The best of soul is coming to the Schuster Center on January 31 at 8 p.m. with 70’s Soul Jam. All your soul favorites from the 70’s are back and more dynamic than ever!  Outstanding soul artists The Stylistics, Delfonics, Chi-Lites, and The Manhattans share the Schuster Center stage.

THE STYLISTICS
The Stylistics, a Philadelphia-based quartet is one of the most accomplished soul bands ever.  With their charisma, style and harmony, they evolved into a best-selling group with a remarkable 10 straight top-ten hits in the 1970’s.  Their first single, “You’re A Big Girl Now” produced by the ingenious creator, Thom Bell, won the hearts of a nation and became a top-ten hit instantly.  Under the production of Bell, The Stylistics went on to produce 12 consecutive top-ten hits from 1971-1974.  This was not the end of success for the soulful Stylistics.  Songs, such as the Grammy Nominated hit, “You Make Me Feel Brand New”, introduced a different, smoother style to the soul scene. Their other hits include “Stop, Look, Listen to your Heart”, “You Are Everything” “Betcha By Golly Wow” and “You Make Me Feel Brand New”.

DELFONICS
The Delfonics, known for their sleek, soulful “Philadelphia sound” have graced the stage and the airwaves for nearly 40 years.  The combination of sexy melodies and showmanship has made this threesome a worldwide success.  Under the guidance of Thom Bell, The Delfonics released their chart topping hit song, “La La Means I Love You” in 1968.  With their momentum and popularity growing, the group then released hit singles, “You Get Yours, I’ll Get Mine”, “I’m Sorry”, and “Ready of Not”.  But their success certainly did not end there.  In 1971, The Delfonics were awarded a Grammy for the single, “Didn’t I”.  The group, which has changed R&B’s past, continues to influence the present and future of soul music.

MANHATTANS
The Grammy, gold and platinum award winning group, have sold over twelve million records throughout their career.  With hits, such as “Kiss And Say Goodbye” and “There’s No Me Without You”, The Manhattans have established themselves as a soul music icon.  Under the direction of Edward “Sonny” Bivens, the group created fresh and innovative sounds of soul.  Since 1990, The Manhattans have performed throughout the United States and Canada.  In 1994, The Manhattans, under the guidance of producer Stephen C. Washington, released the “Now” album.  Included in this album is the gospel classic “Touch The Hem of His Garment” and the original “Save The Best For Last”.

CHI-LITES
The Chi-Lites have shaped the sound of soul in the Midwest since the 1970’s.  With 11 top ten R&B singles during a single decade, The Chi-Lites proved to be consistent with their popular style and sound.  Some of their top-selling singles on the 70’s were “Have You Seen Her” and “Oh Girl”.  These soulful ballads were all embraced by a nation and topped the R&B charts. In the early 1990’s, The Chi-Lites entered the studio with a dynamic blend of all new material.  Songs, such as “Happy Music”, add an up-tempo flare to their music, while “Solid Love Affair” brings listeners back to a more traditional ballad.  The magic of The Chi-Lites has proven to be undiminished and will always be a vital sound to Chicago soul.

Boyz II Men, hailed as the most commercially successful R&B group of all time, bring their soulful vocal harmonizing to the Schuster Center on Saturday, November 29.

“American Idol’s” Randy Jackson, who produced their most recent album, says: “All of the greats have a natural talent that continually bubbles up no matter what’s going on. Boyz II Men are like that – just naturally gifted, and the most talented vocal group of our era.”

Boyz II Men’s clean-cut “retro nouveau” image, synchronized dance routines, and polished stage act fueled their rapid rise to stardom in the 1990s. Their debut album,  Cooleyhighharmony is considered a classic of ’90s “new jack swing” and spun off three major crossover hits: “Motownphilly,”, “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday,” and “Uhh Ahh.” Cooleyhighharmony hung on the Billboard Top 200 for an astound ing 133 weeks and sold more than nine million copies in the United States alone.

Their second album, simply titled II, was a massive, chart-topping hit that won the Grammy for Best R&B Album, and sold more than 12 million copies, thanks to its two Number One pop singles, “I’ll Make Love to You” and “On Bended Knee.” When “On Bended Knee” replaced “I’ll Make Love to You” at the top of the Hot 100, Boyz II Men became only the third act in chart history, after Elvis and The Beatles, to replace themselves at Number One.

In a spectacular 17-year career, Boyz II Men have scored fi ve Number One pop hits and 12 Top Ten R&B singles, sold over 60 million records worldwide, and earned a host of awards, including four Grammy Awards.

The three members of Boyz II Men (Michael McCary left the group in 2003) are currently touring in support of their most recent album, Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA, which finds them recording many of the famous Motown anthems that originally inspired them. Teaming with producer Randy Jackson, the Boyz bring their special brand of musical magic to 12 Motown classics, including “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology),” “The Tracks of My Tears,” “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me),” “War,” “I Was Made to Love Her” and “Ribbon In the Sky.”

“Our approach was not to taint or take away from the integrity of the original records,” explains Shawn Stockman, “but to add a little thing, here or there, and put our Boyz II Men flavor on it …We wanted to pay tribute to an era that had such a major infl uence on our sound.”

Wanya Morris adds: “The fact that we were able to do these songs live, the way they made the original records, gives a whole ‘nother twist to what this album is really about.”

“We took everything from before and brought it up to now, just to let everyone know that we haven’t forgotten it,” says Nate Morris.

For video clips of their greatest hits and newest recordings, click here to visit our Boyz II Men Playlist on YouTube. For more about about all things Boyz II Men, visit their website at www.boyziimen.com.

In addition the previously announced 7 p.m. performance, a 3 p.m. matinee has been added on November 30 for The Christmas Music of Mannheim Steamroller by Chip Davis at the Schuster Center.

Tickets for both performances are on sale now through Ticket Center Stage and are priced at $76, $61, $51 and $31, with discounts available for groups. Tickets may be purchased at the Schuster Center box office in downtown Dayton or by phone, at (937) 228-3630 or toll free (888) 228-3630. Ticket Center Stage hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, noon – 4 p.m., and two hours prior to each performance. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.ticketcenterstage.com.

For more information about the band’s national tour, or to sample Mannheim Steamroller albums, visit www.mannheimsteamroller.com.

Tune in to A&E’s “Private Sessions” this Sunday morning at 9 a.m., to catch Boyz II Men, as they perform some of their greatest hits and tracks from their latest album, as well as discuss their spectacular career.

Then be sure to catch them LIVE at the Schuster Center on November 29 – tickets are on sale now through Ticket Center Stage.

Click Here to check out videos of hits like “I’ll Make Love to You” and “On Bended Knee.”

Christmas, no matter where and how it is celebrated, finds its heart and soul in holiday music. International favorite Mannheim Steamroller perfectly captures the spirit of the season this year when it arrives in Dayton for one performance at the Schuster Center on November 30.

The Christmas Music of Mannheim Steamroller by Chip Davis will feature the band’s unmistakable sound in an extravagant multi-media show.  Tickets for The Christmas Music of Mannheim Steamroller by Chip Davis go on sale this Friday, October 17, at 10 a.m. through Ticket Center Stage and are priced at $76, $61, $51 and $31, with discounts available for groups, senior citizens and students.

Tickets may be purchased at the Schuster Center box office in downtown Dayton or by phone, at (937) 228-3630 or toll free (888) 228-3630. Ticket Center Stage hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, noon – 4 p.m., and two hours prior to each performance. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.ticketcenterstage.com.

“The band will play songs from the new CD, and take plenty of time to showcase many favorites from our previous [multi-platinum] Christmas albums,” said Mannheim founder and composer Chip Davis. “The music, along with our state of the art multimedia production, is meant to make this an experience for the whole family.”

“Chip Davis has created a touring blockbuster with Mannheim Streamroller,” says Lee Marshall of Magic Arts and Entertainment.  “The show is a holiday tradition for families and we are thrilled to bring it back to cities across the country.”

Known for its now classic arrangements of “Silent Night,” “Deck the Halls,” and “Angels We Have Heard On High,” the latest Mannheim holiday albums, Christmas Story and Christmasville, marks Mannheim Steamroller’s eighth and ninth Christmas titles. Total album sales for the Christmas series have exceeded 35 million copies worldwide thus far, surpassing that of industry icons and solidifying the band’s place in music history as the largest selling Christmas artist of all time.