The places to be for R&B

What’s Broadway got to do with it?

When you pair soulful 1980s-era pop hits “What’s Love Got to Do with It” and “Private Dancer” with 1966’s “River Deep, Mountain High” and 1973’s “Nutbush City Limits,” what you get is one of the most astonishingly dynamic discographies ever cut to wax. 

Since her 1957 debut, Tina Turner has won 12 Grammy awards and sold millions of concert tickets. In fact, she has sold more tickets than any other solo performer in music history. Now, that legacy is headed to the Wharton Center via a musical. 

An uplifting comeback story like no other, “Tina — The Tina Turner Musical” portrays the rousing journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the queen of rock ‘n’ roll. While the 1993 biopic film “What’s Love Got to Do with It” showcased her abusive marriage with Ike Turner, this is the first time her brave life and music have been showcased on Broadway.

Featuring her beloved catalog of songs, “Tina” was written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall and directed by internationally acclaimed director and producer Phyllida Lloyd. Turner is portrayed in four of Wharton’s eight performances by Zurin Villanueva (and by Naomi Rodgers in the other four), and both fans and critics are gushing over her performance. “I’ve rarely heard an audience with this mighty a roar,” The New York Times wrote, while People Magazine dubbed the musical “euphoric, moving and totally joyous.”

The show invites fans to celebrate an unrelenting woman who dared to dream fiercely, shattered barriers and conquered the music industry against all odds. Set to a career-spanning soundtrack of her most beloved singles, this event is perfect for both Broadway buffs and music aficionados. 

‘Blues champions’ head to Old Town

As a blues musician, you often have to live the life you sing about in your songs, and Asamu Johnson and The Associates of The Blues indeed walk the walk. The group has opened big shows for legends like Koko Taylor while also gigging at countless intimate clubs, like the band’s upcoming show at UrbanBeat in Old Town.

For this group of two-time West Michigan Blues Society International Blues Challenge champions, keeping authentic blues alive while making fans smile and dance is its primary goal. Johnson and his bandmates, Adam McMillian, CC Woods, Da’Veonce Washington, Mike Howe Sr. and Mike Howe Jr., are skilled, experienced musicians with a captivating presence — and have performed at prestigious venues across the map. From Buddy Guy’s Legends bar in Chicago to Teddy’s Juke Joint in Louisiana, these vets have seen it all. 

McMillian and Johnson met as teens in the 1970s. The duo played together in The Funka Sonics and experienced regional success while opening for major acts like The Temptations, Narada Michael Walden and Carl Carlton. Soon after, Woods, an R&B musician, met Johnson, who encouraged him to continue playing. After McMillian took a musical hiatus in the ‘80s and moved to California, he returned to Michigan in the ‘90s and reconnected with Johnson. The rest is blues history.