Legendary Vocal Groups to Perform in Upland on Dec. 13

Reviving their classic vocal harmonies of yesteryear with an afternoon of memorable hits from the 1960s and ’70s, Vocal Group Hall of Fame members The Vogues, The Crystals and a reunion of former members of The Lettermen now performing in their current group known as Reunion, will bring the classic harmonies and melodies from days gone by to the Highlander Auditorium in Upland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 13.

Fellow Hall of Famer “Diamond” Dave Somerville, co-founder and the original lead singer of the 1950s group The Diamonds and later a member of The Four Preps, will be the special guest Master of Ceremonies for the trip down memory lane, which begins at 3 p.m.

“The Golden Era of Harmony II” performance is presented by Affordable Music Productions. Tickets may be purchased online at www.affordablemusicproductions.com or by calling 1-888-71-TICKETS Monday through Friday from 6 a.m.-6 p.m.

“This is a rare opportunity for people in the Inland Empire to see and hear three of the greatest vocal groups ever all at one performance, along with our guest Master of Ceremonies, who is himself an icon of the era,” said Don Goethals, production manager of Affordable Music Productions. “This will not only be a treat for those of us who remember the groups’ hits during the early 1960s and 1970s, but for younger people who truly love great music performed by outstanding musicians.”

Tracing their roots to Turtle Creek High School in Pennsylvania, the Vogues (www.vogues.com) recorded their first single in 1965 – a vocal cover of Petula Clark’s “You’re the One” – which became a hit nationally, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard charts. With a sound that was a fresh and original blend of vocal harmony, the group immediately followed with “Five O’Clock World,” which also hit No. 4 on Billboard. Other popular singles included “Turn Around Look at Me,” “My Special Angel,” “Magic Town” and “Land of Milk and Honey,” among many others. They were inducted into the Vocal Hall of Fame in 2001.

More than 40 years after their first release, the Vogues continue to attract sellout audiences at concerts and club appearances around the country, and they remain one of the world’s top oldies acts. Original lead vocalist Bill Burkette returned to the group in 2008, further enhancing the authentic Vogues sound.

When Phil Spector discovered The Crystals (www.thecrystals.net), not one of the original members was out of high school. Yet they are considered one of the defining acts of the girl group era of the early 1960s. Their first recording, “There’s No Other (Like My Baby),” was also their first hit, catapulting them straight to the Apollo Theatre. Five more Top 10 recordings followed from 1961-1964 with “Uptown,” “He’s A Rebel,” “He’s Sure The Boy I Love,” “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Then He Kissed Me.”

The gospel-influenced “There’s No Other (Like My Baby)“ was recorded on the night of the 1961 Central Commercial High School prom, in which three of the group’s original members were still wearing their prom dresses at the recording studio. The single reached No. 20 on the Billboard charts in January 1962.

Only 15 years old, Dee Dee Kenniebrew was one of The Crystals’ five original members and has been going strong with The Crystals name since day one. The Crystals, who were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005, currently perform as a three-woman group to what observers say is a high-energy show “that keep them trim and fit” and “audiences asking for more.” Joining Kenniebrew with The Crystals are Patricia Pritchett-Lewis and MelSoulTree.

The singing trio The Lettermen (www.reunionthesingingroup.com) was founded in 1959 by Jim Pike and later included his brother Gary Pike. The group recorded an unprecedented 46 consecutive hit albums on Billboard Magazine’s national charts, 20 hit singles, nine gold record albums, five Grammy nominations and a CLEO Award on its way to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame (inducted in 2001).

Billboard Magazine, the standard of the recording industry, referred to Jim and Gary Pike’s Lettermen as “The Greatest Romantic Vocal Group of All Time!” in having a track record of hits and backing it up with stellar live performances.

The first Lettermen hit for Capital records in 1961, “The Way You Look Tonight,” climbed to No. 13 on the Billboard charts. “When I Fall in Love” hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary list in 1962. Hits that followed included “Theme From A Summer Place,” “Goin’ Out of My Head/Can’t Take My Eyes of You,” “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” and “Hurt So Bad.”

At the height of The Lettermen’s fame, Jim Pike lost his voice and was unable to sing for nearly 10 years. The trio ended up selling its “Lettermen” name in the late 1970s. However, Pike eventually regained his voice and has reunited with his brother Gary and Ric de Azevedo from the famous King Family, to form today’s group “Reunion.”

Somerville performed eight years with The Diamonds, singing lead on all 16 of their Billboard chart selections, peaking with the song “Little Darlin’,” which was the third best selling single record of 1957. He left the group in 1961 and ventured into acting on a number of television programs. He later joined The Four Preps in 1967 as a replacement for original bass singer Ed Cobb.

Tickets for “The Golden Era of Harmony” are priced at $39, $49, $59 and $69. No service fees and parking is free. Highlander Auditorium is located at 850 N. San Antonio Avenue (at the corner of Foothill Boulevard) in Upland.

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