ST. LOUIS — St. Louis-based singer Tish Period, 45, had a surprise Sunday night when she closed her eyes to sing “Waterfalls,” a hit R&B track from the group TLC.
When she opened them again, group member Chilli was standing to the left of the stage at Broadway Oyster Bar.
“I literally thought I saw a ghost,” Period said.
Seconds later, T-Boz walked up the steps and into the bar. Period stopped singing and dancing and just thanked God.
“Those ladies were my teenage idols,” she said. “We grew up listening to them.” Period even imitated the girl-group’s style by wearing baggy jeans and sideways hats as a young woman in University City.
TLC had just finished performing at Evolution Festival in Forest Park when they heard Period performing “Waterfalls” from their tour bus.
“What are God’s chances for them to drive past, hear us playing their song, and then they pull over … to surprise us and catch us in the act,” Period said.
It almost didn’t happen.
It was Period’s first solo performance at the venue. Usually, she sings alongside Sean Canan’s Voodoo Players on Wednesday nights. Seeking to please the crowd, Period decided to change her set list and removed some emotion-fueled R&B tracks, including the 1991 TLC song “Waterfalls.”
“I had a different crowd in there, and I didn’t want to run people away by screaming at them all of this soul and R&B music,” Period said.
At the last minute, Period changed her mind. While she hadn’t memorized Left Eye’s full rap verse, she felt confident in performing the hit song, and decided to add it back in.
Then magic happened.
In a video posted on Instagram, T-Boz and Chilli ran off their tour bus and into Broadway Oyster Bar as Period’s band played their song.
“We’d just performed, and we were in the van coming here and were like, ‘Wait a minute, we hear our song,’” Chilli said in the Instagram video. “So, we just pulled over and felt like crashing with you guys.”
Upon seeing the Grammy Award-winning singers, Period fell to the stage floor. She started crying, as Chilli and T-Boz hopped on stage to hug Period and her band members.
Choked up with tears, Period thanked Chilli and T-Boz for showing up and for creating timeless music that continues to inspire her. The pair didn’t stay long, but before they left, Period sang “Waterfalls” for the Grammy Award-winning singing group, adding her own soulful, gospel flair to the classic ‘90s track. After their departure, Period said she sat out back behind the venue and cried into her hands.
“I’m at a loss for words,” she said. “I’m just so honored that God allowed me to experience that.”
Period, who was a contestant on Season 14 of “The Voice,” started singing in church at a young age. She didn’t pursue a career as a secular artist until after her parents’ death, leaning into music to help her cope with personal grief. She performed at the Apollo in 2007, coming in second place, before heading back to St. Louis to perform at other “hole-in-the wall” venues with her cover band that grew her local following.
The singer released an original track, “Mirrors,” after making it into the Top 24 on “The Voice” in 2018. Back in August, she headlined a sold-out show at the City Winery. But Period said she’d been feeling discouraged in her musical journey as of late, wondering if she was on the right path. Her headlining set at Broadway Oyster Bar was a big deal and an opportunity to be introduced to a different audience.
Less than 24 hours after her encounter, Period said TLC’s pitstop gave her confirmation that she is “doing the right thing.”
In her excitement, she didn’t take any photos with Chilli and T-Boz. She was focused on delivering a solid performance for her celebrity guests.
“I was trying my best not to cry,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure I delivered … because never in a million years would I have ever expected that. But I just wanted to make sure I seized the moment.”
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Jasmine Osby | Post-Dispatch
Music reporter
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