FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Simply the Best: A Tina Turner Tribute Concert Vibrates with Explosive Energy

East Liberty, Pittsburgh, PA—Kelly Strayhorn Theater is proud to present Simply the Best: A Tina Turner Tribute Concert with Dwayne Fulton on Saturday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Invoking Tina Turner’s magnetic energy and earthshaking talent, Simply the Best explores the singer’s star-studded half-century career. As Rolling Stone wrote in 1969, Turner “comes on like a hurricane. She dances and twists and shakes and sings and the impact is instant and total.” With musical direction by Dwayne Fulton, a celebrated Pittsburgh-based musician, pianist, and composer, Simply the Best features a host of talented local performers: Chanell C.J. Harris, Julia Flowers, J.R. Jones, Michael Davis, Zuliakha Mason, Krystyn Kirkland, and Gary Davis.

“We are grateful to collaborate once again with Dwayne, who helps bring these larger-than-life musical legacies to the stage in full, vibrant color,” says Joseph Hall, KST’s Executive Director. “Our purpose is to uplift historically resilient communities and extend the legacy of artistry that Pittsburgh represents, ensuring that Black and queer folks in our city have space to create, express, and celebrate together. This program embraces Tina Turner’s effusive energy and astounding life story, demonstrating the power and value of artistic expression, joy, and fearlessness.”

Since 2020 KST has been collaborating with Dwayne Fulton on a recurring series of tribute concerts honoring musical genres and artistic legends. From Black & Solid Gold: the Hits of Magnificent Motown in Fall 2021 to When Doves Cry, the sold out and spectacular Prince tribute in February 2022, to last year’s R.E.S.P.E.C.T. An Aretha Franklin Tribute Concert, these one of a kind concerts have brought some of Pittsburgh’s greatest musicians to the KST stage to celebrate musical greats of our time. For 2024 Fulton and KST are delighted to honor Tina Turner with Simply the Best.

To embody the earthshaking talents of Turner, Fulton cast Chanell C.J. Harris, an established singer and recently returned Pittsburgh native who performs the Con Alma jazz club with Tempo Noir. Harris, who has performed and produced music on stage and sets across the country, finds inspiration in Turner’s versatile genre influences and later-career success story.

“There are a lot of parallels in her story and mine,” says Harris. “She didn’t get her first real hit record until she was 44 years old, and I’m 45 years old. This industry can age a lot of people out, because they always want the new, younger talent. But sometimes they pass over some really dynamic individuals. The story we’re telling is all about Tina’s energy, energy, energy. It’s going to be nonstop from the time we hit.”

KST’s 2023–24 season, Brave Actions, Bold Voices, celebrates the artists, audiences, and communities who call KST home. Throughout the season, KST has hosted new offerings from Mutual Aid Residents Dreams of Hope and PearlArts, visual art exhibitions in the KST Gallery, Freshworks: New Performance in Process, and premieres of Local and Global Performances from longtime Pittsburgh favorites and returning faces. As a site of community building and resistance, KST defines itself as a home for artists and a space of care for historically resilient people.

SIMPLY THE BEST: A TINA TURNER TRIBUTE CONCERT WITH DWAYNE FULTON

Saturday, March 16, 2024|  7:30pm – 9:30pm

Kelly Strayhorn Theater  |  5941 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Tickets for Simply the Best: A Tina Turner Tribute Concert with Dwayne Fulton are Pay What Moves You, $25 – $65 per attendee, and can be reserved at kelly-strayhorn.org.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

With over 30 years of experience as a pianist, music director, and composer, Dwayne Fulton fully understands the power of the arts and its influence on the earth. Dwayne is the founder and Chief Executive of Kingdom People Productions and The SouLyfe Cafe. Dwayne has had the honor of accompanying Grover Washington, Jr., Roger Humphries, Sean Jones, and Nathan Davis. He has also shared the stage with Keith Sweat, Guy, Fred Hammond, Bobby Jones, Kirk Franklin, The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Michael Bublé. Prior collaborators include Pittsburgh Festival Opera, The Kuntu Repertoire Theatre, Kelly Strayhorn Theater, DeMaskus Productions, and the August Wilson Center.

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Chanell C.J. Harris is a singer-songwriter, performer, and executive music licensing manager. Since recently returning to her native city of Pittsburgh, Chanell has curated and created original music for “The Writer’s Landscape”, a permanent exhibition at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. Chanell is a ASCAP FILM & TV Award winner for her original work on the BET hit show Real Husbands of Hollywood where she also served as Music Supervisor. Chanell performs regularly in Downtown Pittsburgh’s Con Alma with the band Tempo Noir. Having spent 10 years in the Music to Picture industry, Chanell is now focusing her talents on creating a music catalogue for underserved markets and emerging streaming and media platforms.

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Julia Flowers, a native of Pittsburgh, PA., has been singing since the age of 11. Julia has been a faithful member of the Mt. Ararat Baptist Church Praise Team for the past 15 years. She has sung with artists including Trini Massie and 4 The Caz of Christ, Travis Malloy, among others. Julia has also sung Background vocals for artists including Anita Wilson, Tod Galberth, Kelontae Gavin, Geoffrey Golden, Stevie Wonder, and Common. Julia is a graduate of California University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resource Management. And most importantly, Julia is the proud parent of the beautiful and precious Gia Rose.

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J.R. Jones, a dedicated member of Mount Ararat Music Ministry since 1998, contributes his musical talents to local choirs and groups. Noteworthy achievements include drum accompaniment on live recordings like Patrick Polk & Worship’s, “An Awesome God” and Mount Ararat Music Ministry’s, “Called to Relationship”. In 2014, J.R. and his bandmates from The Brydge released their debut album, “Livin Lyfe: The Experience, Vol. I”, this year celebrating their 10th anniversary with new music and a concert. Grateful for the opportunity to share his gift through drumming, J.R. remains committed to enriching the world through his musicianship.

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Michael Davis, a versatile guitarist, excels in lead and rhythm across diverse genres including classical, gospel, and musical productions. Formerly an instructor at the Afro-American Music Institute under Dr. James Johnson, he contributed to gospel recordings for artists like Anita Levels and groups like Kingdom People. His stage presence extends to gospel musicals like “Forgiven” and “From Chains To Gains”. Michael performed in Kelly Strayhorn Theater’s Prince musical tribute concert, “When Doves Cry”, in 2022.  Currently, Michael’s musical journey continues with residencies at Covenant Church of Pittsburgh and performances with groups like The Brydge and Spirit-Filled, showcasing his enduring passion for music.

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Krystyn Kirkland, a Pittsburgh native, has been singing since childhood. Her passion for music began at Rogers Creative and Performing Arts middle school, nurtured by her musically talented parents. She’s collaborated with local and national artists, specializing in professional background singing while also adept as a lead vocalist. Married to producer Jerome O. Kirkland Jr., they co-own Vivid Music Group, striving for excellence in musicianship. As a mother of three, Krystyn balances her music career with nurturing her children, Christian, Sydney, and Nia.

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Zuliakha Mason, originally from Philadelphia, who has been active in Pittsburgh’s music and theater scene since 2001. From church solos to backing up local and major recording artists, her heart is in every note she sings. When she is not on stage, she enjoys quality time with her family, mentoring, teaching adults, children and youth in her field of Early Childhood Education.

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Gary Davis, also known as “Down Home”, has performed with many local and national artists. Davis is the bass player for Pittsburgh’s House of Soul band which has opened for high profile stars such as Aretha Franklin, the Commodores, the Dramatics, the SOS Band, Janet Jackson, Kool & the Gang, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Bobby Womack, 112, and the Whispers.

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ABOUT KELLY STRAYHORN THEATER

Named after 20th century entertainment legends Gene Kelly and Billy Strayhorn, both natives of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Kelly Strayhorn Theater (KST) is a home for creative experimentation, community dialogue, and collective action rooted in the liberation of Black and queer people. We welcome our home to all who uplift Black, Indigenous, people of color, and queer voices.

KST is an institutional arts anchor in Pittsburgh’s East End that has served the community for more than two decades. Since launching KST Presents programming in ’08, KST has been Black-led, fostering radical imagination for Black and queer arts, culture, and community in Pittsburgh by cultivating BIPOC and/or queer artists, entrepreneurs, and arts administrators, developing their careers, and shifting narratives around Black possibility.