A pop star who’s been seen in the Sarasota area before recently ate and even gave an impromptu performance at a local restaurant.
Grammy-winning singer Alecia Beth Moore-Hart, better known by her stage name Pink, visited the Portuguese-Italian fusion eatery Amore Restaurant just east of downtown Sarasota on 180 N. Lime Ave. on Sunday night, with the restaurant sharing photos and video of her visit on its Facebook page.
Pink was previously seen at another Sarasota County restaurant in 2018 when she visited Siesta Key breakfast and lunch spot Toasted Mango Cafe, which also has locations in downtown Sarasota and on Anna Maria Island.
Liana Vitorino, who owns Amore with her husband Tito, said she is good friends with Pink’s mother Judy Moore, who lives in the Sarasota area. Vitorino met Pink at a concert in Orlando and invited her to visit the restaurant — an offer that became reality on Sunday.
“On Sunday, when her mom came with her husband, I always greet them with a hug, so I came and I hugged them,” Vitorino said. “I didn’t even see Alecia, because Alecia was on the side. And after the hug, Judy looked at me and she said, ‘Well, you know Alecia.’ And when I saw her, I went, ‘Oh my God, she’s here.’”
Pink ordered bell peppers with burrata and a side of sautéed mushrooms, Vitorino said. And while having a celebrity eat at your establishment would already be a special memory for most restaurant owners, Pink made it even more special by making use of Amore’s piano bar.
In a video shared on Amore’s Facebook page, Pink can be seen behind a keyboard performing the 1997 Bob Dylan ballad “Make You Feel My Love,” a song she’s covered along with other artists including fellow pop star Adele.
Despite being used to performing at stadiums, Pink confesses in the video that “I’m so nervous” and momentarily forgets the lyrics, asking area musician and Amore regular Eddie Tobin to be her “lyric man” as she completes the cover. In another video, Pink performs the 1950s standard “When I Fall in Love” with Tobin backing her on keyboard.
“It was an amazing night — unforgettable for sure,” Vitorino said.
Pink isn’t the only famous musician who’s been seen eating in the Sarasota area lately. Aerosmith’s singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry, a Sarasota area resident, visited Southside Village mainstay Morton’s Gourmet Market in June.
Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash and AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson, another Sarasota resident, also dined at Marcello Ristorante while Slash was in town working on his solo album “Orgy of the Damned,” which includes a cover of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor” with Johnson on vocals (and, coincidentally, Tyler on harmonica.)
Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Pop star Pink surprises Sarasota restaurant with performance during ‘amazing night’
Reporting by Jimmy Geurts, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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