BY LEROY CHAPMAN JR.
Charlie Wilson just wants to party.
And preach.
And prove to the world that he is one of the few 1980s soul artists who has effectively built a second, new millennium career.
Wilson, who enjoyed chart-topping success more than 30 years ago with The Gap Band, brought the old school hits to Atlanta Saturday night. And he seamlessly weaved in the new.
Wilson danced and crooned his way through a taut, soulful 90-minute set in front of a Chastain Park Amphitheatre sell-out crowd. Somewhere in the middle he turned his show into a church service.
Wilson, who had made no secret of his problems with drugs and alcohol, declared himself 19 years clean and credited his faith in God.
"I don't care if you don't like it," a white suit-clad Wilson told the audience. "I promised Him if he gave me another chance at life I would praise Him."
After the praise it was back to the party.
Highlights included Wilson's pitch-perfect rendition of The Gap Band ballad "Yearning for Your Love," a singalong version of "Charlie, Last Name Wilson" and a tribute to the late Roger Troutman with a cover of Troutman's "I Want to be Your Man."
Wilson, 61, moves like a man half his age, despite declaring himself "tired as hell" 15 minutes into his show.
Wilson might have feigned fatigue this night. But he also might have been on target with this declaration later: "I'm a bad man!"
His show-closing 10-minute version of "Outstanding" affirmed that.
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