Freda Payne: A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald

Galloway, N.J. – Celebrated R&B and jazz vocalist Freda Payne will take to the main stage of Stockton University’s Performing Arts Center to pay tribute to the “First Lady of Song” Ella Fitzgerald at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14.

Freda Payne, who shot to fame with her No. 1 hit “Band of Gold,” plans to “recreate the spirit of Ella” with her renditions of “A Tisket, a-Tasket,” “Sweet Georgia Brown,” “It Don’t Mean A Thing” and “Mack the Knife,” as well as many other Fitzgerald classics.

Freda Payne, sitting on a couch with her arms crossed in front of her
Variety: “(Freda) Payne bears a remarkable resemblance to the legendary singer’s sound and has mastered the wordless scatting style developed by Ella (Fitzgerald).”

Payne is most-known for her disco and soul music career from the 1960s and ’70s, but her long range of accomplishments includes hosting her own talk show, acting on Broadway in shows such as “Jelly’s Last Jam,” “Sophisticated Ladies” and “Blues in the Night” and being inducted into the 2017 class of the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in her hometown of Detroit. 


Ticket Information

Tickets are $40 for the general public; $38 for senior citizens; $35 for Stockton University alumni; $30 for Stockton staff and faculty; $18 for children (12 and under); and $10 for Stockton students. Special pricing for groups of 10 or more people is also available.

Tickets are available at the Stockton Performing Arts Center box office from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 90 minutes before showtime. Call 609-652-9000.


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