by Lola Rossi-Meza
Saxophonist, Reggie “Vision” Alexander, is also a very good vocalist and performs solo every Sunday and Tuesday from 6:30 until 10:30 p.m. at the Three Sixty North Lounge and Restaurant at 360 North Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. He also performs there every Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in “The Gang” with vocalist Darci Daniels. (760) 327-1773. On New Year’s Eve, Monday, December 31, he will perform in the Escena Lounge and Grill at the Escena Golf Club, 1100 Club House View in Palm Springs. For reservations call (760) 992-0002.
Born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, Reggie Alexander started playing the guitar when he was 11 years old. His parents were very supportive of his interest in music. His father played the trumpet and exposed him to the music of Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Nancy Wilson and Diana Washington, at a very young age. The following year, he was hoping to play the drums in school. “I signed up to play the drums when I was in Washington Junior High School,” said Alexander. “But I was assigned to play the saxophone instead, and I really loved it.” He continued playing the instrument in Jefferson High School and started his professional playing career at 16. “I wasn’t old enough to play in some of the venues, but everyone from our small town knew who I was, so it was accepted and I had the opportunity to perform with a lot of talented musicians.”
After graduating high school, he joined a band out of Kansas City, “Clyde N’em and Her” and made the move to Las Vegas in 1973, where the band was based. “We performed in Las Vegas for seven months out of the year. The rest of the time, we were touring throughout the country, Tokyo, Saint Tropez and several other places in Europe. I worked with that band for seven years.”
Alexander moved to Los Angeles in 1980, where he soon married his childhood sweetheart, Pamela on January 2, 1981. He started playing with one of the lead vocalists for the Temptations, Ollie “Ali” Woodson, who wrote “Treat Her Like A Lady” and toured with him and various artists for a few years. He later started his own group. “One day I was talking with a very good friend of mine, Thadieus Richards, an amazing saxophonist and organist out of New Orleans, who also toured with Paul McCartney for many years. At the time, there was a TV commercial that was done by Reggie Jackson, the baseball player, endorsing the new video recorder for Panasonic called Omni Vision. He would come on at the end of the commercial and say, ‘It’s not Omni Vision, it’s Reggie Vision.’ So, Thadieus was joking with me one day, and started calling me “Reggie Vision” and soon, the club owner started advertising The Reggie Vision Band instead of The Reginald Alexander Quartet. It was a nickname that has stuck with me. People in Los Angeles remember me by that name.”
A father of three sons and one daughter, he and his family moved to San Bernardino in 1997, where he continued working in Los Angeles night clubs, festivals and private parties. In 2003, he started working in Palm Springs at The Blue Guitar and soon moved to the Hotel Zozo where he performed for five years. He continues to perform in Southern California and in Rockford, when he visits his mother, who still lives in the family home. He is looking forward to releasing his second solo CD, “Under Cover” later this year.
In 2011, he performed with his band at the Director’s Conference and opened for Diana Ross. This past year, he opened for Smokey Robinson during the same event. He also played for Michelle Obama during “A Luncheon With The First Lady” and was requested by her to perform at another event. “We got her up dancing, it was really special.” Alexander has performed for several political events. One being for Mayor Acquanetta Warren during the “Mayor’s Jazz Jam” in Fontana. “The funds raised at this annual event purchased two new vans for the Fontana Boys and Girls Club.”
Alexander plays every Sunday in the Music Ministry at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in San Bernardino. He has five grand-children; Ambrionna (17), Ahlexus (13), Robert (11), Regina (10) and Anmarie (7). His son Reginald plays the saxophone, along with his nephew Robert Sadai. His daughter Rana plays the cello and works for a bank.
He recently produced a Rap CD of uplifting spoken words entitled, “Simply Ro” for his youngest son Roshaun. However, one of his proudest moments was receiving a flag from his son Sergeant Rapheal Eugene Alexander, after flying in a helicopter during Afghanistan mission “Operation: Enduring Freedom” certified and signed by the Captain of the Mission, the Co-Pilot, the Ariel Gunner, the Flight Engineer, and the Air-Craft Commander.
You can contact him at (909) 534-8475 or ReggieVisionAlexander.com
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