Tune In, Turn On
After moving back to Atlantic City over three years ago, and taking a position with Shore Local as a music columnist, one of the first things I did was try to get familiar with all of the musicians in our area, of which there are many. One name I kept hearing about was an R&B/jazz singer named Angela Burton.
Angela and I have communicated over the last couple of years, but it wasn’t until this week that I got the opportunity to interview her.
Burton is set to perform with her group Passion at Gin Rickey’s in the Tropicana Casino Hotel at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, as part of the AC Jamming! Concert Series presented by North2Shore. Note that the show is free and features an early start time.
She got her start in A.C. when she was discovered by the late soul singer Harold Melvin, of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes fame, when he had Burton – all of age 5 at the time – sing at the renowned but long-gone Atlantic City live music venue, Club Harlem. Since then, Burton has enjoyed a long and fruitful career – one that includes being given the Key to the City of Atlantic City by then-Mayor Don Guardian in 2017.
“I attended a meeting with [Mayor Guardian] and congratulated him on the key he had on the wall,” Burton recalled in an interview last week. “He [Guardian] told me it was his key and he would give it to me. I didn’t think he was serious. To my surprise, as it turned out several months later, he invited me to a ceremony and presented me with the Key to the City in the press in the room. Mayor Guardian is a remarkable, admirable man. I will never forget his kindness.”
It’s not a stretch to see why Burton was awarded the Key to City. Throughout the years she has performed for U.S. soldiers in 35 different countries while traveling with the United Services Organization (USO), sanctioned by the Department of Defense.
“I enjoyed performing overseas, traveling with the United Service Organization tours, where I could bring a piece of home to our hard-working servicemen and women,” Burton recalled. “After returning home, I enjoyed performing as the opening act for all celebrities at the Club Harlem – The Delfonics, Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, Stylistics, Melba Moore, and The WAR Band, to name a few.”
What’s next for Angela Burton?
“I’m constantly working on re-branding myself. While the details are still being fleshed out, it involves community outreach programs, youth engagement and collaboration with other entertainers. I’m excited about the future,” Burton said.
You can see Burton at Gin Rickey’s Live Bar, Tropicana Casino Hotel. Show takes place 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17. Admission is free. Learn more at www.north2shore.com.
Tune-Ups
While lamenting the passing of longtime Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir last week, we were reminded of the time Weir’s other group, Bobby & The Midnights, performed at the long-gone Garden Pier on the Atlantic City Boardwalk in 1982, a show promoted by well-known Philly/South Jersey jazz musician and doctor of psychology, Michael Pedicin Jr.
“What a concert it was!” Pedicin recalled by phone. “A storm forced us to cancel the performance. The ‘Dead Heads’ [Grateful Dead followers] spent the night on the Boardwalk waiting until the next night and we did the concert. A sold-out show it was!”
Until next week, stay warm. How many days is it until Phillies spring training?
Doug is the owner/operator of Doug Deutsch Publicity Services, which since 1995 has been servicing nationally touring acts, and working record release campaigns for clients. Doug can be reached at ShoreLocalDoug@gmail.com
