Osupa 19 February 2010 MXO Events, The Arts Unplugged No Comment

Friday, February 26, 8 pm, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Main Stage
Live Performance by The Manhattans Featuring Gerald Alston & Blue Lovett!

The Manhattans, an R&B vocal group who recorded many classic songs in the Philly Soul style, have achieved career longevity by adapting their style to fit changing times. In 2009, they celebrated their 45th anniversary.

Formed in the 1960s by Winfred “Blue” Lovett, Richard Taylor, Kenny Kelley, George “Smitty” Smith and Sonny Bivins the group had a string of hits on Carnival Records during the mid 1960s. When Smith became ill in 1970, Gerald Alston, whose style paid homage to the legendary Sam Cooke, took over as lead singer. More a pop singer than either Lovett or Smith, Alston’s incorporation into the group enabled The Manhattans to break out of their mold as “doo-woppers” and achieve major national success on Starday/King Records with a Teddy Randazzo love song entitled “A Million To One.” In 1972, Blue Lovett’s “One Life To Live” reached the top 20 R&B charts. With Alston handling all lead vocals and Lovett providing smooth spoken introductions, The Manhattans moved to Columbia Records in 1973 where they collaborated with Philadelphia International producer and arranger Bobby Martin on a string of hits including “There’s No Me Without You.” The most notable of these was Blue Lovett’s “Kiss And Say Goodbye,” a platinum selling #1 pop and R&B hit in 1976. In that same year, The Manhattans teamed up once again with producer Randazzo to record “Feels So Good”, “You’re My Life” and “There’s No Good In Goodbye”. In 1977, they performed at President Jimmy Carter’s Inaugural Ball and since then have received their share of platinum and gold singles, albums, and other industry kudos; most notably a 1980 Grammy for “Shining Star” written and produced by Leo Graham.

After 16 years with Columbia Records, lead singer Gerald Alston took his turn as a solo artist with Motown Records; while Blue Lovett, due to doctor’s concerns regarding his health, decided to turn his attention towards producing and grooming new artists. The late 1980’s found The Manhattans pursuing individual interests within the industry. In 1993, all that changed. With their 30th anniversary approaching in 1994, it was the perfect time to reunite. So, along with new members Troy May and David Tyson, a reunion tour was born. On February 25, 1999, The Manhattans were inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame.

Tickets are $10 each and go on sale at 10 a.m. on Monday, January 25, 2010. Tickets are available at the Museum box office, via phone through Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, online at http://www.ticketmaster.com and at all Ticketmaster outlets.

In celebration of Black History Month each February the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum recognizes the extraordinary contributions that African-Americans have made to popular music. Since 1996, the Rock Hall’s Black History Month events have included film screenings, lectures, intimate evenings of conversation, and performances by local and national groups such as Robert Lockwood, Jr., The Temptations, Charles Brown, Ruth Brown, Take 6, Al Gre