First Ladies of Disco headline OKC Pride

by Taylor Brunwald
Music Writer

Put on your boogie shoes and dust off your polyester! The First Ladies of Disco – Martha Wash, Evelyn “Champagne” King, and Anita Ward – are coming to bring disco back and make people dance at the OKC Pride Block Party Concert. The power trio will debut their eleven-piece disco symphony at the concert.

As a group, the First Ladies of Disco have released Show Some Love, an inspirational R&B song about enduring life’s anxieties and appreciation for those who love you. Show Some Love reached the Top 10 of Billboard’s Dance chart in 2015. The group formed after James Arena’s book, First Ladies of Disco: 32 Stars Discuss the Era and Their Singing Careers, was released in 2013.

"This song has a wonderful message that is extremely relevant to today's world, and I know many people are going to connect with it," King said in a statement on the group’s website.

While incredible together, each of the First Ladies has enjoyed a diverse solo singing career.

Martha Wash co-headlined the OKC Pride Block Party Concert in 2014 with Taylor Dayne. As half of The Weather Girls, she and fellow singer Izora Rhodes recorded one of the disco age’s most enduring hits, It’s Raining Men, which became a gay anthem.

Wash also sang lead vocals on Black Box’s hits Everybody Everybody and Strike It Up, as well as C+C Music Factory’s stadium anthem Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now). In recent years, she has performed for numerous LGBTQ events and causes.

“I had such a great experience the last time I performed at OKC Pride,” Wash said exclusively to The Gayly. “The staff, volunteers, and audience were so nice. Simply, OKC Pride has the best audience. We intend to have a lot of fun with this show and hope that everyone will have an awesome time!”

Evelyn “Champagne” King’s biggest hit was the disco floor-filler Shame in 1978. Although she debuted near the end of disco’s heyday, some of her other hits during the era include Love Come Down and I’m In Love, both of which topped the Billboard Dance charts. Her album Get Loose topped the Billboard R&B Album chart in 1982 and she continued to have success in R&B throughout the decade.

“I think audiences, regardless of their age or background, appreciate quality,” King said. “I think they know professionals when they hear them – and they know what gets them pumped and excited. When they see and hear us perform, I think we tap into exactly what they want to feel, what they want to experience, and they love it. Martha and Anita have the kind of personalities and talent that everyone can identify with and appreciate.”

Anita Ward will fill in for Linda Clifford at OKC Pride this year. She is perhaps best remembered for her smash #1 hit Ring My Bell, as well as her two 1979 albums Songs of Love and Sweet Surrender. Ward told The Gayly what the OKC Pride crowd can expect.

“I think our music has always crossed boundaries and people of every kind come together when they hear us,” Ward said. “First Ladies of Disco bridges generations because our sound is so powerful.… Our music gets you on your feet and there's no holding it back. Our audiences can expect to be blown away!”

With their combined talents, the First Ladies of Disco will undoubtedly bring a memorable concert to kick off the OKC Pride weekend.

The First Ladies of Disco can be found on Facebook and Twitter, and online at firstladiesofdiscoshow.com. The OKC Pride Block Party Concert begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 24, 2016 at the 39th Street Strip. The concert is free and open to the public.

The Gayly – June 15, 2016 @ 9:10 a.m.