The smooth, sultry sounds of The Manhattans is a balm for anyone who grew up listening to R&B and Henderson’s own Gerald Alston has helped to create that sound for, well, a few years now.
Alston will perform this Friday evening, Sept. 2 at McGregor Hall alongside Troy May and newcomer Lawrence Newton, with the band East Coast Connection providing the accompaniment.
The concert begins at 8 p.m. Purchase tickets at https://www.mcgregorhall.org/
Alston, now 70, talked with WIZS’s Bill Harris on Wednesday’s Town Talk, and said he is always happy to perform in the place where he got his start.
“Over the years that I’ve been singing, we’ve always been well supported by my hometown,” Alston said. “It’s a joy to me to be able to come home and perform for friends, family and fans.”
Earlier this month, the group celebrated its 60-year anniversary. Although the faces may have changed over those six decades, the sound remains true. Alston joined the group at the young age of 17 and he said his love of singing is what keeps him going. “My love of singing and love of family,” he said.
He became lead singer in 1970 and has never looked back. Concert goers can expect to hear some of the group’s biggest hits – think “Shining Star” and “Kiss and Say Goodbye,” just to name a couple.
“We’ll be adding a couple of songs that we don’t usually do,” but are regional favorites, he hinted.
Over the years, as vinyl albums made way for cassettes, CDs and now streaming platforms, Alston said he and his group have enjoyed how the “old” fans come together with new fans to appreciate the music they create.
“Social media and Internet radio have been our friend,” he readily acknowledged, adding that fans can download particular songs to create their own playlist and don’t have to depend on traditional radio stations or other traditional formats.
If all goes according to plan, the Manhattans will have 35 or 40 shows this year, bouncing back after the COVID-19 pandemic. Their latest single, “Get It Ready,” climbed high on the soul independent charts, and Alston said he expects the group’s touring schedule to continue to pick up speed.
“The point is that we love singing and God has granted us the ability to still be doing it,” he said.
Having said that, however, Alston did suggest that touring the country and the world to perform can be tiring.
They recently did a two-day gig with the O’Jays down in Florida, he said, playing Tampa one night and then Miramar the next. “Believe me, the traveling is what gets you,” he said. “Traveling takes its toll on you at times.” Between early flights and late check-ins, sound checks and finding a spot to eat – and then heading back to the venue for a two-hour show, Alston said it’s not as easy to bounce back at 70 as it was earlier in his career.
As for Friday night’s venue, McGregor Hall, Alston is seriously pumped.
“Mark Hopper… has done a wonderful job,” he said. “McGregor Hall is one of the best venues that we’ve played – the sound is great, the hall is beautiful…and the staff there is top-notch.”
McGregor Hall is on the smaller side of venues where the Manhattans have performed – dwarfed certainly by the Houston Astrodome and the Atlanta Braves Stadium, where the group has performed to crowds of between 30,000 and 40,000.
Alston said he prefers the smaller venues because of the closer, more intimate setting they provide – there’s literally less space between the fans and the stage. “I love being close to my fans and the audience,” he said.
But whether in an intimate setting or a cavernous sports arena, the response from the audience is the same. “They give you that energy,” Alston said, “their appreciation for our music and their support” pumps up the performers and makes it all worthwhile.
“At some point, I may slow down with the work,” Alston said, perhaps picking and choosing performances. “But I think I’ll always be singing.”
