PALMDALE – The legendary R&B group “The Whispers,” members of the Vocal and R&B Halls of Fame, will take the stage at the Palmdale Amphitheater this Saturday, July 26.
Gates open at 6 pm and the concert begins at 8 pm, rain or shine. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. Carry-in food, beverages, coolers, alcohol and pets are not permitted. Food, beer and wine will be available for purchase.
Tickets are on sale at www.cityofpalmdale.org/TheAmp. General admission tickets are $10 and may also be purchased the day of the show at the gate.
One of R&B music’s most beloved and consistently popular vocal groups, The Whispers began their career in 1963. Twin brothers Walter and Wallace Scott joined with friends Nicholas Caldwell, Marcus Hutson, and Gordy Harmon to form a local singing group. They perfected their tight harmonies on the street corners in the Watts section of Los Angeles and in nightclubs in the in the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area.
They began singing together as “The Eden Trio” created by Nicholas Caldwell and Marcus Hutson. Later, they were renamed “The Whispers” by Lou Bedell of Dore Records. The group recorded nine singles for the Dore label between 1964 and 1967. Their fame grew in the Bay Area while performing in a series of what was known as “The Battle of the Bands” where they competed against other local acts for their fans appreciation and affection. In 1969 they released “The Time Will Come” for a small L.A. based label Soul Clock Records, and subsequently recorded their first Top 10 R&B hit, “Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong,” in 1970 when the group switched to Janus Records. By 1971 Gordy Harmon decided to leave the group and was replaced by Leaveil Degree who had previously sung with “The Friends of Distinction.”
The Whispers produced a string of hits over the next two decades and emerged as the leading romantic singers of their generation, racking up one gold album after another and charting numerous R&B hits throughout the seventies and eighties. The Whispers were the first artists featured on the newly formed Soul Train label (co- owned by the TV show’s creator and host Don Cornelius and entrepreneur Dick Griffey). They gained national attention with their seventies albums, “One For The Money,” “Open Up Your Love,” and “Headlights” producing two singles that graced Billboard’s Top 20 R&B Charts: “(Let’s Go) All the Way” and “(Olivia) Lost and Turned Out.” Other notable hits include “Rock Steady,” “And the Beat Goes On” and “It’s a Love Thing.”
Wrapping up the summer concert series will be Banda Machos on August 2.
For more information on the concert series, visit www.cityofpalmdale.org/amp or call 661-267-5611.