Soul heavy hitters to play Blaisdell

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer

The Chi-Lites, from left, Frank Reed, Robert Lester and Anthony Watson, will be part of the all-star lineup at the '70s Soul Jam concert Tuesday. The group originated in Chicago and is known for such classics as "Oh Girl" and "Have You Seen Her."

The last 13 years have been with the '70s Soul Jam, which pauses in Hawai'i Tuesday night at the Blaisdell Arena.

"With the good grace of God, I haven't stopped working," said Lester, who was in Las Vegas for a gig before heading to Honolulu. "The group has been blessed with nine gold, a couple of platinum records and a lot of great memories."

The Chi-Lites have origins in Chicago, Lester said. The group's early name was the Hi-Lites. "But a white group had that name patented, so we had to change," he said. "First it was Chicago-Lites, and then we shortened it to Chi-Lites. That worked."

The group, known for such classics as "Oh Girl," which hit No. 1 in 1972, and "Have You Seen Her," a No. 3 best seller in 1971, now features Anthony Watson and Frank Reed. The Chi-Lite chart busters over the years have included "Give It Away," "We Are Neighbors," "24 Hours of Sadness" and "Hot on a Thing (Called Love)."

"When you have longevity, you're definitely a nostalgia item," Lester said. "But I get such satisfaction when I perform. It's like what Michael Jordan said: You have to have a love of the game to stay in it. The gift you're given brings joy and happiness."

He said soul comes in various forms, from gospel to rock, from pop to blues. There are romantic ballads and funky toe-tappers and wailing gospel stuff. "Soul is in a class by itself and it will always be around because it tells a story," Lester said. "People have a nice appreciation of soul."

Lester said original fans still support the group, and younger folks are discovering the old sounds.

"It's a different music scene these days," he said. "I don't knock hip-hop or rap — it's the youngsters' way of expressing their feelings — but I don't go for gangsta rap, which is about killing and shooting each other. But rap is cool, the sound of now, the language is now. I don't knock anything that's a success, but I draw the line on killing."