Ambrosia Salad 

Ken Stacey followed David Pack as lead singer/guitarist of Ambrosia, joining the soft-rock band in 2005, a few years after Pack departed for the second time in 2000. This weekend he’ll be an even closer follower of the Pack, this time while performing in other guises in Santa Barbara. 

Pack, of course, was there since the beginning, the songwriter behind Ambrosia’s five hit singles released between 1975-80, including the Top 5 smashes “How Much I Feel” and “Biggest Part of Me” as well as “You’re the Only Woman” and “Holdin’ on to Yesterday.” We surmise he’ll reprise some of those Yacht Rock songs Saturday evening at the One805 Live! beachside bash that raises funds for first responders, which we previewed in last week’s cover story. 

Stacey – who departed Ambrosia, also for the second time, during the downtime of 2020 (he was replaced last year by Kipp Lennon of the vocal harmony folk-pop band Venice, frequent visitors to town) – shows up in Santa Barbara roughly 24 hours later on Sunday night to perform at SOhO. Stacey’s long career includes stints in both Michael Jackson’s and Elton John’s bands, appearances on the Grammys and at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and singing on recordings for everyone from Kelly Clarkson, Bette Midler, and Whitney Houston to Michael Bublé, Jim Brickman, and Neil Young. On Sunday, Stacey will be fronting an eight-piece band holdin’ on to yesterday by paying tribute to Donny Hathaway, the soul singer who died in 1979, but also the much more modern former One Direction singer Harry Styles.