Music fans at South Orange, NJ’s SOPAC theater this Sunday, February 1, 2026 evening are ready to celebrate Black History Month with a performance by the legendary singer and actress, Melba Moore.
Melba Moore was born in New York City to a mother who was a professional singer and a father who was a big band leader. When Melba was nine, her mother remarried and moved the family to Newark, NJ where Moore attended Newark Arts High School. She later graduated with a degree in music from Montclair State College.
In 1967, Moore began her Broadway stage career in the musical, Hair, with Diane Keaton. The next year, she won a Tony for her work in Purlie. Following her success on Broadway, Moore released several albums— notably her debut effort, I Got Love — and was nominated for a 1971 Grammy for Best New Artist.
Moore recorded her critically-acclaimed R&B album, Peach Melba, in 1975. After that, she was nominated for Grammys in two different musical genres — one for Best Rhythm and Blues Performance in 1976 and another for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 1986.
In addition to starring in the 1986 television sitcom, Melba, Moore performed on Broadway in Les Misérables during the 1990s, and was featured in the 2003 film, The Fighting Temptations, with Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Beyonce Knowles.
Moore’s latest album is her 2022 recording, Imagine, and her latest single is her 2025 release, “No Filter.”
Inside the SOPAC auditorium, WBLS Radio DJ Lenny Green welcomes the crowd and introduces tonight’s opening act, singer Jeff Redd. Redd takes the stage and performs a set of R&B tunes starting with a cover version of “Joy and Pain” by Maze featuring Frankie Beverly where the audience happily sings along with Redd on the tune’s catchy “Joy and pain are like sunshine and rain” refrain.
Redd continues with a selection of cover tunes including Eugene Wild’s “Gotta Get You Home Tonight” and The O’Jays’ “Darlin’ Darlin’ Baby (Sweet, Tender, Love),” plus originals such as his latest single, 2025’s “Good Time.” He concludes his set with his 1991 hit from the Halle Berry and Samuel L. Jackson film, Strictly Business, entitled, “You Called and Told Me.”
Following a short intermission, guitarist Walter Williams IV, keyboardist Joey Desrdnes, drummer James “Biscuit” Rouse, and backup singers Dermel Warren and Darius Booker take the stage along with bassist/bandleader Nate Jones.
The crowd cheers as Green introduces Melba Moore who enters singing her 1982 hit, “Love’s Comin’ at Ya.” In her powerful voice, Moore, 80, croons, “I couldn’t get over/The first time I saw your face,” while dancing in place on this funky R&B tune.
The crowd claps along to the infectious rhythm before Moore holds out a long note on the coda to enthusiastic cheers and applause.
Segueing into “Mind Up Tonight,” Moore gives an energetic vocal performance on this upbeat 1982 funk tune which features tight drumming by James “Biscuit” Rouse and a funky bass solo by Nate Jones.
Music lovers applaud and Moore exclaims, “I’m so happy to be here tonight!” After a fan calls out, “We love you, Melba,” she replies, “I love you, too, from the bottom of my heart!”
Acknowledging, “All our songs we share with you tonight are gifts from God,” Moore dives into her 1986 R&B chart-topper, “Falling,” where she sings with emotion, “Just when I thought I could never love another/I’m falling,” on this appealing ballad.
After telling the crowd about her initial start in show business, Moore performs “I Got Love,” a number from Purlie which was written especially for her. Audience members clap along on this upbeat Broadway show tune which she sings with power, dynamics, and attitude before concluding with her trademark long note on the ending.
During a short break, Moore features her “associate” singers, Darius Booker and Dermel Warren.
Whereas Warren handles the lead vocals on the Chaka Kahn and Rufus soul tune, “Sweet Thing,” Booker sings lead on the Lionel Richie pop hit, “All Night Long (All Night).”
Returning to the stage, Moore impresses with her interpretation of the Cole Porter standard, “I Concentrate on You.” Singing around the melody with style, she demonstrates her considerable vocal range on this ballad from the Great American Songbook.
Fans cheer and Moore proposes a “grand Melba toast” to “perfect health,” “perfect happiness,” and to “ever increasing wealth,” prior to stepping into her rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “Lean On Me.” Crooning with soul, Moore cries, “Just let me walk/This road of life with you,” before freely vocalizing on this R&B power ballad.
The crowd responds by standing and cheering and Moore exclaims, “Let’s take it home!” as she and the band conclude tonight’s show with her funky cover version of The Bee Gees’ “You Stepped Into My Life.” Fans in the audience happily move to the groove of this upbeat dance tune which has Moore spotlighting the talent of each of her stage mates before bowing center stage to a rousing standing ovation.
As concertgoers make their way out of the SOPAC auditorium, several share their thoughts on tonight’s performance by Melba Moore. Remarks Christine from Piscataway, “Melba was awesome! This is my second time seeing her live — I first saw her a few years ago — and she was fantastic tonight.”
Stephanie from Somerset agrees, adding, “I think she’s fabulous! The range of her voice and how she can hold out notes the way she does is so beautiful, I just love her!”
Nya from Linden contends, “It was a beautiful show! I brought my grandmother and mother tonight — they loved it and I enjoyed it, too. This was my first time seeing Melba Moore in person — I had heard a lot about her since my grandparents are from North Jersey and they grew up with her and know everything about her. She’s such a beautiful woman.”
David from Verona insists, “It was so good seeing her tonight! She has a lot of pep and a lot of energy and she’s still bringing it.” Donna from Cleveland, OH concurs, explaining, “We go all over to see shows and Melba just blew us away tonight — she was amazing! Her vocal range is impressive, she has great power behind her voice, and she has such theatricality. Plus, we got to meet her before the show and she was super nice — a gem!”
Lastly, Joe from Long Branch remarks, “Melba ‘Forever’ Moore is amazing! She’s timeless — she transcends genres and eras — and she gave us a little bit of everything tonight: her Broadway beginnings, some records from the ‘80s, and some disco, too,” prior to concluding, “When you get the chance, you’ve just got to support a legend, so I wouldn’t have missed this performance for the world!”
To learn more about Melba Moore, please go to facebook.com/mooremelba/. For info on great upcoming performances at SOPAC — including Cherish the Ladies on March 5, Colin Quinn on April 3, and The Brubeck Brothers on April 9 — please navigate to sopacnow.org
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