Entertainment

Take Me Away - Simply superb

By YOLANDE GYLES, Star Writer

Shaggy was one of the unbilled acts who performed at the 'Take Me Away' concert with Richie Stephens and Friends, held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston on Sunday, May 29. - Winston Sill

THE POPULAR SAYING goes with "With friends like these, who needs enemies", well Richie Stephens can rewrite it saying, "With friends like these who needs anybody else," after he and his many friends thrilled an overflowing Pegasus Hotel ballroom on Sunday night.

The concert dubbed Take Me Away, took patrons on a musical journey to a place where only excellent performers and per-formances resided, all for a worthy cause of raising funds for the Savanna-la-Mar Infirmary in Westmoreland.

At a cost of $2,000 per ticket, patrons were treated to a million dollar concert with the personages of Pam Hall, Ken Boothe, Ernie Smith, LUST, Brian and Tony Gold, John Williams, Lloyd Parkes, Della Manley, Heather Cummings, the Bethel Baptist Youth Chorale, Dance Expressions and of course, Richie Stephens.

Prompt start

The show was billed for an 8 o' clock start and true to their word began promptly at 8:00 p.m. ­ not necessarily a good thing for those unlucky patrons who were trapped in a nasty traffic snarl outside. You see, it seemed as though all roads were leading to the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel and with tickets sold out from Saturday a huge crowd was expected.

By 9:00 p.m, there was standing room only inside the ballroom, and the Pegasus staff hustled quickly to bring out as many white plastic chairs as they could to seat as many patrons as they could. Alas, it was not enough as there was just not enough room.

However, those standing were prepared to do so as the concert was just that good. From Stephens performing the songs he has become renowned for like Wildflower, By Your Side, Fight Back and even the theme song for CVM TV to his back flips, splits and dancing legs in the ska dance segment with Dance Expressions ­ his fans were in heaven.

Equally superb performances came from all his other friends but the performance of the night, if one was forced to make the distinction, came when Brian and Tony Gold, Lukie D, Thriller U, Singing Melody and Richie Stephens sang a soulfully stirring rendition of I Wanna Hold Your Hand. When they were through singing, they not only got hands but the hearts of the audience.

And then there were some unbilled performances from Shaggy, Coco T and George Nooks.

The night ended with a powerful rendition of Father I Love You by Stephens and the Bethel Baptist Youth Chorale, and all agreed it was a night and money well spent.

See The Gleaner for a report on the performances from the Take Me Away concert.