Nov 2013 Newsletter
Hanging With R&B Superstars and Island Hopping Through Luxurious Caribbean Islands … It All Awaits You on the Soul Train Cruise 2014
The word is out: Soul Train Cruise 2013 was a stone-cold gas! 
The next sailing of the Soul Train Cruise hits the high seas in about 100 days, and trust us, you don’t want to miss this cruise. With R&B superstars like the Isley Brothers, Charlie Wilson, Roberta Flack, Jeffrey Osborne, The Commodores and Stephanie Mills, this promises to be a cruise like no other. We are busy making the final preparations to the on-board program, but you better get your rest now because once on-board it will be a nonstop musical experience. From meet and greets and panel discussions to cooking demonstrations and dancing down the Soul Train Line, you will enjoy the trip of a lifetime.
Our reservationists have been busy booking alumni of the two 2013 sailings, and cabins are selling briskly. If you want to be part of The Hippest Trip at Sea, now is the time to book. Visit SoulTrainCruise.com or call us toll-free at 855.SOUL.TRAIN to get on-board today.
There’s Still Time to Enjoy Sail Now/Pay Later Payment Plans
Just a little more than 100 days from now we will sail on the Soul Train Cruise 2014. With the holidays just around the corner we thought you might appreciate the chance to stretch your payments over time and still enjoy The Hippest Trip at Sea. Get the latest information on the Sail Now/Pay Later payment plan.
Already Booked? Share the Love, Peace and Soul!
The only thing better than sailing on the Soul Train Cruise is sharing the experience with your friends and loved ones. And the best part: Our group leader program affords you the opportunity to get credit for sharing the love. Check it out here.
As always, wishing you Love, Peace and Soul!
The Staff of Soul Train Cruise
The Latest Scoop on Soul Train Cruise ’14 Artists
While most of us are starting our holiday shopping or making plans to visit family, the stars of the STC ’14 are working hard to deliver the best in entertainment to their fans. We recently caught up with several of them, who told us their plans for the coming months.
- Charlie Wilson’s “I Still Have You” will be featured on the soundtrack to “The Best Man Holiday,” starring Taye Diggs,Monica Calhoun, Morris Chestnut and Melissa De Sousa. Charlie will also perform at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Feb. 1.
- Jeffrey Osborne sang the national anthem at the Lakers’ opening night game on Oct. 29 – coincidentally, it was his 29th time doing the honor!
- Stephanie Mills will perform a special pre-cruise concert with Charlie Wilson, Nov. 23 at the MGM Grand Foxwoods in Connecticut.
- Alonzo Bodden is featured in the new documentary “Why We Ride.”
- Biz Markie is on tour with Big Daddy Kane and MC Lyte.
Gladys Knight, Ron Isley Will Perform at Soul Train Awards
Be sure to tune in to BET for the Soul Train Awards on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. You'll see performances by Soul Train Cruise stars Gladys Knight and Ron Isley. Plus, cheer on our Artists who are nominated for awards that night, including:
- Charlie Wilson – Best R&B/Soul Male Artist
- Ron Isley – Best Independent R&B/Soul Performance
- Jeffrey Osborne – Best Traditional Jazz Performance
- And our much missed, much beloved George Duke, who is nominated for the Best Contemporary Jazz Performance Award
The biggest superstars in R&B will be on hand to help celebrate, including Jennifer Hudson, Chaka Khan, Smokey Robinson, Eric Benet, Tamar Braxton, host Anthony Anderson and so many, many more.
And we’ll be there at the Soul Train Awards that night, too, getting all the backstage scoop to share with you in the next issue of the Soul Train Cruise 411! For more information, check out http://www.bet.com/shows/soul-train-awards.html.
The Biggest Moments in Charlie Wilson’s Career Are the Ones Spent With His Fans
When Charlie Wilson sings, women swoon, guys want to be his wingman, and everyone gets out on the dance floor. An R&B superstar for more than 30 years, “Uncle Charlie” has won the Soul Train Icon Award, a BET Lifetime Achievement Award, and a BMI Icon Award. He has been named Billboard magazine’s top Adult R&B Artist and was nominated for six Grammy Awards. But to Wilson, there is no greater prize than his fans, whether it’s the ones who have loved him ever since the Gap Band’s very first album or those just discovering his romantic, soulful voice.
So it’s no surprise that no other Artist on the upcoming Soul Train Cruise is more excited about spending the week with his fans than Charlie. “One of the things I’m really looking forward to being on the cruise is playing for the fans,” he said. “I can’t wait,” he continued. “It is the absolutely greatest cruise going right now.”
The voyage will also be a reunion for Wilson and the Soul Train family, whose relationship began more than three decades ago when the Gap Band first performed on the legendary television show. “I used to watch ‘Soul Train’ when I was really young, and I’ve seen Stevie Wonder, I’ve seen Marvin Gaye, and I’ve seen James Brown, I’ve seen Aretha Franklin,” he recalled. He said he remembered thinking to himself, “If I could be able to be on Soul Train that would kick my career off.” These words rang true again and again, and ever since a young Charlie Wilson uttered them, he has appeared multiple times on the “Soul Train” television show as well as the Soul Train Awards, where he received their Icon Award in 2009.
Fans across the country rushed to the dance floor when the Gap Band hit the R&B Top 10 with “Shake” in 1979. Two more Top 10 hits quickly followed. The crowd favorite “I Don’t Believe You Want to Get Up and Dance (Oops!)” and “Steppin’ (Out),” drove their 1979 album, “The Gap Band II,” to Gold status. Little did anyone know this was only the beginning of one of the greatest careers in R&B. Just one year later, there was no doubt. “The Gap Band III” debuted at No. 1 on the R&B album chart and delivered one of the group’s signature songs, the irresistibly funky “Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)” along with “Humpin. ” The album also introduced fans to the romantic side of the Gap Band with the Top 5 “Yearning For Your Love,” giving them a glimpse into the power of Wilson’s heartthrob allure.
By 1982, Wilson and the Gap Band were bona fide superstars. They released “The Gap Band IV” that year and dominated radio airwaves and dance floors everywhere with their massive hits “Early in the Morning,” “You Dropped a Bomb on Me” and “Outstanding.” In a testament to the band’s influence on Artists who followed them, “Outstanding” went on to become one of the most-sampled songs in history, appearing on more than 150 tracks by other artists. The hits rolled in year after year: “Party Train,” “Jam the Motha,” “Beep a Freak,” “I Found My Baby,” “Disrespect,” “Going in Circles,” “All of My Love,” “Addicted To Your Love,” “We Can Make It Alright” and the theme song to Keenen Ivory Wayans’ Blaxploitation parody “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.”
Along the way, Charlie began experimenting as a solo artist. He contributed vocals to Zapp & Roger’s 1985 hit “Computer Love” and by 1992 released his first solo album. By the time he released 2005’s “Charlie, Last Name Wilson,” there were few out there who didn’t know — and love — his distinctive voice and romantic delivery. The album was more than just another hit for Wilson. It was a tribute to the singer who had influenced so many who followed. R. Kelly, Justin Timberlake, will.i.am and many more collaborated with their hero, and the album quickly went Gold.
Since then, Wilson has continued to share the charts with his protégés, hitting the Top 10 time and time again with ballads like his own “You Are,” joining Snoop and Pharrell on their Grammy-nominated single “Beautiful,” and “Signs” with Snoop and Justin Timberlake. Charlie also appears on several songs by Kanye West, and he's teamed up with Beyoncé, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross. Wilson recently told MTV News that Kanye has even offered to produce his next album, planned for release in 2014. "I love going in the studio,” he said. “I like Kanye in the studio. He's very, very understandable about the music. When he wants to write something, he puts his finger on the pulse...”
Even more of his famous fans stepped up to pay homage to him during the 2012 BET Awards, where Wilson received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Timberlake, Snoop and Pharrell were there. So were Stevie Wonder, India.Arie and Jamie Foxx, singing along to Uncle Charlie’s music and reaffirming his place as one of the R&B greats.
But Wilson isn’t anywhere near ready to rest on his laurels. Not even on the Soul Train Cruise, as it sails through some of the most spectacular vistas on Earth. He is there to deliver a concert to remember, to make this voyage the vacation of a lifetime for his fans. “Blue skies, beautiful islands, a luxury ship, and nonstop music from me and some of my favorite fellow Artists – it'll be great,” he declared.
Soul Train Cruise Artists by the Numbers
You know all the artists aboard the Soul Train Cruise and you love all of their songs. But did you realize just how many hits they have? We did a little research and were blown away by the numbers! Here’s what’s in store for you on the Soul Train Cruise 2014:
- 338 Top 40 R&B Hits
- 232 Top 20 R&B Hits
- 149 Top 10 R&B Hits
- 40 #1 R&B Hits
- 10 Grammy Awards