Posted by Susan Whitall on Fri, Nov 14, 2008 at 12:18 AM
www.detnews.com, Detroit News
Motown fundraiser launches Motown 50 celebrations
The Velvelettes and Ollie Ali Woodson performed two shows at Arturo's Jazz Club in Southfield for an audience of Motown alumni, fans and friends Thursday night.
Lead singer Cal Street of the Velvelettes dragged a life-size stand-up of Barack Obama onstage, to general cheers, and the girl group did their best moves to "Too Many Fish in the Sea" in front of the cardboard president-elect.
Woodson was backed by DMK, the group of young teenaged girls that includes Levi Stubbs' granddaughter Kourtney, and the group has steps and pipes way beyond their years.
Woodson's version of the Friends of Distinction song "Going in Circles" was stellar, just the sort of lead vocal that shows his wide range.
The evening was a casual fundraiser for the Motown Historical Museum, and museum CEO Audley Smith reminded the crowd that the Motown No. 1s box set comes out Dec. 8, and that Jan. 12 is the date to remember, the actual Motown 50 anniversary that will be celebrated at Hitsville.
Smith also revealed that Annie Leibovitz's photographs of Motown luminaries like Berry Gordy Jr. and Smokey Robinson, published in the latest issue of Vanity Fair, would come to town in a special exhibit.
Museum chair Robin Terry passed on "hugs and kisses" from her grandmother, museum founder Esther Gordy Edwards.
Motown producer Clay McMurray emceed the first show; veteran disc jockey Jay Butler did that job for the second. Motown alumni in the early show audience included Councilwoman Martha Reeves; drummer Uriel Jones, guitarist Dennis Coffey; arranger Paul Riser, Temptations guitarist/musical director Cornelius Grant; Pat Cosby, widow of producer Hank and a Motown employee in her own right, and etiquette teacher Mrs. Maxine Powell.
Out in the crowd encouraging young Kourtney as she sang with DMK was her mom Kelly, aunt Deborah and grandmother Clineice Stubbs.
www.ladiesfirstent.net
12.29.09 | "He Lives" the Story of Jesus told through the eyes of Matthew
Grammy Award Winning Producer Terry Lewis (Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis) along with Olympia Entertainment presents an epic new musical production called "He Lives", the story of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Matthew.
"He Lives" will tour internationally beginning early 2011.
Music & Concept: Billy Osborn
Written by: Angela Barrow-Dunlap
Choreography: Arina Popova
01.14.10 | Congratulations to the Cast of "He Lives"
Ladies First Entertainment would like to congratulate the following individuals for winning a role in the Epic Musical "He Lives":
Youth Cast: DMK (Detroit's Musical Kuties)