THE GLORY DAYS of top vocal group Odyssey, one of the most successful soul/disco acts of their era, culminated in the early 1980’s when they topped the charts with “Use It Up and Wear It Out”, scoring several other Top Ten hits in Britain and throughout the world.
The group started out being billed as “The Lopez Sisters” when there were three of them – Lillian, Louise, and Carmen. An agent spotted them at a concert and booked them for a five month European tour. When they returned to the States, Carmen left the trio to marry, but Lillian and Louise resolved to continue, and so recruited Tony Reynolds as a replacement.
From their debut album emerged their first smash single – “Native New Yorker”, an international hit late in 1977. Lillian’s eldest son, Steven Collazo had become part of Odyssey behind the scenes from its inception, recording as a background vocalist, journeyman session musician and musical director for their live performances and tours. A couple of years later, the group cut their “Hang Together” album. It contained “Use It Up and Wear It Out”, while the flipside, “Don’t Tell Me, Tell Her” received major airplay on US Black Radio. In the UK, “Use It Up” shot to the top ten and number one chart hit, followed by “If You’re Looking For A Way Out”, “Inside Out”, and the Lamont Dozier classic “Going Back To My Roots”, among others.
Performing around the UK, Europe and The Middle East throughout the 80’s and into the 90’s, the journey continued. In 1994, Steven moved up to co-front the group and produce new versions of the Odyssey classics while appearing with Lillian on television, touring arenas, top hotels, clubs, major holiday resorts and festivals throughout the UK and Europe.
The founder and first voice of Odyssey, Lillian Lopez-Collazo Jackson, died of cancer in September of 2012. Louise Lopez passed away from natural causes in January 2015.
Steven Collazo continues the family legacy, taking their “odyssey” upwards and upward as a brand, performing, recording and producing new music with an amazing array of talented singers, musicians, DJs, producers and remixers.
It’s said that “old school” is today’s “new school” and Steve’s been working to combine the best of both worlds into today’s Odyssey, introducing the brand to a whole new generation of enthusiasts who grew up with their music while remaining faithful to the group’s more mature, core audience. With remixes in the works from superstar DJs such as Dimitri from Paris, Louie Vega, John Morales (who, with his partner Sergio Munzibai of M&M Music produced the first ever remix of the venerable and anthemic Native New Yorker) and many others, the journey continues into the 21st century while keeping an eye towards the classic sound which made ODYSSEY famous
Book a table for pre-concert dining
Acapela Studio provides pre-concert dining between 6.00pm and 7.30pm from our pizza oven. To view the current menu visit here.
Please purchase your concert tickets first before booking a table. We will not accept any table bookings that do not have a corresponding ticket purchase.
Then return to the event page to book your table, by selecting the date of your event, number of diners and time you require table. The times shown are the only vacancies left. Please complete your email and phone number as this is required to ensure your table is allocated. You will receive confirmation of your booking by email and text.
If on the date you have chosen no tables are available - no times will be shown and the booking system will revert you back to todays date - PLEASE ENSURE YOU BOOK THE CORRECT DATE!
PLEASE NOTE THE VENUE RELIES ON THE INCOME FROM DINING TO ENSURE WE CAN BOOK ALL THE GREAT ACTS PERFORMING.
Income from the provision of pizzas is very important to the venue and if you have booked a table it is a requirement that all people sat at tables order food - a salad alternative is available to pizzas. Please do ensure that all individuals will be ordering on your table - if this is not the case please cancel your table so others who are looking to dine can do so. Our apologies to raise this but recently we have had many tables (some very large) where less than 50% of those sat at tables have ordered food. Financially this is a real problem to the sustainability of the venue.
- All seating at tables must purchase a pizza - so please do not book a table if everyone is not eating.
- Please ensure that you arrive 10 minutes before the time slot allocated to order your pizzas prior to your booking time.
- Tables not seated within 15 minutes of the allocated time may be lost and allocated to other audience members wishing to order pizzas.
- If you wish to book a table for 6 or more please email info@acapela.co.uk
Please note that all of our pizzas are made fresh to order. It may take up to 45 minutes to be served during busy periods.
IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO BOOK A TABLE YOU CAN STILL ORDER PIZZAS ON THE NIGHT (USUALLY ON BUSY NIGHTS NO LATER THAN 7.15PM) AND WE WILL SERVE THEM TO YOU WHEREVER YOU ARE SAT IN THE VENUE - IN A PIZZA BOX.