Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. Mary Stuart Rogers Theater
Celebrating 67 years in the music industry, legendary holiday icon Johnny Mathis is returning to the Gallo Center to sing his greatest holiday hits, romantic ballads, and personal favorites!
Performing in an incredible variety of styles and categories, his sublime vocal approach to music eclipses passing fads and trends — from music composed for stage and screen to golden era jazz standards, contemporary pop hits in multiple languages to memorable Christmas classics, all of which has assured Johnny’s reputation as one of the most enduring vocalists in music history.
Best-known for his supremely popular songs “Chances Are,” “It’s Not For Me To Say,” and “Misty,” “and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” the Grammy-nominated artist has recorded close to 80 original albums, sold millions of records worldwide, earning multiple industry awards, including six critically acclaimed Christmas albums that have all made Johnny the undisputed “Voice of Christmas.”
RUBEN & CLAY – TWENTY | THE TOUR
Thursday, November 16, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. Mary Stuart Rogers Theater
Ruben Studdard & Clay Aiken are thrilled to reunite twenty years after captivating audiences during their historic run on the second season of Fox’s American Idol in 2003. Both plucked from the relative obscurity of their hometowns in the South, the unlikely pair quickly became audience favorites instrumental in helping propel Idol to the top of the Nielsen ratings, nearly tripling the viewership of the previous season, and securing its place as one of the most consequential TV series in American history.
Over 38 million viewers tuned in to hear the results of more than 124 million votes cast during their finale making it the most watched Idol episode in history and the highest-rated regularly scheduled, live, non-sporting television episode of the 21st century. Combined they have recorded twelve albums, sold more than eight million albums worldwide, toured the country 14 times, starred together on Broadway, won four Billboard Music Awards, an American Music Award, and have been nominated for two Grammys.
GET READY FOR A R&B EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER!
CVV News l March 2023
“Tell me, Stanislaus County Fair, do you want to listen to slow jams together?” “The dance floor is jumpin’ and the music is pumpin!” At Stanislaus County Fair, where Life is happening!
The Stanislaus County Fair welcomes multiple Double Platinum Award Winning, R&B Artist, “Genuwine” Saturday, July 8, 2023, at The Coors Light Stage at 8:30 p.m. The concert will be hosted by 98.3 KWNN and is free with the price of Fair admission.
“All the bachelors will be looking for a partner on this R& B night. Come on, jump on the opportunity to see this amazing artist perform a song everyone knows!” said Jose Piña, spokesperson for the Stanislaus County Fair. We are looking forward to having Genuwine, American R&B singer, with us this year.
They say that “if it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it.” Yet, according to the best-selling R&B groundbreaker Ginuwine, there’s a corollary to that time-honored adage: namely, just because it ain’t broke don’t mean you can sit around and rest on your laurels. If you’re an artist, you’ve got to push yourself. Mature. Expand your creative horizons. And make sure your fifth album is at least as memorable and important as your first — and give it all the show-stopping soul power you’ve got.
Back II Da Basics, Ginuwine’s fifth Epic Records/Sony Urban Music CD, is fueled by the expansive artistry and vitality that Ginuwine’s fans have come to expect while the man’s new music raises the bar on his already high standards. Featuring production by Jazze Pha (Ciara/Monica), Troy Oliver (2001’s “Differences”), The Underdogs and TrackMasters, the album is chockfull of songs that make you want to hit the club. Back II Da Basics is the sound of Ginuwine reconnecting, reaffirming and reigniting the passion that makes his music so real, memorable and, well, genuine.
In 1999, Ginuwine proved that lightning sometimes strikes twice with his second double-platinum LP, 100% Ginuwine, which entered the pop charts at #5. The first single “So Anxious,” became a massive crossover hit, while “What’s So Different?” and “None of Ur Friend’s Business” scored on the R&B charts. In 2001, Ginuwine dropped The Life, which, as he’d done previously, entered the charts in the Top 5 and went platinum-plus (to date, all four Ginuwine albums have achieved that prestigious mark). The set’s second single, “Differences,” triumphed as Ginuwine’s biggest pop hit yet, hitting #4 on the Hot 100. The following year, “G” displayed his versatility by making his feature film debut in the 2002 comedy “Juwanna Man.” Over the past several years, he’s also appeared in other TV and film projects, including “Half & Half” and “Honey.” “I love acting! I love doing sitcoms; that’s something I really want to do more of,” exclaims the multi-faceted R&B superstar. With 2003 came the release of The Senior, which resulted in another R&B chart/radio hit (“In Those Jeans”), another platinum certification and a sold-out Ladies Night Tour (also featuring Brian McKnight, Joe and label mates Jagged Edge).
With ten years in the game, Ginuwine is as hungry as ever, yet grateful for what he’s accomplished. “My career has been a blessing,” he says. “I know that some folks thought that after ‘Pony’ I was just a novelty and they wrote me off, but I am living proof that you can do it.”
The 2023 Stanislaus County Fair is July 7-16. Discounted Fair admission tickets, unlimited ride wristbands, and the Fair season pass will be on sale beginning Saturday, April 22, 2023. Visit http://www.stancofair.com to find information on fair entertainment, local exhibits and livestock. To receive future Fair announcements follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/stancofair, Twitter and Instagram @stancofair.
The mission of the Stanislaus County Fair is to provide a family and community-oriented experience promoting agriculture, entertainment, and technology.
MELBA MOORE
CVV News l December 20, 2022
Thursday January 12, 2023 l DOORS: 7:30 p.m. l Show: 8:00 p.m. Yoshi’s 510 Embarcadero West Oakland, CA 94607 Phone: 510-238-9200 Tickets: $44-$74
Legendary Melba Moore is back with the smooth sound of soul music that strikes the perfect balance between traditional R&B and contemporary stylings and listeners from different generations are taking notice.
The Tony Award winning and multi-Grammy nominee’s single, So In Love, spent 3 weeks at # 1 on the UK Soul Top 30 Chart in November 2021 and made traction in the United States.
The making of So In Love, written by Chantel Hampton and Rahni Song, was a labor of love for Melba and her daughter, Charli Huggins.
“It was first brought to me by my daughter and her uncle, (music producer) Beau Huggins,” Melba says. “Charli has grown up in the industry. She has diverse interests but one thing that I know for sure is, she has a genuine love and knowledge of music. So, we thought why don’t we do a project together?”
So In Love is from Melba’s forthcoming album Imagine, which is slated for release on Charli’s independent record label, The Gallery Entertainment, in April 2022. The project came at the right time for the mother/daughter collaboration.
“I’ve worked with a few record companies in the past, (and) in its own organic way, the project ended up becoming what she and I wanted to do years ago, “Charli says. “There were several songs my uncle, Beau Huggins (the album’s executive producer), (received from songwriters/producers) and he kept saying, ‘I can hear your mom on this.’ Beau (who executive produced Melba’s albums in the 1980s) always knew my mother’s voice. In my opinion, her best work has been done with my uncle. So, I approached my mom about recording the songs and we all got together and put them down.”
Charli continues, “Over the years, my mom has put out a lot of dance records and we thought what we were doing was fresh and bringing her back to her R&B roots. Essentially, my family came together to help me bring my vision to reality and we have achieved that and so much more.”
The album and title track, with lyrics by Chantel Hampton, sets the tone for the entire project.
“The song is about really having paradise on earth,” Melba says. “(What) if everybody can live in peace? What if there was no more war? It’s written so beautifully that collectively we thought regardless of what the rest of the album is, this should be what our theme is, and what we want people to focus on.”
In addition to co-writing So In Love, Rahni Song and Chantel Hampton also co-wrote Take Me Way, which will be the next single from the album. Melba and her team also brought on writers/producers Janice Dempsey and Danny Pickering, who both co-wrote four tracks – Since I Took My Heart Back, Take Her Picture Down, Joy and Pain, and Forever.
Melba’s songwriting/producing team is a nod to her chart-topping days of the 1970s and 1980s. However, the actress/singer wants her seasoned fans and newer listeners to know that she has evolved.
“I have lots of younger people bringing me new music,” Melba says. “So, I’m making changes. I’m going to give you (my) history, but I’m not going to insist that you just stay in my bubble.”
Melba’s history makes her a formidable force.
Hailing from New York City, the former public school music teacher has released over twenty albums since 1970 and garnered several R&B top ten hits and two number 1 R&B singles. Her two top tracks – A Little Bit More (duet with Freddie Jackson) and Falling – charted in 1986
She also earned three Grammy nominations – the first one was in 1971 for Best New Artist. The 1976 cover of Aretha Franklin’s classic Lean On Me earned Melba a nod for Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance – Female, while Read My Lips, released in 1985, led to a Best Female Rock Vocal Performance nomination.
Melba’s story, like other classic Black music artists, is important to note and to tell. During the height of COVID, DJs everywhere began pushing older and younger artists together on social media. DJ D-Nice often went viral during his virtual pandemic concerts because he amplified the importance of Black music by showcasing R&B giants alongside newer music stars. Melba was one of the artists D-Nice lifted up and helped introduce to a younger audience. His favorite song by her is 1978’s You Stepped Into My Life. Melba says that it is important that new generations of musicians and listeners recognize the long hard road fought by African American music artists.
“We’re the foundation of it, not by ourselves, but we can’t be excluded because without us, you wouldn’t be right.” Melba says. “Since God has given me my good health and ability to continue to do my work, it’s my privilege now to say, ‘This is where it came from, this is how it was, and I’m here to pass it on to you.’ “It is not only the foundation of Afrocentric culture, but it’s part of America and world history.”
In addition to her recording career, the 5-octave singer is a Broadway star.
Melba’s first stint on Broadway was in the original cast of Hair in 1968. She replaced Diane Keaton and became the first African American woman to step in for a white actress in a lead role on Broadway. Two years later, she stunned in Purlie and won a Tony for her performance as Luttiebelle Gussie Mae Jenkins. (The musical was based on a 1961 play written by the late great Ossie Davis called Purlie Victorious). Her other Broadway works include Timbuktu, alongside Eartha Kitt and directed by Geoffrey Holder, Inacent Black, Ain’t Misbehavin, BKLYN, and Chicago. In the mid-1990s, she set another first when she became the first Black woman to play the lead role of Fantine in Les Miserables.
Melba says of Broadway, “That was my entree into really the A-listers and it threw me into television. I was on shows with the likes of Bea Arthur, Rock Hudson, and the live shows I did, all the major supper clubs around the country, I was on Johnny Carson, and all the major TV shows. It threw me into stardom and from there on that’s when my public life began.”
Additional honors include a Drama Desk Award, an Ellis Island award, The Artist Guild Award, and a Trumpet Award of Excellence. Other accomplishments were her being the first solo artist to perform a non-operatic concert at the Metropolitan Opera House, performing at the L’Olympia Hall in Paris, France, playing at the White House under Presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, and performing before the United Nations General Assembly.
Melba’s busy career did not stop her from political activism.
A civil and equal rights activist in advocating for minorities, children, and women’s rights, Melba marched arm-in-arm with Coretta Scott King and Rev. Jesse Jackson. She also worked closely with Dr. Betty Shabazz, Dr. Dorothy Height (National Council of Negro Women), and Dr. C. Delores Tucker (National Political Congress of Black Women).
Melba’s activism led to her 1990 version of Lift Every Voice and Sing being entered into the Congressional Record as the second official Black National Anthem. In 2017, it was added to the United States National Recording Registry and preserved by the Library of Congress as an “American Aural Treasure.” Melba recorded the song with Bebe and Cece Winans, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Anita Baker, Bobby Brown, Gerald Albright, Freddie Jackson, Howard Hewitt, Jeffrey Osborne, The Clark Sisters, Terri Lyne Carrington, Stephanie Mills, and Take 6. The video, featuring a dance by Jasmine Guy, was directed by Debbie Allen, while Rev. Jesse Jackson and Lou Gossett Jr. served as narrators. (The first version recognized by the Library Congress was the 1923 version by Manhattan Harmony Four. Lift Every Voice and Sing was written and produced by James Weldon Johnson and his brother John Rosamond Johnson respectively in 1900).
In August 2022, Melba, who has continued serving the community, will receive President Joe Biden’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which she says, “Comes from essentially community service and that’s exciting.”
Melba Moore is living her best life by doing what she loves most – working with family, recording music, and sharing her joy and strength by giving back to the community.
The Stanislaus County Fair Welcomes Bone Thugs -N- Harmony
