tL ENTERTAINMENT IT
— TEDE CHARLOTTE P08T
Tburwtay, March 28,1978-THE CHARLOTTE
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New Rufus,
Chaka Khan
LP Strikes Gold
Street Player, Rufus and
Chaka Khan’s sixth ABC al
bum, has been certified gold
by the R.I.A.A.
The LP, released Jan. 20,
follows the immense success
of the group’s 1977 album,Ask
RUFUS, which recently recei
ved platinum certification.
In honor of the group’s
on going sales achievements,
ABC Records recently held a
special dinner for the group at
LeDome Restaurant in Los
Angeles. Top ABC execu
tives, group management re
presentatives, and band mem
bers were among those in
attendance. During the even
ing, Street Player gold albums
“Stay” is the new single
from Street Player. Rufus and
Chaka Khan embark on an
extensive, two-month national
tour beginning March 17 in
Houston, Texas.
Channel 9 To Air
“King Of Kings”
I
Easter Sunday
The classic Easter epic,
“King of Kings," an elabo
rately told story of Jesus of
Nazareth, will be presented on
Channel Nine Easter Sunday,
March X at 3:30 p.m. on
Academy Award Theatre.
The original Cecil B. De
Mille film opens in the house
of Mary Magdelene who la
ter becomes one of Jesus s
most devoted followers. As the
story unravels, the life and
works of Jesus are highlighted
and the characters of each of
his disciples are developed.
Flip Wilson To
Appear On Milton
Berle Special
Johnny Canon, Gene Kelly,
Donny and Marie Osmond,
Gregory Peck, Frank Sinatra,
Mark) Thomas, and Flip Wil
son heighten the star list of “A
Tribute to Mr. Television Mil
ton Berle”on Channel Nine
Sunday, March M at 9 p.m.
They join Lucille Ball, Joey
Bishop, George Carlin, Angie
Dickinson, Kirk Dot«las, Bob
Hope, Gabriel Kaplan, Kermit
the frog, Carl Reiner, and Don
Rickies.
R. D. HUDMON
— Taught himself to play
R. D. Hudmon’s Music Is
Classified As Classical Soul
By Cynthia Bell
Post Staff Writer
“Closer To You” represents
one of the best rhythm and
blues LPs released in the 70’s.
E.D. Hudmon, who recorded
this album says,“I'M SING
ing what I feel. I can’t do a
song if I don’t feel it.”
R.D.’s music can be classi
fied as Classical Soul. His
style of music is strictly rhy
thm and blues. He has been
influenced by many great soul
artist like Otio Redding, Wil
son Pickett, Sam Cooke, Per
cy Sledge, and Solomon Bur
rk.
Born under the sign of Leo,
R. D. became interested in
piano at the early age of six.
He couldn’t help but pick It up
since both his mother and
sister played. R. D.,however,
taught himself to play, first on
the black and then the white
keys. “It’s a self-taught thing,
really,” says R. D.
His first performing exper
ience wee In church where be
sang and played gospel sor^s
like “The Lord Will Make A
Way” and “What A Friend We
Have In Jesus." He can
remember liking church and
singing with the choirs. At a
very young age, he played for
three different church choirs
until he made his first record
at the age of 12.
“Everybody in my commu
nitywould want me to come
over and play piano for them
and sing gospel songs,” says
Hudmon. “I never stopped
going to church. I was a real
hard believer inGod and I still
am - but I got out of playing for
the church,” he recalls. He
felt that he bad a greater
potential and he wasn't reach
ing it with the church.
He met a local group called"
The Stolen Children" and his
father put-up money for the
group to make their first
> recording.
Friends heard him playing
blusi on the piano at a party at
htt house and Insisted that he
go to Atlanta and let Joe South
hear him. His parents were
skeptical at first but finally
agreed for the trip. R D.
made a demo of “Yesterday” ,
the old tune and JoeSouth
really like it.
' Gwen Kesler had started
her own distributorship and
Hudmon went to work for her
as a record promotion man
working about 25 different
labels as well as his own
record on the side. Joe Galkin,
the Miami-based promotion
man , who had promoted
successful artist like Otis Red
ding, Solomon Burke, and Joe
Tex for Atlantic persuaded
Atlantic to pick up the rights
to Hudmon’s own “How Can 1
Be A Witness ” Sales for the
single sky rocket ted and Hud
mon gave up his Job as
promotion man and returned
to live performances. This
single was awarded a gold
record for its sales in South
Africa.
He released two follow-up
singles, “Whatever Makes
You Happy” and “This Could
Be The Night", which paved
the way to his debut LP
“Cloeer To You.”
Sammy Davis, Jr._
To Be Featured
On Oscar Show
Sammy Davis, Jr. will be
featured in a special produc
tion number on the 50th Annu
al Awards Presentation of the
Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences, Producer
Howard W. Koch announced
today.
Davis will sing “Come Light
the Candles” described as a
ballad relating to the evening,
Oscar’s Golden Jubilee Cele
bration. He will be accompa
nied on the piano by Marvin
Hamlisch, who wrote the song
with Carole Bayer Sager.
This will be Davis' sixth
show, dating back to 1959. He
has performed on every occa
sion, signing nominated or
specialty songs and serving as
master of ceremonies twice.
He last appeared in 1974.
Oscars for outstanding film
achievements of 1977 will be
presented Monday, April 3, at
the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
of the Los Angeles Music
Center. The show will be
telecast live by the ABC Tele
vision Network, starting at 7
p.m., Los Angeles time.
Roberta Flack’s
Newest Album
Strikes Gold
“Blue Lights in the Base
ment,” by Atlantic's recor
ding artist Roberta Flack has
been certified gold for sales
over 500,000 units. Both the
album and the single “The
Closer I Get To You” (recor
ded with Donny Hathaway)
are enjoying success on pop
and rhythm and blues charts.
A special surprise luncheon
was held for Ms. Flack when
she was presented her gold
album for "Blue Lights In The
Basement." This album is the
seventh for the label and
many of Atlantic's executives
were on hand to help her
celebrate number seven
Currently Ms. Flack has
launched a 19 city tour across
the United States. She will
appear in Charlotte on April
23 at Ovens Auditorium with
CBS recording star Bill Wi
thers. Musicians to accompa
ny Ms. Flack in concert will be
Harry Whitaker who is musi
cal Director, arranger, and
plays keyboards, Howard
King (drummer), James
Mtume on percussion, and
Brenda White getting down
on vocals ' *