Boch Center's Ghost Light Series Continues With Singer Songwriter Kemp Harris

The Boch Center's new television music series, The Ghost Light Series, continues Friday, October 9th at 7:30 PM on NECN with singer and songwriter, Kemp Harris filmed live on-stage at the Wang Theatre. A master weaver of American musical styles, Harris is also an actor, activist, author, and storyteller, and an award-winning educator who has taught young public school students for more than 40 years.

Born in North Carolina, Harris taught himself piano and was writing songs at age 14. Harris has acted in numerous films and TV shows such as SMILF (Showtime), and is comfortable sharing the stage with artists such as Taj Mahal, koko Taylor, and Gil Scott-Heron, as well as performing shows with his smokin' band.

He wrote and performed "If Loneliness Was Black" for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Complexions Dance Company, one of the songs that he performs on The Ghost Light Series. Joined on stage by percussionist Jim Lucchese, Harris will also perform his songs "I Give Up," "Dr. Feel Good," "Goodnight America," "Ruthies" as well as a moving rendition of "America The Medley." A portion of the performance was filmed in the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame, located at the Wang Theatre among the vast sculptures of Marian Anderson, Paul Robeson, Woody Guthrie, Billie Holiday, Lead Belly, Bessie Smith and Josh White that make up the Cultural Heroes exhibit.

For centuries, theatres around the world have had what is known as a Ghost Light, a single lamp left shining when everyone has left. The legend is that this light protects actors, patrons and theatres from bad luck and ghosts. Each half-hour show in the Ghost Light Series features artists performing to an empty audience on the Boch Center's Wang Theatre stage illuminated only by the Ghost Light. There are no amps and no spotlights, just the artists and their instruments, playing and sharing stories, and revealing what it is like to be a musician at a time when you are cut off from your audience.

Future episodes of the Ghost Light Series will include Noel Paul Stookey, Tom Rush, and Jonathan Edwards all performing together, two-time Grammy Award winner singer/songwriter Lori McKenna, Will Dailey, Chris Smither, The Restless Age, Jay Psaros, Livingston Taylor, and more.

Guests watching at home or online are asked to support the Boch Center and the Folk American Roots Hall of Fame by making a donation or naming a seat at bochcenter.org/donate.

Details:

What: The Ghost Light Series

When: Friday, October 9th, 7:30 PM

Where: NECN

For more information on the Ghost Light Series, head to bochcenter.org/discover/ghost-light-series.

To post a comment, you must register and login.