They dominated the air waves during a time when cruising around town and listening to music was the hip new thing. At 7 p.m. Saturday, March 1, they’ll cruise into the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts as part of Joe Nardone’s Evening of Cruisin’ Favorites.
Co-headliners Jay & The Americans and The Lovin’ Spoonful will be joined by Terry Sylvester playing The Hollies’ Greatest Hits during a show that invites you to sit back, relax, and take in the sweet sounds of timeless music.
Tickets and Information
Tickets for Joe Nardone Presents: An Evening of Cruisin’ Faves go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 23, and are $49,50, $59.50, and $69.50 plus fees. A Kirby Center member pre-sale for the show begins at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 20. Click here for more information on Kirby Center membership.
Purchase your tickets at kirbycenter.org, ticketmaster.com or the F.M. Kirby Center box office.
Tickets for the event will also be on sale Saturday, Sept. 21, during Joe Nardone Presents: An Evening of ’60s Rock ‘n’ Roll. That night, ticket holders for the Sept. 21 show can purchase their seats for An Evening of Cruisin’ Faves through the end of intermission.
About Jay & The Americans
Jay & the Americans, started by four teenage boys in Sandy Yaguda’s basement in 1961, is one of the lasting success stories in Rock “N Roll history. Few bands have ever reached the musical heights of Jay & the Americans. From 1962-1971, this group charted an amazing five Billboard Top 10 hits and 12 Top 20 hit records.
Comprised of founding member Sandy Yaguda (aka Sandy Deanne), original member Marty Kupersmith (aka Marty Sanders), Darren Dowler (former lead singer of Paul Revere and The Raiders), plus the addition of the astounding lead vocals of Jay Reineke and the backing of the fantastic USA band, they faithfully recreate the authentic sound of their greatest hit songs.
Jay & the Americans’ first recording was “Tonight” (from the musical “West Side Story”), but their breakout hit was “She Cried.” Their next chart hit was “Only in America,“ which they followed with hit songs ‘”Come A Little Closer” and “Cara Mia”, which hit the Billboard Top 10 during the height of the British Invasion. On Feb. 11, 1964, Jay & the Americans opened for The Beatles on their first live concert appearance in The United States. Jay & the Americans also performed in concert with The Rolling Stones.
The hits continued with the group holding the distinct honor of recording Neil Diamond’s hit song “Sunday and Me,” and their recording of “Crying” pays homage to the legendary Roy Orbison, with whom they toured. The group’s version of “Some Enchanted Evening” holds the record for most copies ever sold of this musical masterpiece. The group continued their music in the late ’60s with “This Magic Moment,” a Top 10 hit, and into the early ’70s with the beautiful “Walkin’ in the Rain.” These songs are featured in Jay & the Americans’ show, along with stories of the artists and writers who influenced this ’60s super group.
In 2002, Jay & the Americans were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, placing them among the greatest vocal groups in rock ‘n’ roll history.
About The Lovin’ Spoonful
The Lovin’ Spoonful were America’s answer to the Beatles! The band, led by primary songwriter John Sebastian with Steve Boone, Joe Butler and Zal Yanovsky, exploded onto the charts sending their first seven singles soaring onto Billboard’s Top 10 charts virtually overnight.
The Spoonful formed in New York’s Greenwich Village in 1965 at the Night Owl Café’ and signed to Kama Sutra Records. They appeared on every major TV show of the era: “The Ed Sullivan Show,” “Hullabaloo,” and “Shindig!”
Their first single, “Do You Believe in Magic,” flew to the top of the charts and was followed by an unprecedented string of hits, including “Daydream,” “Younger Girl,” “Summer in the City,” “You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice,” “Darling Be Home Soon,” “Jug band Music,” “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind,” “Lovin’ You,” “Didn’t Want to Have to Do it,” “Rain on the Roof,” “Six O’clock,” “Nashville Cats,” “Coconut Grove,” and “She’s Still a Mystery (to Me).”
The band was so influential that music legends like Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson cited them as forces of inspiration, as did so many others. Paul McCartney cited “Daydream” as his inspiration for “Good Day Sunshine,” and even John Lennon called them tunesmiths.
Today, The Lovin’ Spoonful tours with founding member Steve Boone, Jeff Alan Ross (Badfinger, Peter Asher), Bill Cinque (Neil Diamond), longtime drummer Mike Arturi, and Rob Bonfiglio (The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson Band, Wilson Phillips).
Together, they faithfully celebrate the rich, good-time catalog of hits that made The Lovin’ Spoonful one of the world’s most beloved groups to emerge from the ‘60s. The Lovin’ Spoonful was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
About The Hollies Greatest Hits Starring Terry Sylvester
Terry Sylvester is one of five people from Liverpool, England, who’ve been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He grew up with the other four—their names were John, Paul, George, and Ringo.
Terry started his rock ‘n’ roll career as a teenager with a band called The Escorts. He then joined The Swinging Blue Jeans, who had a huge hit with “Hippy Hippy Shake.”
In 1968, The Hollies called and asked Terry to join them when Graham Nash left the group. While with The Hollies, Terry co-wrote and was part of many Top 10 hits, including “Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress),” “He Ain’t Heavy (He’s My Brother),” “Sorry Suzanne,” and “The Air That I Breathe.”
In 1981, Terry left The Hollies to start a successful solo career. He and The Hollies were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. Terry currently tours North America and Europe performing many great songs and telling stories of his career.
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