Central Square’s executive director, Cheryl Larson, knew she had landed a phenomenal line-up of talent in 2019 when she booked Bruce Henry, Debbie Duncan, and Gwen Matthews to bring their exceptional talents to Glenwood in May 2020 for Central Square’s upcoming Concert Series. “It’s difficult to express how excited I was to bring this show to our community,” she says, recalling landing the show. Then COVID hit, and the show was tentatively postponed for the spring of 2021. 

As time went on and uncertainty continued around COVID, tragedy struck. In December of 2020, Debbie Duncan, known as “Minnesota’s first lady of song,” passed away at age 69 after a series of strokes. Duncan and Henry had performed together for 36 years. 

In an interview with the Minnpost, Henry said, “The last time I was singing with Deb was Valentine’s weekend. Deb and Gwen Matthews and I did a show in Chanhassen [as the trio Henry Duncan Matthews], and there’s no way, no way when you step on that stage does it occur to you that this will be the last time. You live in the moment, probably as you should… There are so many ways to love her and miss her. I have a feeling that every time I go on stage, she will be there with me.”

With COVID still a factor in the first half of 2021, the show was postponed once again. The silver lining to the 2021 postponement of the show was the time it gave Henry to mourn the loss of his friend and colleague and to face the challenge of finding someone to step into Debbie Duncan’s very big shoes. He found that person in Kathleen Johnson.

Ms. Johnson has made a name for herself on the Minnesota music scene. She is a singer, band leader and mentor to hopeful young musicians. She worked with Prince during the nineties providing background vocals on several songs. She also toured with pop artist Carmen Electra. She has also worked with Gwen Matthews in venues around Minnesota, including the famous Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis. 

Gwen Matthews is an award-winning artist who has performed with Stevie Wonder, Kenny Rogers, and members of Earth Wind and Fire. She studied for four years under world-renowned vocal technician, Seth Riggs, a gift to her from her friend Stevie Wonder. She was named as one of the top 30 black musicians of Minnesota.

“Here we are in 2022, and we are finally going to see this talented group of singers bring an amazing show to Glenwood. Of course, it is very sad that Debbie Duncan will not be here, but we have no doubt that Kathleen Johnson will bring her own magic to the stage,” says Larson. “Any one of these artists alone would be a fantastic show! And here, we are going to have these three powerhouses performing together. It’s going to be great,” she adds.

Bruce Henry is a Minnesota music legend in his own right. Named a “true master of the jazz artform,” by Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine, Henry is a vocalist, educator and composer with a three and one-half octave vocal range. He has performed on five continents and played with some of the most respected musician in the industry, including Bobby McFerrin, Roberta Flack, Natalie Cole  and Jimmy Jam Lewis to name a few. With roots in Mississippi and Chicago, he has been a key member of the Minnesota music scene for much of his career. 

Aside from his career as a musician, Henry is self-described “griot,” a word used to describe a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet or musician who maintains a tradition of oral history in parts of West Africa. He is dedicated to educating youth regarding the history and impact of African music on today’s hip-hop, jazz, rock, gospel and R&B music.  During a salon at the Oldenburg Arts and Cultural Community center, he spoke about the importance of service, something instilled in him by his parents, “We have a responsibility to use our gifts for the betterment of humanity. It’s the foundation of everything. We have an obligation to use our gifts. Service is the rent due for life on this planet.” 

Show date and time: Saturday, October 22, at 7 p.m. Tickets are available for sale at the Central Square office or through their website, centralsquare.org. Ticket price is $30 in advance and $35 on the day of the event.