The Sound of Music Can Be Heard at the 1st Annual Music in the Park Summer Series Sponsored by Oakland City Councilmember Desley Brooks @ Arroyo Viejo Park in Oakland

1st Annual Music in the Park Summer Music Series sponsored by Oakland City Councilmember Desley Brooks @ Arroyo Viejo Park Kick Off Sunday, July 31, 2005

OAKLAND, Calif. (PRWEB) July 17, 2005 --The sound of old school music will be heard at Arroyo Viejo Park, 7701 Krause Street, East Oakland, starting July 31, 2005, kicking off the 1st Annual Music in the Park series sponsored by Councilperson Desley Brooks.

Every place I travel there are city sponsored free concerts in the park", said Councilperson Desley Brooks. I remember catching the bus to Rock Creek Park In Washington D.C. to hear free concerts and what a sense of community and unity those concerts created -- I want that in Oakland."

Brooks has organized four concerts all scheduled for Sunday afternoons.

The line-up includes:
July 31st -- Rose Royce;
August 7th -- Lenny Williams;
August 21st -- Midnight Star; and the finale September 11th -- Toni, Tony,Tone.

All of the concerts will begin at 3:00 pm and will be free to the public. Bring a blanket, bring your family and enjoy a relaxing afternoon listening to good music at beautiful Arroyo Viejo Park.

THE LINEUP
July 31st
ROSE ROYCE
Dazzling audiences worldwide, Rose Royce currently tours Europe three times a year and Japan twice a year. Rose Royce has played to many standing room only crowds all over the world. The Grammy Award Winning Group Rose Royce that sold millions of copies of the album "Car Wash" , "In Full Bloom" and "Rose Royce Strikes Again", is currently putting their new material together. A versatile group who possess a multitude of talent and charisma members are as follows: Kenny Copeland (Lead Vocals and Trumpet) , Richie Benson (Lead Vocals) , Freddie Dunn(Trumpet), Walter McKinney (Guitar and Vocals), Mike Moore(Sax) and Henry Garner (Drums).

August 7th
LENNY WILLIAMS
Lenny Williams, owner of one of the most glorious high-tenor voices in the annuals of R&B. Famous for his soaring leads on such Tower of Power hits as "So Very Hard to Go," "What Is Hip?," and "Don't Change Horses (In the Middle of a Stream)" and for numerous solo hits that include "Shoo Doo Fu Fu Oh!," "'Cause I Love You," "Midnight Girl," and "Doing the Loop De Loop," the singer began his recording career in 1969 at Fantasy Records. Now he's on Volt Records, the historic R&B label that was recently reactivated by
Fantasy, Inc.

August 21st
MIDNIGHT STAR
The synth-funk unit Midnight Star scored several times on the charts during the mid-'80s, led by their double-platinum album No Parking on the Dance Floor in 1983. The group was formed in 1976 at Kentucky State University by the Calloway brothers, trumpeter Reginald, and trombone player Vincent, with vocalist Belinda Lipscomb. After signing with RCA near the turn of the decade, Midnight Star recorded their first album in 1980, The Beginning, with a conglomeration of studio players and producers. After moving to the Solar label by 1982, the group released Victory and then added a full band:
guitarist Melvin Gentry, bassist Kenneth Gant, drummer Bobby Lovelace, and keyboard player Bo Watson.

September 11th
DWAYNE WIGGINS of Tony, Toni, Tone
Dwayne Wiggins has proven to be a durable guardian of the soul and funk tradition, while also infusing his music with enough contemporary devices to remain popular. This Oakland son scored a number one R&B hit with his brother and cousin right out of the box in 1988 with "Little Walter," a song that generated some criticism from gospel audiences for its use of the melody from "Wade in the Water." The group went on to having a series of successful tunes. In recent years Dwayne has built on his success through collaborations with artist like Alicia Keys.

CONTACT: Desley Brooks, 510.238-7006

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