Let's Hear It For The Girls! The other Great Ladies of Song-LIVE!

Well, it seems I am always going on and on about Dusty Springfield. And why not? Because she was easily my favorite pop singer of the 20th century. But I feel sometimes I neglect to mention the other ladies who have proven themselves to be close runners-up, or at least within the top 100 of the last century or so....and I got to thinking (scary, I know), but as much as I am a huge fan of Miss Springfield, I never had the chance to see her perform live.

However, I have had many wonderful opportunities to see other Great Ladies of Song, live and in person, and I wanted to share some of those memories with you here.

CHER-Well, what can we say about this lady? She's definitely an Icon, and like Dusty, she knows how to wear a wig and a costume and sell a song. I saw Cher for the only time live in 1999 during her Believe tour at Nissan Pavillion out in Virginia. It was a wonderful concert and a fantastic show. I still remember Cher descending from the ceiling in full Native American regalia (designed by Bob Mackie of course!) singing an amazing cover of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". That's what Cher fans live for...and while I wasn't a huge fan before I saw her live, I became one after.

TINA TURNER-We have to go back to 1997 for this one...I saw this Great Lady perform live in Hampton, Virginia at the Hampton amphitheatre, during her Wildest Dreams tour. Needless to say, this Great Lady did not disappoint. The show was amazingly put together, but what rocked more than the sound system and the light and video show, was Tina herself! What a powerhouse! Amazing voice, great dance moves (she made the back-up singers-who were half her age-look tired and listless), and those sexy legs! A once in a lifetime experience!

BETTE MIDLER-This woman does it all..sings, dances, acts, tells jokes and all of it is amazing. I saw her in 2000 during her Divine Miss Millennium tour at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. and at the time I balked at the US$85 ticket price, but it was worth every single penny. Actually, at one point, while The Divine Miss M sang her sexy slow version of "Do You Wanna Dance?", I literally felt transported to another world. As if this was one of the most important and artistically exciting moments of my life. It was.

CYNDI LAUPER-While I've never been to a full length Cyndi concert, I have seen her perform live twice, as the opening act for Tina ('97) and Cher ('99). Although each performance was only about 1hr long, it was enough to capture Cyndi's explosive performance style! I didn't know how talented she was and how many instruments she plays and that she's actually written a lot of the songs she's recorded...I learned a lot about the Lady watching her live, and it was wonderful!

LINDA RONSTADT-Well, this Lady I had been waiting to see live for 14 years, she rarely makes live appearances anymore especially on the East Coast. Well, I got to see her last summer (2004) at Wolf Trap in Virginia. It was a wonderful evening, outdoor space and Linda did not disappoint. She sang beautifully as only she can, and with a clarity and energy that is simply astonishing for someone in her 50s. Her voice has actually gotten BETTER with age, which is hard to believe since it was so good to begin with. The highlight was her version of "Lush Life" (with a nice intro about Billy Strayhorn and his being persecuted for being gay), her Jimmy Webb set ("Do What You Gotta Do", "Adios", "I Keep It Hid") which nearly drove me wild (I love Webb and Linda, and Linda singing Webb...gorgeous!), and the encore, when she spoke about Michael Moore (over ridiculous boos from a few rude audience members), and dedicated a powerful version of "Desperado" to him. Later on, Linda had trouble in the press and was escorted by security out of her Vegas gig for that moment, but I saw it 6 weeks before. But Linda had such class, such poise, she didn't let it disturb her singing at all..she just sang right through the idiots cat-calling in the audience. She is a true Great Lady!

NANCY WILSON-No, not the blonde sister from Heart, but rather, the legendary jazz vocalist. I saw her live just last year (2004) at the Kennedy Center. She is just as beautiful, classy and stylish as I thought she would be, and considering she's almost in her 70s, it was amazing to watch her belt it out and sing with so much sophistication. Definitely the classiest Lady I've seen live.

DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER-Another classy performance, if occasionally a bit more raunchy...saw her on Valentine's Day (yes, it was a date), 2003 also at the Kennedy Center and it was amazing! She signed my CD afterwards and spoke with me briefly, very very nice lady and a stunning talent and personality!

JANE OLIVOR-This was a great performance, winter of 2001 at The Birchemere in Alexandria, Virginia. Jane is one of those "unknowns" who is so freakishly talented it's really a crime she's not a bigger star. She is just as talented as Streisand, as folksy as Judy Collins and as emotional as Edith Piaf..all rolled into one. I am going to see her again next month (again at The Birchemere) and I can't wait.

Ok, I hope I've done justice to some of the other Great Ladies of Song...of course, Dusty is still #1 for me, but these other ladies are not far behind.

But just to make sure I don't leave anyone out, here is a list of Great Ladies of Song that I have NOT yet seen live, but really really really want to very soon! Hopefully time and fate and $$$ will allow:

Dionne Warwick
Eartha Kitt
Dolly Parton
Emmylou Harris
Barbra Streisand
Dido
Kylie Minogue
Sally Mayes
Megan Mullally
Stacey Kent
Jane Monheit