By Bruce Klauber
Angela Burton is a vocal artist with a lot of soul. And a lot of heart.
From her vantage point on the stage of Atlantic City’s famed Club Harlem, as well as on the stages of 35 countries all over the world, Burton has seen it all and has known most of the biggest names in the business.
Someone with all that experience could easily become jaded. Not Burton; she’s as enthusiastic about performing today as she was opening the show for Melba Moore at Club Harlem back in the day.
Growing up in a musical family, Burton has been singing since she was 5 years old.
“My grandmother was a gospel singer, and my father sang, played keyboards, guitar and bass,” she recalled in a recent conversation. “I started out at 5 years old and I listened to gospel music in church. Along the way, I listened to Billie Holiday and a lot of other artists.”
This led to a long stint, when she was still a teenager, singing in the front bar of Club Harlem around 1966-1967, a period when the venue presented the biggest stars in rhythm and blues.
Though the club had mainly booked jazz acts since its opening on Kentucky Avenue in 1935, by the time Burton arrived, everyone from Gladys Knight and Marvin Gaye, to Teddy Pendergrass and Aretha Franklin, had headlined there, Burton remembered.
“There was entertainment in the front bar. Sister Sledge sang in there before they were moved to the main room. A lot of performers started in the front bar. Harold Melvin, of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes fame, heard me singing and kind of discovered me, and I did a few shows with him. Mr. and Mrs. Melvin showed me a lot of love.”
Melvin’s “discovery” was soon promoted to the opening act for headliners in the main room, including the Stylistics, The Marvelettes, Teddy Pendergrass, Pieces of a Dream, Stanley Turrentine, The Commodores and Melba Moore. She still thinks the world of Moore, and worked with her as a backup vocalist on three different occasions.
Burton has kind words for all of them.
“I loved all the entertainers,” she said. “They all gave me a lot of respect, and a lot of knowledge. I watched them and learned from them. I never had any issue with any of the entertainers. Everyone encouraged me, and I was so young that I was chaperoned to shows.”
Stylistically, Burton has a powerful instrument with quite a range. She uses that instrument intelligently – she’s plenty funky when necessary – and though she’s difficult to pigeonhole in line with direct influences, some Patti LaBelle can be heard in there, which is certainly a good thing.
Her talents as a passionate, soulful vocal artist, were not limited to Club Harlem’s stages. As a result of a talent contest held at McGuire Air Force Base, Burton ended up singing for United States troops in 35 countries, from Korea to Cuba, on behalf of the USO.
“McGuire was holding talent shows for performers to go overseas with the USO,” Burton explained. “I went in for the talent show and I won. In the middle of it, I was in the ladies room and there was this girl in there, crying. I asked her if I could help her. She said, ‘My band just quit on me.’ She was going overseas and her name was Kissy Darnell. I said, ‘You can use my band.’ So I did my own tours, and also worked singing background for Kissy.” Note that later on, Kissy Darnell became quite the name in rhythm and blues circles via her hit, “You Jeopardize My Life.”
Generosity is only one of Burton’s positive qualities:
By way of her longtime day job as a crossing guard, she noticed that many of the children were lacking rain boots.
“Every year, they give out book bags and everything to the kids,” she said. “But it came to me that another thing these children needed were boots to wear in the rain. That’s how I started, and I’ve been giving out free rain boots to children for six or seven years.
“I have a nonprofit organization called Creative Multi-Media for that purpose, and we have a lot of supporters, including Kelsey’s restaurant and Kathy Birch of the Irish Pub,” she continued. “We’re giving them away at a benefit at Kelsey’s, at 1545 Pacific Avenue, on Monday, May 19 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.”
In 2017, her charitable endeavors were recognized when she was given the Hometown Achievement Award, and the key to the city by Don Guardian, who was Atlantic City’s mayor from 2014 to 2017.
“He’s always been good to me,” she said. “He had a skating rink on the Boardwalk many moons ago and he had me perform there. He looked out for me. Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford (2008-2014) was another one.”
Burton’s main passion remains singing, and while she admits that “we need more places to perform,” she’s still busy. She recently performed on Mother’s Day at Hibachi in Philadelphia, and is set for the noted jazz venue, Wilson’s in Hi-Nella, New Jersey, on Friday, May 30.
Her well-received CD, “Passion and Pain,” continues to do well. (Visitors who take the White Horse Pike to Atlantic City can’t miss the “Passion and Pain” billboard). If you have the chance, go out and hear Angela Burton sing. It will do wonders for your heart, and your soul.
Donations for the Free Rain Boots for Children fund drive can be made to Creative Multi-Media, C/O Angela Burton, 645 Howard Avenue, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 08401.
Jazz Notes: The South Jersey Jazz Society, in conjunction with Ocean First Bank, will present one of the certifiable legends of Latin Jazz. Pianist/composer Arturo O’Farrill and his 17-piece big band, will perform on Friday, June 6 at the William Morrow Beach in Somers Point from 7 to 9 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Blue Note recording artist O’Farrill, who has won eight Grammy Awards, is the son of one of the most influential artists in Latin Jazz, Chico O’Farrill. The legacy continues.
Bruce Klauber is the author of four books, an award-winning music journalist, concert and record producer and publicist, producer of the Warner Brothers and Hudson Music “Jazz Legends” film series, and performs both as a drummer and vocalist.
