Ward wows Marco Polo crowd with 5-octave ranges
By DEBORAH WIGHT, special
to the Marco Islander Daily News
Celine Dion and Whitney Houston in
concert on Marco?
Not quite.
But island audiences might be fooled when
they hear singer Jerry Ward, who performs at the Marco Polo Restaurant
(5) nights a week.
"Yes I've been told I sound like Patsy
Cline too," he said.
Ward is a man. But the 36-year old high tenor
has an unusual five-octave range. One result - he can sound like the late
crooner Roy Orbison whenever he wants to.
Ward said it used to bother him that his
audiences thought he had a woman's voice, but now he considers the ability
a blessing.
"It's been a godsend for me. It's my
biggest sell," said Ward, the Marco Polo act since November.
He doesn't purposely imitate anyone and thinks
he sounds like himself.
"I'm not an impressionist or someone
who intentionally copies another vocalist," said Ward. "Rather,
I consider myself a vocal stylist."
He attributes comparisons to female artists
to the intense emotion he puts out when singing from his repertoire.
"I really put a lot of feeling into
the songs I sing," said Ward. "I sincerely don't try to sound
like anyone else, but I want to cause the same effect."
His rendition of the "Titanic"
theme song by Celine Dionne is moving.
"It's really emotional for those who
saw the movie," he said.
Lisa Grear, who first heard Ward with her
husband, Phil, two weekends ago, described the singer as "unbelievable."
She was impressed particularly when he sang both parts of a popular Julio
Iglesias and Willie Nelson duet.
"When it got to Willie's part, he pulled
out a headpiece with a pair of braids," said Grear.
A one-man show, Ward has fully orchestrated
musical tapes in the background.
"No, it's not a karaoke tape,"
he clarified. "On my tapes there is no lead. I provide all the vocals.
It's like singing with a real-life band behind me."
In music all his life, Ward said that he's
been an entertainer for 25 years. It's been his sole career for the past
12 years.
"I just love being able to express
my feelings through song," he said. "When I do "Memories"
from "Cats," the audience response is overwhelming. I am very
moved by that reaction."
Ward and his wife, Lorraine, relocated to
Marco from north-west Indiana, about 30 miles from Chicago, three years
ago.
Ward starts his performances at 8 PM with
a dinner set and moves into his show tunes from 10 PM until midnight.
Songs from "Man of La Mancha" and
"Phantom Of The Opera" are his big hits. He also gets great reviews
for "The Impossible Dream" and "Cabaret." Ward's show
includes dance rages like "The Electric Slide" and "The
Macarena."
"I also do a Jamaican dollar dance,"
he added.
Behind a piano bar now, Ward said next season
he'll have a dance floor to perform his regular show on a full stage.
Ward said he appeals to the 35- to 60- year-old
set who want slow dancing and romantic songs.
"I don't do Hootie and the Blowfish,
although I could," said Ward. "I thoroughly enjoy the older,
mature crowd and singing the hits from the '50s and '60s."
And Ward does fill the Marco Polo lounge
nightly.
Since he's been the headliner, he said, the
owner told him sales have been up 45 percent.
"You know it's not just good music that
makes the experience. It's also good food and good drink that, combined,
provide a positive experience for our patrons. If any of the three are
lacking, the experience is negative, " he said.
He siad that in a small community like Marco
an entertainer can personalize his or her performance.
"I often walk through the audience with
a mike," he said.
Ward also presents wax cakes to customers
on their birthdays -- something he didn't do back in Chicago.
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