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together “Memories of Motown,” a musical tribute that would honor the upcoming 50th anniversary of Motown Records in 2009. There was an on‐stage historical narrative by Abrams ‐‐ who was the first employee hired by Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr. in May 1959, and who had often been in the company of Jackie Wilson during those early years.
Abrams’ cousin was Bea Fogelman, founder and director of the Las Vegas‐based Entertainment Network, the talent agency that promoted the careers of tribute artists. When Abrams and show producer, Bernhard Kurz arrived in Las Vegas in 2008 to hold auditions for their show, Bea Fogelman quickly told Abrams, Kurz and the show’s artistic director, Paul Langley, that there was no better artist to portray Wilson, than Bobby. At this point, the stories about Bobby being Wilson’s son were still the subject of rampant speculation.
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Bea Fogelman was right. Bobby was indeed a showstopper during the musical’s month‐long run at the Estrel Festival Center in Berlin January 7 through February 1, 2009. Bobby shared the stage with Martha Reeves and Sylvester Potts and the Contours, as the show received worldwide acclaim for being the only musical show produced anywhere in the world to honor Motown’s 50th birthday. The show was a global hit.
One thing was obvious to those in the cast who had known and worked with Jackie Wilson – Bobby was clearly his son – and more than in name only.
Apparently the fans knew it before the rest of the world. One night walking through the Estrel hotel lobby after a performance, a middle‐aged German fan rushed up to Bobby and exclaimed, “Oh My God! I thought you were dead.”
Today, although Bobby has found new audiences to entertain as a regular headliner on cruise ships and as an impressionist with Little Richard, Sam Cooke and Stevie Wonder in his repertoire, he has still remained on the threshold of major success.
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Source: bobbybrookswilson.com
