Támar Tour - Prince 2006

2006

Concert tour

The music career of Ashley Támar Davis began in 1990 when becoming a founding member of an all-female R&B group named Girl’s Tyme. The quartet was formed in Houston with Beyonce Knowles, LaTavia Roberson and Kelly Rowland, but in 1993 Támar quit to focus on her studies and was replaced with LeToya Luckett. Girl’s Tyme was renamed Destiny’s Child in 1997 and made their major breakthrough that year when signed to Columbia Records and went on to become one of the most successful female recording acts of all time.

Támar’s friend happened to be a cousin of Morris Day, who in 1994 got her to record a demo and he passed this to Prince. Támar herself did not meet Prince until 2005 when attending a party at a home he was renting in Bel Air, 3121 Antelo Road. Knowing little of Prince nor his catalogue, Prince invited her to audition at Paisley Park during which she wrote the lyrics and Prince the music for her debut album. The recording continued throughout the rest of 2005 and into January 2006, the album named after the track Prince co-wrote with Támar, Beautiful, Loved & Blessed, and was chosen as the lead single. The album was scheduled for release in March 2006 with Universal Records, to accompany Prince’s solo LP 3121.

That January, Prince put together Támar’s introductory tour, with her taking lead vocals and Prince, billed as ‘special guest’, as sideman on guitar. The tickets were duly priced at $31.21. The touring band comprised the new lineup of the New Power Generation. On drums was Cora Coleman in replacement of John Blackwell, with Rhonda Smith’s role on bass passing to Cora’s husband Joshua Dunham. NPG stalwart Morris Hayes remained on keyboards. Other newcomers were Nandy and Maya McClean, identical twins and former Australian Idol contestants, enlisted on backing vocals and dance, stage named Twinz. Club DJ Rashida, who Prince met in 2004, was bought into the touring show.

Támar Tour tour opened in Hollywood on 20 January 2006. Announced at short notice and scheduled at theatres and clubs, its setup was simple – a video projection as backdrop was fronted by a riser on which the band stood. Támar was stage level up front and flanked by Twinz. Prince’s spot was stage left – often unlit to ensure the attention was kept on Támar. The setlists were designed to showcase Támar’s vocal skill, so in addition to her own tracks, there were plenty of covers too. Prince sang only in the final part of the, on average 100-minute, show. On 4 February, the tour took a brief pause, firstly to perform the album’s title track on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, and then on the 15th in London to give a barnstorming medley with Prince and the band at the BRIT Awards hosted at Earls Court Arena. Támar Tour resumed in Minneapolis on the 25th. The shows, which included a date in Támar’s home town of Houston, ran until 18 March, staging its final performance at Mansion in Miami South Beach – former premises of Glam Slam South which closed its doors in 1996.

Artists like Prince have championed ownership, only for someone to say, ‘No, we don’t approve of you putting it out.’

Támar Davis

Támar Tour is unique in that Prince lent his full star power to shine the spotlight on his new act. Beautiful, Loved & Blessed was released as digital promo single on 21 February but peaked at 25 in the Billboard Airplay Chart. Prince’s single Black Sweat was released the same day, and with his own LP due out on 21 March, Támar’s debut was bumped to 9 August and the lead single put into the tracklisting of 3121 and so Támar’s album was retitled Milk & Honey. That year, Prince and Támar would share a Grammy nomination for Beautiful, Loved & Blessed for Best Performance By A Duo.

After Támar Tour, on 16 June 2006 Támar accompanied Prince to Bryant Park, New York, to headline Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series, and on the 27th played the BET Awards. Promotion was strong and Prince was clearly invested, but then the focus began to change. On 3 July Prince’s content subscription service NPG Music Club was closed without warning, and then with Prince’s focus shifting that October to rehearse a Las Vegas residency at the Rio Hotel & Casino, activity on Támar ground to a halt and the release of Milk & Honey was cancelled by the label. Prince would release just two tracks from Támar’s record: issuing Beautiful, Loved & Blessed digitally on NPG Music Club shortly before the platform’s closure, as well as physically on 3121; and Kept Woman which he gave to Bria Valente to overdub her vocals so the track could be put on her own solo LP Elixer. Támar’s vocals in turn feature on Prince’s 2009 album LotusFlow3r, recorded in 2006.

Támar made her debut studio album release on 24 March 2011 titled My Name Is Támar. In 2014 she was cast as Diana Ross in the stage show Motown The Musical, for which Prince threw her a congratulatory party. She subsequently appeared in Season 10 of The Voice in 2016 under the mentorship of Christina Aguilera and got eliminated in The Live Playoffs on 11 April 2016, ten days prior to Prince’s death. Milk & Honey remains unreleased.

Performers

Lead vocals

Támar Davis

Guitar / Vox

Prince

Drums

Cora Coleman-Dunham

Keyboards

Morris Hayes

Bass Guitar

Joshua Dunham

Dance / Vox

Nandy McClean "Twinz"

Maya McClean "Twinz"

Turntables

DJ Rashida

Sample setlist

1. Intro ‘The Journey To The Hanamachi’ by John Williams
2. Closer 2 My Heart
3. Dancing Room Only
4. You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No) [Dawn Penn]
5. Sunday In The Park
6. Milk & Honey
7. I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) [Aretha Franklin]
8. Love Changes [Mother’s Finest]
9. When A Man Loves A Woman [Percy Sledge]
10. Redhead Stepchild
11. Rock Steady [Aretha Franklin]
12. Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough [Michael Jackson]
13. What Have You Done For Me Lately [Janet Jackson]
14. Partyman
15. It’s Alright [Larry Graham]
16. Play That Funky Music [Wild Cherry]
17. Love Rollercoaster [Ohio Players]
18. Stay With Me [Lorraine Ellison]

Prince lead vocals