Music idols drive guest stars (MJ Related...of course!)

  • Thread starter Dangerous Incorporated
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Dangerous Incorporated

Guests
One singer brings Canada's top studio voice to the hits of his own idol, Michael McDonald.
The other singer admits to being "a little bit of a freak for Michael Jackson" and so he gets to revisit some classic J@cko.
That makes for classic guest casting at this weekend's Orchestra London's Red Hot Weekend concerts tonight and tomorrow at Centennial Hall at 8 p.m. Neil Donell guests as vocalist on selections from the Doobie Brothers' Minute By Minute, when the brilliant songwriter and smooth singer McDonald was the band's auteur. Gavin Hope performs hits from Jackson's Off the Wall and 1982 Thriller albums.
"I wanted to pay tribute to the great songwriting that was coming out of Los Angeles in the late 1970s," says Jeans 'n' Classics arranger Peter Brennan. "Gavin adores Michael Jackson and Neil loves Michael McDonald and the Doobie Brothers, so we decided to have some fun."
Donell is a legend in Toronto music circles. With a range that surpasses four octaves and an ability for mimicry, Donell has been part of thousands of commercial jingles and thousands more recording sessions. He is called the most sought after studio singer and voice over performer in Canada.



Hope says he'll find his own way with such Jackson hits as Beat It and Thriller. "This show is the music of Michael Jackson, so I will be interpreting it in my own way. I'm not going to try and imitate him, nor could I ever," Hope says.
"A little bit of a freak for Michael Jackson" as a young teen, Hope remains a fan. "Michael Jackson's music is timeless," he says. "Despite all the drama and problems he's had over the years, his music is unmistakable and he has fans all over the world."
IF YOU GO
What: Thriller: One Night in L.A., a concert in Orchestra London's Red Hot Weekends series. Jeff Christmas conducts orchestra and the Jeans 'n' Classics band. Guest vocalists are Neil Donell and Gavin Hope. Katalin Kiss and Kathryn Rose are backup vocalists
When: Tonight, tomorrow; 8 p.m.
Where: Centennial Hall
Tickets: $42-$62. Student and children's discounts available. Call 519-679-8778 or check orchestralondon.ca


http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/Music/2008/01/25/4792999-sun.html
 
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