Motown Legends head for MEN Arena in June

Oct 7 2008 by Michael Green, Chester Chronicle

TO TIE in with next year’s 50 year celebration of Motown, Once In A Lifetime – Motown Legends Live Tour 2009 visits the MEN Arena IN Manchester on Saturday , June 27.

Tickets for the show - featuring The Commodores, Mary Wilson of The Supremes, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, The Miracles and Jr Walker’s All Stars - are priced £37.50 and go on sale 9am Friday, October 10.

The Commodores are one of the biggest-selling groups of the 70s and had many of the decades best loved hits including Three Times A Lady (No 1) (Motown’s biggest selling single ever), Sail On (No. 8), Easy (No. 9), Machine Gun (No. 20), Wonderland (No. 40) and Still (No 4) and in the 80s with Nightshift (No 3) for which they won a Grammy.

They were discovered after supporting the Jackson Five and went onto sell over 60 million records for their Motown releases alone. In 2002 they were inducted into the US Hall Of Fame.

Mary Wilson of The Supremes was one third of the most successful female singing groups in recording history.

With the songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, the Supremes became America’s most prolific hit makers and helped establish the distinct Motown sound that made the band one of the most influential and successful icons of the 60s and 70s.

Martha Reeves, Motown’s ultimate soul diva, started as an assistant at the label that made her famous. With The Vandellas she had many hits that included Nowhere To Run (No 4), Dancing In The Street (No 4), Heatwave, Third Finger Left Hand and Jimmy Mac. Martha also provided vocals on Marvin Gaye’s first three hits.

The Miracles were the first Motown group to break through, giving the label its first gold record for selling a million copies. Their hits include Tears Of A Clown (No. 1), Love Machine (No. 3), (Come ‘Round Here) I’m The One You Need (No. 13). I Don’t Blame You At All (No. 11) and Tracks Of My Tears (No. 9).

Known the world over as the Ultimate Motown Party Band, Jr Walker‘s All Stars present a spectacular live performance of unforgettable, non-stop foot stomping hits including Road Runner, What Does It Take (To Win Your Love), Walk In The Night and Take Me Girl, I’m Ready.

Tickets may be subject to a booking fee and are available via the 24 Hour Ticketmaster Hotline 0844 847 8000; to personal callers from the M.E.N Arena Box Office (10am-6pm: Mon-Sat); via post (send sae & cheque payable to SMG UK Ltd) ; via e-ticket centres at selected zavvi stores (formerly Virgin Megastores) and via the venue’s official website men-arena.com Special Needs Ticketline 0161 950 5229 (10am-5pm: Mon-Fri). Group Bookings: 0870 169 6888