R&B

Saturday, June 8, 2013 8:00PM

One Hot Night on LI!

Don’t miss the O’Jays and Morris Day & The Time on Saturday, June 8th at 8pm at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury.

NYCB Theatre at Westbury
960 Brush Hollow Road
Westbury, NY 11590
Directions

ABOUT THE O’JAYS

In 1957, Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey and Bill Isles began as a quintet called the Triumphs of McKinley High School in Canton, OH. In 1960, they became the Mascots but were renamed The O’Jays in 1963 after the legendary radio DJ Eddie O’Jay.

Things began to take off in 1963 when they signed with Imperial Records and achieved their first hit, “Lonely Drifter.” This was followed by several hit singles and the release of their debut album, 1965’s Comin’ Through. The O’Jays had released one more record, Soul Sounds, in 1967 when they met songwriters and producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. The group soon recorded on Gamble and Huff’s Neptune label as a quartet (with Isles departing in 1967). Massey left the group in 1972 and the trio united with Gamble and Huff on Philadelphia International Records recording some of the best R&B/pop hits of all time. It was on the Philadelphia International label that The O’Jays’ career skyrocketed.

The O’Jays muscular vocal stylings, combined with stellar showmanship have allowed the group to perform to sellout crowds around the world. For the 7 years following their 1972 release of “Back Stabbers”, The O’Jays had a Gold or Platinum record every year and received 3 Grammy nominations for Best R&B Vocal Group. In 1990, the group won an American Music Award for Favorite R&B Group or Duo for their hit album, Emotionally Yours. With 6 Platinum and 8 Gold records including Family Reunion, Message in the Music Ship Ahoy, So Full of Love and Travelin’ at the Speed of Thought, this talented and popular trio has withstood the test of time. Eric Grant, the group’s newest member (joining in the late-1990s), is proud to be a part of The O’Jays legacy.

With over 50 singles spanning a more than 4 decades career, The O’Jays have certainly earned the right to be called “living legends!” They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.

ABOUT MORRIS DAY & THE TIME

Minneapolis-native, Morris Day went to school with the world-famous pop artist Prince, and sang in his first band, Grand Central. The Time was originally created as Prince’s alter-ego, and after looking at several lead vocalists, Prince decided to cast someone with outstanding talent as the band’s frontman, choosing Day, his high school friend. Soon after, Morris Day & the Time were cast in “Purple Rain,” which captured the exploding Minneapolis music scene at its peak.

Morris Day & The Time soon burst onto the public scene with the 1981’s self-titled album The Time, which included “Get it Up,” “Cool,” and “Girl.” The group went on to record three more albums, including 1982’s What Time is It? which featured “777-9311,” “Wild and Loose,” “Walk,” and “Gigolos Get Lonely Too,” and 1984’s Ice Cream Castle which included the hit “Jungle Love”. After that, Morris Day launched his solo career, releasing three albums: The Color of Success (1985), Daydreaming (1987), and Guaranteed (1992). Combined sales of Morris Day’s solo recordings and The Time’s releases racks up well over of 10 million units.

After a lengthy hiatus in the late 1990s through early 2000s, Morris Day returned to the scene with a 2004 solo album, It’s About Time. The release combines classic old school sounds with new trends, all laced together with Day’s energetic vocals and witty lyrics, complimented by his trademark smooth-as-silk dance moves.