Tonight, The Victor Orlando Hope Foundation will spotlight “The Word Up Story” featuring the legendary original members formerly of Cameo — Tomi Jenkins, Nathan Leftenant, Arnett Leftenant, Greg Johnson and Aaron Mills — at its Prostate Cancer Awareness Concert benefiting uninsured musicians. The event is Saturday, Sept. 27, from 6 to 10 p.m., with doors at 5 p.m., at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. Comedian Jay Lamont opens the show.
Presented by Victor Orlando, founder and CEO of the Victor Orlando Hope Foundation, and Alton L. Garrett, Jr., managing partner of Garrett Management Group, LLC. Ambassador Diane E. Watson serves as chairwoman of the Victor Orlando Hope Foundation Advisory Board. Watson previously served as a United States representative for California’s 33rd Congressional District.
The foundation’s mission is to reduce prostate cancer deaths in the musician community through awareness, education and early detection, and to provide support to those living with the disease. Uninsured musicians in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties can find information about free PSA tests at vohf.info.
According to the American Cancer Society, a PSA blood test can help detect prostate cancer early when it is most treatable. Screening may identify potential issues before symptoms appear, allowing for earlier intervention. Individuals should discuss benefits and risks with a doctor since testing can sometimes lead to overdiagnosis and overtreatment.
Orlando, a former member of The Gap Band and a percussionist for Chaka Khan, Bobby Womack and LL Cool J, has performed around the world. He is four years cancer-free following his own battle with prostate cancer.
The concert bill also features Orlando and Fun-Ja-La, Afro Latin Jazz with Victor Orlando and Dr. Gail Johnson, Patryce Banks from Larry Graham Central Station, Roman Johnson, Lawrence Hilton Jacobs, Dr. Gail Johnson and Jazz In Pink, singer Kenny Metcalf with a tribute to Sir Elton John, singer Martin Kember with a tribute to Prince, Gil Scott-Heron of Bluesology, Bobby Watson from Rufus, Lily Hernandez, Aysha, Castella, Tommy Mora and Shoy Phillip.
Before going their separate ways, the Leftenant brothers, Jenkins, Johnson, the late Wayne Cooper, and Mills helped shape the sound and swagger of Cameo from the late 1970s through the chart-topping 1980s.
Tomi Jenkins was a founding vocalist and key songwriter whose tenor and hooks powered hits like She’s Strange, Single Life, Back and Forth, Attack Me with Your Love, Skin I’m In, Hangin’ Downtown, Candy, Slyde and Word Up. Nathan Leftenant brought trumpet, vocals, and onstage presence to the frontline as the band evolved from a big New York funk collective to a tighter, synth-driven unit. His brother, Arnett Leftenant, anchored the classic horn section on sax, helping define the early albums’ gritty groove.
Gregory B. Johnson, on keys and vocals, laid the harmonic bed for the first run of records, from Cardiac Arrest through We All Know Who We Are, as the group sharpened its identity. Aaron Mills on bass would eventually become the engine of the rhythm section, his pocket and slap giving the crossover era its unmistakable pulse. And guitarist Charlie Singleton would eventuallly help usher in the band’s rock-ish era.
Together, they were core architects of the legendary sound that moved from raw club funk to sleek radio dominance, leaving a legacy of riffs, choruses, and stagecraft that still hits hard. Now they kick off a tour as The Word Up Story.
Nathan Leftenant had this to say about tonight’s show, “Yes, LA is the start date for The Word Up Story tour. Next date, City Winery in ATL The Funk Wars Tour. But we came to LA for one reason. We came to party!”
And party they will. Tickets are available at vohf.info/#upcoming-events or by calling the Saban Theatre box office at (888) 645-5006. The Saban Theatre is located at 8440 Wilshire Blvd.
REELated:
Twisted Sister reuniting for 50th anniversary tour in 2026
