July 9, 2008

July 4th, 2008, was an Independence day I will not soon forget.  No fireworks for me, at least not exactly, I accepted an invitation from Bubba and Tim to attend a concert at the Atlanta Civic Center - the kick off of Gay Pride weekend.  Performing: CeCe Penniston, Frenchie Davis, Thelma Houston and Expose.  It was sure to be a blast to the past and with the Disco Craze that's running through the studio these days (Thanks to Bubba's Disco Summer Nights classes - Thursdays 8:30pm and now Saturdays 3pm), I couldn't wait to hear these artists live.  Further, Bubba got us backstage passes.  Pictured here are Bubba, Tim, CeCe, Frenchie and me right before the show.

4th row center, I was prepared to be blown out of my seat with the power of these women vocalists.  Any one of them - without a microphone - could fill that auditorium - this was going to blow my mind - and my hair back.  I settled in, ready to scream and dance and sing along.  The lights dimmed, the stage lit up and then...... I registered a powerful blast of extraordinary vocal projection.....  but this was not coming from the stage! 

It was right next to me.

CEEEEEE CEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!CEEEEEEE CEEEEEEEEEEE!!! YOU BETTER HOLLA!!!!!!!!  Good Lord, it was Tim. 

CeCe grabbed the mike and began her unmistakable mega-hit: "Finally" and for a minute  I wasn't sure if I would be able to hear her.  

CEEEEEEE CEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!  IT'S HAPPENED TO ME TOO!!!!  HOLLA GIRL HOLLA!!!!!!! YOU SING IT, GIRL!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh boy.  Tim's out of control.

There may have been several thousand people in the audience, but in reality, there was just CeCe and Tim in this back and forth pseudo dialog which would last through her entire set. 

YOU BETTER SING, GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU BETTER HOLLA!!!!!!!!!! NAH AH, DONT TELL ME THAT GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!  We could barely hear her!

I settled in again, this time with renewed expectations of what the next 2 hours would hold.  And sure enough, CeCe was just the beginning.  By the time Thelma Houston took the stage (btw people, she looks GREAT) my ears were buzzing - well actually, just my right one as Tim was next to me on that side.  Thelma sang a few cover songs from her new album - motown hits - that Tim was singing along to and answering (OH YEAH GIRL THAT GRAPEVINE WILL CAUSE YOU PAIN!!!!!!!!!!   WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!  DONT LISTEN THELMA!!!!!!!!!!! DONT LISTEN!!!!  HOLLA!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!).  Bubba and I are exchanging looks  behind Tim like "who IS this person?" when Thelma delivers the final blow.  She announces she's going to sing Luther Vandross. 

I will do my best to describe what followed.  An otherwise very controlled, composed and grounded person in my life, Tim sprung 3 feet in the air and screamed:  IF SHE SINGS LUTHER I AM DONE!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! GOOD LORD!!!!! LORDY LORDY LORDY!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I AM SOOOOOOOO DONE!!!!!!!!  while  jumping up and down and waiving his arms.  Fearing she would do it, that she would issue the final blow and do Tim in,  Bubba and I braced ourselves.   

"I can't fool myself, I don't want nobody else to ever love me.... you are my shining star, my guiding light, my love fantasy......" OMG she was singing Luther.  Before Bubba and I had a chance to react.... it happened so fast..... Tim became possessed and began channeling Luther, the Big V himself.  "THERE'S NOT A MINUTE, HOUR, DAY OR NIGHT, THAT I DONT LOVE YOU, YOU'RE AT THE TOP OF MY LIST BECAUSE I AM ALWAYS THINKING OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!  Bubba leans over to me and yells into my ear:  Honey, Tim's outsinging Thelma.  They are going to throw us out of here!

All I can say is Thank God for the Bubba Hollywood connection.  Our backstage wristbands saved us.  We looked like important people.   I couldn't believe they let us backstage again.  Thinking Thelma would surely strangle Tim, I cautiously moved through the crowd.  But Thelma and CeCe were gone.  We met Expose and left.  Tim was exhausted and wanted to go home to bed.

How was your 4th? See fireworks?

Ofelia