Jerry Blavat presents "The Divas of All Time" at The Kimmel Center

Saturday night brought out an incredible lineup of artists to The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.  Led by host Jerry Blavat, he presented "The Divas of All Time" which included Darlene Love, Freda Payne, Candi Staton, Baby Washington and a salute to Philly soul which included The Tymes, Soul Survivors and Blue Magic.  Backed by a 28 piece orchestra including a 12 piece string section and 10 piece brass section, two of the original members of Soul Survivors kicked off the show with their hits "Explosion In My Soul" and "Expressway To Your Heart". The Tymes took the audience on a stroll down memory lane performing such Doo Wop classics as "Wonderful, Wonderful" and "So In Love".

  Justine "Baby" Washington, the oldest of the Divas at 73, appeared during this first half and opened her set with a powerful rendition of "You and the Night and the Music" followed by "Only Those In Love" and ended with "That's How Heartaches Are Made" as a duet with a young, up and coming artist named Dennis "Youngblood" Taylor.  Taylor performed "Peace of Mind" before Philly natives Blue Magic closed the show with a collection of their hits including "Sideshow".

Kicking off the second half, the divas part of the show, was none other than Candi Staton.  Candi got the audience moving with her 1978 hit, "Victim" before launching into her biggest hit, "Young Hearts Run Free".  The golden voice of Freda Payne entered the stage to strings as she performed "Deeper & Deeper" and closed with her number one hit from 1970, "Band of Gold".  Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Darlene Love was up next and performed some of her well known hits including "He's a Rebel", "Today I Met The Boy I'm Going To Marry" and "Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home".  Rounding out Darlene's set, Blavat brought out Payne who had done a show with Love entitled "Love & Payne" back in the early 2000's and performed a dynamic medley of Stevie Wonder's "All In Love Is Fair" and Leon Russell's "A Song For You" which brought the house down.  Candi Staton and Baby Washington returned to the stage with Love and Payne and performed Staton's big hit, "Stand By Your Man".  The evening came to an end with Love leading the divas and other groups in a rousing rendition of "River Deep, Mountain High". 

*On a side note just to add my 2 cents...

I loved this show.  To me, this was a great combination of artists and a great representation of classic pop and soul music.  When I saw this lineup announced, I knew I had to get tickets.  Darlene Love is 72, Freda Payne is 70, Baby Washington is 73 and Candi Staton is 69...how often are these incredible divas going to perform on the same stage?   

I'm a big fan of Freda Payne and was lucky enough to have met her back in 2010 when she performed in York, PA.  She was so incredibly sweet and down to earth.  I swear she ages in reverse-she looks fantastic and that voice...amazing! 

I've been a fan of Darlene's for a while and only just got to see her last month for the first time with her Christmas show.  A few weeks later I saw her again when she appeared with her sister Edna Wright (of Honey Cone) and was lucky enough that she was going to be at this show in Philly...3 times in about a month...I think that's a record haha.  She puts on a great show and has so many incredible songs.  Baby Washington I had only become familiar with years ago when Bette Midler covered "That's How Heartaches Are Made" on her "Bette" album.  I knew it was a cover, tracked down Baby's original and loved it.  Such a great voice.  I didn't know much more of her music, but have listened to more of her songs and I've been becoming more and more of a fan of hers.  I knew of Candi Staton by Gloria Estefan redoing "Young Hearts Run Free" on the Desperate Housewives soundtrack a few years ago.  I love Gloria's version, but you can't touch Staton's original.  She's another one that I listened to more and more of her catalog and I'm just falling in love with what I'm hearing.  To put these incredible legends together representing different eras is a dream come true and a once in a lifetime show.  I was so thrilled to have been able to have attended. 

SET 1

Explosion In My Soul-Soul Survivors
At The Hop-Soul Survivors w/Jerry Blavat
Expressway To Your Heart-Soul Survivors
Somewhere-The Tymes
Wonderful Wonderful-The Tymes
So In Love-The Tymes
You Little Trustmaker-The Tymes
You and The Night and the Music-Baby Washington
Only Those In Love-Baby Washington
That's How Heartaches Are Made-Baby Washington w/Dennis "Youngblood" Taylor
Peace of Mind-Dennis "Youngblood" Taylor
Look Me Up-Blue Magic
Three Ring Circus-Blue Magic
What's Come Over Me-Blue Magic
Three Ring Circus-Blue Magic
Sideshow-Blue Magic

SET 2
Victim-Candi Staton

Young Hearts Run Free-Candi Staton

Deeper & Deeper-Freda Payne

Band of Gold-Freda Payne

Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home-Darlene Love
Da Doo Ron Ron-Darlene Love

Today I Met The Boy I'm Gonna Marry-Darlene Love

He's Sure The Boy I Love-Darlene Love

He's a Rebel-Darlene Love

All In Love Is Fair/A Song For You-Darlene Love & Freda Payne

Stand By Your Man-Candi Staton & The Divas
River Deep Mountain High -Darlene Love & The Divas