Dame Cleo Laine, Princess Margaret, John Williams and the Boston Pops Orchestra!
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| Dame Cleo Laine, 2009 |
In 1984, while getting my Master's degree in Music at USC (University of Southern California), I participated in a Master Class that Cleo was conducting. I went in with the intent to impress her as best I could. Not to brag, but yes on second thought, I AM going to brag...I blew her away! She gushed over me with praise in ways I had never been gushed over before -- by anyone! Especially by someone of her stature!
If I recall correctly the two songs I sang were "In The Still of the Night" and "Since I Fell For You". Whatever the songs were, the lady was impressed! In attendance too were her late husband, saxophonist Sir John Dankworth, and their agent Richard Bass of Regency Artists (now after numerous mergers is the William Morris Endeavor Agency). They too were singing my praises and told me they would do all they could to assist me with my burgeoning career. Mr. Bass promised that I would hear from him soon and he wasted no time following through on that promise. Within a matter of weeks, world renowned conductor/composer John Williams personally called me on the phone and said I had come highly recommended from Cleo, John and Richard and that he wanted me to invite me to sing with the Boston Pops Orchestra an original composition he had written a few years earlier with lyricists Alan & Marilyn Bergman entitled "America, The Dream Goes On". I was floored!!!!
The next day, a hand delivered package arrived for me at the USC music department offices from 20th Century Fox studios containing the vocal score of the song. I, of course, was the talk of the campus! Word spread quickly that I was going to be a guest soloist with the Pops! All of the operatic divas (male and female) and faculty members alike who had barely acknowledge my presence before, all of a sudden were fawning over me as if they were hoping my good fortunes would rub off on them. The Boston 'freakin' Pops! Now THAT was a BIG DEAL, especially in the echelon of the high brow operatic and classically-trained world of the USC Music Department! Since entering the vocal department at the school, several of the faculty members had given me a lot of grief for sidelining and singing "pop music" because the curriculum focused on the classics. But now they were the ones eating crow, because this "pop singer" was Pops bound!
Oddly enough, I was already slightly familiar with the song. I had heard it once before. Ironically, I recalled that my mentor & friend Dionne Warwick had debuted the song in 1982 on the Norman Lear produced TV show "I Love Liberty". I had no ideal that John Williams had composed it (he did not appear on the show), but I remembered the "Star Wars"-esque overtones of the orchestral arrangement (that should had been a clue), as Dionne navigated her way through the melody and lyric. Little did I know while watching her performance on TV that evening, that 2 years later, I would be standing in front of the most famous orchestra in the world singing it myself.
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| My debut with John Williams & the Boston Pops Orchestra |
Interestingly enough, lyrically the song is timeless. In the current baffling political and divisive times we find ourselves in today as a country, the heart of its meaning rings more true today than ever.
Following the performance, John Williams and Richard Bass told me there were two more performance that I should be prepared to do later that summer because they loved the way I interpreted the song! I was sooooooo excited. But then, producers got involved, and because I wasn't a "name act", other performers were chosen.
One of the performances was to be at the White House! But, because it was to be broadcast on PBS, the producers decided to book.....get ready for it...... John Denver! I was also scheduled to record the song with the orchestra, however, Phillips Records, also wanted a "name" and chose James Ingram (actually not a bad choice). But John Denver.......damn!!!! 😂 (no offense John Denver fans. I like his songs too!) 😌
However, the following summer, Mr. Williams invited me back for a repeat performance this time at the Tanglewood Music Festival in the beautiful and lush Berskshire hills of Massachusetts - and although it wasn't the White House or having my voice forever cemented on vinyl, it was still an honor and I relished every moment of it. I would perform the song once again in 1992 in Boston before over 100,000 people at the Pops annual 4th of July concert at the Hatch Shell along the Charles River, with Maestro Williams once again at the helm conducting. All were treasured magical performances.
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| My award presented by H.R.H Princess Margaret |
I also performed 2 songs that evening with the John's quartet in the presence of H.R.H. Princess Margaret (sister of queen Elizabeth), who also presented me with my award.
To show my versatility, Cleo requested that I sing two songs in two different genres of music (classical and jazz). I chose "Sure on This Shining Night" by Samuel Barber as my classical song, and the great jazz standard "Since I Fell For You" as the other. It was indeed a magical evening! (Visit my blog about my father to read how he hilariously upstaged me that evening with the princess)!
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| Program from the Wavendon Awards Show |
My father may have charmed the princess, but one of her ladies-in- waiting, Lady Janie Stevens, took a particular interest in my career and during my time in London introduced me to several industry folks in hopes of landing me a recording contract. She also made sure that I got prime tickets for 2 news shows that were taking London by storm - Phantom of the Opera" (which I loved) and "Les Miserables" (which I hated)! 😅
Through the years I have always kept in contact with Cleo and John, keeping them updated on the progress of my career. They were always very encouraging and supportive.
It was a sad day in 2010 when I learned of John's passing, but I was grateful to had spent time with he and Cleo in L.A. shortly before his transition.
So.......Happy Birthday Dame Cleo! I love you much and look forward to our paths crossing again! Thank you to you and John for blessing me with some incredible performance opportunities that most folks just don't get to get! I honor you for honoring me!
Love,
Byron
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| Cleo & John rehearsing, 2009 |
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| Sir John relaxing backstage, 2009 |
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| Debuting with the BPO! |
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| Letter from John Williams |
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| Dame Cleo doing what she does best! Wowing the crowd with that haunting 5 octave vocal range! |
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