Stockton, California

ConFunkShun and Midnight Star

Event Date: Saturday, November 20^th , 2010
Event Time:  8:00pm
Doors open at 7:00pm
Ticket Prices:  $50, $45, & $30 (Additional fees may apply)
All sales are Final! There are no exchanges or refunds on tickets.

  Midnight Star Bio

Formed at Kentucky State University in 1976, MIDNIGHT STAR began as a self-contained party band in the P-Funk/ Earth Wind and Fire mode, and quickly earned a strong live reputation throughout the world. A 1978 New York City showcase inspired Solar Records chief Dick Griffey to sign the group, and early 80’s albums like The Beginning, Standing Together, and Victory gave MIDNIGHT STAR a chance to hone their chops. Every thing clicked together with the Certified Double Platinum Plus No Parking on the Dance Floor album that established MIDNIGHT STAR as world-renowned songwriters, producers, and entertainers.
The groups passion and love of the music and their strong desire to keep their fans ultimately satisfied, has shown up in Platinum and Gold as they’ve poured out streams of top 10 and No. 1 hits. It began in 1983 with dance-floor smashes like “Freak-a-Zoid”, “No Parking on the Dance Floor”, “Wet My Whistle” and the lovers ballad of the mid-80’s, “Slow Jam”, that to date no one can get enough of. The Planetary Invasion LP of 1985 took them to No. 1 with “Operator” and the sizzling “Curious”. In 1986 MIDNIGHT STAR struck gold with the chart buster “Midas Touch” and the title cut from the Headlines LP. The year of 1988 rowed them to the top once again with the No. 1 “Don’t Rock the Boat” (which featured rapper Ecstasy of Whodini) and the top 10 “Snake in the Grass” from their self-titled CD.
MIDNIGHT STAR broke into the 90’s with the smash “Do It (One More Time)” from their Work it Out CD which also featured the sultry ballad “Red Roses”.
After extensive international touring, some of the members decided to pursue other various projects. “Deep down inside, everyone had the intentions of getting back together again,” says vocalist/guitarist Melvin “McArthur” Gentry. “I’ve been behind the scenes a little bit, doing production projects on Toni Braxton, Shanice Wilson and others.” Vocalist and keyboard player Boaz Watson has worked as McArthur’s production partner. He has also co-written songs with renowned songwriter/producer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, including hits on Toni Braxton and After Seven. He has served as musical arranger for two Toni Braxton tours and as musical director for the Babyface tour. Boaz is also musical director for MTV’s Babyface Unplugged concert and CD featuring Stevie Wonder and Eric Clapton, and Babyface’s live performance on the 1998 Grammy Awards. Beautiful lead singer Belinda Lipscomb took her talents to the theater, with lead roles in several musical comedies and gospel musicals. “I’ve been honing in on who I am and where I want to go,” says Belinda. In addition, Belinda sang on several national radio and television commercials including a series of spots for the popular Caribbean resort “Sandals”.
So what can we expect from MIDNIGHT STAR today? Belinda adds “ We will hit the stage with the high energy performance that we are known for, remembering all the things that were so special about the group… letting everybody’s light shine.” Boaz sums it up by saying “ We’ve all been able to go out and have our individual success and we’ve learned different things. We’ve brought these experiences to the group, and now we can enhance the talents that MIDNIGHT STAR already had and make our music more exciting than ever”
So you see, MIDNIGHT STAR has been blessed with gifts and talents that could only come from GOD up above. There is no doubt about it… MIDNIGHT STAR is back and ready to do it now and beyond.

CONFUNKSHUN BIO
 
Con Funk Shun is a star-quality attraction delivering a superb, high-energy show with electrifying choreography, glistening six-part vocal harmonies, and a dash of humor. They are, unquestionably, among the heroes of Funk with romantic ballads and dance-party hits galore. Memorable melodies, inventive horn arrangements and clav-guitar woven grooves, make the group absolutely essential to the evolution of funk. They charted four consecutive Gold's and one Platinum album. Their 20 hit singles included 8 Top Ten R&B Hits and one #1 R&B smash between '77-'86.With finesse and consistency they legitimized what came following them: high-profile, commercial explosions featuring their hits in countless rap/hip-hop samples, exposed them to a new generation, now in their thirties. In response, Mercury/Polygram released the” Best of Con Funk Shun" in '93 on their "Funk Essentials" Series. The fans immediately recoiled to the “Essential to Funk”, Con Funk Shun. Universal bought Polygram, and again released the sure-thing Money-Maker, “Best Of Con Funk Shun” on their Millennium Collection in March 2002.

This enthusiasm is what encored the band back to the stage. With rave concert reviews and cries for more LP's, Mercury/PolyGram re-released the Gold-LP"Secrets" in '95 and in '96 "Best Of Vol. II" Then, Intersound Records released "Live For Ya A**", a live LP, in '96 to coincide with CFS on the Sinbad "Soul Music Festival" HBO Special airing that August/September. '97, brought a "Love's Train" cover on a Multi-Platinum debut by Dru Hill, and samples for Gold-LP Booty Call Soundtrack ("Huckelberry" by D Shot) and Double-Platinum Gang Related Soundtrack ("A Change Is Gonna Come" by J. Flexx). '98, saw the re-release of Gold-LP "Spirit Of Love" and the "Ballads Collection". 2000 brought a new round of funk with Con Funk Shun contributing two new tracks to the Major Hits Records "United We Funk Allstars Compilation" (and Tour) including GAP's Charlie Wilson, Rick James, Dazz Band, Roger Troutman, SOS Band, Barkay's, and The System. In addition to the band's schedule, Michael Cooper remains vital in contemporary music today. When Con Funk Shun closed shop between '86 to '93, Cooper shined on a string of solo hits including "Shoop Shoop", " Prove My Love", and "Dinner For Two" on his Warner Bros. LP's,in 2003 on NCA " THIS HEART OF MINE" and still tours as a solo act, promoting his new cd "ARE WE COOL" Pilate emerged as a multi-platinum record producer for his award-winning production on M.C.Hammer, Addams Family Movie, and Hammerman Cartoon Show. And now his new cd "Nothing but Love Spoken here"

In their formative years, they started in their hometown of Vallejo, CA. The band wound up in Memphis in the mid-70's when they landed a lucky gig backing the Soul Children, a red-hot Stax act. After the Soul Children back-up gig the group adopted a new name inspired from a Nite-Liters song: ConFunkShun. After the newly re-named act attracted the attention of Mercury Records, they soon set funkateers around the world on fire with "Sho' Feels Good To Me," from their debut album. Their second LP, "Secrets", exploded to Gold status. The LP featured the No. 1 Hit Single, "Ffun," penned by the productive, prolific Cooper on a tour-coach ride between concerts. "Marry Me Again” could well be the new anthem wedding song as Cooper woos his love partner with fervent sentiment and passion. “I Got A Love Jones,” on the other hand, is a finger snapping sing a long while with the base heavy “40 Days 40 Nights” Cooper puts his mack down on an ex-flame before taking us back to the party with “Club Feenz.” “Music is my mission,” reveals Cooper. “My sound has stayed essential because the guys and I still actively tour. My musical inspiration comes from my audience, my family and from life. My sound has fueled a generation and that same generation fuels my sound.” Are We Cool, Cooper queries? With music like his, the answer is yes, definitely so! We are cool with an album that couldn't be any hotter!

By 1979, with charting albums "Loveshine" and "Candy", Con Funk Shun were solid-Gold sellers, performing for sold-out shows like the prestigious Omni in Atlanta. The group began self-producing a year later, on the "Touch" LP. Alongside blistering dance workouts like "Chase Me" and "Ms. Got-The-Body" were their timeless slow-jams with pop fliar - classic fav's such as, "Love's Train", "Straight From The Heart", "(Let Me Put) Love On Your Mind" and "All Up To You". Then CSF teamed with Kool & The Gang's producer, Eumir Deodato, producing "Baby I'm Hooked (Right Into Your Love)." "I'm Leaving Baby" was a collaboration with Maurice Starr, then-future svengali to New Kids On The Block. These hits and more remain on radio playlists today, year after year... Recent appearances include Tokyo’s Cotton club, Cashe Creek casino Resort, Harrah’s New Orleans, Rrazz room San Francisco and the  Master of funk USA tour, The Tom Joyner fantastic voyage cruise 2010,as well as corporate and charity events.

Look for the New CONFUNKSHUN CD  “SOUND OF GROWN MEN” COMING SOON