10 Things You Should Know About Charles Perry

A few years later, Perry appeared in the sequel to Mama, Born to Sing. Here, he sharpened his technique alongside vocal powerhouses Lisa Fischer and Tonya Blount. In 1996, the New York Times had this to say about Perry's performance: "The 15-member Reach Ensemble creates plenty of on-stage energy just standing on rows of fluorescent-lighted stairs singing and stomping their way through the songs. And the depth of talent in that chorus is made clear whenever one of the singers is given a solo turn, for example, Charles Perry, who does a dead-on imitation of Tina Turner."

(Photo: Martina Tolot)