Written by | Ray Cornelius
I was in absolute music heaven last night for the Atlanta CD Release Party and Concert for two-time Grammy winning-songstress, Lalah Hathaway. The beloved R&B/Jazz/Soul singer performed not one but TWO sold-out shows Friday night at Center Stage-Atlanta.
I actually caught the second show which began around 11:25 p.m. Hathaway opened with one of her dad’s signature tunes, “Little Ghetto Boy” before going into other classics hits such as “Summertime” and “Baby Don’t Cry.” Hathaway appeared on stage in a fitted, black graphic T-shirt with “Racism Sucks” across her chest and a black floor length skirt that shimmied like rose petals in the wind.
Hathaway also performed Anita Baker’s early ballad, “Angel” and did an impromptu tribute to the R&B diva by humming snippets of other songs like “Good Love.” At that point, she had the audience literally eating out of the palm of her manicured hands and decided to sing other popular songs from The Whispers, Chaka Khan, Zap and Maze featuring Frankie Beverly.
Towards the end of the show, Hathaway reached back into her own vault of hits and performed the Grammy-winning single, “Something,” as well as the Joe Sample duet “One Day I’ll Fly Away,” and her now famous cover of the Luther Vandross song, “Forever, For Always, For Love.”
The full production was presented by Next Level Events in conjunction with Invictus Productions. Check out more photos from the second show below:
Hathaway’s mother showing off her daughter’s photo
Dancer/choreographer Juel D. Lane and friend attending the show
Bishop William Murphy and congregants taking in the show
Harold Watkins of Invictus Productions (center) with family and friends
Next Level Events’ Craig Garrett with AList’s Aalyah Duncan
WCLK’s Jamal Ahmad hosted both shows
Hathaway singing “Little Ghetto Boy”
Hathaway is celebrating 25 years in the music industry!
Hathaway signing CDs for fans after the show
Photo Credits: RayCornelius.com