December is always busy for Darlene Love, but it’s busier than ever this year for the newly enshrined Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who brings her annual Christmas show to B.B. King’s tomorrow and Monday nights.
"Most of December filled up so fast it was funny,” says Love. “I have to tell people that I do work the other 11 months of the year—especially February. My name is Love.”
Actually, she was born Darlene Wright, and while she went on to fame as Phil Spector’s most prominent vocalist—not to mention, all-around backup singer for everyone from Elvis Presley to Cher, and Broadway (Hairspray) and film (the Lethal Weapon series) actress—her sister Edna Wright also scored hits in the vocal group Honey Cone. Wright will be Love's guest at her Christmas shows.
“She’ll do the Honey Cone hits ‘Want Ads,’ ‘Stick Up’ and ‘One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show’—and a Christmas song,” says Love, who’s doing two shows instead of one at B.B. King’s this year because the first one sold out. She’s also doing her big Christmas show again--with dancers and a choir--at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, N.J. on Dec. 17 and at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, N.J. on Dec. 23, with Ben E. King joining as special guest for both.
The shows will of course include her contributions to the legendary 1963 album A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector: "White Christmas," "Marshmallow World," "Winter Wonderland," and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"--which she'll again perform on Late Night With David Letterman, also on Dec. 23.
"It's the 25th year I'm doing it on the show," says Love. "I should get someone to hold up a banner--and they should let me do something different--or at least talk."
Love performed at Carnegie Hall last week as part of Tim Janis: The American Christmas Carol, featuring works by composer Janis and a tribute to Love, and also starring Steven Van Zandt and John Lloyd Young, among others--and a full orchestra and choir. The program focused on Janis's new three-CD set of holiday music, which Love helped promote on QVC, also last week.
She performed, too, with Paul Shaffer last week for the Local 802 AFM 90th Anniversary Benefit Gala at Roseland Ballroom, in support of the musicians union. In March she'll sing at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, having been herself inducted, finally, in March of this year.
"It seems like I've been on Cloud Nine all year!" she says. "I've been so busy all year, doing so many interviews and talk shows on radio and TV. Hopefully I'll be busier next year: You know me--I love working! It keeps me young."
[The Examiner wrote the liner notes for a reissue of A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector as well as The Sound Of Love: The Very Best Of Darlene Love and Wall Of Sound: The Very Best Of Phil Spector, 1961-1966.]
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