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Norman Connors & The Starship Orchestra “Royalty Show”

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Saturday, July 13, 2024
Doors: 6:30pm | Show: 8pm
$45 - $50 advance | $50 - $55 day of show

VENUE INFO – PLEASE READ!

  • This is a ticketed event. Everyone must have a ticket for entry.

  • Join us before the show for dinner & drinks in The Lounge, our full-service restaurant & bar on the upstairs level which opens at 6pm. View menu & make a reservation.

  • Mezzanine ticket holders are seated on the balcony overlooking the main stage, with access to a private bar, restrooms, and dining area where you can order from The Lounge menu.

  • If you require accessible seating and none is available online, please contact us at boxoffice@worldcafelive.com or 215-222-1400 prior to the show so we can best accommodate your needs.

  • Join the WCL Fan Club for priority entry, food & merch discounts, exclusive offers, and more. Mega & Ultimate Fan levels include 24-hour presale access and no ticket fees.

  • World Cafe Live is a nonprofit independent venue where artistry meets social impact. Every purchase helps support our music education & community programs.

  • See FAQ for more information.

Norman Connors is a jazz drummer, composer, arranger, producer from Philadelphia, PA who has led multiple influential jazz and R&B groups. He had some big R&B hits of the day, especially in the area of love ballads and songs with a positive statement in both titles and lyrics.

He is possibly best known for the 1976 hit, "You Are My Starship" on which lead vocals were sung by Michael Henderson. Norman Connors & the Starship Orchestra performs under the musical direction of Mike Eley.

Connors became interested in jazz as a child, and began playing drums early, once sitting in for Elvin Jones at a John Coltrane performance he attended while in middle school. Connors studied music at Temple University and Juilliard; his first recording was on Archie Shepp's 1967 release, Magic of JuJu.

He played with Pharaoh Sanders for the next few years until signing with Cobblestone Records in 1972 and releasing his first record as a bandleader. In the mid-1970s, Connors, although fronting some great jazz recordings with Carlos Garnett, Gary Bartz, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Herbie Hancock, began focusing more on R&B tunes, and had several US hits with songs featuring vocalists such as Michael Henderson, Jean Carn, and Phyllis Hyman. The most successful of these was "You Are My Starship". Dee Dee Bridgewater also performed with him on the jazz album "Love from the Sun".

His more recent work, "Star Power", has seen him operating more in the vein of smooth jazz and urban crossover music featuring Howard Hewett, Bobby Lyle, Ray Parker, Jr, Peabo Bryson, Michael Henderson, and Antoinette.

Norman Connors is truly a musical legend of Jazz, R&B and Pop. His newest album, "Royalty" (2024), will be electrifying.

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