Getting To Know Singer/Songwriter/Producer Stokley Stokley is a GRAMMY-nominated vocalist, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who is one of music’s best-kept secrets. He has worked with some of the biggest names in music including Prince, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson and more. ...

Getting to know RenownTrombonist Jeff Bradshaw. Bringing the PARTY to you! JEFF BRADSHAW continues to indulge in the celebration of the 20th Anniversary since the release of his first studio album. He recently gave fans a taste of “Jeff Bradshaw:20”, ...

Getting To Know Singer/Songwriter Angie Stone Angie Stone releases her anticipated 10th studio album under a new record label, a new look and a better point of view. "LOVE LANGUAGE." "Love Language" has far exceeded my expectations. Considering the fact ...

Getting To Know The Ladies Of SKYY The Ladies of SKYY have the distinction of being the last sister-trio still performing together in classic entertainment. Denise, Dolores and Bonné Dunning are the original female vocalists who provided the sensual signature ...

Getting To Know Perry Thompson.President Of The Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society Founded in 2018, Perry Thompson is the President and CEO of the Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society. He is also a black music preservationist, & journalist. He is ...

Getting To Know Richmond VA Singer/Songwriter Moneá Off the heels of her international debut in London, Richmond-based R&B/Soul artist Moneá is back with a smooth and inspiring new hit entitled “Check In”. Boldly confronting the hectic rat race that is ...

Getting To Know Houston  Native Singer/Songwriter Music Carolyn Music Carolyn mixes jazz with gospel vocals, adding R&B vibes and soulful latin rhythms. A native of Houston, Texas, who calls Los Angeles home, she is classically-trained and has studied the arts ...

The O’Jays Last Stop On the Love Train Tour Dazzles Chicago Audience with The Isley Brothers and a Special Tribute to Tom Joyner By Zada JohnsonMonday August 15, 2022 Celebrating 60 years of iconic R&B hits, the O’Jays Last Stop on theLove Train tour arrived to Chicago this past July with an opening setby the equally iconic Isley Brothers and a special tribute tolegendary Chicago radio personality Tom Joyner. The show began withThe Isley Brothers performing a steady lineup of their 1970s/80s hitsincluding “Fight the Power”, “Who’s that Lady“, “Between TheSheets” an “Choosey Lover”.  Giving a nod to their fans from thehip hop generation, their performance of “Footsteps In the Dark”included a guest MC rhyming verses from Ice Cube’s 1992 hit “ItWas a Good Day” which loops the “Footsteps” intro. Notsurprisingly a large portion of the audience erupted in a rap alongwith the lyrics (including myself and the young usher guiding me backto my seat as I returned from a nearby concessions kiosk).Along with their classic hits, Ron Isley also performed the songs fromhis 1990s “Mr. Biggs”  persona including “Busted” and“Contagious” (which included a big screen montage of the songs’Godfather-like narrative music videos ). Throughout the set, RonaldIsley’s voice was in impeccable form, sounding just like therecordings that span the band’s 60 year tenure. This was also thecase for Ernie Isley’s sublime guitar solos, reminding me of theband’s deep connections to funk/rock (and the little known fact thata young Jimi Hendrix lived with the Isley family  and performed as abacking musician for the band).The wide span of the Isley’s catalog was also reflected in RonIsley’s banter with the audience as he talked about the band’sbeginnings in the late 1950s and having written music that someaudience members’ grandmothers would have listened to (at whichpoint I started hoping they would do “Twist and Shout”, mymother’s favorite Isley Brothers hit from the 1960s). In line withthe theme of their mid-century roots, the Isley’s set ended with anextended performance of “Shout” (the Jackie Wilson inspired 1959hit that many don’t know the Isley’s wrote, and another of mymother’s favorites) with a full stage of backup dancers and raucouscall and response from the audience. After the set ended, V103 radiohost Joe Soto made a point to mention that there would be no Beatles“Shout” without the original Isley Brothers recording. This isalso the case for the Beatles’ “Twist and Shot” which is anidentical cover of The Isley Brothers’ original recording down tothe ad libs and vocal embellishments. Though I am a longtime fan ofThe Isley Brothers (and  hail from a family of 2 prior generationsthat have enjoyed their music since the 50s), their Last Stop on theLove Train set still left me in awe of their massive contributions toBlack music and culture.The brief intermission leading up to the O’Jays headline performancewas reserved to honor legendary Chicago radio personality Tom Joyner.Celebrating his 25 year career in radio, the intermission featured avideo tribute of Joyner’s legacy as a radio deejay as well as hisphilanthropic contributions to the Black community, particularly inthe area of education. Throughout his career, Joyner used his platformas a nationally known radio personality to raise over  65 milliondollars for historically Black institutions of higher education. Thevideo tribute was a real trip down memory lane for those who grew upon 1980s/90s Black radio in Chicago, with footage from Joyner’sclassic commercials (featuring fellow Chicago radio legend Doug Banksand celebrity guest spots with Muhammad Ali and Redd Foxx) as well ashis interview with Michael Jackson on the set of the Billie Jeanvideo.After the intermission, the O’Jays set began with its own videomontage of various media voices from years past introducing theO’Jays (including Soul Train host Don Cornelius) . The montage gaveway to the trio emerging and singing the upbeat “Put Your HandsTogether” calling for prayers to heal the social ills of the world.At the song’s break, original member Walter Williams Sr. announcedthat fellow original member Eddie Levert was not on the tour becausehe was recovering from Covid pneumonia. In line with the openingsong’s theme, Williams asked the audience to send their prayers upfor Levert’s speedy recovery and then introduced the stand-in thirdvocalist for the evening, Nicholas Davis. From there, the grouplaunched into several of their uptempo classics including “Give thePeople What They Want”, “Backstabbers”, “For The Love OfMoney”, “I Love Music” and “Darling, Darling, Baby”.Throughout the set, guest vocalist Davis held up to the audience’sexpectations of the O’jays’ switch lead song structure, though itshould certainly be noted that there will never be an adequatesubstitute for Eddie Levert’s powerful tenor in the O’Jays sound.Despite the absence of Eddie Levert, the O’Jays performance did notdisappoint. Walter Williams lead vocals were in top form and soundednear identical to the O’Jays classics that have become foundational tothe R&B cannon. Along with Williams, youngest member Eric Grant keptthe crowd engaged with the group’s signature choreography. Theset’s segment of classic O’Jays slow jams (including “ForeverMine”, “Loving You” and “Sunshine”) brought on thunderousapplause and prompted several lines of female fans to gather at thefront of the stage. The trio’s rendition of  “Use To Be My Girl”was another stand out moment, showcasing Williams’ smooth vocals andinspiring several audience members on the main floor to dance in theisles. The set ended with a performance of “Love Train” withaccompanying footage from the iconic O’Jays performance on Soul Trainincluding original member William Powell (who tragically died of coloncancer at the age of 35 in 1977). Much like my experience watching TheIsley Brothers during this show, taking in The O’Jays set remindedme of their extraordinary contributions to the R&B/Soul genre as wellas their contributions to Black cultural expression.The Last Stop on the Love Train tour transports its audience back toa time when Black music was a primary vehicle for African-Americanartists to express not only their remarkable talent, but also theirundeniable humanity to a society that often dehumanizedAfrican-American communities. In one of my personal favorites by theO’Jays, “I Love Music”, ( a 70s disco hit that made the regularrotation of 1980s/90s Chicago deep house mixes) the lyrics describethe healing power of music to transform the world for the better. TheLast Stop on the Love Train tour is an excellent reflection of thissentiment as it reminds us of the ways that groups like The O’Jaysand Isley Brothers have transformed our worlds for the better not onlyin R&B/Soul music, but American music overall. The O’Jays Last Stopon the Love Train tour has dates through September 2022, tour scheduleavailable at mightyojays.com [1]Zada Johnson is a popular culture writer and professor of UrbanCommunity Studies/Cultural Anthropology at Northeastern IllinoisUniversity in Chicago. 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Getting to Know Grammy and Tony Award Winner Jennifer Holliday From her early days as a girl singing solos with the choir at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Houston,TX to her years on the Broadway stage and beyond, the inimitable ...