ENTERTAINMENT
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Thursday. Feb. 9,1978-THE CHARLOTTE post-p..». iB
Roberta Flack
Releasee First
LP In 3 Years
Big name Rhythm and
Blues recording artist Rober
ta Flack has released her first
album in three years. "Blue
Lights In The Basement" is
rising fast on both Pop and
Rhythm and Blues charts.
"What's Going On" released
as a single earlier is being
followed by "The Closer I Get
To You." This album marks
the first collaboration that Ms.
Flack has had with co-vocalist
Donny Hathaway in five
years. For Hathaway, it is his
first appearance on a record
in four years.
Ms. Flack reeentlv nerfor
med for a capacity crowd of
800 at the opening night of the
National Liberty Award ban
quet. This $1,000 a plate affair
is the second annual conven
tion of the National Black
Caucus of Local Elected Offi
cials.
A prestigious . award was
presented to A. Phillip Ran
dolph by a committee com
prised of Atlanta Mayor May
nard Jackson, Loe Angeles
Mayor Tom Bradley, and Ber
keley Mayor Warren Widener.
Ms. Flack was also presented
a similar award for volunteer
ing her services at this con
vention.
CBS Sports To
Air Muhammad
Ali-Spink Bout
Muhammad Ali,' heavy
weight champion of the world,
will put his crown on the line
against unbeaten Leon S pinks
as part of a championship
tripleheader to be broadcast
live by CBS Sports, Wednes
day, February IS, to be joined
in progress at approximately 9
p.m. following the N.C. State
Duke Basketball game on
WBTV, Channel 3.
Spinks, Olympic gold medal
light heavyweight champion
will meet Ali for the heavy
weight title.
Ray'e Jealousy
Ray Ellis parlays a chance
meeting with a former school
beauty queen into an all-out
campaign to make his es
tranged wife Jealous, on "Ba
by, I'm Back," Monday, Feb
ruary 13 at 8:30 p.m. on WBTV
Channel 3.
Ray reminds Olivia of their
15th wedding anniversary and
suggests an evening out on the
town.
LEKOY HUTSON
—Former Impression
Leroy Hutson Blossomed
Like A Spring Flower
Dy ^jruuilD oeil
Poet Staff Writer
At the close of the Sixties,
Howard University in Wash
ington, D.C. was undergoing a
musical experience. Leroy
Hutson, a music student there,
was blossoming like a Spring
flower.
Being influenced by his ta
lented roommate, Donny Ha
thaway, the two of them co
wrote several hit songs. "The
Ghetto" was recorded by Don
ny Hathaway on his EVERY
THING IS EVERYTHING LP
Their friend Roberta Flack
recorded "Trying Time" and
"Παπ· Au/αν" firnm thp
CHAPTER TWO LP) initiât
ing them into the industry.
Hutson was asked to join
The Impressions to replace
lead singer Curtis Mayfield
following his graduation from
Howard in 1970. This was a
grand opportunity for him to
exhibit his talents as a perfor
mer, producer, and writer.
Being a little skeptical of
how the public would react to
the Impressions without their
lead singer, Fred Cash of the
group remembers, "We asked
Leroy to come over to one of
our last shows with Curt. We
did some acapella stuff in the
dressing room, and I told
Leroy to go home and play all
his Impressions records in
order to learn the parts "
Being a very bright young
man, that was exactly what he
did. Within three days Leroy
was into the act and apparent
ly very well judging from the
reception they got at their first
show together in Central
Park.
Leroy Hutson stayed with
The Impressions for over two
years. His love for his family
drew him back home being
powered by his ever pressing
desire to write, produce, ar
range, and play numerous
instruments It was not long
before he produced his debut
album LOVE OH LOVE, on
Curtom Lable, of which Curtis
Mayfleld Is co-president.
This Newark, New Jersey
native received a very warm
well as the music industry.
The album and the title cut
quickly zoomed high on the
charts. Within the industry,
Roberta Flack who had recor
ded some of his earlier work
said, "Leroy Hutson is a talen
ted writer." Piping hot disc
jockey Jay Todd Johnson of
Chicago's WVON said, "Leroy
has impressed me with his
total knowledge of music...I
think he's a mother..."
Hutson has been exerted into
developing his career. It goes
way back to his days of
grammer and high school
when he first sang profession
al with a group called "The
Nu-Tones." As a member ol
numerous gospel choirs and
choruses, Hutson continued
his career while at Howard
He was part of a duo, "Sugar
and Spice." Upon graduation
from Howard he had extensive
training and experience in all
aspects of music and music
theory under his belt
Nona Hendryx
Begins Work On
Epic Solo LP
NONA HENDRYX heads
for the studio in February to
begin work on her second Epic
Kecords solo album due for
release in April. In the interim
you can catch Dusty Spring
field singing the 'penned just
for her' Hendryx tune "Check
mate" on her upcoming UA
album.
tvieanwnne, tinal negotia
tions are underway for SA
RAH DASH's debut solo LP.
Miss Dash is hoping to begin
recording in late February· in
addition to filling commit
ments for several club appea
rances both in New York and
out. Her recent Reno Sweeney
dates sold out and brought
rave reviews.
Last week the two former
La belle members pitched in to
provide backing vocals on the
"Funky But Chic" track for
ex-New York Doll, David Jo
hansen's new LP for Blue Sky
Records.
VICKI WICKHAM, mana
ger for Hendryx & Dash, has
not been idle, racking up
another million in sales from
The Floaters cover of her song
"You Don't Have To Say You
Love Me." Written with friend
Simon Napier Bell, the song -
performed and recorded by
numerous artists including El
vis Presley - was originally
released by Dusty Springfield.
McCoo, Davis To
Appear On
WSOC-TV Special
Tony Orlando, his wife, E
Laine, Paul Anka, his wife,
Anne, and children and the
husband-wife team, Marilyn
McCoo and Billy Davis, head a
roster of star performers and
nearly 30 celebrities who will
offer different perspectives of
love when "I Love You," a
Valentine's Day variety spe
cial is presented on Channel
Nine Tuesday, February 14
at 8 ρ m
Bark To School Time
Rhode and Brenda enroll in
a bookkeeping class in night
school in an effort to increase
their earning capacity, on
"Khoda", Sunday, February
12 at 8:30 p.m. on WBTV,
Channel 3.
Everything in night school
seems to be going well, espe
cially for Brenda, but on the
night of the final examinations
the good ship Morgenstern
goes down with all hands