Great Doo-Wop Musical Performers Set for July 18 Show in at Highlander Auditorium

THE FLAMINGOS FEATURING TERRY JOHNSON, THE TOKENS AND OTHER LEGENDS BRING BACK THE BEST OF DOO-WOP AT JULY 18 CONCERT IN UPLAND

UPLAND, Calif. – Four of the greatest doo-wop musical acts to ever perform will come together at the Highlander Auditorium in Upland, Calif., for an unforgettable night of unforgettable hits from the 1950s and 1960s on Saturday, July 18.

“The Golden Era of Doo-Wop” – an evening of classic vocal harmony, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll music – will bring together legendary doo-wop performers The Tokens, Jimmy Clanton, Kathy Young and The Flamingos featuring Terry Johnson as part of the ongoing Affordable Music Productions concert series.

The show takes to the stage at 7 p.m., led by the evening’s special guest master of ceremonies, legendary radio personality Dave Hull – aka “The Hullabalooer.” Considered one of the top Los Angeles radio personalities of all time, Hull entertained Southern California audiences over the airwaves for nearly half a century.

Tickets to the July 18 concert may be purchased online at www.affordablemusicproductions.com or by calling 1-888-718-4253 Monday-Friday from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Multi-Hall of Famers The Flamingos featuring Terry Johnson (Vocal Group Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Doo-Wop Hall of Fame) are also scheduled to perform live on network television on ABC’s “The View” on Wednesday, July 8, leading up to the Upland show. Aside from numerous PBS specials, this will be their first live appearance on network television since appearing on “American Bandstand” in 1959.

Tracing their roots to Chicago’s south side, circa 1950, The Flamingos first gained widespread popularity from their cover of “I Only Have Eyes for You.” Johnson joined The Flamingos in 1956 and wrote the group’s first pop chart hit, “Lovers Never Say Goodbye,” in 1958. The Flamingos featuring Terry Johnson have since been credited with being influential in the careers of groups ranging from The Temptations to Boyz II Men.

True rock pioneers, The Tokens were among the first to successfully use the falsetto lead voice in creating the classic 1961 No. 1 hit, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” The song (originally a Zulu folk song called “M’bube” and Anglicized to “Wimoweh”) has sold more than 15 million copies to date, and in a survey conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Record Industry Association of America, The Tokens’ classic recording of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” placed 159th in the top 365 records of all time.

Along with song it is most known for, the Brooklyn group also recorded hits “Tonight I Fell In Love,” “I Hear Trumpets Blow,” and “Portrait of My Love.” In 1998 The Tokens became the first group to sing the National Anthem in all major league ballparks in one season, which landed them into the Guinness Book of World Records. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005.

A guest appearance on “American Bandstand” in 1958 brought Jimmy Clanton national fame with the song “Just A Dream.” That was followed by a series of popular recordings, including “Another Sleepless Night,” “Go Jimmy Go,” and his huge smash hit, “Venus In Blue Jeans.”

Clanton began playing guitar when he was young and by the time he was 17 had become an accomplished guitarist playing locally around his hometown of Baton Rouge, La. He jointly led a band called “The Rockets,” which became one of the top rhythm and blues bands on the Gulf Coast. In between recordings, Clanton constantly toured, appearing in big shows all over the world, including places like the Hollywood Bowl and Lincoln Center in the United States and in huge arenas in the Philippines and Australia. His ultimate honor came when he was asked by Alan Freed to star in the iconic rock and roll movie, “Go, Johnny, Go.” Another starring role followed in the movie, “Teenage Millionaire.”

Kathy Young was a star before she was 16 years old, recording what quickly became a No. 1 hit and a standard in rock and roll, “A Thousand Stars.” That earned her the nickname, “The Cinderella of Show Business.” For five years she toured with Roy Orbison, The Everly Brothers, The Shirrells, Bo Diddley, Connie Francis, Brenda Lee, Ray Charles and Neil Sedaka, among others, and appeared on American Bandstand four times.

She followed “A Thousand Stars” with the LP “The Sounds of Kathy Young,” and singles “Happy Birthday Blues” and “Magic Is The Night.” She also recorded a series of hit songs with Chris Montez as the duo “Chris and Kathy.”

Tickets for “The Golden Era of Doo-Wop” are $39, $49, $59, $69 and $79. There are no service fees and parking is free. Highlander Auditorium is located at 850 N. San Antonio Ave. (at Foothill Blvd.) in Upland.

For more information, contact Don Goethals at (951) 317-2155 or affordablemusicproductions@aol.com.