Peter Cetera, former frontman, lead singer and The Voice of Chicago, treated the intimate crowd of 1,200 fans to a great concert at Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Amphitheater.
After leaving Chicago in 1985, Cetera tore off the rear-view mirror and never looked back. His career skyrocketed to the next dimension when he went solo.
The charismatic stage performer and Grammy Award-winner sang all of his big hits with his distinctive and unmistakable golden tenor voice. He also is famous for not only the lead singer but also being the bass player for Chicago at their inception.
On his present tour, he gathered up his seven-piece electric band called The Big Daddys. A very capable ensemble that includes a female vocalist who sang these famous duets with Cetera: “The Next Time I Fall,” the Grammy-nominated #1 duet with gospel crooner Amy Grant; “After All,” a Top 10 corroboration with Cher featured on the soundtrack of the movie Chances Are; “Feels Like Heaven,” a duet with Chaka Khan; and the #1 hit and Academy Award-nominated song “Glory of Love” from the movie The Karate Kid II, which was singled out by BMI Film & TV and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers for being the most performed song from motion pictures.
Other films featuring Cetera’s songs include Three Men and a Baby, Princess From the Moon, and Pretty Woman.
Many of the songs he sings are timeless classics that continue to touch the lives of so many people.
Other hits he sang with great emotion and passion included: “Stay the Night,” “You’re the Inspiration,”Baby, What a Big Surprise, “Hard to Say I’m Sorry,” “Hard Habit to Break, “If You Leave Me Now, “Love Me Tomorrow,” “Feeling Stronger Every Day,” among many others.
The night was flawless except for a few airplanes that flew over the venue interrupting his precious moments which he joked about and had fun with. He invited the airplane passengers to come down and join in on the fun.
Cetera also appears in other musical formats including his much acclaimed Symphony Show for the larger venues, but for the fans at the intimate Hyatt, they got to get up close and personal. A night they won’t forget for some time to come.
For information on the remaining performances at the Summer Concert Series, go to http://series.hyattconcerts.com/lineup/.
Steven LIeberman is a veteran sports/arts/entertainment journalist. Lieberman has covered entertainment and professional sports, Including the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball, for the past 14 years. Among his entertainment work, Lieberman covers concerts, theatre and events.