Key Takeaways
- Jodeci will celebrate the 35th anniversary of Forever My Lady with a 35-city U.S. tour running from Oct. 24 in San Francisco through Dec. 19 in the group’s hometown of Charlotte.
- The 1991 debut topped Billboard’s R&B albums chart, went triple platinum, and delivered signature songs including “Come and Talk to Me,” “Stay,” and “Forever My Lady.”
- An expanded anniversary edition arrived in July with five bonus tracks, including an unreleased a cappella version of “Stay,” while K-Ci Hailey and Mr. Dalvin promised to “leave everything on the stage” for longtime fans.
Jodeci is taking Forever My Lady back on the road — 35 years after the album helped rewrite the rules of R&B.
The legendary group has announced a 36-city U.S. tour celebrating the 35th anniversary of its debut album, with the run beginning Oct. 24 at The Masonic in San Francisco. From there, Jodeci will hit Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Atlanta and dozens of other cities before wrapping things up Dec. 20 with a hometown show at Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The tour will celebrate 35 years, 37 shows, and one album that launched the group into R&B history.
The anniversary celebration actually started before the tour announcement. In July, Forever My Lady received an expanded 35th-anniversary release on vinyl and CD featuring five bonus tracks. The new edition includes a previously unreleased a cappella version of “Stay,” giving longtime listeners another piece of an album that has remained central to Jodeci's catalog since 1991.
Released May 28, 1991, Forever My Lady arrived when R&B groups weren't exactly in short supply. Jodeci still managed to separate itself almost immediately.
DeVante Swing drove much of the album's production alongside Al B. Sure!, mixing synthesizer-heavy production and hip-hop elements with the group's raw approach to love, sex, and relationships.
The formula worked: the album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top R&B Albums chart, eventually went triple platinum in the U.S., and produced enduring records including “Come and Talk to Me,” “Stay,” and the title track.
For the group, however, the anniversary isn't simply about revisiting the numbers.
“Thirty-five years ago, Forever My Lady changed our lives,” K-Ci Hailey and Mr. Dalvin said in a joint statement announcing the tour. “The love and connection we share with our fans is unmatched, and this tour is for them — the people who stood by us from day one. Get ready, we’re going to leave everything on the stage for you.”
That connection has lasted well beyond Jodeci's early-'90s breakthrough. The group went on to sell more than 20 million records worldwide while scoring five No. 1 singles and three No. 1 albums. Follow-ups Diary of a Mad Band and The Show, the After Party, and The Hotel extended a run that produced records including “Cry for You,” “Freek’n You,” and “Love U 4 Life.”
JODECI FOREVER MY LADY TOUR DATES
Oct. 24 — The Masonic — San Francisco, CA
Oct. 25 — YouTube Theatre — Inglewood, CA
Oct. 27 — Toyota Arena — Ontario, CA
Oct. 29 — The Magnolia — El Cajon, CA
Oct. 30 — Arizona Financial Theatre — Phoenix, AZ
Oct. 31 — Palms Casino — Las Vegas, NV
Nov. 4 — Stifel Theatre — St. Louis, MO
Nov. 6 — Fox Theatre — Detroit, MI
Nov. 7 — Arie Crown Theater — Chicago, IL
Nov. 8 — Murat Theatre at Old National Centre — Indianapolis, IN
Nov. 10 — The Andrew J. Brady Music Center — Cincinnati, OH
Nov. 11 — Citizens Live at The Wylie — Pittsburgh, PA
Nov. 12 — MGM National Harbor — Oxon Hill, MD
Nov. 14 — KeyBank State Theatre at Playhouse Square — Cleveland, OH
Nov. 15 — Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol — Bristol, VA
Nov. 18 — Loew’s Jersey Theatre — Jersey City, NJ
Nov. 19 — Parx Casino — Bensalem, PA
Nov. 20 — The Paramount Baltimore — Baltimore, MD
Nov. 22 — The Louisville Palace — Louisville, KY
Nov. 24 — Orpheum Theatre — Memphis, TN
Nov. 28 — Riverwind Casino — Norman, OK
Nov. 29 — Arena Theater — Houston, TX
Dec. 1 — Simmons Bank Arena — North Little Rock, AR
Dec. 2 — Saenger Theatre — New Orleans, LA
Dec. 3 — BJCC Concert Hall — Birmingham, AL
Dec. 5 — Lake Charles Event Center — Lake Charles, LA
Dec. 6 — Saenger Theatre — Mobile, AL
Dec. 8 — Johnny Mercer Theater — Savannah, GA
Dec. 10 — The Truth — Nashville, TN
Dec. 11 — Township Auditorium — Columbia, SC
Dec. 13 — Duke Energy Center for the Arts — St. Petersburg, FL
Dec. 15 — Florida Theatre — Jacksonville, FL
Dec. 16 — The Fillmore Miami Beach — Miami, FL
Dec. 18 — Venue to Be Announced — Atlanta, GA
Dec. 19 — Ovens Auditorium — Charlotte, NC
