Did any of her acts have any success ?
Printable View
And who were they ? wiki doesn't confirm either Marilyn or Micki being associated with her. :confused:
Seems to be a mysterious part of her career endeavors ....
added: this article mentions one line about Free being managed by Diana Ross:
https://web.archive.org/web/20120712...m/bio/bio.html
Here is Micki Free talking about being managed by Diana Ross before joining Shalamar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cenwXKuDxKc
^ Very enlightening. Thanks, Jaap.
Good info ! thanks Jaap!
That seems like it would have been shocking to attend a Diana Ross concert and have it first be opened with the music style presented by Micki Free . [[ Did anyone here witness one of these occurrences?) I wonder how many of her shows he opened...
Wasn't it odd for Diana Ross to have an opening act ? Had she used any before Micki Free?
I know her daughter now does it regularly.
really reese!? Roger and Roger? Did you enjoy it? I think I'd prefer it to Micki.
[[ I wonder if they did this Temptations send up at her show).............
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuv3ocjkkjE
glad to hear that reese. :)
Just out of curiosity I decided to see if I could confirm any other opening acts for Miss Ross. I found this over at good ol' wiki:
During her IN THE NAME OF LOVE TOUR 2013-2017
Rhonda opened at various locales , Evan Ross opened for an LA performance as did Pentatonix. Naturally 7 opened a show in San Diego.
The only opening act I can remember for a Diana Ross concert was the comedian Sandy Baron. He actually was not the 'opening' act, in the technical sense. It was perhaps Diana's first actual tour, and she opened the show with a set, then introduced Baron. After his performance there was an intermission, then the second act was all Diana.
Sandy Baron introducing Grace Jones :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N78uqqz0hJo
I think Boy George, as well as George Michael, Joe Cocker and Rod Stewart were included they were popular at the time and quite soulful singers themselves. Plus they might pull in some extra viewers. Sam Harris was also on the show as he was a Motown artist at the time. The following summer, Boy George and Culture Club went on to appear on the final episode of the NBC series THE MOTOWN REVUE STARRING SMOKEY ROBINSON.
Plus white artists had played at the Apollo previously, Buddy Holly among them. The first official concert once the theater reopened was Hall and Oates, with David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick
MOTOWN RETURNS TO THE APOLLO aired on NBC in May of 1985, a few weeks after the actual show took place. It wasn't as successful as MOTOWN 25 ratings-wise but I believe it won an Emmy.
If nothing else, this was also the show that kicked Patti LaBelle's career into high gear. The next day, I know she was all anybody in my school was talking about. After seeing her performance, the president of NBC offered her her own Thanksgivings night special and she didn't even have a current album out at the time.
Now I understand. This was a Motown returns to The Apollo Theatre concept to celebrate the reopening of the 50 year old Apollo that had closed in 1978. All the more reason I don't know why so many foreign acts were included.....maybe it was designed to sell to the UK/Europe market as well?
Here's the entire show :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyozXIscRVE
This is an amazing gathering of talent hosted by Bill Cosby .....Luther, Billy Preston , Patti LaBelle, Stevie , Al Green , James Brown , Wilson Pickett, Little Richard, Smokey ....etc............with a close -out by Diana Ross.
On the Motown Returns To The Apollo TV Special :
At 23:26 ..... look who got airtime !! lol!!!
Finally , after Debarge's opening, some old school Motown gets a turn on stage : Smokey Robinson. Unfortunately Smokey has to share his billing with George Michael [[for some explainable reason), but the bigger crime here is that the song they are sharing is a hit of Michael's, not Smokey's!!!!!:confused::rolleyes:
1985 was actually her breakthrough year. Both "New Attitude" and "Stir It Up" from Beverly Hills Cop were released that year and they both became big commercial hits. Then she had Motown Returns, Live Aid and then the NBC Thanksgiving special. All of this helped to build her momentum as far as her next album, released on MCA. From 1985 to at least 1997, Patti finally established herself as an R&B superstar after 25 years in the business.
Here is just the Smokey/Michael performance. Thinking about it some more, this was when George was establishing himself as a single artist and was no longer of the duo called WHAM!. ......so to do two duets [[ the other with Stevie).........???...
Also , the song doesn't really play well as a duet, it's a first person's account and narrative.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZflvN5mkrxQ
George has said the huge success of CARELESS WHISPER sort of surprised and disappointed him because he considered the composition kind of light weight and not worthy. It therefore was never a particular favorite of his.
He also says the duet with Smokey was a disappointment and then declines to go into details:
https://gmforever.com/george-michael...rns-to-apollo/
I can't understand George Michael's disappointment. I've always liked this song and he & Smokey were in fine form that night. Two of my favorite male vocalists on that legendary stage.
I agree Lucky. They both did fine, soloing and singing together. I've watched it a couple more times and it seems to go pretty smoothly. Maybe Smokey insisted on his own entrance, for his own applause[[?) , because it certainly wasn't done as a surprise that he was joining in, Bill Cosby announced the two of them performing together. Or did Michael consider Smokey a bit distant at the start , no acknowledgment between the two, not until the very end, and then they left the stage at different exits. [[?)
The only other thing I could see that might've miffed George was the missing saxophone which apparently to George was an essential element of this song, but the missing sax would have nothing to do with Smokey ....
and for his part , Smokey seemed well rehearsed and familiar with the song, seemed to embrace it ......... ?.....