Singer Darlene Love to Kick Off 2019–2020 Season at Center for the Arts

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Darlene Love will kick off the 2019–2020 season at the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts with her powerhouse vocals at Smothers Theatre in Malibu on Thursday, September 12, at 8 PM.

An iconic singer, Love continues to captivate audiences worldwide with her superb vocal talent and warm, gracious stage presence. Love’s five-decade career spans some of the greatest signature moments in music, with the Los Angeles native nurturing her talent early as a member of the Blossoms, a local trio who began their career providing backup vocals for artists such as Sam Cooke and Bobbie Day. The Blossoms also were featured as part of the house band for the popular 1960s music show Shindig, backing up many of the performers who appeared on the series. Love would go on to become one of the most sought-after singers in music history, recording with Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, Dionne Warwick, the Righteous Brothers, Tom Jones, and dozens of other vocal giants throughout her career. Her early work with pioneering producer Phil Spector on songs such as the trailblazing “He’s a Rebel,” “He’s Sure the Boy I Love,” and “Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Hearts,” would garner her legend status.

She is featured in the 2013 Academy Award and Grammy Award-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, chronicling the behind-the-scenes lives of background singers. Darlene’s annual holiday performance of her classic “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” on Late Night with David Letterman became a holiday viewing staple.

Love is also an accomplished star of both stage and screen having appeared in movies, television, and on Broadway. She has starred in major motion pictures like the highly successful Lethal Weapon series, and Broadway hits like Hairspray and Grease. She even starred as herself in Leader of the Pack, credited as Broadway’s first “jukebox musical.”

This performance is sponsored by the Office of the President of Pepperdine University. 

Ticket prices range between $40 and $65 for adults, and are $10 for Pepperdine students. For additional information about this performance, and to purchase tickets, visit the Center for the Arts website.