Story and photos by Michael Mitchell, The Cincinnati Herald
The Queen City welcomed four Queens of Legends on May 31 at Cincinnati’s Heritage Bank Center, in a concert that featured Gladys Knight, Stephanie Mills, Patti LaBelle and Chaka Khan, who all gave outstanding performances with great stage presence. It was very obvious that Gladys Knight was the sentimental favorite. The music icon was welcomed with a standing ovation as she was escorted on to the the stage giving eye contact to some lucky concert goers who had front row seats.
Her voice still sounds as it did in the 60’s and 70’s, as she sang hits like “Best Thing Ever Happened to Me,” “Neither One Of Us,” “Love Overboard” and “Midnight Train to Georgia.” Gladys’ performance was a great opening act, but she very well could have closed the show. The 9,000 patrons knew they were in for a night to remember.
It was less than 30 seconds from the time Ms. Knight excite the stage, that a revolving stage with band members for Stephanie Mills, began their intro music for the 4’9″ performer, who kept the energy up with one of her 1979 hits, “What Cha Gonna Do With My Lovin.” She danced along with her dancers keeping up as she belted out another hit, “A Rush On Me.” Stephanie’s high energy performance set the table for Ms. Patti LaBelle.
When she hit the stage you knew you were going to see and hear vintage Patti. She told the crowd, “I love Cincinnati. I loved coming here for that festival, what was the name of it?” Some yelled back Macy’s and others said Coors Fest. Patti shared a number of her hits like “New Attitude” and ”Somebody Loves You Baby.” However, the highlight of her act was when she invited a number of men up on stage to dance and showcase their vocals on her 1992 hit, “Lady Marmalade.”
The closer was Chaka Khan, who with the fire of a performer she has brought to the stage since the 70’s. She high stepped in line with her background dancers, while singing hits like, “Ain’t Nobody,” “I Feel For You” and “Through the Fire.”
This tour is highly produced and I can see another tour of male icons to be showcased as the “KINGS 4 LEGENDS.”
