COURT HOUSE – The music director and conductor of The Jersey Shore Pops, Linda Gentille will soon leave New Jersey to sail away on major cruise lines as she wraps up her busy summer concert season at the shore.
Gentille recently finished the 2013 Summer Concert Season at the PAC a couple weeks ago completing the 4th concert season for the popular orchestra. She now begins her winter job which is performing as a headliner on cruise lines such as Regent, Princess, Celebrity and Oceania.
During her concert career, Gentille has performed over 1000 concerts worldwide. She has performed on every continent and in over 35 countries. Recently Gentille completed her 12th concert tour of China where she holds the world record, according to the Chinese Ministry of Culture, for performing more concerts (over 150 to date) in China than any other Artist…truly an incredible achievement and the envy of the international entertainment industry as China becomes an ever increasing destination of strong interest for entertainers from all corners of the globe. As Gentille does in many other foreign countries, in China she conducts her press conferences, and communicates with and sings for her audiences in their own language, an additional talent that further ingratiates Linda to her huge international following.
Gentille has recorded over a dozen CD’s and DVD’s and successfully runs her own production company, Linda Gentille Music, producing concerts and student drug prevention assemblies. Her CD’s enjoy worldwide popularity, and she has sold over 5 million copies in China alone. Gentille is a great inspiration for thousands of students across the country and around the world where she has performed hundreds of student assembly performances during her career. Proceeds from many of Gentille’s concerts in China help children in orphanages throughout China.
Gentille comments, “I am so fortunate to have this fabulous opportunity to travel all over the world and share my gifts with others. One of the highlights of my career has been to perform in almost every major city in China. In many of those cities, my concerts help children from various orphanages I have visited and performed for along the many years of travel there. I think it is so important to share the gifts God has given us with those less fortunate. I hope to be able to do this for another 10 or 20 years God willing.”
Gentille’s early career was as a teen age protégé of Liberace, one of the most famous entertainers ever. Gentille first met Liberace at the Las Vegas Hilton in 1985 after one of his performances. Liberace was known to take time after performances to hear young talented musicians. Liberace’s manager Seymour Heller was in the audience that night and stopped Gentille in the front row. He approached her thinking from a distance that she was Lynda Carter. Although, Gentille was just a teenager, she always dressed and acted more mature. Heller found out that she was a huge fan of Liberace and that she was a budding pianist and arranged an audition with Liberace after the show. Gentille was nervous, but managed to play for the great entertainer that evening. She played a rendition of The Moonlight Sonata and Malaguena which she knew was one of Liberace’s favorites. Gentille was so nervous that her hands were shaking, but she managed to get through the audition. Liberace was impressed enough that he asked Heller to contact her the next week to see about her availability to tour with him. That audition started a whole new career for Gentille and led her into what would be a fabulous career traveling around the world.
Liberace gave Gentille her first big break in Las Vegas when she auditioned for his show in 1985 and she will be forever grateful for that break. Gentille continues, “Had I not met Liberace and performed with him, I probably would not have continued in the music business at all. When I first met him, I was very shy and insecure, and he changed my whole life and gave me confidence in my music style. For that, I will always be forever grateful..”
One of the most amazing entertainers to come along since Liberace. She holds her audiences spellbound with her beauty, comedic talents and musical virtuosity. A one of a kind entertainer with a show not to be missed.” The Atlantic City Press
The president of the orchestra, Dr. Nick Holland who has been leading the orchestra to its success for the past 4 years is the main fundraiser for the orchestra. With the many clients he has worked with for the past 28 years as the owner of Shore Veterinarians, he has been able to pull resources to help the orchestra. Although the orchestra has mainly a summer concert season, the work continues all year long. What sets the orchestra apart from many of the other orchestras in the country is that Gentille writes many original arrangements for the orchestra instead of just purchasing or renting standard arrangements. Holland adds, “I am happy to volunteer for the orchestra because I am continually amazed at the talent of the orchestra members. But without the tremendous dedication of our music director and conductor, the shows simply would not happen. I know while she is on the cruise ships traveling the world, she is working on new arrangements for the orchestra. She simply doesn’t lay around the ships sipping Pina Coladas in the Jacuzzi.”
The Jersey Shore Pops recently signed a contract with The City of Ocean City to open their 2014 season with a Memorial Day Weekend concert celebration. The dates and the concerts that the popular orchestra is performing are:
May 24 at 7:00 p.m.: “America” starring Linda Gentille & The Jersey Shore pops. This big band concert will tribute America Heroes with mainly music Glenn Miller & George Gershwin.
July 26 at 2:00 p.m.: “Country Divas” starring Jacklyn Buckingham & the Jersey Shore Pops. This concert wills tribute the great ladies of country music including Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton and many others. Jacklyn Buckingham has become a regular popular guest entertainer with the orchestra and will break from her traditional Broadway style of singing for this country themed show.
The Jersey Shore Pops is currently planning their 2014 Summer Concert Series. Anyone interested in being on the waiting list for tickets can email; Nick @JerseyShorePops.org or call 609 628-4544. Or for online information, please visit www.JerseyShorePops.org
Cape May – The new bathrooms next to convention hall are a big improvement over the trailer in the street, but the city needs to maintain them. I wrote to public works several weeks ago to let them know that…
