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—THE CHARLOTTE POST *
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--Thursday. APril !»■ 1»84 - THE CHARLOTTE POST - Page IB
'* - ' # #
Michael Jackson To Appear
On Annual Black Gold Award
The soulful sounds of
some of the nation’s hot
test rhythm and blues ar
tists will be coming your
way from 6-8 p.m., Satur
day, April 28, when WPCQ
(Channel 36) presents the
First Annual Black Gold
Awards.
Hosted by entertainer
Lou Rawls, this one-hour
special promises to be an
intoxicating evening of
—ontertninnwit nri»h
soul-stirring stars as
Michael Jackson, Donna
Summer, Herbie Hancock,
Thelma Houston
others. Singing sensation
Deniece Williams will Join
Rawls as co-host, -along
with the fabulous Gladys
Knight and the Pips, as
MfckMl 4MkM»
they bring the show to you
from the lamed Coconut
Grove.
-—The Black Gold Awards
Popular Three Rk^ Grci*
Coming To Tryon Mall
Leanne tan is neither an
airplane pilot nor a ste
wardess, but most , of her
working hours are spent in
the air. That’s because
Leanne is the featured
aerialist with Roberts
Bros. Three Ring Circus
coming to Charlotte on
Friday and Saturday, April
20-21.
Born to parents who
* were trapeze performers,
Leanne was introduced to
the daring profession at an
early age. Her training in
the graceful art began al
most as soon as she could
walk.
w or King without a net, •
Leaime performs a routine
of mid-air gymnastic mar
vels with grace and artis
tic showmanship that
ranks her as one of the
world’s foremost aerial
stars today.
Acrobats, jugglers, equi
librists, tumblers and
clowns are also among the
talented performers on the
circus bill. Trained goats,
dogs, ponies and an ele
phant acts are other pro
gram highlights. *
Roberts Bros. Circus is
one of a very few circuses
appearing under a big top
still touring America
today. Showgrounds Will be
at Try on. Mall, with per
formances scheduled at 6
and 6 p.m. Friday with the
midway opening an hour
earlier, so you will have
time to enjoy the many
varied concession stands.
The circus appearance in
this area is being spon
sored by Try on Mall Mer
chants. Advance tickets
are available from any
members of the organiza
tion at a reduced rate
prior to circus day.
C try Fair
You are invited to a
day, April 28, from 10 a m~
until 4 p.m. at Albemarle
Road Elementary School.
There will be crafts,
games, refreshments, a
white elephant sale, face
painters, and lots of fun for
the entire family.
This evenTis sponsored
by.tbeschoottum.
will recognize the top soul
entertainers in 13 cate
gories including Top Male
Female Vocalist, Top
Vocal Group, Hottest Male
Female Newcomer and
Song of the Year.
Along with the award
presentations, there will be
live performances by Jeff
rey Osborne singing
"We’re On The Way,”
Evelyn King singing
“Shake Down” and Angela
—performing her hit
“Special Delivery.” ' 1
In addition, there will be
full-length videos by the
electrifjgliqp Michael Jack- ..
son, Herbie Hancock and
Donna Summer.
Presenting the awards
will be LeVar Burton, An
drae Crouch. A1 Green,
Herbie Hancock, Janet
Jackson, Ray Parker, Jr.,
Shalamar, Thelma Hou
ston and The Weather
girls.
There will be a special
tribute paid to Jackie Wil
son, and a Black Legend
Award will be presented to
Joe Williams.
Concert Canceled
Two performances by
Robert Guillaume, star of
ABC-TV’s comedy “Ben
son,” have been cancelled
by mutual agreement
Boris Settees executive
director of Spirit Square,
announced this week.
Sellers said that ticket
sales for Guillaume’s May
5 shows were slower than
expected and that Spirit
Square and Guillaume’s
agent mutually agreed to
the cancellation. Sellers
said he has no plans for a
replacement so close to the
_ da**
The Spirit Square Sox "
Office, located at 318 North
Try on Street, will make
refunds to ticket buyers
who do not wish to trade
their Guillaume tickets for
another performance. Box
Office hours are 9 a.m, - 5
p.m. Monday through Sa
- -torday . .*•
RAY CHARLES
-Genuis cf soul
Charles’ Music Transcends
All Barriers Of Language
By Loretta Manago
Post Staff Writer
“When you take a song
and make it a part of
you...a part that’s so true,
so real, people think it
must have happened to
you,” you have done some
thing so incredible and rare
that you deserve to be
called a “genius” at what
you do.
Although the above quo
tation is Ray Charles’
definition of soul, it is also
r~fRe~6piU)llu; uf wliat enter—
tainer Ray Charles has
done throughout his 30-year
career. Through each per
formance, through each re
cording, Ray Charles has
bared his soul to his au
dience, leaving no one un
touched.
- “His- music transcends
all barriers of language,
culture, educational differ
ences and runs the gamut
of musical fashions,
making rhythm and blues,
country and rock and roll
uniquely his elements,
communicable to no less
large an audience than the
generic group - ‘homo
sapiens.’”
Like so few artists, Ray
Charles seems to have an '
understanding of music
that far exceeds notes, and
—the purr hrnnty
that music offers.
“I was bom with music
inside me,” stated Ray
Charles. “Music was one of
my parts, .it was a neces
sity for me - like food and
water.”
No doubt, music served
as Charles’ food and water.
At the early age of four, he
was already banging away
on the piano keyboard.
Today an accomplished
musician, Charles has
taught himself how to play
and write for every brass
and wind instrument in an
orchestra, specializing in
piano, organ and saxo
phone. He composes and
arranges as well.
What Charles has accom
plished musically has not
come easily. Charles
_jearned early in life that
/ou have to fight for what
/ou want. Losing his sight
at the age of six, Charles
was given a bit of wise
advice from his mother
She told him, “You’re
blind, not stupid You lost
your sight, not your mind.”
See Charles On Page 4B