R&B singer KeKe Wyatt performs during the Black-out Concert at the Tad Smith Coliseum, a part of Black Alumni Reunion weekend. Photo by Italiana Anderson
Performers Keke Wyatt and Jon B. entertained Black Alumni Weekend attendees at the Black-Out Concert at Tad Smith Coliseum on Friday night.
More than 250 African-American UM alumni came out to enjoy the performances with their peers. Many danced to old-school jams as they waited for the show to begin.
“Make some noise if you’re excited about your Ole Miss experience,” said the event’s host, UM alumnus Willie Morton Jr.
Morton, also known as ‘Prettie Willie’ and ‘P-Dub,’ is a radio host, singer and actor. He performed songs of his own, including “4 Walls” and “My Good Thang.” He also provided the audience with some laughs in between performances as he spoke about his three children and about his experience at Campus Station, which is now named as Campus Walk.
“We are here for the fellowship and being in the atmosphere of the reunion. That’s what we are here for,” 1993 School of Pharmacy alumnus Yolanda Adams said.
Keke Wyatt, well-known for her vocal range and duets with singer Avant, was the first to hit the stage. Wyatt sang some of her classics, such as “Nothing in this World,” “My First Love” and her take on Patti Labelle’s “If Only You Knew.” She also performed Rose Royce’s “I’m Going Down.”
“She’s down-to-earth. She talks to us like we were sitting there with her,” attendee Tameka Jones said.
The crowd applauded when Wyatt hit a high note, and someone yelled “Come on, Keke, girl,” from the audience.
At the end of her performance, Wyatt spoke directly to the audience members, thanking them for their support.
“It’s people like you that keep on blessing people like me, that make me continue to bless people like you,” Wyatt said.
During her intimate performance, Wyatt wore tall, pink silhouette boots that she eventually took off, saying she did not want to wear them.
Wyatt then got off stage and walked around as she sang to the audience. Later, she brought out Kissie Lee, who performed the single “It Pours.”
The audience was also pleased with performances of gold and platinum-winning record artist Jon. B. Jon B. has worked with many hip-hop heavyweights, such as Tupac, Jay Z and Nas.
“I’m standing here, 20 years in,” Jon B. said.
He sang his most popular hits accompanied by piano performances. Audience members took to their feet as he sang “They Don’t Know” and “Are You Still Down?”
Jon B. lead the crowd through other notable old-school jams, such as Mint Condition’s “Pretty Brown Eyes,” New Edition’s “Can You Stand the Rain” and Guy’s “Let’s Chill.”
By the end of the night, the alumni were happy with the evening’s show.
“I enjoyed the performance,” Holly A. Broyles-Cunningham, class of 2010, said. “It was very well-organized, and Keke Wyatt did her thing. So did Jon B. It was very well put together, and we enjoyed it.”
