Story by William Eric Graham

This Sunday Nov.11th, 80’s funk & soul group Midnight Star will be back in town at the newly christened Club Yesterdays (formerly Mr. Nicks) performing many of their classic hits. The group, now in its 30th year together, has many of its original members back. After a brief hiatus in the nineties, many of them left in order to shift their attention towards writing and producing.

Keyboardist/vocalist Bo Watson and guitarist/vocalist Melvin Gentry have been together since their early school days when the two boys were growing up neighbors in Flint, Michigan playing marbles and popping wheelies on their bikes. Starting out in early groups separately (Soul Experience, The Minutes) the two friends have performed together for over forty years. After sending a cassette tape of their musical abilities to Kentucky State University in the mid seventies, they both earned music scholarships to the college where they founded the group along with drummer and leader Bobby Lovelace, vocalist Belinda Lipscomb, bassist Kenneth Gant, keyboardist Bill Simmons and trumpeter Reggie Calloway. With their latest CD “15th Avenue” released on their own label Reel Star Records, the group hopes to pick up where they left off, making hit records and bringing their unique energy to their live shows like only they can. Their new CD can be purchased the night of the concert.

“After writing and producing for stars like Toni Braxton, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, and Shanice Wilson among others, it was time to do our thing again,” Bo Watson shared during a brief interview. “Working with “Babyface”, watching how he crafted a song, being his musical director for his tours, the MTV Unplugged show and CD, working with him and greats like Stevie Wonder and Eric Clapton, it was a great experience, a dream come true. The same with Toni Braxton. Being her musical director, working with her on her Las Vegas shows and tours, it was easy to learn a lot about the business and that’s something I bring with me back to Midnight Star.”

Tickets are available at The Suit Den, 26102 Greenfield at 10 1\2 Mile and at Club Yesterdays, 14060 Telegraph Rd. Call 313-255-8077 for more information. Their new CD can be purchased the night of the concert.

The Midnight Star concert will be held this weekend Sunday Nov. 11th at Club Yesterday, 14060 Telegraph Rd. at the I-96 interchange. Tickets are $40.00 for general admission and $60.00 for VIP seating which includes dinner and valet parking. Dinner for the first show is at 4pm with the concert following at 5. Dinner for the second show begins at 8pm with the second concert beginning at 9. Call 313-255-8077 for more information. Tickets can be purchased at Club Yesterday.

Thanks to Bobby Lovelace/Midnight Star for the bio and band photos.
William Eric Graham contributed to this story. You can contact him at www.readPalmerPark.com or at WEGPUBLISHINGLLC@AOL.COM.