Patti LaBelle brings the crowd to its feet at a night of joy in a Dr. King tribute
In a show-stopping, stompin’ grand finale to the Martin Luther King Jr. concert Thursday night, soul singer Patti LaBelle kicked off her red-soled high during a spirited performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The shoes flew heels into the clapping, swaying audience that included the King family, others who participated in the legend of MLK, and young people who follow in the footsteps of the Civil Right Movement and basked this night in the forever light of the great human rights leader.
As storm warnings punctuated the day, yes, the creek did rise… but God was willing. So, the evening went on as a prelude to the dedication of the MLK Memorial.
To start the evening, Mayor Vincent Gray, Uptown magazine and a cadre of businesses hosted a private reception at Arena Stage.
Gray used the occasion to pitch his favorite cause: statehood for DC, and as he spoke a chant erupted from the 500 or so attendees: “Free DC!, Free DC!, Free DC!” Gray also joked that the city couldn’t let such a great tribute as the dedication of the MLK monument happen without “something special… “so we ordered up an earthquake.”
Where was he when the earth moved? “I was a passenger in a car… it started shaking. I said, ‘Man, you need a tune up on this car.’”
Legendary civil rights leader Georgia Rep. John Lewis, in rich baritone voice reminiscent of the styles of men of the pulpit, recounted that when he first saw the King monument, he gently touched the statue, and wept. Lewis, once chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), was one of the planners and keynote speakers of the 1963 March on Washington, the occasion of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Afterwards, the jubilant scene shifted to the Washington Convention Center where thousands listened to LaBelle, The Impressions, Eddie Lavert, the Naturally 7, and more top performers belted out familiar oldies of the 60s and 70s, and inspirational international songs of current times.
In the audience were the Rev. Jesse Jackson and film star Cuba Gooding Jr.
Another guest was Virginia Hayes Williams, who, years ago in her youth, was privileged to sing for Dr. King in Los Angeles.
Williams is the mother of former mayor Tony Williams and a prime mover in Gray’s mayoralty campaign.
Way back when, Williams and her children raised money by baking and selling cakes and cookies for Dr. King’s civil rights movement. At that time, “Mother Williams” -- as she is now frequently referred to -- was a professional who did gigs in the film industry, singing tunes that were dubbed into the roles of actresses who lacked vocal skills.
During a trip to LA, Dr. King heard about Williams’ voice and her dedication to the freedom movement. Dr. King asked church leaders if Williams would sing for him one of the greatest, most poignant gospel hymns ever written: “It is Well with My Soul.”
She did so in a solo performance. “He had tears in his eyes,” she recalls, “and said how much he missed his children growing up.”
On Friday, a Women Who Dare to Dream luncheon drew a stellar group of many hundreds of high achieving women to the convention center. Dr. Maya Angelou read "Abundant Hope," her new work honoring Dr. King.
Harry E. Johnson Sr., president and CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, explained at the luncheon that the official dedication ceremonies will be rescheduled for a later date due to the oncoming hurricane hitting the East Coast. He said that people can make all the plans they want but sometimes they must be changed because God has the final word.