Never underestimate the power of music when it comes to B.B. King and the Jackson 5.
Music has the capacity to help heal the body, soothe the soul and immortalize those who gave us the gift of song.
So it was Saturday at Savannah Center when Tito Jackson joined the B.B. King Blues Band for a pair of shows. Mystical forces seemed at work on this night, as the musical spirit of the late B.B. King found its way into a remarkably authentic blues concert.
Listening to King’s band is like walking down Beale Street in Memphis – these guys live and breathe the blues and they make you feel it in the gut. The group included King’s longtime friend, James “Boogaloo” Bolden. Also: Brandon Jackson, Russell Jackson, Darrell Lavigne, Wilbert Crosby, Lamar Boulet and Eric Demmer.
Near the end of the show, Tito Jackson went into the Jackson 5 songbook and shared the stage with a teenage girl. Heidi Newberry, 14, battled double-pneumonia and was hospitalized from early December until mid- January. She spent much of that time in intensive care.
Newberry sported a black suit and sunglasses, dressed like the late Michael Jackson. She had a smile on her face and the joy of life in her heart.
“I’m so happy to be here and to be alive,” said Newberry, from Lake City. “I thank everyone for their prayers.”
Tito Jackson had been playing guitar and singing for much of the concert. He fit right in with B.B.’s crew, performing “Rock Me Baby,” “Steppin’ Out;” Muddy Waters’ “Hoochie-Coochie Man” and B.B. King’s all-time classic, “The Thrill Is Gone.”
Then he talked about performing some Jackson 5 songs.
“I was thinking about singing like Michael Jackson, but I can’t,” Tito said with a grin. “My voice is too low. Is there someone out there with a higher voice?”
Heidi Newberry stepped up from her seat in the audience and made her way to the stage. Tito Jackson met Heidi last year at a concert. When Jackson heard of her illness, he asked for prayers on his Facebook page.
Soon, they were together and the B.B. King Blues Band was suddenly transformed into the Jackson 5’s Motown band.
They kicked off the J-5 set with “I Want You Back.” Tito moved next to Heidi and they shared a microphone. Next up was “ABC,” and Tito coaxed Heidi to loosen up on the lyrics. Then came “The Love You Save,” and Tito and Heidi were starting to look like the Jackson 2.
Things got funky when Heidi reached up and adjusted Tito’s trademark bowler hat as the duo sang “Dancing Machine,” and that song might be best described as “automatic, systematic.”
The set was over and Heidi left to a huge ovation.
“I loved being up there with Tito,” she said in a brief interview afterwards. “I’ve always been a big fan of the Jackson 5 and to sing those songs with him was great. Tito is a good person and he cares about me, and he cares about people.”The Jackson 5 set was fun, but early in the concert the B.B. King Band delivered some simmering down home blues.
Russell Jackson kicked off the show playing some wicked bass notes and singing “Let the Good Times Roll.” He paid tribute to Muddy Waters with a steamy version of “Honey Bee. And James “Boogaloo” Bolden got down and dirty on a couple numbers, “Big Boss Man” and “Why I Sing the Blues.”
“I knew B.B. King for 35 years and I’m still singing the blues,” Bolden said.
This band was as tight as they come. Eric Demmer on saxophone was blowing steam heat all night long and earned numerous ovations. Wilbert Crosby’s lead guitar did Lucille (B.B. King’s famed guitar) proud.
It’s hard to single out anyone because they all helped transform the Savannah Center into a blues club.
And Tito Jackson played a big part in creating the blues atmosphere.
“I’ve always loved the blues,” he said. And on this night, the blues never felt or sounded better.
Tony Violanti is a veteran journalist and writes for Villages-News.com.
