For Hometown News
Richard Nader's "A Night of Doo Wop & Rock 'n' Roll" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 4, at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center, 399 N. U.S. 1, Ormond Beach.
It will be a fun-filled stroll down memory lane with an all-star lineup of legends of Doo Wop. Tony Passa, original lead of the Fascinators "Chapel Bells;" Steve Horn of the Five Sharks "Stormy Weather;" Frank Mancuso of the Imaginations "Guardian Angel;" Tommy Mara, current lead of The Crests "Sixteen Candles," "Cara Mia;" and The Mystics "Hushabye." Malt Shoppe Memories will open the show with a tribute to '60s groups.
The Mystics are a New York Doo Wop group with original members Phil Cracolici and his nephew George Galfo. Their big hit was "Hushabye." When Mr. Cracolici left the group for a while he was replaced by now famous musician Paul Simon. When Mr. Simon left the group, The Mystics chose John "Jay" Traynor, who later went on to form Jay and the Americans. On May 11, 1960, The Mystics with Jay Traynor on lead recorded "White Cliffs Of Dover," "Blue Star," and "Over The Rainbow," at RCA Studios.
As a teenager, Tommy Mara played the drums in Brooklyn and sang in a local rock band. Mr. Mara then toured with a group called Blonde. After moving to Florida, he joined The Saints and then The Crests.
Frank Mancuso attended Tilden High School in Brooklyn where he, with four school buddies, became known as The Red Hot Chico and His Four Peppers. When his family moved to Long Island his search began for new singers who lived close by. It wasn't long before he and four new friends created The Imaginations. They are remembered for "Guardian Angel," "Good Night Baby," and "The Search is Over."
Tony Passa hails from Brooklyn and was a teenager when he became the lead singer of The Fascinators. Mr. Passa would go onto a solo career recording as Tony Richards and the Twilights "Please Believe in Me," as Tony Richards "Shout My Name" and "Caravan of Lonely Men" and as Tony Mitchell "A Million Drums" backed by the Angels. Mr. Passa still tours internationally. He resides in the Ormond Beach area.
Steve Horn began singing bass in junior high school in the Bronx. In 1960, he was asked to join a group called The Sharks, who made 26 singles and five albums. Their most memorable songs were "Stormy Weather" and "Canadian Sunset." Later the group recorded "Monday Kind of Friday/Look In Her Eyes" under the name of Dawns Early Light. He also joined a successful nightclub act "Pecks Bad Boys," which recorded "Cloud 76" and "Crazy World." Mr. Horn is responsible for forming the Legends of Doo Wop who have been touring since the late 1990s.
Tickets are on sale now for $30, $35 or $50 VIP tickets with meet and greet. For more information call the Ormond Beach Performing Arts box office at (386) 676-3375.