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Wally Kurth. Photo Courtesy of ABC, Christine Bartolucci
On July 30, musician and actor Wally Kurth (“General Hospital”) performed an acoustic concert in Glendale, California. This show was a part of “General Hospital” Fan Club Weekend.
Wally Kurth solo set
“How are we all doing?” Kurth asked the crowd as he took the stage. “Thank you for coming. Usually, there is Bingo, but not tonight. It’s just me, and I will be joined by special guests later,” he foreshadowed.
“I will be playing songs that I’ve been playing the last few years in my garage,” Kurth said. “Nice to see you all,” he exclaimed.
Kurth began his set with “Make Believe,” which was reminiscent of a Neil Diamond tune, where he had a similar tone to his voice. “All right,” he said. “I started playing guitar at 19 years old in Santa Monica.”
He tipped his hat to Neil Young by doing “Comes a Time” in his honor, where he showcased his whistling vocals towards the end. “My grandmother, Rosie, was born in 1901, and she was a professional whistler. I am trying to bring back whistling,” he expressed.
It was followed by a rousing acoustic rendition of Jackson Browne’s “I’m Alive,” where Kurth interpreted it in a distinct manner and truly made it his own.
He went on to perform “Words Can Break Your Heart” from Don Henley’s last solo country-rock album “Cass Country,” which he described as a “beautiful song,” and rightfully so, due to its warm and relatable lyrics (especially for anybody that has been through a breakup).
Kurth shared that his sister got him into the British invasion, and he treated the audience to yet another Jackson Browne song “Everywhere I Go,” which is also featured on his “I’m Alive” seminal album.
He revealed that “General Hospital” has been on the air for 60 years, while “General Hospital” Fan Club Weekend has been around for 41 years; moreover, he and his band, Kurth & Taylor performed on the fan club stage 30 years ago.
Kurth & Taylor set
Speaking of the band, he brought Christian Taylor up on stage with him and they performed “Give Me Wings” together, which was melodic and soothing. Kurth praised Taylor for being a “great musical partner, friend, and songwriter.” In return, Taylor jokingly laughed that Kurth is “one hell of an opening act.”
“‘Give Me Wings’ was the first song we played together, and it was a hit on the country charts,” Kurth admitted. “We always sung well together like the Everly Brothers.”
Kurth went on share a funny story about the following song, which Christian Taylor wrote for Wally Kurth’s song. This song was titled “You’re Perfect to Me,” and it was a melancholically beautiful ballad that brought many fans to tears, due to its poignant lyrics, and it ended with whistling.
“You must have been so excited when Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Patience’ came out,” Taylor told Kurth.
Pat McCormack joined them on stage, and they performed an “Eddie Maine” classic, which is the name of Kurth’s alter ego character on “General Hospital.” Ironically enough, Kurth is in the middle of an amnesia storyline on the soap opera where his character, Ned Quartermaine, thinks he is rock singer Eddie Maine.
Prior to performing “Freedom,” he noted that they thought long and hard on that title; the tune featured intricate guitar work from the band.
It was followed by “Surrender,” and “Going Home,” the latter of which Kurth noted was re-named as “Mountain Sky”; it displayed their wide range as a musical group. Equally noteworthy was “Heartland Train.”
Helping charitable causes
A portion of the proceeds from this concert will go towards the nonprofit organization Dance and Dialogue, which uses dance as an artistic outlet for expression and release of tension and frustration.
Aside from his acting work on “General Hospital,” Kurth is also known for his portrayal of Justin Kiriakis on the Peacock daytime drama “Days of Our Lives.”
The Verdict
Overall, it was a pleasant evening of music and storyelling by Wally Kurth and his band, Kurth & Taylor. They did not disappoint tonight at Embassy Suites Hotel in Glendale, California.
For more information on actor and musician Wally Kurth, follow him on Instagram
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