Charlie Beale

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A true pro ...

Two days ago we finished our most successful New York City Big Gay Sing ever, selling out two night earlier than ever and, by all accounts, raising the roof with the chorus's sound and energy. It was one of my most satisfying artistic experiences with NYCGMC to date, in that it combined solid commercial success with technically excellent singing, the best dance we have done in ages, an innovative approach to the band involving backing tracks alongside live playing, and above all the most extraordinary passion and energy from our singers, well beyond previous years.

The show featured club music from the 1970s to the present day, focusing on the most popular and well-known items that everyone could sing along to. Guest star Martha Wash was my first choice, because she symbolizes club music in so many ways, from 'It's Raining Men' and Sylvester's 'Mighty Real' (as Two Tons of Fun) in the 1970s, through Black Box's 'Everybody Everybody' and CandC Music Factory's 'Everybody Dance now', both late '80s, to the present day. In the second half she sang us her very latest unreleased Tony Moran remix of 'I'm not coming down'.

At one point in the show, in this picture, we had a little chat about what it was like working in NYC clubs in the 1970s and 80s, and how things had changed.

She was absolutely fascinating, gracious, flexible, easy to work with and sang with huge authority and charisma. A true pro!