MONTEGO BAY, St James — Veteran American R&B singer Jeffery Osborne gave lovers a passionate pre-Valentine’s treat Saturday night during a performance here at the Vegas Flamingo Sky Lounge where he reeled off a number of romantic ballads.

The seasoned balladeer held the attention of the audience from the moment he belted out the first line of Love a Stranger when he hit the stage after being introduced by MC Jackie Norman about 11:45 pm.

He never lost that momentum up to the moment he exited the stage well over one hour later. After he completed his stint, the patrons did not want see him go and the singer was forced to give an encore.

As the performer delivered more selections from his wide repertoire of solo hits of yesteryear as well as from the LTD collection, deafening screams burst out from the women in the audience, some of who were cuddled tightly in the arms of their men.

During his gripping performance, Osborne displayed great showmanship and seemed to enjoy every moment. He moved energetically to the rhythm of his deliveries of songs such as In Your Eyes, That’s the Game of Love, On the Wings of Love and many others, on the roof-top venue where the stars and moon complemented the lighting system.

Intermittently interacting with the patrons, just before delving into the Shine On, the American singer noted that he heard that the song — which he has never performed in his homeland — was very popular in Jamaica. “I have never done it in the US but I heard it is big here in Jamaica,” Osborne said as he introduced the local hit.

As his performance heated up, the crooner removed his coat, then his shirt, leaving his sweat-soaked undershirt.

Osborne could not be contained onstage and waltzed into the crowd where he invited patrons to sing renditions of You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song).

The show dubbed On the Wings of Love also featured a fashion show by models from Dream’s Girl Collection, performances from Sky Lounge Band, courtesy of Cuban company Ha-r-mony Band, Western Dance Group and songstress Chanti-I who delivered three tunes — Explore, Loose Control and My Desire.

The show formed part of the activites to mark the opening of the entertainment facility perched atop the Blue Diamond Shopping Plaza in Montego Bay. The Vegas Flamingo boasts a gaming lounge, a sky lounge and night club.