Vanessa Williams “After Midnight”  Is Pure Joy                                                                                                              by Deardra Shuler

Vanessa Williams took time out of her busy schedule to talk to this writer about her role in “After Midnight” which she presently appears in until May 11^th with Dule Hill as her leading man.  After Midnight is at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, located at 256 West 47^th Street (Between 8^th Avenue and Broadway) in Manhattan.  She replaces Toni Baxton who was featured until recently with Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds.

With “After Midnight,” I feel I have been lucky to have yet another challenge -- when one door closes another opens” remarked the talented performer.  “I have been able to jump from genre to genre which I suppose comes down to my having a musical theatre background.  I majored in theater in college so I have had acting, music and dance training as well as theater.  It’s a great discipline because I get a chance to flex and use different muscles depending on where the job is and I get a chance to work with a phenomenal cast of talented performers,” stated Vanessa.

As part of the cast of “After Midnight,” Ms. Williams does 8 shows a week.  Normally a performer is able to rehearse at least 3 weeks before working in the show, but in her case, Vanessa only had one week of rehearsal and then went straight into the show. “Yes, it was a short rehearsal period; however, I get a chance to sing some amazing standards in the show, songs like “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” “Stormy Weather” and Sunnyside of the Street, et al.”  I’m able to both sing and dance in the show and the music is pure joy.  The energy is electric and the talent is extraordinary so it’s been fun every night,” said Williams.  “This is all music from the 1930s and 40s.  Duke Ellington did all the arrangements. In fact, Wynton Marsalis first did the show at City Center about two years ago.  So the musical has traveled its road having started off as a concept then becoming a Broadway show, “explained the singer/actress/Broadway star.

“After Midnight” is a 90 minute show without intermission.  Generally the orchestra is in a pit but in this production the Jazz at Lincoln Center All Stars band is a featured part of the show and is allowed to demonstrate their own outstanding musical talents during the show.

“From the very beginning of the downbeat, you are on a ride.  The audience can’t stop tapping their feet. But it’s the Harlem Renaissance era right up on stage.  It’s our history, our songbook.  These are melodies you can’t get out of your head and is an important part of our legacy” continued Vanessa.

The After Midnight producers also feature a slot called the Special Guest Star.  Although all the special guests do the same four numbers naturally they do it in their individual keys.  “In my case,” said Vanessa, “I dance.  So, I get a chance to do new choreography that has never been done by anyone else.  I am sure whoever comes after me will bring their own particular talents and specialties to the role as well.  It’s a joy whenever I am doing Broadway because it is something I love.  Dule Hill is back in the show after some time away but he is back headlining with me, I know people may have seen his television show and may be unaware that Dule started off as a dancer.   He has a background in tapping.  Maybe some of you remember him in the “Tap Dance Kid,” explained Ms. Williams.

I chatted with the entertainer about her roles in Ugly Betty and then later in Desperate Housewives. Vanessa discussed how actors must get used to immersing themselves into different roles.  “I was Wilhelmina Slater in Ugly Betty and then was dropped into Wisteria Lane for my role in Desperate Housewives.  Actors find themselves a different character in a different field and ambiance. Of course there are different writers and whole lot of different people to work with.  After 4 years of Ugly Betty I bonded with the ensemble cast, so naturally I miss the people in that show.  You become a family.  As an actor you take what you are given and emerge yourself into the moment. I stay in touch with my Ugly Betty cast members and even after I leave “After Midnight,” I will stay in touch with some of the wonderful people I’ve met in the show.”  

When Vanessa ends her engagement in “After Midnight”on May 11^th she is planning a 2-week tour in Japan.  Then back to the US where she will resume her role in “Trip to Bountiful” with Cicely Tyson and Blair Underwood in Los Angeles who takes over the role that Cuba Gooding filled in NY.  Bountiful will run in LA until November 2nd.

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Awakening Heart
By Deardra Shuler

Do not let your hearts grow cold
nor for money your virtues sold
Heed you not with all discerning
the great earth warning, the seas are churning
Earthquakes, tornadoes, and fires burning?

Do not be blinded by uncompromising greed
Let your vision and common sense intercede
Cannot you see for all its stalling
Bound by corruption, our nation's falling?

When comes the panic, when you can't trace
monies in banks, shutting doors in your face
When rich sit on cans in the middle of a street
now forced with the poor for food to compete.

Yet they keep making merry while times are so hairy
Saying that's them, not me, so no need to worry
While ignoring the signs of the great social destruction
Living lives of unpreparedness without interruption.

What will you do as it all unfurls and the day finally struck?
Unwilling to rise up, you are now mired and in the muck
Time for real self determination and inner examination
Oh Divine, "Don't Save the King!" Save the people of this nation.

Open your hearts embrace brother to brother
Love your families, your sisters and your mother
Cooperate and no longer compete
Rebuild this world. Change the mold. Be bold
until your honorable mission is accomplished without defeat
Rebuild now! Before the price is too steep
Hone in your consciousness a new world, whole and complete.

WRITING SERVICES

As a journalist, Deardra Shuler has written hundreds of articles, as well as edited newspapers and books. She is well versed in the English language having an excellent command of the language. She has tutored through the Literacy Volunteers and even worked with people from other countries to help them acclimate themselves to the American society and grasp and comprehend the English language, as well as learn to read and write it via use of phonics.

If you are looking for an editor for a particular project, such as Book & Article Editing, be clear on what you expect the book editor to do. Editors can make your book clear, logical and well organized. They help structure your information, check facts and references, correct spelling, punctuation and grammar in order to process a well honed book appropriate for your readership. Editors proof read and can critique your work to let you know what improvements are needed. Make sure you advise the book editor whether they will be working with you on the structure and ideas of your book or article or whether they will just do copy editing? The clearer you are with your expectations the more functional the editor will be in terms of giving you what you want.

Deardra Shuler is also available to teach English, writing and vocabulary to those having difficulty in those areas. She knows how to use the mechanics of the media to your advantage She draws on many networks to get you the attention, recognition and awareness you deserve and to influence prospects, customers, opinion leaders, donors, and the general public.

Ms. Shuler has a worldwide listenership on the BlakeRadio Network, Rainbow Soul, via her show Topically Yours. Guests have the opportunity to be heard nationwide and in 140 countries which includes continents such as: North America, South America, Central America, Asia, Africa, the South Pacific, Australia, Europe, The Eastern European Block, China, The Arab Republic, etc. Individuals who are seeking to promote themselves or market their companies and products have access to this venue and an Internet audience that pulls in about 50,000 listeners a day.

Having written over 1000 celebrity profiles, Deardra Shuler can be relied on to give sound judgment and expertise concerning the media as well as use her network of radio, political, business, social, media and philanthropic contacts.

Writing Services

Blues Guitar Genius B.B. King Brings Lucille to Lehman Center for the Performing Arts

One of the most famous guitarists in the world of Blues, B.B. King, will be appearing at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, April 19th at 8:00 p.m.  Known around the world, at age 88, King is an unstoppable musical icon who is still going strong and touring to this day.

Born on September 16, 1925, in Itta Bene, Mississippi, Riley B. King (a.k.a. B.B. King) is also a songwriter, singer and blues musician, whose blues hits and classics include “3 O’clock Blues,” “Woke Up this Morning,” “Live at the Regal,” and “Bobby “Blue” Bland Together for the First Time” and Payin’ the Cost to be the Boss.” In the R&B genre, “You Don’t Know Me” rose to #1. “Please Love Me,” “You Upset Me Baby,” “Sweet Sixteen, Part 1” and “Don’t Answer the Door, Part 1,” hit at #2. His crossover hit “The Thrill is Gone,” won King two Grammy Awards and the Hall of Fame Award. These are among the numerous awards he has accumulated during his lengthy career.

Mr. King has collected a number of guitars over the years.  “Yes, I have an extensive guitar collection, but my guitar of choice is a Gibson custom Lucille,” remarked King who named his guitar Lucille after an incident in Twist, Arkansas, when 2 men while engaging in a brawl knocked over a kerosene stove, setting fire to the hall where B.B. (Blues Boy) was playing.  Rushing outside to escape the flames, King remembered he left his guitar inside.  He rushed back to retrieve it in the knick of time, almost costing him his life.  Later, King learned the fight was over a woman named Lucille, prompting King to trademark his Gibson guitars ever since, calling them Lucille.

Lucille has been good to B.B. who developed a unique and very identifiable style of playing the guitar. Influenced by Blind Lemon Jefferson and T-Bone Walker, King developed a precise and sophisticated style of vocal-like fluid string bends and a shimmering left hand vibrato that many electric blues and rock guitarists have emulated.  “I listen to all kinds of music and they all have something to offer,” said Mr. King in terms of the development of his music and musical style over the years. His humane bent includes supporting a non-profit organization that provides free musical instruments and instructions to underprivileged public school children.  The program is called Little Kids Rock wherein Mr. King sits on the Honorary Board of Directors.

Married twice, B.B. King is reported to have several children and grandchildren.  When asked by this writer how Mr. King would like to be remembered, the King of Blues stated humbly, “I would like to be remembered as a person who loved people & loved sharing my music with the world.”  

King has lent his name to several clubs throughout the years.  His clubs include: B.B.'s Blues Club on International Drive in Orlando, Fl; his Blues Club on Beale Street in Memphis, TN and another in Nashville, TN; B.B. Blues Club in West Palm Beach, FL,  Foxswoods Casino in CT, a Blues Club at Universal City Walk in Los Angeles and a B.B. King Blues club located in Times Square (42nd Street) in New York City.

Books written about King include his autobiography entitled “Blues All Around Me” written by David Ritz and “The Arrival of B.B. King” by Charles Sawyer.

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is located at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West in the Bronx.  Tickets for the B.B. King concert can be purchased at the Box Office by calling 718-960-8833 or going on line at www.LehmanCenter.org. The Center is accessible via the #4 and D trains or if driving, via the Major Deegan Expressway and Saw Mill River Parkway. Parking is $5. Tickets are selling fast, so get your tickets early.

"Life of an Addict” Needs Some Rehab

By Deardra Shuler

I am always supportive of theatre and often encourage projects that are struggling to get its message out.  I know the work and expense that goes into financing a production can be all consuming.  Thus, I can appreciate the labor, and hopes and dreams involved in putting forth a production.  However, sometimes in their eagerness, producers kick the baby from the nest before it’s ready to fly.  And, in the case of “Life of An Addict,” sadly that is the case.

“Life of an Addict,” written and produced by Andrea Blaine, was presented at the Symphony Space, located on the corner of 95^th Street and Broadway in Manhattan for one night only.  The storyline was about a religious woman named Angel (Shaenna Miller) and her addicted boyfriend Aaron (Eugene Daniels).  A devout woman, Angel is very involved in her church, as are her friends Mabel (Cecella McElveen) and Delise (Susu Bobien).  One day, her friend Eric, portrayed by Phillip Hatcher, introduces her to his cousin Aaron, whom he swears is a standup dude.  Judging on appearances alone he seems that way.  Selfish and conniving, Aaron has secrets.  He sees a good thing in Angel and gives her the romantic bum’s rush that leads to their living together and a hasty engagement. Addicted to love, Angel falls hard and does not see the warning signs.  Aaron is having problems finding work so Angel is paying the bills.  Aaron keeps talking love while disappearing for days at a time.  Suspicious, Angel finally finds out that Aaron is drug addicted and hangs out with unsavory characters.  He convinces Angel he is rehabilitating himself.  However, when he falls off the wagon he causes Angel’s life to spiral out of control.

The premise of the production is an important and valid one, thus the writing could use more flushing out.  However, where the play really needed work was in the set designing, costuming, sound and staging.  The way the set was designed needed rearranging.  For example, if there is a split stage featuring an interior set on one side and an exterior set on the other side, actors should not be walking across the stage from the interior set, stepping into the exterior set that represents outdoors.  But rather the actors should leave the apartment via the apartment door and move back stage into the exterior entrance that represents the street, so the locales are totally separate.  Also, there should be a walling constructed or a curtain that hides the stage hands and actors as they move around backstage, thus are invisible to the audience, which was not the case as structured.  The actresses looked like giants wearing those 6” heels that seemed uncomfortable (I noted they put on more sensible shoes in the latter part of the play).  And, I believe it was Sister Mabel who wore an ill fitting dress that seemed far too big for her, as were the braids that were so long they were falling into her face.  Now, this may seem rather picky to mention, but all of those things were distractions.  The audience becomes so focused on the big hair, the big dress, the big shoes, they miss the dialogue.  Also, there were periods where the sound fluctuated.  Therefore, while on occasion one actor’s mike was loud, the other actor’s mike was barely audible.

And last but not least, while the play was religiously influenced, the MC who kept coming out and making announcements during the play, did not need to keep asking the audience to stand up to hear the announcements.  This came off as if the play was a church setting and not a theatrical venue.  I must say that never in my theatre going history have I seen the audience being asked to stand to hear announcements.  The first time the audience accommodated but by the third request fewer people stood up as it seemed unnecessary, and it was.  So, the producers of the show should decide whether they are doing a church service or a theatrical production.

What can I say, the play is premature and requires more rehearsal time, a redesigned stage, better stage marking, costumes that do not encumber the actors, and all announcements made at the start of the show, announced one time only.  Otherwise, it just looks like a lot of egos out front trying to get noticed.  Of course, after the play, if the MC wants to introduce the show’s principles, please do.  That’s how it’s generally done.

The entire cast although adequate could use more rehearsal time.  Eugene Daniels,  Phillip Hatcher and Lucienne Taylor gave noteworthy performances.  Additional cast include Darren Copeland and Felicia Williams.  The dancers Crystal Furvin, Myoung Jin Son, Crystal Glass Warner, and Isaac Demetrius Zellner gave good performances as drug addicts and via their dance number.  The step dancers were delightful during intermission.

The play itself has promise.  As stated, it needs work in the production end of it.  I wish the play luck and hope changes will be done to make it a more comprehensive and viable production the next time the play runs.

I know, this is a strange review!  And, I hate to be so blunt -- but when inviting critics to review a play, make certain the play is at its best and does not come off as amateur hour. 

 

“Sassy Mamas” Of Cougars and Young Men

By Deardra Shuler


The Hadley Players presently featuring “Sassy Mamas,” have made some changes. They have changed their location from the Harlem School of the Arts, to the Poet’s Den Theatre, located at 309 East 108th Street in Manhattan and have a new Artistic Director, Roger Parris. Ward Nixon who has been the Artistic Director for 3 years recently resigned. Unfortunately, Ward was recently admitted to the hospital to have a tumor removed. So this writer wishes him well and better health in future.

A comedy directed by Pat Floyd, “Sassy Mamas” is the story of three middle aged women who find one another undergoing a transition in life. Having lost their men to death and divorce, they find their dating options slim. They now face the prospect of dating younger men; a prospect that one of the feisty women finds quite appealing while the other two are somewhat reluctant to take the plunge into Cougarville.

Via her play, Celeste Bedford Walker gives her characters professional and responsible positions. Wilhemina Sorenson portrayed by Cooki Winborn, is a national security advisor who works for the White House and lives at the Watergate Apartments in Washington, D.C. Wilhemina is embarrassed by the idea of dating a younger man so when journalist Wes Washington is sent to do a story on her she becomes concerned for her reputation when he falls for her. As a public figure, Wilhemina is nervous about being seen in the company of a younger man so thwarts his advances, despite the fact he tells her age doesn’t matter. Lonely and attracted to Wes (DeSean Stokes), Wilhemina is in denial and just can’t seem to get over the hurdle of the difference in their ages.

Her friend Jo Billie Massey (Richarda Abrams) is a hospital administrator in charge of running a busy hospital. Jo Billie is ready for a younger man and makes no bones about it. She has her life planned out to the tee and even wants the young man she has scoped out as her lover to sign a contract wherein he must put up and shut up, in exchange for a massive amount of money. Jo Billie runs the show telling LaDonte, portrayed by Donald Dash that he must quit his job, move in with her and do whatever she tells him to do and only speak when spoken to. She knows he has a child, but as far as Jo Billie is concerned LaDonte has to deal with his life outside of their arrangement on his own time. She insists his personal life must never impact her or interfere with their arrangement. If it does, he breaks the contract and must leave immediately. Conflicted, LaDonte, eventually swayed by the money, agrees to sign.

Gentle Mary Wooton (M. Drue Williams) was married to an Ambassador, who after years of marriage requested a divorce, thus leaving Mary devastated and depressed long after the divorce was final. Never having been alone and with grown daughters, Mary is afraid. She decides to remarry an older man who at least is among her circle of friends. That is, until Colby, her young gardener, played by Nicholas Miles Newton, complicates things. Although there is much hi-jinks and comedic aspects to “Sassy Mamas,” it depicts situations that many women face in the apex of their life when they have raised families and suddenly find themselves alone. They do not want to become nurse mates to older single men who are now ailing and slowing down and simply want someone to take care of them. A problem for women who have cared for their men and families most of their lives and now face freedom and the chance to do the things they couldn’t do under the rigors of family life.

Wilhelmina, Jo Billie and Mary find themselves tied to the conditioning of their former life while on the brink of a new life. So the production becomes the story of new beginnings and the courage to seize the day. You will have to see the play to learn the final outcome.

Costume design is by Katherine Roberson; set design by Bill Wood, Lighting and sound by Derrick Minter and Melanie Beal; props by Kimberlee Monroe and stage management by Robert Gonzalez.

Go see “Sassy Mamas” but better hurry though! The show runs Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2:30 pm but is slated to close on Sunday, March 23rd.

Out of the Ashes

 By Deardra Shuler


Out of the ashes of hopelessness rises the phoenix of hope, determination and love. Through his fictionalized book “Out of Ashes,” the author Sutton L. Avery returns the reader to 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, wherein African Americans, then called Negroes and more often Nigger, by the white population, struggles to find dignity in their lives, albeit under the constant humiliation, hatred and harassment of the white population.

The story centers around a young educated black woman named Peg James who moves from Ohio to Birmingham to work for family relations. Unaware of the brutality of segregation, Peg soon learns the cruelty of the Black plight in the south. The book holds up a mirror reflecting the behavior of both the black and white community, when right across the street lives a former KKK member Seth Stevens, whose father Ken is a District Attorney while also being the acting Imperial Wizard of the Klu Klux Klan.

We see via the book the systematic terrorism the black community has to endure; their women raped, their men humiliated and their families murdered by the very law hiding behind those white Klan sheets. With no legal authority to turn to, the Black Community after suffering slavery now find themselves in the clutches of Jim Crow. With whole families disappearing and weekly murders done for the entertainment of the white population, the Civil Rights Movement becomes the only hope for a community paralyzed by fear.

Although fiction, “Out of Ashes” focuses on the reality of what the African American community suffered under the rigors of a white Birmingham population during the Civil Rights era in order to get equal rights. It’s a book every black and white child should read so they never forget what others went through so they can enjoy their freedom today. There is still work to be done to banish the ignorance, fear and hatred causing one race to senselessly murder, falsely imprison and suppress another due to the color of their skin. It was only through self examination that some white characters in the book realized their abuse was wrong and could only end with them. They sought to break the cycle of hatred that had been passed down through white families for generations.

 “Out of Ashes” offers change. It demonstrates that from the very ashes of destructive behavior, love can give birth to a new and better future built by all concerned.

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“Stealin’ Home” at the Castillo

(Photo by Ron Glass)

By Deardra Shuler

 

If you are a fan of the great Jackie Robinson who became the first African American to play in the major leagues, you may wish to catch “Stealin’ Home,” directed by Negro Ensemble artistic director, Charles Weldon.  “Stealin’Home,’ is presently running until November 24^th at the Castillo Theatre, located at 543 West 42^nd Street in Manhattan.

 This three character play written by playwright, Fred Newman, tells the story of Jackie Robinson’s early days in baseball and his relationship with fellow ballplayer and friend, Pee Wee Reese.  Daniel Hickman plays Jackie, while Nick Webster portrays Pee Wee.  Ava Jenkins plays the role of Sally Sojourner, a waitress and fan of Jackie’s. We find in the female character played by Jenkins, a quiet strength.  In the beginning of the play its clear she knows Pee Wee loves to embellish, and while his somewhat over zealous assertions may not hold her attention, you see that the man himself does.  It seems Sojourner is there to tell the truth and to let the men see she has their best interest at heart.

 The story is seen through the eyes of shortstop Pee Wee Reese who narrates this rather hypothetical tale, giving his version of Robinson, whom he sees as a fine figure of a man, great ball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and an outstanding fielder.  The audience can clearly see that there is some hero worshipping of Robinson going on, on the part of Reese.

 We do see that the playwright has taken some poetic license in his depiction of Robinson in “Stealin Home.”  Some sports enthusiasts remember Robinson as a serious man, but painted by Newman’s brush, Robinson demonstrates a sense of humor, in fact is not above playing pranks.  At one point Pee Wee talks about Shadow Ball.  Shadow Ball was occasionally played with good humor by the Negro Leagues.  It was a game designed to confound and distract the challenging team, by pretending to throw a real ball while actually not throwing any ball at all.  Merely going through the motions as if an actual ball had been thrown. Whether Robinson felt confident enough to play Shadow Ball with his white teammates in real life remains to be seen, but at least in Newman’s version, Jackie did prank the major leaguers to the consternation of the opposing team and the delight of Pee Wee.

Being the first to bring about change, carries with it enormous pressure, especially when it comes to having to boldly step out into an arena as the one breaking the color barrier as Robinson did.  Having to endure the hoots and hollers of fans who wanted to keep the game white, while Robinson is expected to keep his cool. Something that was not always so easy.  We do however get the feeling that Pee Wee understood the racism Robinson endured and admired him for the strength it took to face bias and hatred day after day.  In fact, Reese is known for a famous line wherein he stated, "You can hate a man for many reasons. Color is not one of them.” In 1948, Reese put his arm around Robinson in response to fans who shouted racial slurs at Robinson before a game in Cincinnati. And encouraged Jackie to keep his cool after manager Ben Chapman called Robinson a “nigger” from the dugout, yelling that Jackie should go back to the cotton fields.  Somehow Jackie endured it all and as a result, he ended up changing the white washed game of baseball forever.

 During his sojourn in baseball, Robinson played the sport for over 10 seasons which included six World Series and the 1955 World Championship.  He won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949, becoming the first African American to be so honored.

 Jackie Robinson was an all around sportsman.  Before he wore number 42, he also played, basketball, football, and track.  In fact, he won the 1940 NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship in the Long Jump.

 While the play paced itself well, I found the acting of Hickman a little stiff.  However, I shrugged that off as Opening Night jitters. On the other hand, Nick Webster seemed to be enjoying the heck out of himself as he fluidly delivered his lines and drew the audience into his fun loving character.  Jenkins plays the somewhat bored recipient of Pee Wee’s narration and in some cases the social conscious of Robinson. We never meet Jackie’s family in Stealin Home but we do get the strong impression that Jackie loved his wife and was a strong family man. 

 Time passes throughout the play and the characters age. Jackie retires from baseball and becomes the vice president for personnel at Chock full o'Nuts; making him the first black person to serve as vice president of a major American corporation.  As the play evolves, we come to see that Robinson is starting to get ill. He eventually starts losing his sight and ultimately succumbs to complications caused by heart disease and diabetes.

 We leave the play convinced that the world is a whole lot better having had Jackie Robinson play ball.  Don’t miss this play if your are a sports enthusiast who wants to get a view that depicts a different slant on the life of a man who was thrust into being a hero, when all along he simply just wanted to play ball.

 

Gloria Lynne” I’m Glad There Was You”   

By Deardra Shuler             

When I was a little girl my mother often sang the song, “I Wish You Love,” a hit that would become singer Gloria Lynne’s signature song. This song had special meaning for my mother and knowing how important the song was to her, it became important to me.  I never thought when I became an adult I would meet and eventually befriend Gloria Lynne, but that is the way it turned out.  Age can be taxing, and at 83 years old, Gloria Lynne’s body began to fail, even though her mind and spirit remained indomitable. Gloria fell ill.  She was on the road to recovery when she was forced to return to Columbus Hospital, where Gloria Lynne, the great jazz, blues, soul and R&B vocalist and legend, succumbed to a heart attack on Tuesday, October 15^th at 11:00 pm in Newark, NJ.  Gloria’s funeral is to be held on Monday, October 28^th at her favorite church in Harlem, Abyssinian Baptist, located at 132 Odell Park Place, (138^th Street between Adam Clayton Powell and Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvds).  Church doors open at 12 noon and service starts at 1:00 p.m.

Over the years, I followed Gloria Lynne’s career, attending a few concerts, chatting on the phone and falling in love with the woman and her voice.  What struck me about the glorious Miss Gloria was her strength, her charm and her ability to meet adversity with faith and each triumph with grace.  Her talent was God given and Gloria knew it.  Gloria worked her entire life, having last appeared at the “54 Below club” in August. 

During her career, Ms. Lynne made nearly 400 recordings.  She worked with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Harry Belafonte, Johnny Mathias, Quincy Jones, Stanley Turrentine, Kenny Burrell, the Delltones, Bobby Timmons, and Billy Eckstine, etc.  She recorded songs like “The Jazz In You,” “The Folks Who Live On the Hill,” “I Am Glad There’s You,” “Joey Joey Joey,” “June Nights,” and of course her signature song, “I Wish You Love.”  King Curtis wrote the blues song “Soul Serenade” just for Gloria’s voice and the song became a hit.

Gloria Lynne was a songwriter herself.  She worked on Watermelon Man with Herbie Hancock, “All Day Long,” with Kenny Burrell and “Lend Me Yesterday,” with her friend and lyricist, Ann Rubino.  She also sang the soundtrack for the movies “U-turn” and “Seven.”

Gloria Lynne was born Gloria Wilson in Harlem.  She had 3 siblings.  Her mother and father separated when Gloria was 3 years old.  When she was 15, she won an Amateur Night contest at the Apollo Theatre by singing “Don’t Take Your Love From Me.”  She recorded her first album to earn tuition for medical school.  It was never her intention to have a musical career, but once the recording hit, her musical career was launched.  She got into the record industry by doing demos for singers such as Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughn.  This enabled Gloria to get a recording contract with Everest.  She was with Everest for 7 years.   In the earlier days of her career, Lynne sang with an all girl group called the Delltones, later singing with the Enchanters. She performed with Harry Belafonte’s Strolling 20s TV special where she was in the company of artists like Sammy Davis, Jr., Nipsey Russell, Duke Ellington and Diahann Carroll. 

So many artists of that era talk about the exploitation of artists by the record companies.  Gloria was no exception.  Most of her life, Gloria had trouble collecting royalties due her.  In fact, as big as her hit I Wish You Love became, Gloria was never paid a dime.  To make ends meet when living in California, she secretly worked at Bank of America, while keeping her recording career and night club appearances going.

Gloria married Harry Alleyne and from that union produced her sole heir and son, Richard P.J. Alleyne.  She is presently survived by him.

An eclectic singer, Gloria Lynne had many fans from around the world enabling her to pack the house during most of her live performances.  I will miss Gloria.  She was a positive person in my life.  She loved her fans and I know that on whatever other worldly plane her soul may now exist, she would say to us all, “I Wish You Love.”  And we wish you love too, Gloria.