Gene & Candi Over Ice(man)    

"The Iceman" Jerry Butler,Gene Chandler & Candi Staton in Carolina

From USA TODAY

Sunday September 18,2011

My Editor said "No space" so I saved my review of the Hitmakers of Beach & Soul in my laptop. I was in Raleigh in March covering a technology convention and took in Hitmakers the night before my flight. I covered music & theater in Seattle before moving to business and technology and offered the review to my Editor. I had forgotten I had such a gem saved in cyberspace.

Friday while driving to Atlanta to cover my next convention I phoned ahead to some friends in the Columbia area. They were busy but offered to meet me on Saturday. They enticed me to stay in town with a single ticket ("We bought two and gave one away") they could not use to see Jerry Butler at the Newberry Opera House in Newberry,SC. The same Jerry Butler I saw in Raleigh back in March. I jumped at the chance.

Newberry is a charming theater in a revitalized downtown area with restaurants,hotels and a lot of pride. I got to the theater early to gauge the mood and it was off the charts. This was more than a buzz this was the Beatles revisited for the crowd of sixty somethings. The box office lady said they could have sold the show "twice,maybe a third time".For the seventy two year old Butler this has to feel good.

Back in Raleigh in March it was Butler who closed the three hour show leaving all those sixty somethings asking for more. He had some help. Two other stars of the same genre and generation Gene Chandler and Candi Staton did plenty to please the near full crowd that night. Victim,Stand By Me,Young Hearts Run Free flowed from the sixty something Staton to the not so young hearts of the sixty somethings.

There Was a Time- a James Brown standard,some Marvin Gaye,a unreal version of Rainbow,Chandler written Groovy Situation and a bunch more got Chandler seven standing ovations all before his trademark closing- Duke of Earl. A novelty then Doo Woppy song now a classic sixties hit that will not and cannot die. That gave the seventy something Duke his eighth standing ovation with the sixty somethings extending their hands and literally holding Chandler on stage. He finally did wave goodnight and the lights came up for intermission. Intermission?.Can the sixty somethings handle any more?

Back to Friday in Newberry. The buzz became a hush in the packed hall. Five musicians then two female vocalists made their way on a darkened stage. The hush became a silence almost like waiting for a jury verdict. With the strum of a guitar and two seconds of drums out walked "The Iceman".No fancy lights,no gimmicks,no tricks. No computer tracks of music,no pyrotechnics. Looking seventy something Butler went seventy something minutes with Coolin Out,For Your Precious Love,Let It Be Me,Dream Merchant,Never Give You Up. It was non stop ballads of love,hurt,love and life. It was R&B,it was Soul,it was oldies,it was music!

Through the entire set Butler moved maybe three feet each way of the center stage microphone. Not because he is seventy something but because he is The Iceman. No additional moves necessary. But it wasn't all Butler exclusives. Moon River covered by everyone but initially owned by Andy Williams was Butlers on Friday night.

Like all great music acts and magicians the best is for last. That best was Western Union Man with a spot on Butlers conga drum man who spent the night with tinkling chimes,maracas,rumba shakers all kinds of sounds. Like all good acts the end was not the end. Butler walked off to thunderous applause knowing this crowd needed more. And more they got. Only The Strong Survive- two minutes and forty five seconds of the way sixty somethings get high. High on memories,great music,classy cats like Jerry Butler who were cool,groovy,up,down,in style and out of style. It was that March night in Raleigh all over. The crowd was so happy they you could have charged another forty five dollars just to walk out the door-and never get a complaint

After checking in to the Hampton Inn across the street in Newberry the buzz was all over with folks who came in from out of town to see the show. I started planning my Saturday visit with friends and the balance of my trip to Atlanta.

At six the next morning I was in the lobby with my morning java and noticed a familiar face from the night before. Slowly more familiar faces from the night before came down for breakfast. Musicians,patrons and a gentleman with a black polo shirt. He had authority the night before in the stage area so I was certain he was part of the show. He was adding cream to his coffee with a shoulder strapped briefcase when I asked him if he was with the show. "Yes,I am the promoter who brought Jerry to Newberry". He introduced himself as "Peter" and made it clear he worked with the GM at Newberry as joint venture. This was no first time promoter."We had a three show package planned for Newberry,Savannah & Charleston-the economy was working against us so we went with Newberry".I convinced him to sit for a moment before checking out."Ok..I'll have a cup with ya then gotta get on the road to Winston Salem" explaining a Italian American event he was attending primarily to promote his companies concert with two headline Italian American acts. "Michael Amante with Will & Anthony Nunziata Feb nineteenth Progress Energy Center Raleigh".Raleigh? Any chance he knew of the March Hitmakers show in Raleigh."Yeah I know it..I developed it. Jerry,Gene,Candi and Eddie Holman" Did well there. Trying to bring it back to Raleigh in March of twenty twelve if the economy hangs in. We have Rance Allen with The Impressions November thirteenth. Gonna be a taping for broadcast. Rance and The Impressions are re making People Get Ready a huge sixties hit. We calling it the Fusion of Soul & Gospel." Wow! I'm in sixties heaven.

I went on to find out that Peter was one of the Carolina Entertainment Partners that produces shows from Richmond,Va to Atlanta,Ga. He was so friendly and accommodating answering my questions about the stars,their travel,the shows, all that back stage stuff I always wanted to know. Except their fees. "Can't help ya there. You wanna know what they earn call their agents and hire them".

Peter went on to explain the dynamic behind putting these type of shows together.

"We have to deal with the personalities first-to contract with them. Some of the older artists can be difficult. The Jerrys,Genes(Chandler) and Candis (Staton) of the biz are a pleasure to work with. This type of music can be developed in Carolina with the influx of transplants from around the country. Twenty years ago you could not do these types of artists in these areas. Now we can."

I learned that bringing these type of artists is a tight wire act for any promotion. Bringing an established chart topping artist from forty years ago to a older crowd with no radio formats playing the music and dwindling newspapers readership is a tall task. Make the connection with the sixty something's memory letting them be a fan waiting again like waiting for the Beatles to get off the plane- capture that and you have magic in a bottle. "Yeah..these artist are magic. Look at Jerry last night,,it works. Look at the Duke (Gene Chandler) an enormous talent,makes the crowd go crazy-- can close better than anyone. Candi Staton brings the female brassy touch,there are so many that still do it."So how's business in a tough economy?."Real tough..none of its a slam dunk..sweat every show. Older folks are afraid to spend and in this biz we need them to buy tickets early not late. If they wait too long we have to pull the show and limit the loss."

Well not to worry here in the Carolinas. If Jerry Butler or Gene Chandler or Candi Staton are coming to your town buy that ticket. It will give you enough return to forget your woes. After all,magic in bottle is not something you can find everyday.--Bill Miars