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  1. #51
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    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.

  2. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boogiedown View Post
    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.
    Evan and Pentatonix were the same night at the Hollywood Bowl back in 2013.

  3. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by vgalindo View Post
    Evan and Pentatonix were the same night at the Hollywood Bowl back in 2013.
    That's right . As were Rhonda and Tracee that night.

    Were you there for that mess vgalindo? I was !!!

  4. #54
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boogiedown View Post
    That's right . As were Rhonda and Tracee that night.

    Were you there for that mess vgalindo? I was !!!
    Yes I was. I remember it well. Lol.

  5. #55
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    Quote Originally Posted by vgalindo View Post
    Yes I was. I remember it well. Lol.
    I bet ! I think one of the highlights for me was when, as the night's MC , Tracee's mic kept cutting out....lol!

  6. #56
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobbyC View Post
    The next day Miss Ross sent a limo for him--she was performing in Connecticut and wished for M to meet her there. He went, needless to say. BG stayed in NYC sulking. Eventually M came back, saying that DR hugged him, said he was "Beautiful," said he should be a movie star, and then DR offered to manage him. Suddenly Marilyn was investing in new clothes, a new look, the whole 9 yards.
    She 'offered' to manage him.....he proceeded, it sounds like, as if --- but were any papers actually signed ??

  7. #57
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    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.

  8. #58
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    Sandy Baron introducing Grace Jones :

  9. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobbyC View Post
    At this point, Boy George had been invited to perform at the 50th anniversary celebration of the Apollo theater. He was scared. He was invited as a solo act, not with Culture Club,something he'd never done before. He was assigned the song Signed, Sealed Delivered, to be sung as a duet with Stevie Wonder, and a second undecided song with Luther Vandross. Bg was told he'd be the only white artist on the show, which turned out not to be true when George Michael turned up for rehearsals. BG was so scared, so intimidated that he announced to Marilyn that he wasn't going. Marilyn dismissed it out of hand saying "All those FAB Motown stars are gonna be there and you're not going? Really!"
    Not sure why this foreign & white guy was chosen to perform at the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo Theatre ?? Had he already appeared there with Culture Club??

    Is this akin to Lopez doing the Motown Anniversary?

  10. #60
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boogiedown View Post
    Not sure why this foreign & white guy was chosen to perform at the fiftieth anniversary of the Apollo Theatre ?? Had he already appeared there with Culture Club??

    Is this akin to Lopez doing the Motown Anniversary?
    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
    Last edited by reese; 04-17-2020 at 03:08 PM.

  11. #61
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    Quote Originally Posted by reese View Post
    I think Boy George and George Michael 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
    Very good Reese. So this Apollo show was recorded and aired for prime time TV?? I wonder how it did ratings wise.

    I also wonder about foreign acts historically being booked at The Apollo? Any come to mind?

  12. #62
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boogiedown View Post
    Very good Reese. So this Apollo show was recorded and aired for prime time TV?? I wonder how it did ratings wise.

    I also wonder about foreign acts historically being booked at The Apollo? Any come to mind?
    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.

  13. #63
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    Quote Originally Posted by reese View Post
    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 :



    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.
    Last edited by Boogiedown; 04-21-2020 at 12:53 PM.

  14. #64
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    On the Motown Returns To The Apollo TV Special :

    At 23:26 ..... look who got airtime !! lol!!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Boogiedown View Post
    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 :



    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.
    I remember walking by the Apollo, when it was shuttered! Just big 2x4s.
    As kids, we thought we missed out on history. Decades later, as an adult, I attended Amateur Night at The Apollo, BEFORE it came to tv!

  16. #66
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    Quote Originally Posted by nativeNY63 View Post
    I remember walking by the Apollo, when it was shuttered! Just big 2x4s.
    As kids, we thought we missed out on history. Decades later, as an adult, I attended Amateur Night at The Apollo, BEFORE it came to tv!
    fantastic! so many grand theatres have met their permanent demise, wonderful that The Apollo was one that got resuscitated.

  17. #67
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boogiedown View Post

    Here's the entire show :



    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.
    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!!!!!

  18. #68
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    Quote Originally Posted by reese View Post
    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.
    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.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Boogiedown View Post
    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!!!!!
    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.



    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/

  20. #70
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    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.

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    Quote Originally Posted by lucky2012 View Post
    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 ......... ?.....
    Last edited by Boogiedown; 05-14-2020 at 08:32 PM.

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