★ • ’ •
★ TMIATil • ■ 2
2 2 * s*nh»s6
★ IDQWQWCO 2 2
-2 * IDtUM'jOia
THE CHARLOTTE POST*””
( harlotlr s Fa*tr«t (,nt»inji <a>mmdnil\ Urrld>"
-- Thursday’ Maf<* ». !»»« • THE CHARLOTTE POST - Page IB
Since Becoming Sob Artist
“Busy Body” Is Perfect Description Of LutherVandrnss
By Loretta Manago
Post BUff Writer
“Busy Body” may be the
title of ^tther Vandross’
latest album, bat it is also a
perfect description of what
Vandross has been since
his emergence as a solo
artist.
When Vandross released
his first album, “Never Too
Much” in 1961, it wasn’t
long before he had earned
two Grammy pnminatinns -
“Best Ikb Vocal Pertor -
mance - Male” and “Best
New Artist.”
On his first klbum, Van
®dross saw his music turn to
platinum and while “Never
Too Much” was still on the
charts, he released his se
cond album, “Forever, For
Always, Wr Love.”
During the time that
Vandross was putting his -
career together, he also
produced the album that
returned Aretha Franklin
to the top of both the RAB
and Pop Charts after a
seven-year absence.
While “Forever, For
Always, For Love” was
riding high on the charts,
Vandroes embarked on a
national tour and produced
Cheryl Lynn’s album,
“Instant Love” and his
second UP for Aretha
Franklin, “Get It Right.”
Seemingly, there was no
time for Vandroes to stop
and see how popular he had
become. Before be started
work on his third album,
Vandroes was back in the
studio with Dionne War
wick producing her album,
“How Many Times (Can
We Say Goodbye).,r -
SINGER LUTHER VANDROSS
—Coming to town
Looking back at the last .
three yean, Luther Van
dross has beta a major
influence on the entertain
ment scene he has been a
very busy body.
The hectic schedule
wMefa Vandross has paced
himself is not unusual. As a
matter of fact, it coincides
with the frantic pace that
has brought him to where
he is today. He has spent
yean working diligently
behind the scenes. An
earlier songwriting effort
of his, “Everybody Re
joice (A Brand New Day)’’
was featured in both the
Broadway musical and the
film version of “The Wiz.”
Vandross arranged the vo
cals on “No More Tears
(Enough Is Enough),” and
on David Bowie’s “Young
American” album. He has
sung backup for Chic,
Sister Sledge, Bette Mid
ler and Roberta Flack.
It was Vandro6s’ backup
work with Quincy Jones’
"Stuff Like That” that
brought his capabilities to
the attention of advertising
agencies and resulted in a
very lucrative jingle
career. Vandross can be
heard on a wide variety of
commercials including
Kentucky Fried Chicken,
Seven-Up, Burger King,
the U.S. Army and Miller
Beer.
At the same time that
Vandross was establishing
his jingle career, he also
began expanding his vocal
talents by singing with
groups Bionic Boogie and
Change.
Vandross’ lead vocals on
the group Change’s singles,
“Searchin’” and “The
Glow of Love” took the
group to a golden plateau.
But when the group decid
ed to go on tour, Vandross
decided to strike out on his
own. He has been a busy
body ever since.
This year, still maintain
ing a hectic schedule,
Vandross will produce a
track for Teddy Pender
grass’ debut album on
Elektra Records. He comes
to Charlotte Friday, March
30, at 8 p.m. at the Coli
seum. Vandross will
appear with Debarge and
the Deele. After his tour,
Vandross will, no doubt, be
back in the studio gearing
up for his next album. “My
iourin aioum 1^ giilll^ If)
a real surprise, I already
know what vocal arrange
ments I’m going to use.”
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
To Perform Hem Apr! 4
Riding the crest of their
new hit single, “Dance
Little Jean,” the Nitty
Gritty Dirt Band arrives in
Charlotte on April 4 for a
performance at 7:30 p.m.
in Spirit Square’s NCNB
Performance Place.
Tickets are $12 and are
available at the Spirit
Square Box Office, 318 N.
Try on St. in Charlotte. Box
Office hours are 9 a m. to 5
p.m., Monday through
Saturday. Call 704-376
8888 for ticket information.
Tickets ordered by phone
will be held for five days
without payment. Checks,
American Express, VISA
and MasterCard are ac
cepted.
Country, pop, country
rock - the Nitty Gritty Dirt
Band has explored many
music avenues in the last
decade "Let’s Go," their
first album in two years,
with its hit single “Dance
Little Jean" is the band’s
latest success. In their
17-year history, the band
has had many hits, includ
ing “Will the Circle Be
Unbroken,” the album that
featured Earl Scruggs,
Mother May belle Carter,
Doc Watson and other
country music greats. The
original members of the
band return for this Spirit
Square performance. They
are Jeff Hanna on guitar
and lead vocals, Jimmie
Fadden on drums and
harmonica, John McEuen
on banjo, fiddle and steel
guitar, and James Ibbotson
on guitar, bass and vocals.
The newcomer Bob Car
penter is on keyboards.
Vay Special Arte Festival Planned For Springfest ’84
The Community School
of the Arts sod the Char
lotte-Mecklenburg Schfi^B
have Joined together to
sponsor a Very Special
Y Arts Festival during
Springiest ’84. The Very
Special Arts Festival, open
to anyone, will take place
from 9 am. to'l p.m.,
Friday, April tl on the
grounds of the First Pres
byterian Church, 200 W.
Trade St. in uptown Char
lotte.
The Festival is a cul
mination of a year-round
Very Special Arts Festi
val (VSAF) Program car
ried out nationally through
the National Committee,
Arts With The Handi
capped. It serves as a ca
talys* to increase learning
skills and demonstrate
the impact of the arts
through workshops, in
service training and per
formances for disabled
and non-disabled child
ren, educators, parents
and others. Over 400 pre
school through school age
students from the Char
lotte-Meek] en burg Schools
and other community agen
cies will participate. “We
feel that by having both
disabled and non-disabled
students participate within
the unique public setting of
Springiest, we are opening
up the doors of acceptance
into the cultural and edu
cational mainstream for
our exceptional children,”
said Paul Herbal, Asso
ciate Director with the
Community School of the
Arts. “A slogan, of sorts for
the Festival program is
'Don’t tell us what we can’t
do, tell us what we can do.’
It is surprising to find out
what we can accomplish if
given the opportunity,"
said Herbert.
The Very Special Arts
Festival Program is jointly
supported by a grant from
the North Carolina Arts
Council and the National
Endowment for the Arts in
Washington, D C., a feder
al agency. The Very Spe
cial Arts Festival on April
27 is made possible through
grants from the Karl and
Anna Ginter Foundation
and the Robert Lee Stowe,
Jr. Foundation.
For more information on
the Very Special Arts Fes
tival Program, call the
Community School of the
Arts at 377-4187.