Tag: Tina Turner

Emily Cooley honors rock queen at Chautauqua

June 26, 2025 Zach Cooley No Comments

There are very few days in my life as good as Friday, June 25th. At noon, I had the pleasure of proudly watching my wife pay tribute to the Queen of Rock and Roll in an hour-long program showcasing Tina Turner’s heaviest rock songs. She had performed this program last year at the Wytheville Moose Lodge, but being invited this year to the Chautauqua Festival marked a new career highlight. The upper shelter of Elizabeth Brown Memorial Park in Wytheville was flooded with a stadium-quality rock show. Unfortunately, only a few were there to witness it in person. Several who did attend inquired where Emily might be from. When we replied that she lived just down the street, spectators shook their heads. “You just don’t know what kind of talent you have right here at home,” one man said. “It’s just unbelievable.” No truer statement was ever spoken. The handful of people who were smart enough to show up provided Emily with a wonderful energy—an energy she gave back to the audience one hundredfold. “You wore me out,” said our lifelong friend Teny Underwood, the retired deputy sheriff who plays bluegrass music for various churches and nursing homes. “I don’t know how you’re still standing,” said another dear friend, Ann Harrison. “I would’ve been passed out!” Those are the kinds of compliments Emily has waited all her life to hear. She has always wanted to be recognized for the kind of energy her idol exuded. Knowing that Tina Turner made me feel that way when I saw her in concert 28 years ago, Emily knew that’s how she wanted her audiences to feel, too. It was a deeply rewarding experience—but none more so than for the listener. Hearing her enormously powerful voice echo through professional, first-class speakers was like hearing her in the stadium she dreams of filling. It was a full-fledged rock show. Donned in a gorgeous pink dress—reminiscent of a cross between Cass Elliott and Barbara Eden—and glittery silver shoes that looked like they came straight from the Wizard of Oz book, her moves were fluid, full, and rich. This was especially true during numbers that called for dramatic flair, like the Gypsy Acid Queen from Tommy, the rock opera by The Who. That role, of course, marked Tina Turner’s own breakout into rock—and helped her break through the barrier she had always dreamed of. This performance felt like no less a breakthrough for my wife, who is steadily stepping into those same shoes. Blessed with perfect pitch and an alto voice, Emily has always wanted to sing rock songs—songs full of positive energy and joy. She got to play another exciting role when she performed the theme from GoldenEye, the 1995 James Bond film starring Pierce Brosnan, which anchored Tina Turner’s Wildest Dreams album the following year. Emily performed a couple more tracks from that record, including “Do What You Do” and “Whatever You Want”—the latter of which she dedicated to me, solidifying for everyone in the audience that the beautiful girl on stage was mine and mine alone. I have never been prouder. Our little girl, 11-year-old Bella, was equally proud of her mama. “You were so beautiful,” she gushed when Emily came offstage. “You sounded perfect!” Bella is our biggest encourager in everything we set out to do, and we love her with all our hearts—for the wonderful young woman she’s becoming, and for the light and blessing she brings to the world. Though there were 16 songs in Emily’s repertoire, the hour flew by, and she had to cut the last three or four. She opened with Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” famously covered on Tina Turner’s Acid Queen album in 1976, and bantered playfully with the audience. “If you see Robert,” she said, referring to Led Zeppelin’s lead singer, “tell him I send a whole lotta love.” She also gave a nod to Phil Collins who played drums on “Girls,” a David Bowie composition from Tina’s 1986 Break Every Rule album, as well as a favorite Beatle before performing “Get Back” in Tina’s raucous style. “Paul McCartney just turned 83,” she said. “And he’s still out there killing it every night.” These are the kinds of legends Emily dreams of performing alongside. But unlike most dreamers, she has the talent to make it real. Having her own band would be a dream come true—but until then, she continues to wow audiences, big or small, with an incomparable voice that seems to come from another realm. We had a couple of very special guests in the audience that day to whom we owe tremendous gratitude. Locally renowned photographer and videographer—and my dear friend—Cory Parker was on hand to capture the event with his magic lenses. Another of our dearest friends, Sarah Taylor (who also happens to be our unofficial public relations agent), was there to film and spread a collection of photos and videos across social media. Famed Wytheville photographer Madeline Lenore also attended to see her friend. “She sounds great and looks terrific,” she told me. “That is the perfect dress for her.” We are also eternally grateful to Karen Melton, chairman of the Wythe Arts Council, for inviting Emily to be a part of our cherished hometown festival. She’s already invited her back to perform next year—and Emily gladly accepted. I can hardly wait to see the rock and roll extravaganza my wife will present next time. May she receive the recognition and opportunities she deserves to share her tremendous gift with the world. As her husband and biggest fan, I can tell you: there’s no greater blessing to be offered.

Strictly Observing

Symphony gives rousing tribute to rock queen

April 16, 2025 Zach Cooley No Comments

The Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra was in full swing on Saturday, April 5th, delivering a tribute to the Queen of Rock and Roll with Simply the Best: The Music of Tina Turner. The 85-minute concert was performed to a packed house at the beautiful and historic R.J. Reynolds Auditorium. Under the direction of conductor Michelle Merrill, the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra provided a gorgeous backdrop for a fitting tribute to my favorite female artist. While I typically find vocalists to be a hindrance in orchestral performances, the trio of vocalists selected for this program were surprisingly well-matched for the performance. Two-time Grammy Award winner Tamika Lawrence brought the rough edge needed to execute a Tina Turner song properly. She also connected playfully with the audience, bending and twisting to the songs, captivating everyone with her energy and the appropriate rock and roll flair of her flowing mane of hair. Broadway sensation Shaleah Adkisson had a surprising edge to her voice, which allowed her to execute Tina Turner ballads beautifully. She showcased a flowing voice without sounding overly conventional or parochial. Then there was Scott Coulter, who captured my envy from the first note that escaped his throat. Growing up as a young Caucasian male who only dreamed of being able to sing Tina Turner songs, Coulter completed the task with effortless ease—leaving those of us who couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket filled with a combination of jealousy and endless admiration. The 15-song program, spread over two acts, began and ended with “Simply the Best”—the song originally covered by Bonnie Tyler, which went on to become a distinct hit for the Queen of Rock and Roll. The title itself defined Tina Turner’s legacy. “We are here tonight because of I, Tina,” Coulter said, holding up a copy of Tina Turner’s 1986 autobiography. “This book has been with me in every home I’ve lived in—from my parents’ house to my current home. I bought this book when I was a teenager, using money I saved up from mowing lawns. The story has been a constant source of inspiration for me.” Her breakout hit, a cover of Al Green’s signature song “Let’s Stay Together,” followed next, spawning the Private Dancer album in 1984. This was followed by her signature number-one hit, “What’s Love Got to Do with It.” “This song has served as sage advice from my aunt and mother,” Lawrence shared. “When I had a history of dating losers, trying to convince my family that I loved the guy, they would respond with the title of this song.” I absolutely loved that the setlist also included a couple of songs from Wildest Dreams, the 1996 album that was largely unnoticed by the mainstream public but also sparked a record-breaking tour. It was during this tour that I had the opportunity to see Tina Turner live for my very first concert on June 20, 1997, at the Blockbuster Pavilion in Charlotte. Less than two weeks later, on July 2, she performed in Winston-Salem at the Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. According to conductor Michelle Merrill, this concert was supposed to be a private event where she was flown to Winston-Salem by the makers of Hanes pantyhose, her sponsor for the tour, to see the place where the Hanes brand originated. One audience member even shared her presence at that concert with the crowd, leaving everyone impressed. Scott Coulter performed two songs from Wildest Dreams: the theme from James Bond’s Golden Eye and the John Waite cover “Missing You,” the latter of which Coulter delivered in a hauntingly beautiful rendition with guest pianist John Boswell. “When I saw Tina Turner as Auntie Entity in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome,” explained Shaleah Adkisson, “that was the first time I realized that a singer could be an actress as well.” With that, she launched into the song’s main theme, “We Don’t Need Another Hero.” The performers then discussed how Tina Turner was the first female artist and the first African American to ever appear on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. She also sold more than 100 million albums as a solo artist and collected a dozen Grammys, along with countless other accolades throughout her 50-year career. The trio then offered a selection of relatively unknown tracks that Tina Turner performed while struggling on the road, including a little-known cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” as a member of the Ike & Tina Turner Review, a rendition of Bob Seger’s “Hollywood Nights,” and The Tramps’ “Disco Inferno.” The latter was a personal highlight of the show for me, performed with the full effervescence and soulful grit of Tamika Lawrence. The first half of the show closed with the orchestral delight of “River Deep Mountain High” before opening the second half with Tina Turner’s original “Nutbush City Limits,” which paid tribute to her rural Tennessee hometown. Adkisson joined Boswell at the piano again for an emotional rendering of “I Don’t Wanna Fight,” Turner’s last top-ten hit that served as the main theme of her biographical movie, What’s Love Got to Do with It, which showcased the horrendous abuse suffered at the hands of her ex-husband, Ike Turner. The evening culminated in the epic showstopper “Proud Mary,” brilliantly executed in both vocal performance and dance by Lawrence. She also nailed “Private Dancer,” complete with a dead-on saxophone solo from Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra member Ron Rudkin. The three vocalists then took the stage together for the final number, “Better Be Good to Me,” leaving the crowd in a joyful and celebratory mood. I must thank Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra Public Relations and Marketing Manager Joe Bolenbaugh for inviting me to review the show and giving me an evening I will never forget. I also thank my friend Jeremy Miller for getting me there. It was a fitting tribute to the one and only Queen of Rock and Roll.

Strictly Observing