GERALD ALSTON OF THE MANHATTANS - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Gerald Alston (born November 8, 1951) is an American soul/R&B singer, and the lead singer of the Grammy Award winning group The Manhattans between late 1970 and 1988, recording 25 top 40 R&B and 12 Hot 100 Pop Singles. Alston was lead singer on their most successful 1976 Platinum song "Kiss and Say Goodbye", which topped all U.S. pop and R&B charts and was number one in four countries. Alston left the group in 1988 to pursue a solo career and recorded five albums and ten singles, including the hit singles "Take Me Where You Want To", "Slow Motion" and "Getting Back Into Love", he also recorded a remake of Atlantic Starr's "Send for Me", most of which was for Motown Records. Alston was born on November 8, 1951, in Henderson, North Carolina to the Rev. J.B. Alston and Geraldine Harrelson. Alston is the nephew of Gospel singer Johnny Fields of The Blind Boys of Alabama. He grew up in the church where he learned his craft. Alston was just a teenager he formed a group called, the New Imperials who sang both secular and Gospel music. When the group would perform in churches they would change their name to the Gospel Jubilee. cAfter leaving the Manhattans, Alston released his debut solo album entitled, "Gerald Alston" in 1988 which spent 33 weeks on the Soul/R&B Billboard albums chart and peaking at No. 18[10] on March 4, 1989. The first single, "Take Me Where You Want To" became a top 10 R&B hit spending 18 weeks on the chart and peaking at No. 6. Two more singles were released from that album, "I Can't Tell You Why" No. 52 and "You Laid Your Love On Me" No. 41.

On March 18, 1989, Alston appeared on season 18 episode 18 of the television series, Soul Train performing his hit single "Take Me Where You Want To" and "Lay Your Love On Me. He also performed on March 9, 1991 season 20 episode