Mary J. Blige to play fan favorites in Florence concert

When Mary J. Blige takes the Florence Civic Center stage Tuesday night, fans can expect to hear some of their favorite tunes.

Blige, a nine-time Grammy-Award-winner, said out of her 13 albums, she generally chooses songs that she knows the crowd will want to hear.

“It’s two hours of me. Just me, Mary J. Blige,” she said. “No bells and whistles. It’s just me.”

The MJB Live tour kicked off on Oct. 30 in Augusta, Ga. Florence will be the last Southeastern stop before Blige heads north for the final three stops of her fall tour.

Being a musician is hard work, she said, but seeing fans having fun and participating at shows makes all of the hard work worth it.

“We go in the studio, and we record these records, and then you go to the concerts and people are singing louder than you,” Blige said. “That’s the payoff.”

Blige, known for her soulful voice and powerful lyrics, said she is probably most inspired by Chaka Khan, though she also finds inspiration in other musicians, including Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Elton John and Otis Redding.

Anything from a beautiful day to a piece of artwork to her family and friends can potentially lead to a song, she said.

Blige said her personal musical style varies as much as her inspirations.

“Whatever makes me feel good when I want to feel good, and whatever makes me feel down when I want to feel down,” Blige said, adding that in a sense, her taste changes with her mood.

After the tour ends Sunday, Blige said she will head to New York to work on The Wiz, which airs Dec. 3 on NBC. Blige will join Queen Latifah, David Alan Grier, Ne-Yo, Uzo Aduba and more in the live television event.

Blige plays Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West, and she said she’s incredibly excited, because Evillene was always her favorite character in the musical.

For Blige, the best part of touring is simple. She likes to perform.

“Traveling is OK, but it’s not the best thing,” Blige said. “Just to end up on that stage, that’s the best part about touring.”

The show begins at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Tickets are still available, but the show is close to selling out. Prices range from $35 to $120. Tickets can be purchased at the Florence Civic Center Box Office, online at ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

Blige released a new album last December called “The London Sessions,” after spending time in London recording and working with several young British acts, including Sam Smith and Emeli Sandé. Every ticket purchase comes with a digital download of the album.

This story was originally published November 8, 2015 at 9:35 PM with the headline "Mary J. Blige to play fan favorites in Florence concert."