Very scared.

I was an athlete for the most of my life, so I never really, never really did that at all, so.

- [Host] Nobody in your family played music?

- Uh-uh.

Nobody in my family.

My mom tells me my grandfather was a really great pianist.

My dad's father was a great pianist, but I never heard it.

You know, I'm always the, I was the one singing Whitney Houston with the brush in my room when my mom and dad were gone at work, and by the time they got home, put the brush away, go hide in the closet.

Uh-uh, can't do that around Mom and Dad.

It, not like they didn't want me to.

I was just really afraid.

- Of what?

Because I was really quiet.

So people would never, ever expect Olivia to be singing, ever.

Uh-uh.

♪ 'Cause I want you back in my life to stay ♪ ♪ 'Cause I need you every second of the hour of the day ♪ ♪ Yeah, oh baby ♪ ♪ I'm begging you, please ♪ ♪ I want you, I want you, I want you, I want you ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, ♪ ♪ Yeah, hey, hey, hey ♪ What was I listening to when I was 15?

(clock chimes) SWV.

- [Host] Yeah?

What was your favorite SWV song?

- Oh God.

"Weak."

That's what it is.

- [Host] How'd that go?

- Oh goodness.

♪ I get so weak in the knees ♪ ♪ I can hardly speak ♪ ♪ I lose all control and something takes over me ♪ ♪ In a daze, it is so amazing ♪ ♪ It's not a phase ♪ ♪ I want you to stay with me ♪ ♪ By my side, I swallow my pride ♪ ♪ Your love is so sweet ♪ ♪ It knocks me right off of my feet ♪ ♪ Can't explain why you're loving makes me weak ♪ That's, you remember that?

That's so cute.

Okay.

(relaxed music) ♪ Searching, searching ♪ ♪ Searching, searching ♪ ♪ Searching, searching ♪ ♪ Searching, searching ♪ ♪ Searching, searching ♪ ♪ Searching, searching ♪ ♪ Searching, searching ♪ ♪ Searching, searching ♪ ♪ Searching, searching ♪ ♪ Searching, searching ♪ ♪ Yeah, whoa ♪ - [Host] Olivia is at the beginning of her singing career.

You can hear Whitney Houston, Jill Scott, and that's okay.

You know, when Dizzy Gillespie was starting out, he wanted to learn how to play exactly like Roy Eldridge, so that he had a taking off point.

Olivia is taking off right before our eyes.

♪ See butterfly up in the sky ♪ ♪ I got a story to say ♪ ♪ And I ain't searching ♪ ♪ Yeah, searching ♪ ♪ Searching, searching ♪ Olivia moved to Portland from Peoria, Illinois to go to school at PSU.

She got her degree in community health and works in a program to improve cardiovascular disease awareness among African Americans in North Portland.

That kind of commitment on your part, does that come from your family?

- It does.

I really think it does.

Deep rooted in my family.

It's like the thing why I care so much about it is because a lot of, from my father's side, a lot of 'em died from heart attacks.

That's my biggest, biggest, biggest worry for me.

And so it's a concern.

You know, my dad has high blood pressure.

It's a concern, you know?

I'm definitely concerned about my wellbeing, you know?

So it's really, really important to me that that is something that every African American, you know, takes seriously in their life.

- [Host] Olivia spent most of her youth as an athlete, a track star, and a gymnast trained by Béla Károlyi, who was Nadia Comăneci's coach.

She was even a pro football player with the Rose City Wildcats of the Women's American Football League.

Are you doing anything anymore?

- No.

Every once in a while I'll flip.

(Olivia laughs) I will, every once in a while I'll flip, but that's about it.

My friends, it's so funny, 'cause I'm all, like we're walking around like in the park or something like this, and I'll be like, "Watch, you guys," and I'll just flip around.

They're just sort of like, "Oh my god, Olivia, you're such a nutcase," but you know, that's me.

You know?

I got to keep 'em on their toes.

Wow.

- Woo!

I got stars.

I got stars.

Stars in my eyes right now.

I haven't done that in a while.

- [Host] You're a star.

(Olivia laughs) I hope to be.

♪ I got to be me everywhere I see ♪ ♪ Don't tell me how to act now, baby ♪ ♪ See, I got that ♪ ♪ She's got that ♪ ♪ Don't tell me how to live my life ♪ ♪ See, baby, I got that ♪ ♪ She's got that ♪ ♪ I'm a mover, I'm a shaker ♪ ♪ And I'm so divine ♪ ♪ I'm a woman in control ♪ ♪ I'll never waste your time ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, ooh ♪ I can't wait to get on stage.

I love being on stage.

I like, like in that song, I guess, what it is, "In the mirror I see something so beautiful to me."

Like now in the mirror, I know who I am when I'm on stage.

Like I fine, I mean, this is who I am, you know?

I'm everything on stage.

This is Olivia, you know?

So it's beautiful.

It's beautiful.

♪ In the mirror I see ♪ ♪ Something so beautiful to me ♪ ♪ Can't you see, can't you see ♪ ♪ I got to be me in the mirror, I see ♪