Darlene Love at the Golden State Theatre, Monterey - 2014:
The sold out crowd was in a blissful trance during Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Darlene Love's two 45-minute sets at Monterey's Golden State Theatre.
"Every time I'm on stage, my desire is to make you happy," the then 72-year-old Love proclaimed to the audience.
For more than 50 years, the singer made her living in the background—one of the best in the biz—backing up some of the biggest stars in the world, including Tina Turner, Elvis and Aretha Franklin.
Many of those years were soaked in frustration, but Love always remained graceful, continuing to work in an industry that showed zero respect for her. She kept her cool when megalomaniac, mogul producer Phil Spector—who Love worked closely with throughout her early years—took credit for her talent and personally made sure her name was kept out of album credits. Spector treated Love like the Rosa Parks of the recording industry, forcing her to sit in the back of the bus.
Love remained positive even when she knew damn well that she had a better voice than most of the artists she backed in the studio. She saw many, lacking the talent she had, rise to fame, while forces beyond her control kept her in the background.
"I’m a very hardworking person and I always look at things and think them out before I do anything," Love says. "I'd remember that I was there [in the studio] to please whoever I was singing for. That was my job."
Since the 2013 Oscar-winning documentary, 20 Feet From Stardom, Love's finally the star she's always deserved to be, singing front-stage with the spotlight on her alone; it's her name that's now illuminated in bold lettering on large theater marquees.
Love takes nothing for granted, especially the durability of her voice, which continues to transcend audiences.
Show highlights included a Roberta Flack medley, kicking off with "Killing Her Softly," a Marvin Gaye medley featuring "What's Going On" and The Crystals' early ’60s gem, "Da Doo Ron Ron."
Love says she gives 150 percent; that's not an exaggeration. On stage, the singer stood still for just a few seconds at a time. And her booty didn't stop shaking...ever.
Between songs Love had little time to rest her voice—I never even saw her sneak a sip of water—telling countless insider rock and roll stories.
Following decades of singing, Love's voice remains in dynamic form. She attributes this to her post-performance routine.
"After the show is over, I may have a glass of wine, but then I go straight home [or to my hotel] and don’t do a lot of talking so I can rest my throat," she explains. "It’s what they call 'vocal rest' and it's the reason I can still do this after all these years."
Last year, Love returned to the Monterey Peninsula for a holiday show at the Sunset Center in Carmel. I wasn't in town, but those who attended concurred that she's still in top form.
Sending lots of love to Ms. Love!
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