Exclusive Interview with Singer/Actor Melba Moore

By Gary A. Johnson – Black Men In America.com

I had a great second interview with Melba Moore. We talked about her “comeback” at the 54 Below Supper Club. NYC’s 54 Below Supper Club, located at 254 West 54th Street, will welcome back Melba Moore on March 15 & 16 at 7pm. She’ll return to the venue with “From Broadway With Love” – journeying through her notably remarkable career in music and beyond. During my interview Melba also talked about her connection to comedian Katt Williams and her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Born in Harlem and raised in Newark NJ with professional musicians as parents, Ms. Moore stepped into the industry singing Background Vocals for the likes of Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin which led to her Broadway debut succeeding Diane Keaton in the musical Hair.

Moore went on to play recurring roles in several hit Broadway productions, including her celebrated Tony Award winning portrayal of Lutiebelle in the musical Purlie.

Accompanied by a band trio along with a visual pictorial presentation of selected photographs and images, Ms. Moore will present a variety of songs, including selected classics from Broadway greats such as Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand, Diahann Carroll and more; taking the audience on a magical musical tour of what makes Broadway great and inspirational.

“Melba Moore: From Broadway With Love” will take to the 54 Below stage on March 15 & 16 at 7pm. Cover charges are $51 (includes $6 in fees) – $62 (includes $7 in fees). Premiums are $106 (includes $11 in fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

Tickets and information are available at 54below.org/MelbaMoore.

Tickets on the day of performance after 4:00pm are only available by calling (646) 476-3551. All online and phone ticket purchases are subject to fees of 10% of ticket price, plus a $1.50 facility fee.

For media inquiries contact Double XXposure – angelo@dxxnyc.com.

Melba Moore is a 5 Octave singer and award-winning actress. She has had success as an actor on Broadway, and as a singer with Soul/R&B, Pop, Rock, Jazz, Gospel, and Classical music.

Did you know that Melba Moore was the first female pop/R&B artist to do a non-operatic solo concert at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House and at the Olympia in Paris?

Melba landed her a role in the cult classic “Hair” on Broadway in 1969. It was in “Hair” that Melba became the first African American woman to replace a white actress, who happened to be the acclaimed Diane Keaton, in a lead role on Broadway. One year later, she starred in “Purlie,” which earned her a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her portrayal as ‘Lutiebelle.’ At that time, Melba was one of the first Black women to win a Tony Award.

Over a four-decade career, she’s been successful on the stage, screen and in the recording studio. She’s had 8 top 10 R&B hits including two #1 smash hits and 3 GRAMMY® nominations, several American Music Awards, a Tony Award®, Ellis Island Award, Artist Guild Award, Trumpet Award of Excellence, NAACP Spingarn Award, and a History Makers Tribute feature.

I got a very clear sense that Melba Moore is most proud of being a mother and God-fearing and caring person.

In the 80s and 90s, Melba Moore gifted us with classic jams like “Lean On Me,”(my favorite), “This Is It,” “You Stepped Into My Life,” “Love’s Comin’ At Ya,” “Livin’ For Your Love,” “Falling” and “A Little Bit More,” her #1 duet with singer Freddie Jackson. She currently has a new single, “Imagine.”

In recent years, the resilient and always the renaissance woman, Moore’s recording projects have primarily been gospel albums, including the CD “Nobody But Jesus.” In 2002, she released “I’m Still Here” and in 2010 she released “The Gift of Love,” a duet album of classic songs and unforgettable originals.

Melba Moore’s produced version of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” which was entered into the United States Congressional Record as the official Negro National Anthem in 1990, was just named an ‘American Aural Treasure,’ by the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress for Ms. Moore’s co-produced recorded rendition of the anthem.

“Music is what God allows me to do,” declares Melba Moore.

Watch my interviews with Melba Moore and learn more about early childhood, her musical influences and the secrets to a long career.

A special thanks to Angelo Ellerbee (Double XXposure Media Relations) and Kevin Goins (New Grooves Radio) for arranging this interview.

This is my first interview with Melba Moore conducted in February 2023.

Listen to Melba’s latest single “Imagine.”

Click Here to Visit Melba Moore’s Official Website

Terri Lyne Carrington with Melba Moore, Bebe Winans, Bobby Brown, Howard Hewitt, Gerald Albright, Jasmine Guy, Debbie Allen, Jeffrey Osborne Louis Gossett, Freddie Jackson, Stephanie Mills, Anita Baker, Take 6, BeBe and CeCe Winans, and more.