POP MUSIC REVIEW : Image Awards Show: More Awards Than Show

Anyone can give out awards. It doesn’t follow, however, that anyone can put on an awards show.

Case in point: The Christian Image Awards show held Friday at the Universal Amphitheatre. This annual event highlights honorees selected mostly from the national black community by a local pastor, Jean Perez, with proceeds benefiting a drug center she founded with Smokey Robinson.

The show outgrew its former home at the Century Plaza Hotel, but it hasn’t grown up enough for the Universal Amphitheatre, neither in size (the house was less than one-third full) nor scope. The rather arbitrary proceedings scarcely justified being advertised as a high-priced entertainment ticket.

Starting an hour late, with an opening number by the house band--the Howard McCrary Orchestra--the show rumbled along at a snail’s pace with nearly two hours of awards-giving, to luminaries including Natalie Cole, mission leader Willie Jordan and several socially active evangelists. Following a lengthy plate-passing plea, the music finally got started in earnest around 10:45 p.m. “My prayer meetings don’t start till 10,” Perez explained, “and they last all night long!”

Unfortunately, unlike churches, halls have curfews. So performers were rushed on and off stage over the next 45 minutes. The acts included William Warren, Temptations-style gospel vocal group the Mighty Voices of Joy ( not to be confused with the Mighty Clouds of Joy), the showy New Providence Choir, Leon Patillo and Smokey Robinson, who, disappointingly, sang only a couple of Christmas carols. No-shows: Sheila E., Nicholas and the Clara Ward Singers.