You know everybody’s been looking for MIDNIGHT STAR. Well… Search No more… They’re back! After a lengthy sabbatical, MIDNIGHT STAR has emerged once again…back on the scene, with class, excitement, and those patented infectious, hit grooves & melodies that rock the house!
Formed at Kentucky State University in 1976, MIDNIGHT STAR began as a self-contained party band in the P-Funk/ Earth Wind and Fire mode, and quickly earned a strong live reputation throughout the world. A 1978 New York City showcase inspired Solar Records chief Dick Griffey to sign the group, and early 80’s albums like The Beginning, Standing Together, and Victory gave MIDNIGHT STAR a chance to hone their chops. Every thing clicked together with the Certified Double Platinum Plus No Parking on the Dance Floor album that established MIDNIGHT STAR as world-renowned songwriters, producers, and entertainers.
The groups passion and love of the music and their strong desire to keep their fans ultimately satisfied, has shown up in Platinum and Gold as they’ve poured out streams of top 10 and No. 1 hits. It began in 1983 with dance-floor smashes like “Freak-a-Zoid”, “No Parking on the Dance Floor”, “Wet My Whistle” and the lovers ballad of the mid-80’s, “Slow Jam”, that to date no one can get enough of. The Planetary Invasion LP of 1985 took them to No. 1 with “Operator” and the sizzling “Curious”. In 1986 MIDNIGHT STAR struck gold with the chart buster “Midas Touch” and the title cut from the Headlines LP. The year of 1988 rowed them to the top once again with the No. 1 “Don’t Rock the Boat” (which featured rapper Ecstasy of Whodini) and the top 10 “Snake in the Grass” from their self-titled CD.
MIDNIGHT STAR broke into the 90’s with the smash “Do It (One More Time)” from their Work it Out CD which also featured the sultry ballad “Red Roses”.
After extensive international touring, some of the members decided to pursue other various projects. “Deep down inside, everyone had the intentions of getting back together again,” says vocalist/guitarist Melvin “McArthur” Gentry. “I’ve been behind the scenes a little bit, doing production projects on Toni Braxton, Shanice Wilson and others.” Vocalist and keyboard player Boaz Watson has worked as McArthur’s production partner. He has also co-written songs with renowned songwriter/producer
Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, including hits on Toni Braxton and After Seven. He has served as musical arranger for two Toni Braxton tours and as musical director for the Babyface tour. Boaz is also musical director for MTV’s Babyface Unplugged concert and CD featuring Stevie Wonder and Eric Clapton, and Babyface’s live performance on the 1998 Grammy Awards. Beautiful lead singer Belinda Lipscomb took her talents to the theater, with lead roles in several musical comedies and gospel musicals. “I’ve been honing in on who I am and where I want to go,” says Belinda. In addition, Belinda has performed on and written several national radio and television commercials during the groups hiatus.
So what can we expect from MIDNIGHT STAR today? Belinda adds “ We will hit the stage with the high energy performance that we are known for, remembering all the things that were so special about the group… letting everybody’s light shine.” Boaz sums it up by saying “ We’ve all been able to go out and have our individual success and we’ve learned different things. We’ve brought these experiences to the group, and now we can enhance the talents that MIDNIGHT STAR already had and make our music more exciting than ever”