Chanhassen to celebrate R&B legend

  • 2022-08-12
An upcoming concert in Chanhassen will pay tribute to a legendary R&B singer.

Fans of the great Etta James will want to be on hand when Kathleen Johnson, called an “original best kept secret,” performs a tribute to the artist next month.

Johnson will perform some of James’s greatest recordings, but will also pay tribute to those who mentored her, and who were in turn inspired by, mentored, and taught by James via her visual and vocal performances. Among the artists who were greatly influenced by James are Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, and Mahalia Jackson. Fans can expect to hear standards James made famous like “At Last,” “Sunday Kind of Love,” “Something’s Got a Hold on Me,” and others.

Johnson has toured, performed live, and recorded with artists such as Alexander O’Neal, Malina Moye, Keri Noble, Billy McLaughlin, Lorie Line, Prince, and many more. The upcoming show is based on a live recording Kathleen made of James’s music. She cut the record at Runway Studios in Edina, where many records were made that went on to achieve Platinum status, the last artist to record in that space before the studio moved to Los Angeles.

Kathleen Johnson will present “The Mystery of Etta James” at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres on September 18. Dinner is at 5:00 pm, with the show following at 7:00 pm. Since fans enjoy learning about performers, event organizers often use brochure printing to create informative programs for audiences.