The Church Studio will host a celebrity book signing on July 27th from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with Ms. Freda Payne, the celebrated R&B and jazz vocalist renowned for hits like “Band of Gold” and “Bring the Boys Home.” “Band of Gold” biographer, Mark Bego, also known for his most recent Joe Cocker biography, will also be in attendance.
Tickets for the July 27th event are $39 and may be purchased at The Church Studio website: www.thechurchstudio.com/freda-payne-book-signing-experience/. Guests will meet Ms. Freda Payne and Mark Bego, receive a copy of the book, and have an opportunity to have it autographed. The first-floor gallery and archives of The Church Studio are also open to ticket holders to tour.
Freda Payne, a singer and actress, tells her amazing life in “Band of Gold.” While she is best known for her 1970 #1 hit "Band of Gold" and her 1971 Grammy-nominated album, “Contact,” her story is an inspiring adventure, having lived alongside the "who's who" of the show business world, including Duke Ellington, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Pearl Bailey, Omar Sharif, Quincy Jones, Liza Minnelli, and Sarah Vaughn. Freda's compelling memoir is a celebration of a glamorous life well-lived.
Ms. Payne has done it all. She has shined on Broadway, made over 70 talk show appearances with hosts such as Ed Sullivan, David Frost, Mike Douglas, Johnny Carson, and Merv Griffin, and hosted her own talk show, "Today's Black Woman."
Her main passion is music. Ms. Payne recorded 21 albums, was admitted into the 2017 class of the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in her hometown of Detroit, and received the Lifetime Achievement and Legacy Award in 2023 from the Women Songwriter Hall of Fame.
Her acting credits include 22 appearances in films such as, “Family Reunion” as Ursula, “Private Obsession” (1995), “Ragdoll” (1999) as Gran, “Nutty Professor II: The Klumps” (2000), and “Fire & Ice” (made-for-TV, 2001).
Her exceptional portrayal on the stage of Ella Fitzgerald in ‘Ella: First Lady of Song’ has won her critical acclaim, further cementing her status as a jazz legend. “Aided by a groovy and interactive 6-piece stage band, Payne channels Ella in her 25 greatest hits ... Close your eyes. You will think Ella has been reincarnated." Broadway World review.
Band of Gold is the exciting story of singer and actress Freda Payne. While she is best known for her 1970 Number One hit "Band of Gold", and her 1971 Grammy-nominated album, Contact; her story is an empowering odyssey, Freda's compelling memoir is a celebration of a glamorous life well-lived.
www.thechurchstudio.com/freda-payne-book-signing-experience/
