AN EVENING WITH THE STARS OF DOO WOP Volume II AT The State Theater Saturday March 1, 2008
Released on: February 5, 2008, 1:33 pm
Press Release Author: Prana Marketing
Industry: Entertainment
Press Release Summary: Performances by: LOU CHRISTIE, KENNY VANCE & THE PLANOTONES, THE LEGENDARY TEENAGERS, JIMMY CLANTON, FRANKIE FORD, JOHNNY FARINA OF SANTO & JOHNNY. Ticket Prices $30, $35, $40
Press Release Body: Englewood Cliffs, NJ- (February 4, 2008) Lou Christie\'s chart topping, multi-million selling career as a songwriter, recording artist, and performer started in a two-track studio in Glenwillard Pennsylvania, his rural hometown near Pittsburgh. Lou\'s first million selling song, THE GYPSY CRIED, transformed a local choirboy, Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco, into LOU CHRISTIE - national teen idol, while still a teenager himself. Over the decade of the 1960, Lou followed success with greater success. TWO FACES HAVE I was his next big hit featuring his stratospheric falsetto. LOU forever embedded himself and his uniquely talented voice into America\'s consciousness with his number 1 multi-million selling success LIGHTNING STRIKES. LOU\'S chart topping success continued with two more million selling hits, RHAPSODY IN THE RAIN and I\'M GONNA MAKE YOU MINE. RHAPSODY\'S success was fueled by the fact that it was the first song banned on the radio due to its suggestive lyrics. LOU was more than just your average teen idol. He was one of the decade's first singer-songwriters. Together with his eccentric collaborator, Twyla Herbert, LOU co-wrote nearly all of his songs. Twyla, nearly 30 years LOU\'S senior, was a classically trained musician. It was the perfect partnership since LOU had no formal musical training. Kenny Vance As a kid in New York, Kenny Vance was captivated by the magic of rock\'n roll. At the age of fifteen, he was hanging around the famed Brill Building, meeting other singers and songwriters. Eventually he formed the successful group Jay and The Americans, who had the distinction of opening for The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for each of their first U.S. performances. Kenny remained with Jay and The Americans throughout the group\'s eleven-year history, touring extensively and recording fifteen albums, which included the hits Come A Little Bit Closer, Cara Mia, She Cried, and Only In America. In the years that followed, Kenny Vance began an expansive career that kicked off with producing the first record for Walter Becker and Donald Fagen - Steely Dan. Kenny went on to compose, supervise and produce a long list of scores and soundtracks for feature films and television. He gave the film of the Alan Freed story, American Hot Wax, its musical life by recreating the groups of the 50\'s and 60\'s for the screen. The Planotones were formed for that film and gave their first on-screen performance. In addition, Vance served as musical director for Saturday Night Live and music supervisor for the films \"Animal House,\" \"Eddie & The Cruisers,\" and \"Looking For An Echo.\" As an actor, Kenny has appeared in \"Hurly Burly,\" \"Billy Bathgate,\" \"American Hot Wax,\" \"Eddie & The Cruisers,\" and in the Woody Allen films \"Manhattan\", \"Stardust Memories\", \"Crimes and Misdemeanors\" and \"Husbands and Wives\". The Teenagers With the release of the Warner Brothers motion picture Why Do Fools Fall In Love, in the summer of 1998, interest was re-kindled in Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. In the 1950\'s, the youngsters proved that teens could sing their own music and smash through social and ethnic barriers. With their first million selling crossover hit Why Do Fools Fall In Love, they influenced, inspired and opened the doors for Michael Jackson, the Jackson 5, Madonna, Paul Simon, Diana Ross & the Supremes, the Temptations, Ronnie Dyson, Take 6, Ronnie Spector, Billy Joel, Boys II Men, and Ringo Starr; as publicly attested to by these artists. The first Rock \'n Roll/Pop act to succeed internationally, the Teenagers took the country of Panama by storm and had the distinct honor of representing America's new music before the Queen of England, in a Command Performance during their groundbreaking engagement at the famed London Palladium. Nominated for the Rock \'n Roll Hall of Fame every year from its inception, they were finally accorded that prestigious honor by being inducted in Los Angeles in January of 1993. This was followed in February 1994 by a Star being placed on Hollywood\'s Walk of Fame.
They are also proud members of the United In Group Harmony (U.G.H.A.) Hall of Fame. In October 2000, the Teenagers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and on March 29, 2002, the group was inducted into the Doo Wop Hall of Fame of America. Frankie Lymons \"Legendary\" Teenagers were proud to be a part of the groundbreaking PBS blockbuster Doo Wop 51\" which debuted around the country on December 2, 2000.
Frankie Ford sang his way to rock n\' roll immortality in 1959 with the mega hit "SEA CRUISE". That song has become one of the greatest rock n\' roll classics of all time. The tag line, \"OOH-WEE, OOH-WEE, BABY\" is one of the most recognizable lines in all of popular music.
He is known all over the world as the \"New Orleans Dynamo\" and spends about 200 days a year on the road. The legendary rock n\' roll pianist and performer continues to entertain the masses all over the world in concerts, night clubs, casinos and festivals
Jimmy Clanton first t record, \"Just a Dream\" began to gain airplay and sales, starting in the South and then building elsewhere. Eventually, the record reached number four on the Billboard Pop Chart and topped the R&B charts in 1958. Suddenly Clanton was one of Ace\'s hottest properties. Appearances on Dick Clark\'s American Bandstand followed, along with his first bookings outside of the South.
Top-tier entertainers who share Jimmy Clanton\'s history in both the Fifties and Sixties are rare, indeed. A genuine, solid-gold Teen Idol with his first hits such as \"Just a Dream\" and \"Go Jimmy Go\" fifty years ago, he was also part of the new sound emerging in the Sixties with \"Venus in Blue Jeans\" and more.
Johnny Farina has kept the magical steel guitar sound alive performing as a solo artist all over the country since the early 70\'s. Appearances include The Greek Theater in California, The Paramount Theater in NYC, They Hollywood Casino in Mississippi, Ruth Echard Hall in Florida, The Continental Arena/The Meadowlands in New Jersey, The Philharmonic Center in Napels, Florida, The Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, Madison Square Garden in NYC, Harrahs in Las Vegas, etc.
1999 was a great year for \"Sleep Walk\", it earned BMI\'s Millionaires Award symbolizing 2 million airplays on the radio. Also in 1999, a version of \"Sleep Walk\" by Brian Setzer earned the song a Grammy Award for best instrumental of 1999. In 2002, Santo & Johnny were inducted into the International Steel Guitar Hall of Fame. Hanging proudly on his wall, Johnny has 2 Gold Records, one for \"Sleep Walk\" and on for \"The Godfather\".
Because of constant radio airplay and play in numerous TV shows and commercials, \"Sleep Walk\" continues to be one of the most popular and quickly recognized instrumentals of the 20th century. Johnny's\' performance is an energy packed show with great memories guaranteed!
Event Starts at 7:00 PM
Regarding the Performance:
State Theatre Center for the Arts 27 East Main Street Uniontown, PA 1540
For tickets, call 724-439-1360 or http://www.statetheatre.info/office.html Monday - Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM a $2.00 service charge per ticket applies.
For Press information contact: Angela Thomas: (201) 503-1333