In what promises to be a memorable gala concert that she herself calls “a dream come true,” musical artist Alfreda Gerald returns to her hometown after a stellar performing career to headline the show, Alfreda performs Aretha, at our City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium, on Friday, April 19.
Alfreda’s Amazing Career
On her website, you will find this statement: Alfreda is an international singing powerhouse performing with Cher, Celine Dion, Sir Elton John, Whitney Houston, Yanni, Warren Haynes, and many others!
Showcasing an incredible wealth of stage experience, Alfreda has performed shows throughout the world, singing at some of the most preeminent venues on earth, namely Royal Albert Hall, Madison Square Garden, Sydney Opera House, The Acropolis, and even the mighty Wembley Stadium.
Alfreda is an eclectic and diverse singer, seamlessly performing music in genres as diverse as classical, soul, pop, blues, rock, R&B, and electronic dance music.
Burke County Roots
Alfreda was born in Lenoir, but her family lived in Morganton. She attended Chesterfield Elementary, Morganton Junior High, and Freedom High. Her mother, Dr. Virginia Gerald, was a local celebrity in Gospel music.
In the mid-1960’s she assembled and directed a 100-voice mass choir from the Morganton-Lenoir-Marion-Old Fort area that was celebrated for their once-a-month concerts. Alfreda was a surprise soloist for one of those concerts when she was 3 years old!
Dr. Gerald was friends with the legendary rhythm & blues innovator, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who is nicknamed the “Godmother of Rock & Roll.”
When her mother was eight months pregnant with Alfreda, Sister Rosetta told her that if she named the child after her, the child would become a star; hence Alfreda (named after her father, Fred) Rosetta Gerald — prophecy fulfilled!
Musical Influences
Alfreda’s musical background is eclectic. In addition to Gospel music and blues, Alfreda grew up listening to the classic country of our local radio stations and country celebrities featured on the television show, HeeHaw!
Along with the great Motown artists like Aretha Franklin she enjoyed singing along with records of the pop artists of the day, Karen Carpenter and Glenn Campbell.
Alfreda’s educational training included the excellent music programs at Freedom High School (with local legends like James Gossler, J. Jerome Williams, and Norman Noe as big influences) and Mars Hill University.
She credits others like Rev. Dr. W. F. McIntosh, Jr., her seventh-grade teacher, Myrtle Chapman, for recognizing her talent and promoting her singing, and Morganton Jr. High teacher John Craig for getting her to sing Aretha Franklin’s songs. She was actually trained as an opera singer at prestigious Julliard Conservatory in New York City.
Warren Haynes
Warren Haynes is a rock guitarist known to many for his work in the Allman Brothers Band along with founding the jam band, Gov’t Mule. He is an Asheville native.
Alfreda got to know him when she taught at Asheville High School and came to the attention of Haynes’ good friend, Chip Lunesford. It was a true serendipity experience. She was having trouble getting her students to focus on a musical, “Pippin,” they were working on.
She promised her class if they buckled down she would see that they got to record something at a real recording studio. They did and she kept her promise, reaching out to Chip Lunesford’s recording studio.
While there, Lunesford was so impressed with her voice that he recommended her as a backup singer for Warren Haynes.
Since then, Alfreda has sung extensively with Haynes’ band and on several of his albums. That has been yet another musical genre in which Alfreda has lent her incredible voice.
Concert at CoMMA
Alfreda is really excited about her concert featuring Aretha Franklin’s music. “I’m not an Aretha impersonator,” she says with a laugh, “I will be singing Aretha’s music my way.”
She remembers as a young person sitting in the CoMMA parking lot with a hopeful yearning that one day she would headline a show there. “I couldn’t be more pleased to perform here than if it was Madison Square Garden!”
It certainly sounds like her “Alfreda Sings Aretha” show will be, as Ed Sullivan used to say, a “really big show”! Freedom School Chamber Singers along with their director, Robert Summerell will be singing along.
Several church choirs directed by Dr. Michael Smith of Marion and Alfreda’s friend, Willette McIntosh, will make up a mass choir that will rock the house. “It’s going to be a lot of fun!” promises Alfreda.
Alfreda looks forward to seeing many of her friends and reconnecting after her years away. She values the common sense values and deep morals of our community.
She declares that Burke County will always feel like home to her. Alfreda says that no matter how extensively she has traveled, she says Morganton will always be her hometown and she can already feel the “welcoming arms” extended to her.
Fred Schuszler is a columnist for The Paper. He may be reached at fredschuszler@gmail.com.
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