THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 25, 1995 TAG: 9503240138
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICKEY WRIGHT, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
QUIET STORM mainstays Anita Baker and Barry White will star at this year's Hampton Jazz Festival at the Hampton Coliseum, it was announced Thursday.
Baker, the Grammy-winning torch singer, whose 1986 album ``Rapture'' is considered a classic of jazz-influenced R&B balladry, will headline opening night, Thursday, June 22, with Frankie Beverly and Maze opening. Baker's current single is ``I Apologize.'' She garnered two nominations for this year's Grammy Awards.
Festival organizer John Scott explained the addition of the Thursday show to the traditional trio of weekend dates: ``We were considering how we could make it grow, how we could fine-tune it. Things that don't change die away.''
The announcement of White's appearance on the festival's final day, June 25, comes when his popularity is at its highest peak in more than 15 years. His 1994 album ``The Icon is Love'' has gone platinum, with the single ``Practice What You Preach'' a gold record and long-running radio favorite. ``Practice'' received a Grammy nomination for Male R&B Vocal Performance.
The complete festival lineup follows:
Thursday, June 22: Anita Baker; Frankie Beverly and Maze.
Friday, June 23: Gladys Knight; Earth, Wind & Fire; Grover Washington Jr.
Saturday, June 24: Al Jarreau; George Benson; Jazz Explosion featuring Patti Austin and Gerald Albright.
Sunday, June 25: Ray Charles; Natalie Cole; Barry White.
Tickets, priced at $33.50 per night, go on sale April 1 at the Coliseum box office and Ticketmaster locations. For more information, call 838-4203. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
Anita Baker
Barry White
Photo
Ray Charles
by CNB