one night entertainers - Regional One Health Foundation

ONE NIGHT ENTERTAINERS
ONE NIGHT ENTERTAINERS
For four consecutive years, chart-topping artists, such as Kool & the Gang, The Commodores, The Four Tops and Eddie
Floyd, performed at MED Night: A Soul Celebration. This year, the inaugural ONE Night promises a night of more soul,
more funk and more groove with these three world-renowned recording artists.
THE BAR-KAYS
FUNK-O-MATIC
“Where there’s smoke there’s fire,” the saying goes. But where there’s
smoke and fire, it just may be a live performance by The Bar-Kays. The
funk-o-matic Memphis group has been setting audiences ablaze for the
past four decades.
Originating as the Stax Records’ house band in 1966, The Bar-Kays were
born from soul music and turbulent times. At the end of Jim Crow’s reign,
these young Memphians were finding their musical voice and offering listeners a safe haven from the racial unrest
surrounding them. In a city known for singing the blues and birthing rock ‘n’ roll, the sound of soul offered a raw,
and real-deal, relevance to a young African-American community seeking a sound of its own. The Bar-Kays were the
epicenter of this fertile creativity.
The Bar-Kays have a career total of 29 albums, including one platinum album, five gold albums, and 20 top 10 singles.
The Bar-Kays’ music has been sampled by everyone, from Coolio to Will Smith, to old schoolers like Cameo. Their
career has been documented in music institutions such as the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame. The Bar-Kays recently were asked to donate iconic stage garb and musical equipment to the
esteemed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
THE POINTER SISTERS
POP BEATS
The Pointer Sisters began their formal vocal training in their father’s
church, The Church of God in West Oakland, California. They went on to
achieve worldwide fame and have secured a place in pop music history
as a dynamic female group! Their first performance in Los Angeles at the
Troubadour club was hailed by critics for its versatility and range and
called The Pointer Sisters “the most exciting thing to hit show business in
years.” Their 1973 debut album gave us the singles, “Yes We Can, Can,” which reached #11 on Billboard magazine’s pop
singles chart. The album was certified gold and the group had become the most talked-about new act of the year.
The sisters became the first black female group to ever perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. They also
became the first contemporary act to perform at the San Francisco Opera House and released a live recording of the
performance. In 1975, “Fairytale” won the sisters their first Grammy Award, for Best Country Performance by a Duo or
Group with Elvis Presley later covering the tune. The Pointer Sisters landed all over MTV, becoming one of the first
ONE NIGHT ENTERTAINERS
black acts to be played in heavy rotation. “Jump(for my love)” raced to #3 on the pop
charts. “I’m So Excited” hit the Top 10 and became a Pointer classic. “Neutron Dance,”
featuring Ruth’s gospel-spiked shouts, rose to #6 on the pop charts as its video dominated MTV.
The sisters went on to be honored on the Soul of American Music Awards and were also inducted into the Soul Train
Hall of Fame. They performed a special concert at the White House for then-President Bill Clinton. In 1996, they were
one of the legendary acts that performed at the closing ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and the group
was saluted with Fire – The Very Best of the Pointer Sisters, a 36-song anthology that chronicled the sisters’ career.
In recent years, the group has performed with some of the greatest symphony orchestras in the world, including
San Francisco, Jacksonville, Atlanta’s Symphony Orchestra and the renowned Boston Pops. They were a smash hit
at Night of the Proms, which spanned over 50 sold-out performances throughout Germany, Holland and Belgium,
and has secured the group many more successful tours in Europe. The group recorded a live CD/DVD, which captured
the energetic Pointers performing the hits that fans of all ages continue to enjoy! Ruth, Anita and Sadako(Ruth’s
granddaughter) maintain a busy touring schedule and perform the music of The Pointer Sisters all over the world.
THE O’JAYS
PHILLY SOUL
The O’Jays are touring history, a connection to an era and a sound that
formed the soundtrack for the lives of several generations. The O’Jays are
still hitting the road with the same electrifying energy they’ve had for over
50 years.
In 1963, the band took the name “The O’Jays” in tribute to Cleveland radio
disc jockey Eddie O’Jay. Several members have changed, but the core,
original lead singers Eddie Levert and Walter Williams, continue to front the group.
In 1972, Gamble & Huff, a team of producers and songwriters with whom the O’Jays had been working for several
years, signed the group to their Philadelphia International label. With this magic formula, often called The Sound
of Philadelphia, The O’Jays scored the first # 1 and million-seller, “Backstabbers.” Subsequently, they succeeded
with various chart-topping pop and R&B singles including “Love Train,” “Put Your Hands Together,” “For The Love of
Money,” “I Love Music,” “Darlin’ Darlin’ Baby (Sweet, Tender, Love),” “Livin’ For The Weekend” and “Use Ta Be My Girl.”
This success propelled The O’Jays to be the first black vocal group to perform in arenas throughout America during
the 1970s and ‘80s.
The O’Jays were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall
of Fame in 2005 and honored with BET’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. In 2013, they were inducted into The
Official R&B Music Hall of Fame. Today, the songs of The O’Jays are still being used in many movies, commercials and
TV shows. “For The Love of Money” continues to be the theme song for “The Apprentice.”
Eddie Levert Sr., Walter Williams Sr. and Eric Nolan Grant, who joined the group in 1995, continue to thrill fans today.
Throughout their career The O’Jays have achieved 10 Gold albums, nine Platinum albums and 10 #1 hits. It’s been a
long journey but thanks to the fans the LOVE TRAIN is still going strong!