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All Photos By Victor Modlinski - laurabranigan1983b.jpg
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Laura Branigan... Berwyn Summerfaire 1983.

 Summerfaire Main Stage.
Sunday, July 24, 1983.

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Written By Victor Modlinski

At this point of my life, I have been freelancing as a photographer for a couple of years.

My favorite subject has always been the live concert. Since about 1981 I have jumped at every opportunity to attend a concert, experience the performance and capture it onto film.

I have had some luck in obtaining back stage access, mostly at ChicagoFest. But I always preferred to get my concert photos from the audience point of view. I felt that whoever would view my photos in the future would appreciate this perspective, one that most people have when attending a concert.

In July, 1983, a lady that I worked with at my day job, Joan Oskorep said that she may be able to get me back stage access to the upcoming Berwyn Summerfaire later in the month.

I was very interested and accepted her offer.

I checked out the schedule in the local Berwyn newspaper she gave me and decided that Sunday, July 24th would be the best day for me to attend.

When the day came, I focused my attention on getting my credentails and deciding which performer I wanted to burn my film on. I received my pass as promised and hung out with Joan and her kids for most of the day, while waiting for the main event at the big stage.

Laura Branigan was to perform that night. I had heard her music and I really loved her song, "Gloria" which was getting a lot of radio play. She was a great performer, with a beautiful voice who sang with genuine emotion that was straight from the heart. She was very easy to look at as well.

It was shortly before she was to take the stage when a local news crew came for an interview. She came out of her trailer and I was just in the right place as it happened.

I felt very fortunate to be there at this moment, she seemed to be really nice and friendly to every one. She also seemed to be very camera aware, she kept looking directly at me while I snapped my photos.


All Photos By Victor Modlinski - laurabranigan1983.jpg

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After the interview, she went back to her trailer as we all waited for the show to begin.

It was starting to get dark and I was standing off to the right of the stage, still behind the designated security line. I was standing there making sure my cameras, lenses and film were all ready to go.

I was not paying any attention to anything happening around me, just focusing on my equipment and trying to visualize in my mind the photos I wanted to get.

Thinking that I was now ready to go, I turned to start walking toward my position in front of the stage... when I stopped dead in my tracks. Laura was standing right next to me all along watching me get ready...

She said to me, "All set?" I said, "Good to Go", "How about you?".

She laughed. I told her that I really loved her music and I chose to photograph her show over all the others at the festival.

She was flattered... I told her who I was and that I was just getting started in this business, and that I wished to ask her a favor. She was very gracious and receptive when I asked her to give me some eye contact during the show for some really great pictures.

She smiled and said that she would...

I thanked her and wished her the best of luck during her show.

As she walked toward the stage, I told her I was coming out to see her at ChicagoFest.

She turned and said, "See You Then", "Let's Go!"

She climbed the stairs up to the stage and I went to my designated area for the concert.

Laura Branigan was the nicest, sweetest and greatest performer that I ever got to meet face to face, albeit for a short moment. She really made quite an impression on me. She absolutely killed it on stage that night with a remarkable concert.


All Photos By Victor Modlinski - laurabranigan1983a.jpg

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She found me standing below her in front of the stage and gave me the all of the eye contact I could handle. I got all the photos that I had visualized... she was an amazing person and a great performer.

I became an instant fan...

I definitely will be going to see her again... at ChicagoFest 1983 at Soldier Field.

The official Laura Branigan Website is at: https://www.laurabraniganonline.com.


All Photos By Victor Modlinski - laurabranigan01.jpg
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Laura Branigan... ChicagoFest 1983.

 Soldier Field Main Stage.
Thursday, August 18, 1983 at 7PM.
Written By Victor Modlinski

After my experience with Laura Branigan at the Berwyn Summerfaire show on July 24th, there was no way that I would miss her ChicagoFest Show at Soldier Field.

Harold Washington, upon becoming the Mayor of Chicago, did everything in his power to end ChicagoFest by moving it from Navy Pier to Soldier Field. The 1983 version of ChicagoFest was to be the last. I knew that this could possibly be the last time I would be able to enjoy this beloved festival before it was killed off by dirty Chicago politics.

Laura Branigan was scheduled to perform at the Main Stage on Thursday, August 18th at 7PM.

She would be the opening act for The Original Hollies with Graham Nash.

Getting to Soldier Field back in 1983 was easier than going to Navy Pier and trying to find parking close by... Soldier Field had a lot of parking and was home to the Chicago Bears Football Team.

The facility knew how to handle large crowds.

Unfortunately for Soldier Field at the time, it lacked the appeal and photogenics that Navy Pier had for such a festival. It had a lot of negative aspects that were intentionally exploited to make sure this version of the fest would fail and bring it to and end.

What Mayor Michael Bilandic and Mayor Jane Byrne had built, Mayor Washington was out to destroy... and destroy it he did. So unfortunate, because ChicagoFest at Navy Pier had brought together all varieties of people by its location, music, food and drink... I was so sad to see it go.

I began to get excited about getting to see Laura Branigan in concert again. The last time in Berwyn I was able to get back stage credentials. But now, all of the people I knew at Navy Pier were all gone and replaced, not part of the fest in any way. A literal political purge had happened, meaning that I would no longer be able to get credentials and gain access to the areas that I used to get at the Pier.

I would have to get my photos from the audience perspective without any special access.

I was alright with that... Laura was just about ready to come out on stage and thats all that really mattered to me at the time.

As she came out, I worked my way up closer to the stage for a better vantage point.

I waived my arms back and forth above my head until Laura saw me and acknowledged me. She looked and pointed directly at me while smiling. You can see this in the photo above.

I was really happy that she recognized me, but I realized that I would not be getting a chance to talk to her like at the Berwyn show... I was just happy that she knew I was there.

She put on a fabulous show, and as you can see in the photos below, she gave me that same beautiful eye contact as before. It was as if she were performing for just me and my camera.


laurabranigan02.jpg

I knew that we had made a connection back at the Berwyn show, but I soon realized that maybe this show would be the last time I would be seeing her in concert.

After ChicagoFest ended, I feared that many other opportunities to meet and enjoy other up and coming performers would end as well.

After this show was over and the last ChicagoFest had ended, the photos from all of my ChicagoFest trips were relegated to storage and somewhat forgotten.

They stayed in storage for a good number of years, until the Internet happened and I found a new possible outlet for my work. I have tried to resurrect these photos and the memories long thought to be forgotten. The publishing of these images online may help future generations understand what they missed out on and what has been left to the past to become part of a forgotten history.

One of the forgotten stories told by me today is the one from 1983 about Laura Branigan and my brief encounter with her greatness during that summer.

I still remember Laura Branigan... and I am not the only one.

She will always be Forever Young in my thoughts...

Laura Branigan passed away in her sleep on August 26, 2004 at the age of 52 from a previously undiagnosed cerebral aneurysm.

May she rest in peace.

The official Laura Branigan Website is at: https://www.laurabraniganonline.com.
 

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