One great night with six fantastic acts sharing the stage, plus a salute to veterans.
The annual Golden Oldies Spectacular returns to Proctors Theatre on Saturday, November 11, 2017 at 7 pm and includes six outstanding acts that will bring the audience back to the wonderful era or the late 1950s/early 1960s, as well as a salute to veterans.
Headlining the show are The Duprees. Known throughout the world for their romantic interpretations of some of the most beautiful love songs ever written, they are always a Proctors favorite. Based in New Jersey, The Duprees possess a smooth yet powerful vocal quality and heavenly harmonies, evidenced in the huge hit “You Belong to Me.” Other hits include “My Own True Love,” “Gone with the Wind,” “Why Don’t you Believe Me,” “Have You Heard” and “Exodus.”
Although their romantic harmonies are second to none, The Duprees also present a dynamic stage show that energizes the crowd.
The Legendary Teenagers were the first integrated group (black, hispanic, white) to have a number one hit (1956), and they did it as teenagers with “Why do Fools Fall in Love.” #1 in the US and the UK, with 13 year old Frankie Lymon singing lead, the hit helped define the doo-wop style, and Frankie’s voice and popularity inspired Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder to become teenage pop stars. The Teenagers had six top 10 R+B singles including “I’m not a Juvenile Delinquent” and “The ABCs of Love.”
The Teenagers were inducted into the Rock + Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000.
Jay Siegel’s Tokens started as the Linc-Tones in 1955 in Brooklyn at Abraham Lincoln High School. Jay Siegel was the lead singer and Neil Sedaka was also in the group. They evolved into The Tokens in 1960 and had a top 15 hit in 1961, “Portrait of My Love.” Their international #1 hit, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” followed. Unique in the history of pop music, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” re-entered the charts 33 years later and went to #1 worldwide again, stoked by its use in “The Lion King” movie.
The multi-talented Jay Siegel and the Tokens also produced many hits for “The Chiffons, The Happenings and Tony Orlando and Dawn. In 1962, they were the first vocal group to produce a #1 hit for another vocal group (“He’s so Fine” by the Chiffons).
They also sang on many commercials for Pan Am, Ban, Clarol, Cool Whip and Chesterfield cigarettes. Jay Siegel continues to be blessed with his strong tenor voice and falsetto.
The Happenings exploded onto the national charts in 1966 with “See You in September” which became #1 worldwide that summer. It is still regularly listed among the top 100 summer songs of all time. Bob Miranda’s dynamic vocals and charisma are totally intact as The Happenings captivate audiences with their performance which includes hit singles “Go away Little Girl,” “I Got Rhythm” and their moving version of “Proud to be an American.”
The Marcels rocked the house in their one memorable performance at Proctors. Founded as a doo-wop group in 1959 in Pittsburgh, Pa., they were one of the first bi-racial groups in rock. They had a monster hit in 1961 with “Blue Moon” which was a #1 hit worldwide and sold more than 2.5 million copies. The followup single, “Heartaches,” was also a gold record , hitting #7 on the charts. They were also featured in several movies, including 1961’s “Twist Around the Clock” and 1964’s “Bikini Beach” starring Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon. Original member Walter Maddox still leads and manages the band. The were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.
Opening the show is Frank Pizarro, former lead singer of Herb Reed’s Platters. The Platters were one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era with 40 charted singles on Billboard’s Hot 100, including “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” “The Great Pretender,” “Only You” and “Twilight Time” among the most remembered. The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Frank is the ideal performer on Veteran’s Day. In addition to serving two tours in Iraq, as a member of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), he was a first responder at the World Trade Center on 9/11 helping evacuate people from Tower 2. He will also sing the national anthem at the show as he has done at Yankee Stadium and other big events. The Color Guard from Albany Academy will also participate in the opening ceremony.
Tickets are available at the Proctors Box Office, by calling 518 346-6204 or on the web at Proctors.org
