“What's Love Got To Do With It?” brings family-friendly entertainment to Salisbury
Published on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 at 12:10am
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SALISBURY — The Trinity Presbyterian Men's Council, named after the 1984 Tina Turner hit song, helped sponsor the annual “What's Love Got to Do with It?” The fundraiser was held on February 17th and attracted 240 patrons and a variety of performers.
“For the past seven years, men of the church, we have felt the need to say 'thank you' to the women. Valentine's Day is the perfect opportunity to share positive feedback.” Elder Wilson Cherry said.
The church offered an extensive catalog of acts for the fundraiser. Church member Chris Robinson played the piano before the ceremony. The Phoenix Readers read out loud the lyrics of songs by Paul McCartney, Van Morrison, and Eric Clapton. Vocal group Men of Progress sang both gospel and pop songs, and published author Yulanda Carson told a charming story as “Mama Patience,” a “wise old woman who inspires applause and laughter.” Charlotte barber and musician Philip Glover showed off his talent by dressing up as “Mike Turner,” one of Ike and Tina Turner's relatives. Luckily, it was the Miller brothers who ended the night.
“Sunday at 11 o'clock is one of the busiest times of the year. We wanted to branch out and invite different entertainers and different people,” Cherry said. said. “That's what this time was all about. As I look around the room and see all the different faces, I'm happy with what we were able to accomplish.”
One of them is stand-up comedian Johnny Hatcher, also known by his stage name “Big Sugar.” Mr. Hatcher, a Livingston College graduate, has traveled to 22 states in his career so far, but has only recently begun catering to secular audiences.
“I do a lot of corporate events and private events. Now I'm starting to step into the church spotlight. Being in the church spotlight has humbled me in many ways. It allows me to go out and reach out to people,” Hatcher said.
Before Hatcher performed his routine in front of the crowd, he was confident he could give the crowd a spectacle worth the price of admission.
“I'm going to continue to do my best and give a great show tonight to great people and hope for the best,” Hatcher said.
Mr Cherry said he was adamant about making the event as fun as possible and promoting underrepresented aspects of the church.
“It's a situation where we bring people to church and have them see how we do things. Church is supposed to be fun, and there's always shouting and praying and cheering and hollering. It's not about doing anything, it's about people coming together, opening up, getting to know each other and sharing positive things,” Cherry said.