OFTEN, when a lead vocalist leaves a successful group, it comes as
surprise to the rest of the world. However, there are usually very
strong underlying reasons that simply didn't come to the attention of
the public. Certainly, that was true of the Lionel
Richie-Commodores and Jeffrey Osborne-LTD
splits. And, to a lesser degree, it's the case in the {safm}Howard
Hewett{/safm}-Shalamar parting of ways.
Whilst the name Miki Howard may be new to you, the gifted
vocaliste is anything but a newcomer. In fact, quite the contrary
because Miki's prior main claim to fame was as lead singer with Side
Effect, a group who were by the critics but whose commercial pedigree
never materialised.
MUSIC
was far from Mary Davis' mind when we sat down to mega-chat just
recently. The remainder of the SOS Band were off doing their own thing
leaving The Two Davises to chat over sandwiches and coffee.
You know, it's been fourteen
years since "If Loving You Is Wrong" and something like nine years
since we last had an album from Luther Ingram.
And yet, after one listen to Luther's new album (rather unimaginatively
tagged "Luther Ingram"), it's as if the crooner has never been away.
But he has!
FINDING out that Atlantic Starr? whose music has marked them as a real
staple in anyone's black music diet for the past 9 years ? have only
ever had one gold album came as a shock to me when keyboardists
Jonathan Lewis revealed that very information during the course of our
recent interview, held in conjunction with the forthcoming release of
the group's Warner Brothers' debut, "All In The Name Of Love". You
could, as they say, have knocked me down with a pennyfeather ? or some
kind of feather!
IF
predictions were my line, Motown's newest signing Stacy Lattisaw could,
in time, become a serious threat to the likes of Teena Marie and Janet
Jackson. She was, to all intents and purposes, quite a surprising
addition to the Motown family because prior to this, very little had
been heard about the nineteen year old singer. With "Nail It To The
Wall" showing healthy signs of becoming a hit, Stacy's debut album
"Take Me All The Way" is set for UK release next month - and what a
stunner that is too! However, before getting to that, a few facts and
figures.