When Loretta Harris-Wilson first heard that she and the rest of bluesman Bobby Rush’s band could be performing for U.S. troops in Iraq in April, she had her doubts.
The singer-dancer wondered about the safety and how the large band would travel.
“At first, I wasn’t feeling it,” she said. “I said, ‘I don’t care what it is; I’m not gonna do this.’”
She said Rush had concerns as well, but those were addressed. They were told that the band wouldn’t be playing anywhere near the fighting, and soldiers would be traveling with them.
Also, she decided that doing something for the troops would be good for her in the long run.
“I was told we would go over with the soldiers, complete these shows, and then we’ll come back,” said Harris-Wilson, who grew up on Egypt Plantation in Holmes County and lives in Greenwood when she’s not touring. “So after I looked into it, everything is great.”
The band leaves Jackson on April 1 for the “Bluzapalooza” tour. Other performers include Janiva Magness, Billy Gibson and Tony Braunagel. The contract calls for six days of performances on military bases in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.
Harris-Wilson said she and others in the group had been briefed on security procedures and other requirements. They will have to wear jackets, dog tags, boots and other specific items at all times. In fact, Harris-Wilson was in charge of getting everyone’s sizes so the clothes could be ordered.
She said her mother was having difficulty with the idea of her traveling to that area. Her kids are excited about it, although they might not know everything that will be involved, she said.
But her two college-age daughters agreed that this is something they will be able to tell their children about one day.
Then again, their mother has traveled to many countries already.
Earlier this year, the band went to China and performed before a stadium crowd of 45,000 people. Those listeners also included more than 1,000 armed soldiers who sat in the front row in case there was a disturbance.
Harris-Wilson said seeing Beijing made her appreciate what she has. Americans can’t truly know how fortunate they are until they see the dirt, the ragged clothes and the poverty that mark children’s lives in many places overseas, she said.
“That shows me how far we have advanced, how much of a great opportunity we have and how blessed we are,” she said.
Her group also had trouble adjusting to the food there, which included jellyfish, seaweed, caviar and other strange selections.
“We were sick when we left from over there,” she recalled. “Everybody had a stomach problem.”
She said she did enjoy the shopping in China, although some items were hard to find.
“They’re so tiny, they didn’t have our shoe sizes,” she said. “I felt like a giant.”
The band is tentatively planning to return to Beijing to perform during the Olympics, although details are still being worked out. They will go to Italy in June and to Spain in August.
Harris-Wilson also is looking forward to flying her kids to the Poconos in July, and she might take them on a cruise in May.
She said they continue to be amazed by the celebrities she has met and worked with. Her daughter Shaquisheia thought she was joking about meeting actress Loretta Devine, who was in the Broadway cast of “Dreamgirls” — until she saw a photo of them together.
“They get to meet so many people, but a lot of times when I go to Vegas and stuff, you never know who you’re going to meet,” she said.
She encouraged friends and fans to drop her an e-mail at
MizzLowe@yahoo.com.
