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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 4, 1981)
Page 6 Portland Observer June 4. 1961 ENTERTAINMENT HAPPENINGS ENTERTAINMENT TALENT SHOW & DANCE Grassroot N e w t, N.W . - In the category o f male vocalists who bring romance back into contemporary love ballads, three names come to mind: Michael Henderson, Teddy Pendergrass and Peabo Bryson. Peabo recently bypassed Portland due to lack of advance ticket sales and performed in our sister city, Seattle. Grassroot News was there to obtain this exclusive inter view . June 6, 1981 -8 :0 0 -1 :0 0 Willamette Center 121 SW Salmon Featuring local talent: • dance • self-expression • drama • Comedy • drama PEABO!!!! AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW nv l un ita D uke Peabo started gracing our turntables in 1977 w ith his timeless h it, “ Crosswinds. " His style is smooth and delivery is truly beyond Macho. He attributes the development o f his talents to his upbringing. " I was born and bread a country boy. You tend to know who you are so you don't get con fused when you're in a place where people worship idols and images. They’ re influenced more by that than by the true essence o f people. Also coming from southern stock makes you appreciate people more because that's the way of life ." His evolution in the music industry has always been straight up. " M y story is that o f the traditional success story. From 0 to KMX) but not overnight. For Renefil fo r Scholarships - Renee P ryor and Jenetia W illiams Black P ageants Inc. 249 0844 • 280 8029 Unbelievably, Jim Jones recorded his o w n descent in to hell. THE DUNNING SISTERS: SKYY HIGH! The three singing Dunning sisters in the hit group Skyy grew up in the Lafayette Gardens housing project in Brooklyn’ s Bedford Stuyvcsanl sec tion, but they’ve not a bad word for their past. " In fact,” says Skyy’s middle sister Delores Dunning, " it was wonderful, it really was.” " A t that time the projects weren’ t like they are now,” says Skyy’s Denise I Dunning-Crawford, the eldest. " I t was completely different.” "O u r parents still live there,” explains Skyy’s Bonnie Bunning, "b u t it ’ s changed so much from when we were ten, eleven and twelve it's amazing. When we were growing up everyone hung around together, and we used to skip rope with the boys. It was like a whole neighborhood." “ We moved there in 1962,” says Skyy's Delores, "and it was brand new, and everybody that was there got to start this community. We became friends with all the kids in the buildings. I hey were brothers and sisters. It was really a nice community. “ After we got older, the handball court was the scene. One o f the guys in the building used to sponsor tournaments. Everybody was involved.” Skyy’ s Bonnie explains the differences they see today. “ I t ’ s a different morality now. We weren’ t allowed to hang out in the hallway at three or four in the morning. W hen we were sixteen or seventeen years old, my mother used to say that we should come upstairs before it gets dark. And if you wan ted to stay outside, you had better call her and ask her permission. " I don’ t know what it is now,” Skyy’ s Bonnie laments. " I don't know if the parents don’t care or can't control (he kids. But back then when you had to be upstairs, you were upstairs." " A ll the parents were like th a t,’ ' Skyy’ s Delores recalls. " I t you were going to stay out, it was because somebody's mother was sitting out on the bench. As long as that mother was on the bench, it was fine. If not, you were upstairs, and that was it. And it was a whole lot nicer." Skyy’ s girls wish families would go back to exerting discipline. “ The parents were strict,” Skyy’ s Denise concludes, "but you knew that they cared. And neighbors eared about each other, too. I t ’ s a good way to grow up.” This 90 minute exclusive NPR documentary is based on 900 hours of audio tape found at the Jonestown settlement in Guyana in November, 1978 Cult leader Jim Jones had been taping himself and his followers for months before he urged them— 911 men, women, and children — to commit mass suicide, a tragedy beyond understanding that stunned the world But by listening to Jim Jones, the fears of his followers and their gradual descent together into hell, Jonestown becomes a horror story we can .all finally comprehend F ath er The L ast o f J o n e s to w n Sunday at 5 :0 0 KOAP 9 1 .5 FM KOAC 5 5 0 AM NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO THIS X I) M A U I POSSIMI I HS I H I (1 >KH IK A IIO N I U K PI HI II HKOAIM AS I IN I. Parade runs sixteen years I wanted to do what I'm doing now . I learned during my ap prenticeship how to write and I'm expected to learn more. I do, however, believe that success is infinite. My success was gained through my develop ment as I move through stages and hit various levels. " I started out with a local band with regional success. I went from there to produce my first album with Bang Records which got the attention o f Capital Records.” When a recording artist breaks into the market he or she is packaged. Grassroot News asked Peabo what he perceived his image to be. “ Peabo doesn't have an image, he is. 1 don’ t need anyone building me up to be something I’ m going to have to live up to. I’ m myself. I’ m normal and I like being norm al." Peabo responded to a question o f what he relays through his talents. "There’ s a method to every madness. I try to put romance back into feeling and touching. W’e should mean what we do. The current civilization seems yearly to relax the moral standards which are in contrast to when I was coming up. You didn’ t even discuss sex with your girl. This relaxation is doing something you don’ t mean. My work is like a situation comedy, situation drama and its akin to being like a novel. It excerpts from my per sonal experience as I see them. If it's not true I don’ t write about it. My suc cess shows me that people still believe in '.he truth and I’ ve built a reputation on sincerity." His talents also encompass male/female duets. His explanation o f his latest hit, “ Rack Together A gain" with Roberta Flack. "Roberta is someone whom I love. I never met a more giving person. She’ s what the public calls a •Star.’ ” Peabo’s down-to-earthness is refreshing in a business where snobbery is a common attitude. But more so, Peabo is first and foremost a man. There are those male vocalist who are contrived or as feminine as the top female vocalist. Nothing can match the truth that illuminated from the talents of this artist as he builds a career on restoring love. According to Peabo, nothing matters more in life than caring and being cared for. The Stafiight Run will precede the Roce Festival Starlight Parade, June 6th, starting at 8:00 p.m. intersec ting the parade route at NW Flan ders and Broadway. The parade begins its flow at NW Flanders and Broadway once the runners have passed. .5 pm-9 pm Ilion-Jn. S p e c ia l . B e v e ra g e dnnK ? T a z ^ /c d ô ij V r ic te - 5 5 < ^zte tT ■ liò tc n in U /fu n k Live p j s Open panic 7(ccr Tree Parking Wann and P a n c in i 44 aiot more- ^^M osphere for BAR DRINKS .55 "Happy Hour Party" GLASS BEER .25 1 New Era Soft Body Curl may be used on all types of hair, from normal virgin to permanently tinted hair and from extremely curly hair to naturally wavy hair $45 Special . tSelDCKs on New Era Curl through the month of June WESI COAST IS THE PLACE FOR CUSTOM FRAMING •IN C E 19SS W e b«ve all the current trends m Interior Framing Rick Oaks. Contem porary Metals Oriental Patterns. Natural Woods. 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