SINGER/SONGWRITER MELISSA MANCHESTER CELEBRATES 50 YEARS IN MUSIC IN ‘50 THREADS: AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY’’ CONCERT TO BENEFIT GENVAS ON SATURDAY NOV.8 IN LAUDERHILL

Adult contemporary singer Melissa Manchester, known for her popular hit songs “Come in From The Rain”, “Don’t Cry Out Loud”, “Midnight Blue” , “Through The Eyes Of Love” and “You Should Hear How She Talks About You” from the 1970s and ‘80s, will star in concert titled “50 Threads: An Artist’s Journey” in benefit for the Florida not for profit organization Genvas on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at Lauderhill Performing Arts Center in Lauderhill. 

On stage, Manchester will be presented with the “Icon of the Arts” award by Genvas founder Willie Riddle for Manchester’s work as both artist and philanthropist.

Genvas was founded in South Florida in 2010 by Riddle and Manchester is one of many well-known artists who are awarded the “Icon of the Arts” annually by the organization. 

Genvas is known for supporting local artists using performing, visual arts and storytelling.  The organization serves to promote in its arts diversity, equality with a mission to  end all forms of oppression, such as anti-semitism and racism.

“It is an honor to accept this award from Genvas, as I know of their outstanding work from my good friend singer Anne Hampton Calloway who I recently collaborated with on a new album,” said the 74-year-old Manchester in a phone interview from her home in Los Angeles.

Along with performing all of her well-known hit songs, many which were re-recorded recently in her “RE:View” CD,  Manchester will also share many personal anecdotes about her life and career in music in the Lauderhill concert.

There are plenty of anecdotes that have inspired Manchester through her career, starting from her upbringing in the Bronx borough of New York City to her recent starring role as Mrs. Brice in the national tour of the musical “Funny Girl” that had a South Florida stop at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach last February.

Born in 1951, Manchester grew up in a creative environment, with her father playing  bassoon with the Metropolitan Opera orchestra for 30 years and her mother being an innovative clothes designer. She learned to play piano in her early teens, becoming a commercial jingle singer at age 15  and a staff writer for a musical publishing company by age 17.

“I knew I had the passion for music at a very young age and my parents raised my sister and I to be creative, show initiative and take advantage of each opportunity offered in the music business.”

Manchester’s inclination to take initiative, combined with her beautiful vibrant mezzo-soprano voice that can sustain long musical notes and her ability to compose melodies and arrangements were the skills needed to build her long career.   

Among her early achievements was singing as a backup in 1971 to Bette Midler performing her well-known songs such as “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and “You Got To Have Friends”.

“I met Bette through my friendship with her then musical director Barry Manilow, who worked with me on famous commercial jingles, such as “You Deserve A Break Today’ (McDonald’s). Bette was about to do a concert tour and asked if I wanted to sing as a backup to her. I responded by joking that I wanted to sing instead of you. I sang backup with Bette for six months and it was so much fun.”

Manchester thrived as both singer and songwriter working with lyricist Carole Bayer Sager in the 1970s-80s as the duo composed “Come In From The Rain”, and “Midnight Blue” among other songs for six years.

“Neither Melissa or I could have written the songs we wrote together with anyone else. The two of us tapped into issues women were facing and because of that our songs touched many women going through their own struggles,” wrote Sager in her 2016 autobiography  “They’re Playing Our Songs.”

Manchester went on to write with many lyrical collaborators such as Kenny Loggins, (“Whenever I Call You Friend”) and, as a singer, recorded many memorable songs written by others such as “Don’t Cry Out Loud” by Peter Allen and Carole Bayer Sager and “Through The Eyes Of Love” written by Marvin Hamlisch and Sager. 

She has collaborated with most of the well-known popular singers from the past 50 years, singing duets with Barry Manilow (“You’ve Got A Friend” and “For Me and My Gal”), Dolly Parton (“Midnight Blue”), Dionne Warwick (“Other End Of The Phone”) among others and wrote the music for the musicals “I Sent A Letter To My Love” and “The Sweet Potato Queens”.

Her Lauderhill concert is based on her new recordings of past hit songs (from her “REview” album, such as her new duet with Parton in “Midnight Blue”.

“Along with my love of working with Dolly (Parton)  was the understanding that ‘Midnight Blue’ is now different from the original song I recorded. The duet is a conversation between two women and what resulted is a new interpretation of a classical song.” 

Manchester teams with backup singer Susan Holder, (who is also her manager and close friend for 45 years) in creating an intimate performance in Lauderhill which will include some videos of her as she sings and talks about her 50 year journey in music. 

As has been the case since Manchester was a young teen, she has been involved in multiple musical projects over the past few years. Along with starring in the musical “Funny Girl”, Manchester recorded her first classical music concerto titled “Awake” and is also currently collaborating on a new album with singer Anne Hampton Calloway. 

Her recent South Florida concert stops were memorable as well. In 2019, Manchester wrote “A Better Rainbow” in memory of the high school students who were murdered in Parkland.

“I was very moved by the “March of our Lives” movement led by the students and wrote “A Better Rainbow” to encourage everyone to use the opportunity to vote.”

Manchester also inspires music students as she is an Adjunct Professor of Music at a California university and was honored in 2017 by Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton for her years in music.

“When I was 19, I took a songwriting class from Paul Simon, who inspired me. Since I taught music, I also feel inspired by what I learn from students. I enjoy the musical life and am glad to share all that is important to me throughout my career in the concert,” said Manchester.

To learn more about Melissa Manchester, go to www.melissamanchester.com 

Singer/songwriter Melissa Manchester stars in the intimate concert “50 Threads: An Artist’s Journey” in a benefit for Genvas on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at Lauderhill Performing Arts Center, 3800 NW 11th Place in Lauderhill. Tickets range from $50-$90. The $90 tickets include a dessert and greet reception with Melissa Manchester. For tickets and more information, call 954-777-2055 or go to lpacfl.com