She's no stranger to Prince George. In fact, she spent years entertaining here.
Luisa Marshall will be bringing her Tina Turner: Simply The Best tribute to the Ramada hotel Saturday night.
"Oh, we have a lot of history in Prince George," Marshall laughed. "I used to play in the Simon Fraser hotel and I performed at the new Generator for years - not as Tina, but with my band. I can't wait to get back there. I know a lot of people there, too. I hope to see some old friends as well as new faces."
Marshall is featured in the book, Philippines in Hollywood, by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, as an outstanding talent on the world entertainment stage of Filipino heritage. She hosts the Shaw multicultural channel's Simply the Best television show, appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show as Tina while Tina Turner was there, is an internationally acclaimed World Rock N Roll Tribute Artist champion, was listed as one of RBC's top 25 Canadian immigrants in 2013 and offers her Tina Turner talents to many charities to help further their cause. At last count she has supported 35 causes through her career.
"I am looking forward to my drive to Prince George," laughed Marshall. "It's my relaxation - going to Prince George. It's about a ten-hour drive so what can I do in 10 hours? It's going to make me feel good."
Marshall said she's in the business of making people happy.
"I want people to be happy when I see them, when I talk to them, and that gets me inspired," she said. "People say I inspire them but in fact, it's the other way around. Just watching them enjoying life in the moment - everybody is so busy nowadays and I think people have to stop, look and listen and we just need to live and breathe the moment. For me, seeing people enjoying that very moment - at least they have the chance to be happy for an hour and a half, dancing and singing and forgetting all their stress and their problems, that's what's important."
Marshall will offer up Tina Turner classics like Private Dancer, We Don't Need Another Hero, Better Be Good To Me and bring her all-time favourite dream divas to the show as well, channeling Lady Gaga, Adele, and Etta James to add some spice to her entertainment line up.
"It's more of me relating to people, and just having fun - I'm not worrying so much about if I look exactly like Tina - are my legs OK today? Is my voice OK?" she explained. "Those are things I have probably perfected through the years and I don't worry about that anymore and I just said to myself I'm going to have fun and I want my audience to have fun and that's all the matters."
Tickets for the dinner and show are at the Ramada, 444 George St. For more information call 250-563-0055. For more information about Marshall visit www.luisamarshall.com.
