This week, Ira spoke with Miss Melanie Moore, performing at the Maxan Jazz Club June 21. In this episode of “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” Melanie talks about growing up in Dayton, Ohio and being influenced by The Supremes; finding every opportunity to sing as a child; studying nightclub singers while attending college; moved to New York and getting a job based on her business studies; how she began to perform with The Tymes and first toured Europe; her history with Luther Vandross; why she decided to move to Las Vegas; why she developed her own style and continues to study voice to this day; why the Las Vegas “scene” changes every six months; and her new album, Melanie Moore, Anything You Need.
Dayton, Ohio is the hometown of many of the music industry’s innovators and performers who have contributed to the genres of music that span jazz, pop, funk, and blues. Melanie Moore is a product of that creative environment nicknamed, “D-Town”. She grew up in Dayton, but eventually relocated to New York City where she began a varied entertainment career in recording, performing, and theater.
Melanie has toured the United States and Europe as lead and background vocalist with the former RCA recording group, The Tymes, and the Atlantic recording group, Kleeer. Her extensive vocal work with Kleeer led to opportunities for the group to be on tour line-ups with Atlantic Star, Chic, Change, Rick James, Sister Sledge, and Kool and the Gang. Melanie also was also a cast member in the Off-Broadway production of The All Night Strut.
Between tour dates, personal performances, and recording sessions, Melanie was asked by the late Luther Vandross to record the soundtrack to the movie, “The Wiz,” starring Diana Ross with the late Hollywood director, Sidney Lumet and conducted by Quincy Jones. Eventually returning to Dayton, Ohio, Melanie developed her jazz and pop vocal style when she formed her own quartet and appeared in jazz clubs, in the Midwest. Her vocal styling caught the ear of the late Jerry Gillotti who owned Gilley’s nightclub in Dayton. Often, Jerry requested that Melanie and her quartet be the opening act for; Pieces of a Dream, Phil Perry, David Benoit, Walter Beasley, and Norman Brown and the many jazz performers who appeared at Gilley’s. Eventually relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada, where she currently resides, Melanie has performed at the Paris Hotel/Casino, Sahara Hotel/Casino, Caesars Palace, The Flamingo Hotel/Casino,The Monte Carlo to name a few. Melanie has performed for Tony Bennett, Jay Leno, and for various charity events, most notably for the charity event sponsored by Usher Raymond and Tom Cruise hosted by Wayne Brady.
Recently, Melanie has been a feature in the opening lineup for The Las Vegas First Fridays events, and recently produced a Tribute to Natalie Cole/Nancy Wilson in Las Vegas. Melanie has released her debut album, Anything You Need, on all contemporary Jazz platforms nationally and internationally.
Melanie Moore Website
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