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* Winston-Salem Chronicle Spotlight Phyllis Hyman: of a woman' con When 6-foot-2 Phyllis Hyman debuted on Broadway, the theatre critics and audiences discovered what the music community had known for some time: that she is a performer with astonishing gifts. Both reviewers for The New York Times reached for ^ ? superlatives to describe her impactjp 4 * Sophisticated ???-LadinwiLW 't'whtr ? deserves all the accent and glow a glittering carbonarc can give her. Her wonderfully smokey vocal chords seem to have been born and reared in the Cotton Club and then sent out into the world to get along on their own." And Frank Rich wrote, "When Phyllis Hyman, a cool tomcat of a woman, applies her powerful, smokey voice to 4In a Sentimental Mood,* she immediately transports the audiences to a 52nd Street saloon of yesteryear at 3 in the morning." Phyllis' triumph onstage, singing the timeless songs of Duke Ellington, was a landmark in her career, and earned her a Tony nomination. But there are many more sides to her talents, as she demonstrates convincingly on her latest album, "Goddess of Love." It's an LP that showcases her smoldering voice in a new, contemporary light. Its production was divided between Narada Michael Walden (whose recent production of Angela Bofill yielded the No. 1 R&B hit "Too Tough") and Thom Bell (a name synonymous with the Philadelphia soul sound), and the results are extraordinary. It seems incredible that, at an early point in her career, Hyman "used to think people were out of their minds for paying good money to come and hear me sing." Despite a nervous public debut in junior high f school ("1 remember my legs shaking and my voice quivering") Phyllis went on to sing in Pittsburgh's All-City Choir, and received the first music scholarship given by a business college. There, she trained to kbe a legal secretary, and worked after graduation for the neighborhood legal services office. 'f Her professional music career got its start in 1971 when Phyllis landed a job with a singing group called The New Direction and embarked on a six-month Itour of cities that included Las Vegas, Chicago and Miami, as well as Nassau and Puerto Rico. When the sextet disbanded, she went back to Pittsburgh for a ^lf &: % Songwriter-singer-producer Kashlf has not only iffokgn-nwr^tctiisslosUM^ gwnwd ^>y ming Ums , ^s^v^tr il asi lih btMtLPf "Ser*d Me Your Love," but he also has created a program exclusively for the computerized music system. The Summer Films 'Gremlins': A viol ByALLENH.J0HNS?N onMaij Executive Editor - . , It s c< Though it's hardly in the class of "E.T.," in a I "Gremlins" is a solid, often exhilarating Everyto study in slapstick terror. That' Hi<? fQiriv nften in this children's bother ) rcu^it uiv 4u>. v film for grownups. But you don't feel all believe, that horrified, when, for instance, a tyran- gets flai nical widow (Polly Holliday) bites the dust. vial of You may even laugh -- if you don't cheer ing, bu first. tube, g Gremlins also make their maker in blown i "Gremlins." One explodes in a microwave "Grc oven. Another falls into a blender and gets (Zach ( the same comeuppance carrots get when they small-t< become Carrot juice. And you laugh. His fat To watch "Gremlins," whose co- ting all 1 executive producer is some guy named unforti Steven Spielberg, is to watch Bugs Bunny Whil battle the Tasmanian pevil in your backyard trip, D or t'.r Road Runner outsmart Wiley Coyote -- whc I The Arts, Leisure, * 'A cool tomcat IPS into her own * wisy &mm w v vr f mm short hiatus before joining All The People In Miami. "I became kind of the 4in thing' in Florida," Phyllis says, "because there weren't many singers there at the time who could do all different types of material: Latin, jazz and songs by the Isley Brothers and Cole Porter. Lt was in Miami where 1 realh^ lt was also there that she appeared in a cameo role in Bob Fosse's film version of "Lenny." After three years in Florida, Phyllis was ready for New York City, starting first at Rust Brown's club on West 96th Street. Her engagements began attracting superstars like Roberta Flack, George Benson, George Harrison, Stevie Wonder and Ashford and Simpson. They also attracted Norman Connors, then looking for a female vocalist for the album, "You Are My Starship." Phyllis wound up doing three songs on the record, including "We Both Need Each Other," with Michael Henderson, and "Betcha By Golly Wow," as well as touring with Connors and Henderson. Soon to follow was Phyllis' first album, simply titl ed "Phyllis Hyman." It included such tracks as the hit "Loving You, Losing You" and "1 Don't Want To Lose You." Her second album, "Somewhere In My Lifetime," received critical acclaim, triggered by the title track (a soaring ballad produced by Barry Manilow) and hits like 4Kiss You All Over." That was followed by another hit LP, 44You Know How To Love Me," and by her appearances as a featured vocalist on two movie scores, "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh" and Chuck Mangione's 4'Children of Sanchez." Then, while singing at Mikell's on New York's upper West Side, Phyllis was spotted by the musical arranger and coordinator for "Sophisticated Ladies," who went to the producers and told them he'd found ~~the right person for a role they were trying to fill. She had a successful audition and was cast in the production, which led to a Tony nomination for Best Supporting Actress and the Theatre World Award for Most Promising New Talent. Reviewing the original casTHlbuni (trthe play. High Fidelity said, "Phvllis Hvman. Amazonian in beautv and stature. Please see page B10 Musical Notes Prince's new mo\ Details are beginning to emerge on the hush - hush film project initiated by the 24-year-old Newsweek has called "perhaps the most exciting new star in pop music today" ? Prince. The $7 million flick, titled "Purple Rain," includes Prince, his Minneapolis cohort Morris Day, head of The Time (which Rolling Stone calls "the tightest, funkiest live band in America"), members of the controversial female group known as Apollonia 6 and a female lead discovered by Prince namcH Annllnnia But "Purple Rain" is not just a music film. The picture was directed by A1 Magnoli, a 30-year-old filmmaker whose short, "Jazz," won six national awards and whose work has been listed in the "Encyclopedia Brittannica." Says Magnoli: "This is a story ... a story of transcendence. It's a film that takes chances, that defies the rules, that has deeply personal emotional content." "Purple Rain," which received wild enthusiasm when it was screened secretly for test audiences, was filmed in Prince's home town (Minneapolis)T where the picture's producers (Prince's maha^gTftehTThTTC Cavallo, Ruffalo and Fargnoli) set up a cinematic ent blend of humor, i Street. obscure Chin* 3mic books and cartoons come to life the "mogwai' film set in an idyllic American sent ? as well iwn. should never s why the characters' deaths don't should he con /ou so much. You know it's all make- As always Just like Yosemite Sam, who gets movies, those ttened by a boulder or blown up by a you can say 4 nitroglycerin every Saturday morn- little tyke spj it, come next week, returns to the that evolve ;ood as new, to get flattened and bad-guy grer jp again. anybody's ex] imlins" stars an ali-American boy Much of t jalligan) named Billy who works at a gremlin ramp 3wn bank to help support his family. dastardly g her (Hoyt Axton). works, too, inven- gremlin po kinds of ingenious contraptions that, breakdancers inately, don't work. It's fun if le visting Chinatown on a business don't expect ad discovers a charming little creature But Fellini it >m he later names Gizmo - in an Pic u. ( Music, Columns m fl Sophisticated Lady Phyllis Hyman: Wooing critics, audiences and hei ie to premiere later tl center complete with sound and film editing facilities. Security was airtight. Reporters were kept off the set and none of the crew was allowed to discuss the film with outsiders. The feature attracted a host of Hollywood veterans to brave Minneapolis' mid-winter blizzards. Among those forsaking the sun for "Purple Rain" were: Donald L. Thorin, photographic director (from "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "Against All Odds"); Mike Frankovich Jr., production manager (from films like "Cactus Flower" and "Guns of Navaronne"); Ward Preston, production designer (from films like "9 to 5" and "Airplane"), and Craig Denault, camera operator (whcvjust came from work on the current Robert Redford-Robert Duvall film, "The Natural". The tentative release date for "Purple Rain" is July 27 by Warner Brothers. The film will be accompanied by a soundtrack album ? Prince's first new TP in close to two years. Curiously enough. Prince's last album -- "1999" -- is sM riding Trigh on rhr 'bom trr f+vr- ^ "1999" was the only two-record set in the last year horror w sse novelty store. He presents ' to his son as a Christmas pre- w as.a warning that the creature be fed after midnight nor jBfl ne the two things happen faster than 'box office hit" and the gentle awns a carpetful of fuzzballs into mischievous, murderous that'll do anything pense for a good time. he the film features age througn town that includes remlin Christmas carolers, I ker players and gremlin, you're looking for fun and SOUth?TH to be intellectualjy stimulated. ain't. Cinnamon Reggae's Joe 1 jase see page B10 the group's recent perfori ? . /? The Chronicle, Thursday, June 21, 1984-Page B9 I -x -v.V^ CT^geer^.T./ -i.''" "~ 1,1 IL r t ^ ,,>i>ii>;jhtfy>^'?**^? ** i v i . 1 his summer ko go double-platinum. Victorious Preparations Marlon, Tito, Jackie, Randy, Jermaine and Michael Jackson are on target with the preparations for their "Victory Tour," described by numerous publications as the largest in the history of the entertainment industry. Backup musicians were chosen for the tour in midMay and have been rehearsing with Randy and Tito Jackson daily since then. Rehearsals to design the choreography began May 15. All of the dance moves for the tour are being conceived by Marlon, Jackie and Michael Jackson. And rehearsals on the tour's top-secret stage set (designed by Michael and his brothers) began May 23. Meanwhile, the Jacksons finished recording 16 potential tracks for their upcoming "Victory" LP and narrowed it down to the eight cuts that will appear on the album. Those tracks, which are currently 1 ^Mckspo'-s "Bfldy, _ Randy Jackson V "One More Please see page B10 r, ^prt. - ^ ? vx 4 gae Daniels takes time out for some hand-clapping during mance in Winston Square (photo by James Parker). i
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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June 21, 1984, edition 1
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