Michael Feinstein & Freda Payne: A Very Special Evening with Ella and Frank

PLEASE NOTE, $20 MINIMUM ON FOOD OR BEVERAGES

Doors: 6:00pm //Show: 7:30pm

Michael Feinstein, Ambassador of the Great American Songbook, has built a dazzling career over the last three decades bringing the music of the Great American songbook to the world. From recordings that have earned him five Grammy Award nominations to his Emmy nominated PBS-TV specials, his acclaimed NPR series and concerts spanning the globe – in addition to his appearances at iconic venues such as The White House, Buckingham Palace, Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House – his work as an educator and archivist define Feinstein as one of the most important musical forces of our time.

Freda Charcilia Payne is an American singer and actress. Payne is best known for her career in music during the mid–1960s through the mid–1980s. Her most notable record is her 1970 hit single, “Band of Gold“. Payne was also an actress in musicals and film, as well as the host of a TV talk show. Payne is the older sister of Scherrie Payne, a former singer with the American vocal group The Supremes.

Payne was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up listening to jazz singers, such as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. As a teenager, she attended the Detroit Institute of Musical Arts; she soon began singing radio commercial jingles, and took part in (and won many) local TV and radio talent shows. In 1963, she moved to New York City and worked with many entertainers, including Quincy Jones, and Pearl Bailey.

The next year, her debut album, a jazz recording with arranger Manny Albam entitled After the Lights Go Down Low and Much More!!!. In 1966 she released her second American album, again in the jazz style, How Do You Say I Don’t Love You Anymore, for MGM Records. She also made occasional guest appearances on television shows including The Merv Griffin Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

In early 1970, the song became an instant pop smash reaching #3 in the US and #1 in the UK for six consecutive weeks; it also gave Payne her first gold record. Global sales were estimated at two million. An album of the same name proved to be fairly successful as well. Other singles included “Deeper and Deeper”, ”You Brought the Joy”, and the Vietnam War protest song “Bring the Boys Home”, her second gold record. Her other albums were Contact, The Best of Freda Payne, and her last album Reaching Out.

Recently released memoir

BAND OF GOLD - A Memoir - FREDA PAYNE

With introduction by Mary Wilson of The Supremes

Band of Gold is the exciting story of singer and actress Freda Payne. While she is best known for her 1970 Number One hit "Band of Gold", and her 1971 Grammy nominated album, Contact, her story is an inspiring adventure, lived alongside the "who's who" of the show business world including Duke Ellington, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Pearl Bailey, Omar Sharif, Quincy Jones, Liza Minneli, and Sarah Vaughn. Freda's compelling memoir is a celebration of a glamorous life well-lived.

Now Available - Released November 2021

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