The Town Hall presents Celebrating the Music of Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye on Friday, September 2 at 8 PM. This evening of song features Carla Cooke, Sam’s daughter; Garfield Fleming, who toured with the Delfonics and William Hart for more than 25 years; and Brian Owens, who’s rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” has 81 million views on YouTube. Music director is five-time Grammy-nominee Johnny Gale, leading That Motown Band, featuring Kevin Morris, Natasha McDuffe and Nathina Inez.
Carla Cooke, the youngest daughter of Sam Cooke, like her father, crafted her sound in church. Her style is diverse and includes Gospel, Christian, R&B, Soul and Pop. She recently recorded two duets on Blues artist Joe Louis Walker’s new compilation.
Garfield Fleming pioneered Philadelphia soul, a genre that includes Patti LaBelle, the O’Jays, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes and the Delfonics—a band he would later tour with. Developing his own sound as a solo artist, Fleming released his signature song, “Please Don’t Send Me Away,” a nightclub staple in the early 1980s. As a solo artist, he has opened for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, The Isley Brothers and the Jerry Butler. In the early 1990s, the Grammy Award-winning Delfonics asked him to join them to be their baritone and background singer. He toured with them for the next 25 years.
Owens has headlined his own tours across the country and has performed at the World Series and for First Lady Michelle Obama. He has opened for Ramsey Lewis and Michael McDonald and has made numerous appearances on television, including “Entertainment Tonight,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “Fox & Friends,” “The Wayne Brady Show” and more.
Tickets range from $47 to $67, available at thetownhall.org or on ticketmaster.com.
The Town Hall is located at 123 West 43rd Street, New York, NY
