‘The Queen of Christmas’ at The Tupelo Dec. 6: In Love for the Holidays

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Darlene Love will make her first-ever NH appearance Dec. 6 at the Tupelo Music Hall in Derry. Courtesy photo

DERRY, NH – It has been a long walk for Darlene Love –  from her spot as perpetual second fiddle to the star at center stage –  but after five decades and more than her fair share of detours, she’s finally arrived.

Love is bringing her Christmas show to New Hampshire for the first time this year, on Dec. 6. But before she lands at The Tupelo Music Hall, there are a few things you should know to truly appreciate Love’s journey.

FACT: Inducted into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, Love made Rolling Stone’s Top 100 Singers of All Time list (No. 84) for an impressive string of hits you probably didn’t even know she was singing on, from her first uncredited single, “He’s a Rebel,”  back in 1962, to background vocals on hits including “Da Doo Ron Ron,” “Monster Mash,” and “It’s In His Kiss.

“It’s amazing, that I’ve finally achieved my dreams. You have to have it in your heart. Don’t think I didn’t think seriously about giving up, many times. But I had it in my heart, and I always felt I had a gift from God and that I would eventually get to share that gift, if I just kept trying,” says Love.

FACT: Love’s backstory was detailed in the Grammy-winning documentary, “20 Feet from Stardom,” a film about Love and many of her contemporaries, who spent their best years touring as background singers for stars like Bruce Springsteen, Cher, Sting, The Rolling Stones, and Michael Jackson. The hope was that their dedication would catapult their own solo careers one day. The reality: Those relegated to the background found their dreams of stardom too often got stuck in career quicksand.

Love knows she’s one of the lucky ones.

“There’s one song in particular I include in my show, ‘Marvelous,’ it’s a gospel song recorded by Walter Hawkins. It wraps up my whole story, and what my life is about. It’s my faith that’s kept me going, and I don’t think I really want to be out in this world, doing what I’m doing now, without God leading me and helping me,” says Love.

FACT: She appeared on 27 consecutive David Letterman Christmas shows (1986-2014) to belt what is undeniably her most famous single of all time, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), from the 1963 Phil Spector Christmas album.

“I didn’t start doing concerts until I moved to New York 30 years ago,” says Love. “I got my first gig at a place called The Bottom Line, which was nice enough to hire me when I didn’t think I could draw flies. Then David Letterman invited me on his show – he loved that song and started calling me The Queen of Christmas. That helped me launch my Christmas tours, which I’ve been doing ever since.”

FACT: It’s OK if her name doesn’t ring an immediate bell –  she’s used to it, after so many years as the anonymous hit-maker for Phil Spector. But you know her, you really do – she played Trish Murtaugh, Danny Glover’s wife, in all four Lethal Weapon movies.

“There were times in my life when I was down, but the thing about me is that I always had determination to get back up,” Love says. “And it’s not just in my business, but in any business, if people want to do something better, they have to keep doing whatever they can do until they get the job they want. I knew there was a world out there waiting for me.”

FACT: She just returned from Germany where she performed for 10,000 loyal Elvis fans at the 16th annual European Elvis Festival, reprising some of the hits she sang backup on with Elvis.

“I performed with Elvis on the 1968 comeback special, and right now he’s still bigger than life for his fans,” says Love, who spent about a month with Elvis as part of The Blossoms, between filming the documentary and the NBC special, that would eventually relaunch his career.  

“We spent a good bit of time together, and I learned that we were both rooted in gospel music,” Love says.

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Kickboxing is Darlene Love’s not-so-secret fountain of youth. Courtesy photo

FACT: If you do the math (born in 1941, making hits in the 1960s, mounting her umpteenth world tour in 2017) you’ll wonder how she has the stamina to deliver 90-minute sets night after night with moves like Jagger, and more energy than performers half her age. Love says she started kickboxing 10 years ago, and it’s become her not-so-secret weapon.

“When I know I’m getting ready to tour, I do healthier things – I get more rest, eat properly, and drink plenty of water,” says Love. “My friends who still perform, like Bruce Springsteen, they all have an exercise regimen. It takes more than just getting up and getting out on stage. You have to prepare yourself mentally and physically. But Bruce, he’s lost it – I heard he did a four-hour show the other day. Four hours? Ninety minutes is enough for me.”

FACT: Fans will get their money’s worth at a Darlene Love show.

“During this tour I do all my songs – my classics and even some gospel things – and I tell a few stories along the way because some of the songs just demand a story,” says Love, who has been enjoying the mid-sized venues that are emerging like hidden gems in cities around the country, including the Tupelo, for audiences looking to reconnect with the music they grew up with. 

“I really think that’s why I’m working as much as I do. There’s an audience of people over 50 who want to hear performers from my era – the music is so timeless,” Love says. “It’s been such a pleasure to meet people who love the hits of the ‘60s. I love the warmth, and I can’t wait to get out there and perform. I always give it 150 percent, whether it’s an audience of 10,000 or 10.”

FACT: Her dance card is fuller than ever – she performed during the Nov. 14 Marian Anderson Awards at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philly, which honored her dear friend Dionne Warwick, and she also recently shared the stage with Elvis Costello and Bonnie Raitt, fellow supporters of Little Kids Rock, a NJ-based charity that funds modern music programs in public schools around the country.

“Yes, I know I’m having the best life ever. I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason. After going through all the stuff I went through, I have to believe it was my platform, doing background. I met so many amazing people along the way, and it’s that experience that gave me the tenacity to keep on going,” Love says. “No matter where you’re going, if you’re going to get there you have to keep crossing those bridges and jumping those hurdles.”  


Darlene Love will perform her Christmas show Dec. 6 at The Tupleo Music Hall, 10 A Street, in Derry. Show time, 8 p.m. Tickets are $40-55. Click here to reserve your seat.

About this Author

Carol Robidoux

PublisherManchester Ink Link

Longtime NH journalist and publisher of ManchesterInkLink.com. Loves R&B, German beer, and the Queen City!