Concerts

‘Rock the Holidays’ with Darlene Love in Beverly

The 1960s vocal group legend brings her annual Christmas show to The Cabot Dec. 1.

Darlene Love at the Payomet Performing Arts Center in North Truro in 2015. Debee Tlumacki for the Boston Globe

1 minute to read

Before there was Lisa Fischer, there was Darlene Love, possessor of one of the greatest voices in popular music (#84, according Rolling Stone’s 2010 list of the 100 Greatest Singers). The two have lot more in common than having area gigs coming up. Both have sung on recordings by Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, and Luther Vandross. Both were featured in the 2013 documentary “20 Feet from Stardom,” whose numerous honors included an Academy Award, a Grammy, and an NAACP Image Award. Furthermore, both have peculiarly few albums to their own credit given their voluminous work for others.

Born Darlene Wright and given her professional surname by Phil Spector, Love has worked as a member of The Blossoms and The Crystals, a solo artist, and a prolific backup vocalist. Her immaculate voice can be heard on myriad classic songs, including “He’s A Rebel,” “Today I Met the Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” “Be My Baby”, “Monster Mash,” “That’s Life,” “Da Doo Ron Ron,” and “Johnny Angel.” If all of this and the fact that she is a truly deserving Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee doesn’t impress you, perhaps the fact that she also appeared as Danny Glover’s character’s wife in all four “Lethal Weapon” movies will.

Love started performing “Rock the Holidays” shows several years ago at The Cabot. That tradition continues this year on Dec. 1. These occasions have included selections from her illustrious career, holiday favorites, popular songs that happen to be about Christmas, and whichever other assorted tunes that she feels like giving the patented Darlene Love treatment.