EXCERPT FROM MY BOOK “A MUSICAL LIFE,” recalling my performance at the Apollo.
When I said that I was going to do “Give It Up”, I watched, and looked over at my group to see if they were looking, at the women who were pushing, trying to get closer to the stage. I sang and women tried to touch me. I did my gasp and watched as some women started fanning themselves and mouthing things like, ‘Tonight, I want you tonight,’ and other nastier things. We were hot, sizzling and the crowd let us know they loved us. When we left the stage that night it was after singing part of “Give It Up” twice before the audience would let us leave.
We passed Ronnie Dyson on our way to the dressing room still hearing the roar of the crowd, and he looked at us like he was not too happy. I went in our dressing room, went into the bathroom and for no reason, cried and cried and cried. I just couldn’t stop. I don’t know why, maybe it was a nervous breakdown. The guys didn’t know what was going on, or how to stop me crying, I didn’t know what was going on, but finally I stopped and was fine. The next day as I was getting ready to leave, I got a call from Lucien saying Ronnie Dyson didn’t want to go on after us and now we would be the opening act. When I told the guys what Lucien said, we all agreed that we didn’t care when we went on. We were going to leave the stage burning up.
