A concert with The Motown Legends Tour has just been announced. Spyder Turner, the Temptation’s Review featuring Dennis Edwards and Ali Woodson, The Miracles and the Contours will hit the stage at the beautiful Chevrolet Center in Youngstown Ohio on May 19th, 2007. This will prove to be a dynamic, explosive show of showmanship, great music and good time to be had by all.

Spyder Turner and his family and myself, go way back. Wonderful “Momma Turner” would feed this skrawny ‘lil “white boy from the suburbs” (me) macaroni and cheese while we were picking up Robin or Skipper Turner for band practice and shows. And this was during the Detroit race riots of 1967. Talk about unconditional love! It was that unconditional love she had for her family, and me… and music overall, that I took with me throughout life. She beamed when talking about Spyder. We all tried to emulate Skip and Robin’s older brother and his band. But I don’t think we ever got close at all to Spyder’s dynamics on stage. The man would FLY out of a kitchen or backstage, and hit the stage wailin’ and on his knees. We were BLOWN AWAY!

Onstage, there is no one better than the Spyder-man. He comes alive on stage. When he sings his hit “Stand by Me”, the audience always cheers. His newest single “I don’t wanna go home tonight” gets the same reaction. There is probably no original Motown artist still doing what he has been doing all these years. And he’s never stopped. With James Brown’s passing, I believe Spyder Turner should be the new “Godfather of Soul”! And I might add, that a nicer friend to me, I could ever hope for.

“First I look at the Purse” and “Do you love me?” were the most defining moments that brought the Contours into their own. Around Detroit for over 30 years, they have never stopped touring and performing. Their shows are legend around the world. “Do you love me?” became a hit all over again in the movie “Dirty Dancing”. “First I look at the Purse” brings audiences to their feet, and fully captures the Motown Sound of the ‘60s. 20-some years ago, Buster Bennett my bassist, a Detroit Police Officer, was their musical director. I couldn’t believe it THEN…that they were still around. And they are STILL around now, after all these years!

Dennis Edwards started out as a member of the Contours himself in the ‘60’s. After replacing David Ruffin in the Temptations, he went on to be the voice of “Papa was a Rolling Stone” and “Cloud Nine”. The Temptations will always be thought of 1stt every time someone mentions “Motown”. With hits such as “Get Ready”, “How I wish that it would rain”, “Papa was a Rolling Stone”, the infamous “My Girl”, and many, many others, their shows have become legendary for their vocal harmony and tight choreography. No one group has personified the sound of Motown. Current line-up includes Dennis Edwards, Ail Woodson, David Shea, Mike Patillo and Chris Arnold.

One of the 1st original Motown artists in the early part of 1960, The Miracles with Smokey Robinson were one of the very 1st of Motown groups to achieve international success. With hits such as “Shop around”, “Tears of a Clown”, “I Second that Emotion”, “Tracks of my Tears”, and of course “Mickey’s Monkey”, their vocal harmonies are second to none. The Miracles were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001. I wonder just how many romances began to the background their music? Even though Smokey has gone on to management and producing with Motown, the Miracle’s signature sound has stayed the same. You will be transported back in time, to that place we all remember so well from our youth.

You will never get the chance in one single night to get the music, sounds and happy-heart-happy-feet feelings of Motown music in its’ most purest form. Taken back to the past, and forward to the future, those arrangements, harmonies and performances of excellence, will amaze you. From Spyder Turner’s heart-felt dedication to all that is Soul Music, to the Contours “First I look at the Purse”, these two alone would be worth the price of admission. And when we add the Miracles and the Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards and Ali Woodson, one could hardly duplicate a one-time event of this scope and nature.

I don’t think I can personally remember a night of hits and Soul music like this in any recent years. It could only come from Motown, Spyder Turner, the Contours, the Miracles, the Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards and Ali Woodson, and the Motor City. The “Motown Legends” tour is a Cheers and Severino Production. After the performance in Youngstown, there’s of course, a strong possibility other dates will be announced, and I’ll post them here. *

Well, thanks all! Till next week….tank’s full….revvin’ engine….just remember….Keep your hands on the wheel, and your foot to the floor, when you’re….”Drivin’ Sideways in Detroit!” C’ya!

*Special Thanks this Week to my friends Spyder Turner and Ms. M, and all our friends at the Soulful Detroit Music Forums.