Lovelace Watkins - South African Tour (1974)

Lovelace Watkins Souvenir Programme, Yango John productions, 1974, original, pictorial cover, illustrated, period advertisements, 10 pages, 20.4 cms x 27.5 cms,   condition: as new.

 In 1974 a virtually unknown black entertainer took the country by storm, wowing the ladies, who queued backstage and at his hotel hoping to catch a close glimpse, touch his hand or even be swept off to his boudoir not an infrequent occurrence. Dubbed the Black Velvet Sledgehammer, he was a huge, sexy and charismatic American named Lovelace Watkins, bought here by Yango John. Watkins sought an education and emerged with a BSc degree in microbiology, but decided to concentrate on a showbiz career. Since nobody here had ever heard of him, the advance booking was not exactly overwhelming, but on opening night at the Colosseum in November (1974) he captivated his audience, oozing charm and giving an emotionally charged performance which brought him a standing ovation. Bookings took off, and the standing ovation became a staple of the evening for the rest of his season,
which was extended several times by public demand. Lovelace was the first visiting star to make such a hit despite anonymity. (Percy Tucker: Just The Ticket, 1997)