Marshall Thompson and The Chi-Lites

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Mar..ance Records Bomb The Music Mainstream, in the Bahamas

Michael Jackson's father conducts talent search in The Bahamas..

October 10, 2009 MTS Magazine

By STAFF WRITER ~ Nassau Guardian: Joe Jackson, father of deceased pop star Michael Jackson, and Janet Jackson is in The Bahamas searching for Bahamian talent to represent his record label MarAnce Records. The "We Are the World All Nations Talent Search" aims to discover and showcase talent from around the world, and include the talent on a series of Blu-ray discs produced by MarAnce Records and BlueStar under the same title.

Bahamian talent wanting to participate in the search can submit their video or audio tape to Mark Hawkens at the Wyndham Nassau Resort front desk. Of the submissions, Jackson will audition 10 performers or acts at the Wyndham's Rainforest Theater on Friday night, at 7 p.m., awarding one act a record deal, according to a press release.

Awards will given by Jackson in the following categories — island or freestyle music, country, and pop. The winning act will open up the Blue Star Talent and Beauty Showcase on Saturday night at 7 p.m. in the Rainforest Theater. From the beauty pageant the new BlueStar girls will be chosen for a calendar shoot at Nygard Cay. Jackson's partners in MarAnce, Marshall Thompson (Chi-Lites fame), and Erick Hansen of BlueStar Technologies, and special MarAnce Record talent will join him for the showcase and beauty pageant.

MarAnce Record's principles, Jackson, Thompson, and Hansen will make the final decision on the talent. According to the release, The Bahamas is the first stop on an international tour which will include the United States and Europe, with plans for Nigeria and Egypt. Joe Jackson is one of the top talent producers of all time with his son Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, the Jackson Five, and many more. On October 27, along with Robin Leach, Jackson will host the advance screening and premier of Michael Jackson's film, "This Is It" at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

The Bahamian winner will be on the Red Carpet with Jackson, Thompson, and Hansen in Las Vegas. Jackson and Thompson brought three recording artists to perform and host the special release party for MarAnce's new song, "Low Key." Artists scheduled to perform are Zika, Phil G, and La Flora Vensocia.

The three-day event will include celebrities and the BlueStar Girls, a group of models that will appear in an array of MarAnce/Blue-ray products: movies, music videos, album covers, calendars posters, trading cards, etc. who will be in The Bahamas to host the weekend, appear in music videos, and shoot a calendar.




THE HOT NEW VIDEO: FEAT. MARSHALL THOMPSON "LOW kEY"


Marshall Thompson-President Joseph Jackson-Chairman of the Board

Also if you're not a friend of mine yet, now is the time to add yourself!

The Newly Re-Issued/Re-Mastered Single: Low Key

I am The Leader Of The Chi-Lites.


Chi-Lites, Marshall Thompson Category: Music

CHI-LITES' MARSHALL THOMPSON: Chi-Lites Live and Live On *R&B Hall of Famers, the Chi-Lites may have been the highlights of early 70s soul with hits like "Oh Girl" and "Have You Seen Her," but the group, particularly member Marshall Thompson have not rested on their laurels.

However, while in the midst of old school tours throughout the world, the group has just released the "Chi-Lites Live" DVD. The disc features some of their latest tour stops and the last performance of bandmate Eugene Record, who died July 2005.

"We've been running like crazy," Marshall said of the group. "We're doing these tours, and now we've got the new DVD. It's really a life story of us and concerts we did all over the country."

The disc features performances in England, Canada, and California. It's currently available on the official Chi-Lites website, "http://www.chi-lites.info/" www.chi-lites.info "http://www.eurweb.com/images/chilites" The current iteration of The Chi-Lites

The group, named for their hometown of Chicago, had their origins in the Chanteurs, which formed in 1959. In 1960, they added members and changed the name to Hi-Lites, settling on the final incarnation of the group name in 1964, and were made up of the five-man crew of Thompson, Record, Creadel "Red" Jones, Robert Lester, and Clarence Johnson. The Chi-Lites roster shifted several times between their hits of the 70s. The 90s brought the old-school tour circuit, which teamed the Chi-Lites with other phenomenal groups and artists such as the Whispers, the Dells, the Manhattans, and the Stylistics.

The year 2000 brought the legendary group to another great milestone, when the Chi-Lites were inducted into the R&B Hall of Fame. Marshall said that looking back, that was an important moment for him and the group, especially fellow bandmate and lead singer Eugene Record:

"We were coming into the R&B Hall of Fame; we were very pleased and glad to have him still at that time to perform that with us."

Thompson continued that upon their induction, some other good fortunes came their way – the excitement of sampling.

"We were very blessed to have the youngsters do our music, like Beyonce, Fantasia, and Paul Wall. I was glad to see the [acceptance] of all the people and see all those youngsters jump on our music. They were doing James Brown and Parliament Funkadelic for a while, and now they've jumped to the Chi-Lites and everything's turning gold and platinum."

As a matter of fact, the Chi-Lites' Record shared a Grammy with Beyonce when she used a sample of his pen work of "Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So)" for her song "Crazy In Love."

Although the group is currently recording on Thompson's record label Marance Records, according to their website, Thompson says they are really beginning to focus on tracks for younger artists.

Basically what I'm doing, what each one of us is doing, is solo projects with young artists," Thompson explained. "We're not too interested in doing records again just as the Chi-Lites. We feel it's the youngster's time. We just get on the bandwagon with them and do the hooks, and it works."

For more on the Chi-Lites, check out their official website at:http://chi-lites.info/

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