Okinawa, Japan

The year was 1989, (the same year Gary’s Mother Louise, passed away). A very busy year for Gary!  He was performing at the famous “Thunderbird Hotel” in Miami Beach on weekends and performing through the week on the cruise ships of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

The “Hugh Rogers Booking Agency” of Atlanta, contacted Gary with a nine week engagement proposal at “The Manza Beach Hotel” in Okinawa, Japan. The only problem was Gary didn't have a band at that time and didn’t have time to put together a new group!  He called Sherry Edwards and asked if she and her band would be interested in backing him for this Japan gig. Sherry discussed the opportunity with her band members and they were excited to do it. The members of her band were, Mike West on guitar, Larry Landry on keyboards, Ron Morrow on drums, and Sonny Stephens on bass, they were excellent musicians.

Mike West on guitar, Larry Landry on keyboards,
Ron Morrow on drums, Sonny Stephens on bass and
Sherry Edwards 1989

Gary Said:  We really had to scramble to get passports, shots and such to make this trip.

The Manza Beach Hotel was at a 5 star resort, a very high end resort, in Okinawa located on the beach of the East China Sea, absolutely breathtaking!  The hotel catered to affluent Japanese business people, a few American Military Officers and tourists from all over the world, many spoke little or no English. We stayed on the resort property and performed in the large dinner club for 60 straight nights, doing two shows nightly, 7:00pm and 9:00pm. In fact, Sherry had to learn a song in Japanese called "Koibito-yo" which means “My Dear Lover”, she learned it phonically and according to the great applause, did a pretty good job!

Gary went on to say: While at the resort, there was little time to do too much else, except rehearse and perform.  Our transportation was only bicycles and we could ride into a couple of  small villages nearby.