50s music tour

Relive the Music '50s & '60s

A brand new one of a kind show, that takes the audience through Music History, Trivia & Memories of the 50’s & 60’s.

Get ready to Relive the Music. Rock n Roll is here to stay.

A one of a kind show that takes the audience through Music History, Trivia & Memories of the 50’s & 60’s. You will likely learn many things you never knew about these artists. You will see an energetic live band, amazing front singers and dancers transforming and re-living thru two decades of music, costumes, trends and dancing with video imagery in the background. 103 Standing ovations in a row in Canada/USA.

Show Dates & Tickets

RELIVE THE MUSIC

Canada wide fall tour 2024.

SEPT 10, 2024 – MEDICINE HAT, AB – 7:30pm @ Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre – BUY TICKETS

SEPT 11, 2024 – MOOSE JAW, SK – 7:30pm @ Moose Jaw Cultural Centre – BUY TICKETS

SEPT 13, 2024 – SASKATOON, SK – 7:30pm @ TCU PLACE – BUY TICKETS

SEPT 14, 2024 – REGINA, SK – 7:30pm @ Conexus Theatre – BUY TICKETS

SEPT 15, 2024 – YORKTON, SK – 7:30pm @ Anne Portnuff Theatre – BUY TICKETS

SEPT 16, 2024 – BRANDON, MB – 7:30pm @ Western Centennial Auditorium – BUY TICKETS

SEPT 17, 2024 – WINNIPEG, MB – 7:30pm @ Centennial Concert Hall – BUY TICKETS

SEPT 19, 2024 – THUNDER BAY, ON – 7:30pm @ Thunder Bay Community Auditorium – BUY TICKETS

SEPT 21, 2024 – SAULT STE. MARIE, ON – 7:30pm @ Community Theatre – BUY TICKETS

SEPT 22, 2024 – SUDBURY, ON – 7:30pm @ Laurentian Fraser Auditorium – BUY TICKETS ONLINE (you can also phone the boxoffice at the Yes Theatre to buy tickets in person or by phone 1-705-674-8381)

SEPT 23, 2024 – NORTH BAY, ON – 7:30pm @ Capitol Centre – BUY TICKETS

SEPT 24, 2024 – PARRY SOUND, ON – 7:30pm @ Charles W Stockey Theatre – BUY TICKETS

SEPT 25, 2024 – HUNTSVILLE, ON – 7:30pm @ Algonquin Theatre – BUY TICKETS

SEPT 26, 2024 – BARRIE, ON – 7:30pm @ Georgian Theatre – BUY TICKETS

SEPT 29, 2024 – LINDSAY, ON – 7:30pm @ Flato Theatre – BUY TICKETS

SEPT 30, 2024 – PETERBOROUGH, ON – 7:30pm @ Showplace PAC – BUY TICKETS

OCT 1, 2024 – CHATHAM, ON – 7:30pm @ Capitol Theatre – BUY TICKETS

OCT 2, 2024 – LONDON, ON – 7:30pm @ Centennial Hall – BUY TICKETS

OCT 4, 2024 – OSHAWA, ON – 7:30pm @ Regent Theatre – BUY TICKETS

OCT 5, 2024 – OWEN SOUND, ON – 7:30pm @ Roxy Theatre – BUY TICKETS

OCT 6, 2024 – ST. CATHARINES, ON – 7:30pm @ PAC Partridge Hall – BUY TICKETS

OCT 7, 2024 – RICHMOND HILL, ON – 7:30pm @ Richmond Hill Centre for Performing Arts – BUY TICKETS

OCT 8, 2024 – MISSISSAUGA, ON – 7:30pm @ Hammerson Hall – BUY TICKETS

OCT 9, 2024 – GUELPH, ON – 7:30pm @ River Run Theatre – BUY TICKETS

OCT 10, 2024 – HAMILTON, ON – 7:30pm @ McIntyre Performing Arts Centre – BUY TICKETS

OCT 12, 2024 – KITCHENER, ON – 7:30pm @ Centre in the Square – BUY TICKETS

OCT 15, 2024 – SARNIA, ON – 7:30pm @ Imperial Theatre – BUY TICKETS

OCT 16, 2024 – WINDSOR, ON – 7:30pm @ Capitol Theatre – BUY TICKETS

OCT 18, 2024 – OTTAWA, ON – 7:30pm @ Meridian Theatre – BUY TICKETS

OCT 20, 2024 – MONTREAL, QC – 7:30pm @ Théâtre Maisonneuve place des arts – BUY TICKETS

OCT 21, 2024 – CORNWALL, ON – 7:30pm @ Aultsville Theatre – BUY TICKETS

OCT 22, 2024 – SHERBROOKE, QC – 7:30pm @ Theatre Granada – BUY TICKETS

FEB 4, 2024 – CAMPBELL RIVER, BC – 7:30pm @ Tidemark Theatre

FEB 5, 2024 – VICTORIA, BC – 7:30pm @ The Royal Theatre

FEB 6, 2024 – NANAIMO, BC – 7:30pm @ The Port Theatre 

FEB 7, 2024 – COURTENAY, BC – 7:30pm @ Sid Williams Theatre 

MAR 8, 2024 – NEW WESTMINSTER, BC – 7:30pm @ Massey Theatre 

MAR 17, 2024 – VERNON, BC – 7:30pm @ Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre

MAR 18, 2024 – KAMLOOPS, BC – 7:30pm @ Sagebrush Theatre

MAR 19, 2024 – PENTICTON, BC – 7:30pm @ Cleland Theatre

APR 7, 2024 – KELOWNA, BC – 7:30pm @ Kelowna Community Theatre (100th Show)

MAY 4, 2024 – MAPLE RIDGE, BC – 7:30pm @ The ACT Theatre 

JUN 24, 2024 – EVERETT, WA – 7:30pm @ Historic Everett Theatre

JUN 25, 2024 – BELLINGHAM, WA – 6:00pm @ Western Washington University Performing Arts Center

SEPT 3, 2024 – CRANBROOK, BC – 7:30pm @ Key City Theatre

SEPT 4, 2024 – CALGARY, AB – 7:30pm @ Jack Singer Concert Hall

SEPT 5, 2024 – SHERWOOD PARK, AB – 7:30pm @ Festival Place – SOLD OUT

SEPT 6, 2024 – RED DEER, AB – 7:30pm @ Memorial Centre

SEPT 7, 2024 – FORT SASKATCHEWAN, AB – 7:30pm @ Shell Theatre

SEPT 8, 2024 – ST. ALBERT, AB – 7:30pm @ Arden Theatre

February 4, 2023 @ 3PM – MISSION, BC @ Clarke Theatre

February 5, 2023 @ 3PM – DELTA, BC @ Genesis Theatre

February 12, 2023 @ 3PM – MAPLE RIDGE, BC @ The ACT Theatre – SOLD OUT

February 26, 2023 @ 7:30PM – SURREY, BC @ Bell Performing Arts Centre

March 28, 2023 @ 7PM – WILLIAMS LAKE, BC @ Gibraltar Room

March 29, 2023 @7PM – PRINCE GEORGE, BC @ Vanier Hall

March 30, 2023 @ 7PM – SMITHERS, BC @ Della Herman Theatre

April 1, 2023 @ 7:30PM – PRINCE RUPERT, BC @ Lester Centre

April 2, 2023 @ 7PM – KITIMAT, BC @ Mount Elizabeth Theatre

March 31, 2023 @ 7PM – TERRACE, BC @ REM Lee Theatre

September 12, 2023 – SHERWOOD PARK, AB – 7PM @ Festival Place – SOLD OUT

September 14, 2023 – YORKTON, SK – 7PM @ Anne Portnuff Theatre

September 15, 2023 – WINKLER, MB – 7PM @ PW Enns Centennial Concert Hall

September 16, 2023 – WINNIPEG, MB – 7PM @ Centennial Concert Hall

September 17, 2023 – DRYDEN, ON – 7PM @ The Centre

September 18, 2023 – THUNDER BAY, ON – 7PM @ Thunder Bay Community Auditorium

September 20, 2023 – SAULT STE MARIE, ON – 7PM @ Sault Community Theatre

September 21, 2023 – SUDBURY, ON – 7PM @ Place Des Arts – SOLD OUT

September 22, 2023 – HUNTSVILLE, ON – 7PM @ Algonquin Theatre – SOLD OUT

September 23, 2023 – PEMBROKE, ON – 7PM @ Festival Hall Centre for Performing Arts – SOLD OUT

September 24, 2023 – PETERBOROUGH, ON – 7PM @ Peterborough Showplace Performance Centre – SOLD OUT

September 25, 2023 – PARRY SOUND, ON – 7PM @ Charles W. Stockey Centre – SOLD OUT

September 27, 2023 – KITCHENER, ON – 7PM @ Centre in the Square

September 28, 2023 – BRANTFORD, ON – 7PM @ Sanderson Centre

September 29, 2023 – WINDSOR, ON – 7PM @ Capitol Theatre – SOLD OUT

September 30, 2023 – LONDON, ON – 7PM @ Centennial Hall – SOLD OUT

October 1, 2023 – OSHAWA, ON – 7PM @ Regent Theatre – SOLD OUT

October 2, 2023 – BARRIE, ON – 7PM @ Georgian Theatre – SOLD OUT

October 3, 2023 – CHATHAM, ON – 7PM @ Chatham Capitol Theatre

October 4, 2023 – RICHMOND HILL, ON – 7PM @ Centre for the Performing Arts – SOLD OUT

October 5, 2023 – HAMILTON, ON – 7PM @ McIntyre Performing Arts Centre

October 6, 2023 – ST. CATHARINES, ON – 7PM @ FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

October 10, 2023 – OTTAWA, ON – 7PM @ Meridian Theatre SOLD OUT

October 11, 2023 – MONTREAL, QC – 7PM @ Oscar Peterson Concert Hall -SOLD OUT

October 12, 2023 – SHERBROOKE, QC – 7PM @ Centennial Theatre

October 14, 2023 – FREDERICTON, NB – 7PM @ The Fredericton Playhouse

October 15, 2023 – SAINT JOHN, NB – 7PM @ Imperial Theatre

October 16, 2023 – SUMMERSIDE, PEI – 7PM @ Harbourfront Theatre

October 17, 2023 – MONCTON, NB – 7PM @ The Capitol Theatre

October 18, 2023 – GLACE BAY, NS – 7PM @ Savoy Theatre

October 19, 2023 – HALIFAX, NS – 7PM @ Rebecca Cohn Auditorium

October 22, 2023 – MISSISSAUGA, ON – Living Arts Centre, Hammerson Hall

October 23, 2023 – LINDSAY, ON – 7PM @ Flato Academy Theatre

September 25, 2022 – CHILLIWACK, BC @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre

October 3, 2022 – TRAIL, BC @ The Bailey Theatre

October 4, 2022 – CRANBROOK, BC @ Key City Theatre

October 5, 2022 – LETHBRIDGE, AB @ Yates Memorial Theatre

October 6, 2022 – MEDICINE HAT, AB @ Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre

October 7, 2022 – REGINA, SK @ Conexus Arts Centre Theatre

October 8, 2022 – SASKATOON, SK @ TCU Place, Sid Buckwold Theatre

October 9, 2022 – MOOSE JAW, SK @ Mae Wilson Theatre

October 12, 2022 – BRANDON, MB @ Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium

October 13, 2022 – PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MB @ Glesby Theatre

October 15, 2022 – RED DEER, AB @ Red Deer Memorial Centre

October 16, 2022 – LLOYDMINSTER, AB/SK @ Vic Juba Community Theatre

October 17, 2022 – CALGARY, AB @ Grey Eagle Event Centre

October 18, 2022 – ST. ALBERT, AB @ Arden Theatre

October 19, 2022 – CAMROSE, AB @ Jeanne & Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre

November 4, 2022 – PENTICTON, BC @ Cleland Community Theatre

November 5, 2022 – KAMLOOPS, BC @ Sagebrush Theatre

November 6, 2022 – KELOWNA, BC @ Kelowna Community Theatre

November 7, 2022 – VERNON, BC @ Vernon Performing Arts Theatre

November 8, 2022 – OLIVER, BC @ Venables Theatre

November 15, 2022 – VICTORIA, BC @ The Royal Theatre

November 16, 2022 – CAMPBELL RIVER, BC @ Tidemark Theatre

November 17, 2022 – NANAIMO, BC @  The Port Theatre

November 18, 2022 – DUNCAN, BC @ Cowichan Performing Arts Centre

November 19, 2022 – PORT ALBERNI @ Alberni District Secondary School

November 20, 2022 – COURTENAY, BC @ Sid Williams Theatre

November 21, 2022 – POWELL RIVER, BC @ Evergreen Theatre

November 26, 2022 – NEW WESTMINSTER, BC @ Massey Theatre

November 27, 2022 – NORTH VANCOUVER, BC @ Centennial Theatre

January 25, 2020 – DELTA, BC @ Genesis Theatre

March 1, 2019 – The Tidemark Theatre – CAMPBELL RIVER, BC

March 2, 2019 – The Port Theatre – NANAIMO, BC

March 3, 2019 – The Sid Williams Theatre – COURTENAY, BC

March 8, 2019 – Vernon Performing Arts Theatre – VERNON, BC

March 29, 2019 – The Kelowna Community Theatre – KELOWNA, BC – SOLD OUT

April 6, 2019 – The Bell Performing Arts Centre – SURREY, BC

April 13, 2019 – The Clarke Theatre – MISSION, BC

April 27, 2019 – Massey Theatre – NEW WESTMINSTER, BC

May 11, 2019 – Chief Sepass Theatre, LANGLEY, BC

September 20, 2019 – The Cleland Community Theatre, PENTICTON, BC

September 21, 2019 – Venables Theatre, OLIVER, BC

October 4, 2019 – ADSS Theatre, PORT ALBERNI, BC

October 5, 2019 – The Royal Theatre – VICTORIA, BC

October 6, 2019 – The Cowichan Performing Arts Centre – DUNCAN, BC

November 2, 2019 – HUB International Theatre – Chilliwack Cultural Centre, CHILLIWACK, BC – SOLD OUT

November 9, 2019 – The ACT Theatre – MAPLE RIDGE, BC

November 16, 2019 – Evergreen Theatre – POWELL RIVER, BC

November 23, 2019 – The Centennial Theatre – NORTH VANCOUVER, BC

The audience will see silhouettes of a band onstage, video will roll in the background with singers narrating trivia about the upcoming artists prior to each song without mentioning the names.  There will be a pause. The audience is encouraged to shout out their guess of what song is coming up. The song starts, the crowd cheers with “oohs” and “ahhs” as some got it right and some got it wrong and others go “Wow, I didn’t know that”.  A very interactive show. Be ready to go onstage to join the dancers at times.

We sorted through 20 years of over a thousand songs into one show. The main criteria was to trim it to hit songs that are still relevant and memorable to this day. We made our pick of songs that we feel will never get old.

Hit songs by Patti Page, Dean Martin, Johnny Cash, Fats Domino, Frank Sinatra, Little Richard, The Platters, Bill Haley and the Comets, Elvis, Paul Anka, Patsy Cline, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly, Ricky Nelson, Chuck Berry,  Chubby Checker, Dion, The Four Seasons, The Beatles, Roy Orbison, The Temptations, The Supremes, The Rolling Stones, Sonny and Cher, Neil Diamond, The Beach Boys, James Brown and more….

The cast of Relive the Music features World Champion Luisa Marshall as seen on Oprah and ELLEN (performing as herself not Tina Turner) and 4 to 5 more carefully chosen male and female frontline singers that perform throughout the show.  Although, the show isn’t designed to be a tribute show as such, there may be special Tribute guests appearing at times and the cast will be making costume changes during the show to convey the look and feel of artists in each era.  The Luisa Marshall Show band will be performing throughout. It’s all about the great music, dance and trivia of that era.

The grandparents and great grandparents of today that grew up in this era should bring along their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to see how cool they really were back then, how great the music and dance moves were and not to forget the fantastic cars back then. You will have to explain to these younguns a few things like what a 45 record is, A side, B side, and that there was no such thing as a cell phone. Tell them why you hung around a place called “The Diner”.  Did we mention the fantastic cars of that time?  Yes back to cars. What car do you wish you still have today?

We encourage the audience to come dressed in the 50’s or 60’s outfit they most loved.

If there are any local dance groups that can dance 50’s style let us know we might get them onstage.

Hope to see you cheering for your favourite years of music!

We want to hear from you! Questions, comments, feedback, send us a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

“One gentleman came up to us after the show during the meet and greet in Prince George with tears flowing down his face. He told us “These are tears of joy. You have no idea how you made my month…” We were so touched by this.” – Steve Marshall, Relive the Music Producer

“The best juke box musical I’ve ever been to! (Jersey Boys, ABBA the Show, A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, This Lonely Heart, Mamma Mia… among others) Hilarious, depracating in good fun, and musically spot on! I suspect next time you’re in Vancouver it will be in a much larger venue. Going places for sure!” – Jon D, November 26, 2022 NEW WESTMINSTER, BC @ Clarke Theatre

“There is only one show like this. The talent, the content, the delivery… none better.” – Rick L, Sep 29, 202 3 WINDSOR, ON @ Capitol Theatre

“Just got home from seeing this show in Bellingham. Rivals some of the best shows we recently saw in Las Vegas. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend you go.” – Wayne H, Jun 25, 2024 BELLINGHAM, WA @ Western Washington University Performing Arts Center

“Just amazing!!! We’re still talking about how great the show was on Monday night. Thank you Mr. Marshall for your vision of Relive the Music ’50s & ’60s. Everything completely flowed. We really loved the trivia as well. Every performer was amazing and I loved the eye contact. Making a connection with the audience, not just looking through you. You sure can tell everyone loves what they’re doing and so very talented. I couldn’t sit still. I still have these tunes flowing through my head days later. As we were leaving the theatre I looked at my husband and said, I really want to see that show again!!! Just a BIG thank you to everyone!!! We just might have to take a trip to Canada. Love those Golden Oldies! ” – Corissa D, Jun 24, 2024 EVERETT, WA @ Historic Everett Theatre

“Absolutely fabulous show in Everett tonight, delightful, talented performers, peronality is just over the top! Best ticket investment in years, for endorphins delivered! The list of songs performed was incredible… thirty numbers just in the first half of the show — amazing. I can’t remember what I had for lunch (did I even have lunch?) but I knew every word to every song from the opening number to the grand finale, and had 3+ hours of pure fountain-of-youth vibes making me very, very happy that I found the ad for the show and kicked myself out of my usual rut, by buying tickets and actually going out. Wonderful, wonderful evening. Thank you, Relive the Music 50’s & 60’s folks, I am one happy camper tonight. PS: “Tina”, everything about your performance, and especially your footwork was spot-on… you WERE Tina reincarnated tonight! ” – Kris B, Jun 24, 2024 EVERETT, WA @ Historic Everett Theatre

“Thank each and every one of you so much, you guys were all amazing. My dad (78) and I had a great time, watching those songs take my dad back in time was priceless.” – Dan B, Jun 24, 2024 EVERETT, WA @ Historic Everett Theatre

“This show was just so good!! Really enjoyed every minute, so much talent and the music was just the best. Thanks for a great night out!” – Susan D, Jun 24, 2024 EVERETT, WA @ Historic Everett Theatre

“A fantastic show. I saw it last year and again this year, and if they have it next year I will be there. Rock and roll music brings back such happy memories for me. A very talented cast. They all were fabulous. We all had such a good night. You guys are the best.” – Sandra P, May 6, 2024 MAPLE RIDGE, BC @ The ACT Theatre

“Exceptional show. A great talented group. Three hours of fun entertainment. This is one of the best shows we have seen and we go to a lot. Thank you all!” – Ken M, Mar 19, 202 4 PENTICTON, BC @ Cleland Theatre

“Such a fabulous & talented group of young singers & dancers who put on a very entertaining show. We thoroughly enjoyed it, particularly with the added bits of comedy. The songs chosen were also great. I was able to sing along to every one of them. I was impressed & amazed at how well it was choreographed & how quickly costume changes were made. Thanks for a great evening.” – Gwen S, Mar 18, 202 4 KAMLOOPS, BC @ Sagebrush Theatre

“You guys are “Simply The Best”…”Better Than All The Rest!” I have been to Broadway shows in New York a few times and your show on Friday night was hands-down in the same league. As usual… my money was worth it and well spent! I would have gone to your show again the next night! Loved it!” – Linda S, Mar 8, 2024 NEW WESTMINSTER, BC @ Massey Theatre

“We absolutely loved it! I would highly recommend it! We will be going to see it again if and when it returns to Vancouver. A heartfelt thanks goes out to all the entertainers and musicians for their outstanding performances! Well done!” – Rhonda J, Mar 8, 2024 NEW WESTMINSTER, BC @ Massey Theatre

“Great entertainment.” – Ron J, Mar 8, 2024 NEW WESTMINSTER, BC @ Massey Theatre

“It was a fabulous show. You were entertained the whole night through! I would go again!” – Julie B, Mar 8, 2024 NEW WESTMINSTER, BC @ Massey Theatre

“One of the best shows ever. Saw it twice.” – Peggy R, Mar 5, 2024 PETERBOROUGH, ON @ Peterborough Showplace Performance Centre

“Absolutely one of the best shows I’ve seen in Thunder Bay.” – George S, Sep 19 2023 THUNDER BAY, ON @ Thunder Bay Community Auditorium

“Caught the show when they were in Montreal and it was fabulous! Worth every penny! Great music, dancing and costumes.” – Bayla M, Oct 11, 2023 MONTREAL, QC @ Oscar Peterson Concert Hall

“The show was simply the BEST. THANK YOU for coming to Courtenay. Was the best I’ve seen! Spectacular.” – Linda D, Feb 7, 2024 COURTENAY, BC @ Sid Williams Theatre

“It was a ton of fun! Fantastic show! The performers story/relationship made you love them even more! Highly recommend seeing them!” – Janine C, Nov 20, 2022 COURTENAY, BC @ Sid Williams Theatre

“Thank you for the incredible show! All the performers were top notch! Hope to see it again someday!” – Doris B, Sep 28, 2023 BRANTFORD, ON @ Sanderson Centre

“It was amazing!! Thank you for your dedication to the era of such wonderful music.” – Liz T, Sep 27, 2023 KITCHENER, ON @ Centre in the Square

“What an amazing show! We had so much fun! Thank you so much for a truly wonderful evening!” – Cathy B, Sep 15, 2023 WINKLER, MB @ PW Enns Centennial Concert Hall

“We loved the show… so much talent and energy! From the performers to the band and omg the wardrobe!! High end stage show for sure!” – Wendy B, Sep 14, 2023 YORKTON, SK @ Anne Portnuff Theatre

“What a show you put on tonight! Absolutely loved it. Hope you come back again next year!” – Sherry S, Sep 14, 2023 YORKTON, SK @ Anne Portnuff Theatre

“Absolutely a fantastic show… loved every minute of it… did not disappoint any true music lover.” – Janice H, Sep 14, 2023 YORKTON, SK @ Anne Portnuff Theatre

“Great show folks! You all have so much energy! Caught your show in Regina last year as well.” – Doug H, Sep 14, 2023 YORKTON, SK @ Anne Portnuff Theatre

“I was one of the lucky ones to see this amazing show in Sherwood Park last night. One of the best shows I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot! Great music, extremely talented singers and musicians. Loved the high energy and the fun everyone had on stage. A must see for music lovers of the 50’s and 60’s.” – Debbie R, Sep 12, 2023 SHERWOOD PARK, AB @ Festival Place

“An awesome high energy show!! Totally enjoyed every moment! Keep entertaining! Soooo talented; everyone!” – Brenda W, Sep 12, 2023 SHERWOOD PARK, AB @ Festival Place

“THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for putting on such an amazing show!” – Debbie R, Sep 12, 2023 SHERWOOD PARK, AB @ Festival Place

“Thank you for your beautiful talents. What an outstanding performance!!! Great job and hope you get a well deserved break.” – Susie S, Apr 2, 2023 KITIMAT, BC @ Mount Elizabeth Theatre

“You all put on such an amazing show with great energy!!! Beautiful voices, costumes, well organized, interactive, and fun! Thank you!” – Zora R, Mar 31, 2023 PRINCE RUPERT, BC @ Lester Centre

“The Terrace Show was Vegas quality – sang, and laughed, enjoyed it so much. Very talented group. Well done!” – Pat I, Mar 31, 2023 TERRACE, BC @ REM Lee Theatre

“One of the best shows! The singers were so good and so was the band. Such talent!!” – Bob P, Mar 31, 2023 TERRACE, BC @ REM Lee Theatre

“You guys were amazing! So much talent!” – Mark M, Mar 31, 2023 TERRACE, BC @ REM Lee Theatre

“Absolutely the best show!!! Impersonations spot on! A little comedy thrown in and worth every penny to see them!!!” – Jeannie H, Mar 31, 2023 TERRACE, BC @ REM Lee Theatre

“So much talent and enthusiasm! I enjoyed it so much I was able to see it again in Smithers.” – Joanne W, Mar 29, 2023 PRINCE GEORGE, BC @ Vanier Hall

“It was a great night. Thank you so much. We waited 3 years for this show and loved every minute of it. The best show ever. Thank you.” – Peter W, Mar 29, 2023 PRINCE GEORGE, BC @ Vanier Hall

“I just wanted to say what an incredible show! Great music and great interaction with funny moments.” – Wayne D, Mar 29, 2023 PRINCE GEORGE, BC @ Vanier Hall

“Fabulous show. Had us singing, laughing, cheering and just loving every minute. The talent on this stage is incredible and the energy unbelievable.” – Lois B, Mar 29, 2023 PRINCE GEORGE, BC @ Vanier Hall

“Had a fantastic night of entertainment.” – Kate P, Mar 28, 2023 WILLIAMS LAKE, BC @ Gibraltar Room

“You guys were phenomenal! Best night out I’ve had in forever! My face still hurts this morning from smiling and singing so much!” – Cindy W, Mar 28, 2023 WILLIAMS LAKE, BC @ Gibraltar Room

“The whole show was terrific! The vocals were great, the musicianship was great, amazing song selection and performances. We really enjoyed everything about it. Congratulations on your success!” – Jim R, Feb 12, 2023 MAPLE RIDGE, BC @ The ACT Theatre

“Saw this show several days ago. It was so enjoyable. All the musicians and performers were amazing. Put a smile on my face throughout.” – Mary M, Feb 12, 2023 MAPLE RIDGE, BC @ The ACT Theatre

“Loved the show! All of us white/gray haired, bald seniors were there to relive an era that is part of our history. Thank you everyone in the cast for coming to Maple Ridge. You were all fantastic!” – Linda J, Feb 12, 2023 MAPLE RIDGE, BC @ The ACT Theatre

“It was a great show, loved it! Really enjoyed it and my 11 year old son kept singing some songs home after. He just loved it!!!!” – Oksana D , Feb 12, 2023 MAPLE RIDGE, BC @ The ACT Theatre

“It was a fantastic show! Some of the best performers around! See you again!” – Bill G , Feb 12, 2023 MAPLE RIDGE, BC @ The ACT Theatre

“The show was fantastic!! You guys rock!!!!!” – Colleen T , Feb 12, 2023 MAPLE RIDGE, BC @ The ACT Theatre

“Best live show I’ve ever been to. The singers were amazing!” – Dianne T , Feb 12, 2023 MAPLE RIDGE, BC @ The ACT Theatre

“Wow, wow, wow! What a great show, not only with the singing but also the history of the singers and songs. Thank you all!” – DonSheri K , Feb 5, 2023 LADNER, BC @ Genesis Theatre

“What an absolutely fantastic entertaining show! Oh my goodness, what can I say, from the very talented singers and musicians and dancers, such great voices. You all rock and made us smile and sing the whole time.” – Joanne M , Feb 5, 2023 LADNER, BC @ Genesis Theatre

“Absolutely fabulous. Entertaining with great music and singing. Loved the show.” – Sylvia T, Feb 5, 2023 LADNER, BC @ Genesis Theatre

“You are all so beautiful and talented. I would go see you a hundred times over. I couldn’t stop smiling all the time. Thank you for the best entertainment.” – Sandy S, Feb 4, 2023 MISSION, BC @ Clarke Theatre

“What a fabulous time! You were all amazing, we loved every minute!” – Terri C, Feb 4, 2023 MISSION, BC @ Clarke Theatre

“Saw the show and loved every moment. You are such talented people who obviously enjoy what you are doing. A wonderful presentation, musically and visually. Will highly recommend. Love you gals and guys.” – Gabriele H, Feb 4, 2023 MISSION, BC @ Clarke Theatre

“This was 100% and as a former Music Agent that is saying a lot. I cannot wait until they come back to North Vancouver.” – Susan L., November 27, 2022 NORTH VANCOUVER, BC @ Centennial Theatre

“This show is so good! Saw it last weekend at North Vancouvers Centennial Theatre. Please treat yourself or ask Santa to deliver the tickets. Such a great show!” – Janet M., November 27, 2022 NORTH VANCOUVER, BC @ Centennial Theatre

“We saw their last show in North Vancouver and it was awesome! Thoroughly enjoyed every minute! Great song choices and entertainment.” – Jan S., November 27, 2022 NORTH VANCOUVER, BC @ Centennial Theatre

“The most entertaining show we’ve seen in a loooooong time. Thanks so much! We left the theatre with a smile on our face, and even the snow on our car didn’t take it off… Amazing Show” – Mark F., November 27, 2022 NORTH VANCOUVER, BC @ Centennial Theatre

“One of the best, if not THE best shows I have seen in my lifetime. It is fabulous in every way. The cast, the costumes, and of course the music selections all combined to create an incredible evening of fun!” – George B., November 26, 2022 NEW WESTMINSTER, BC @ Massey Theatre

“Can a juke box musical be anymore self-deprecating and perfect at the same time? We loved every minute of this show at the Massey Theatre.” – Jon D., November 26, 2022 NEW WESTMINSTER, BC @ Massey Theatre

“Thank you so much for a brilliant performance. I was with friends on Saturday night at the Massey Theatre and we all loved your show. Take care, see you next time” – Colleen D., November 26, 2022 NEW WESTMINSTER, BC @ Massey Theatre

“This show was so much fun. Everyone was rocking. The sax and guitar player amazing” – Anna B., November 20, 2022 COURTENAY, BC @ Sid Williams Theatre

“Just did an incredible show in the Comox Valley. Fantastic singers seems not enough to describe the talent of the performers and the fun light humour interaction they provided. Spectacular show!” – Howie S., November 20, 2022 COURTENAY, BC @ Sid Williams Theatre

“Wow!! Absolutely wow!! What a fantastic evening tonite in Port Alberni seeing this wonderful talented group of people! And the energy!! Awesome show, spectacular talent on all the performers, thoroughly enjoyed it! And yes front row centre, best seat in the house. ‘Sherry’ sung beautifully, that was me you spoke to! See you all next time… thank you!” – Sherrie H., November 19, 2022 – PORT ALBERNI @ Alberni District Secondary School

“Was a fantastic concert and had so much great music. Thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing” – Guen H., November 17, 2022 NANAIMO, BC @ The Port Theatre

“Saw the show for the first time in Nanaimo last night. Just terrific!!” – Jane H., November 17, 2022 NANAIMO, BC @ The Port Theatre

“That was a fantastic show! You are all very talented impersonators and fantastic singers” – Sherry M., November 17, 2022 NANAIMO, BC @ The Port Theatre

“Absolutely fantastic! So much fun… wishing I wasn’t in the middle so I could dance! Vocals were spot on… lots of audience participation! Blown away by the singer who did Led Zepplin… OMG! And the Tina Turner impersonation was impeccable… felt like it was really Tina. Great show!” – Lynda P., November 17, 2022 NANAIMO, BC @ The Port Theatre

“Fabulous show in Nanaimo last night! Super talented group of musicians, singers and dancers.” – Linda W., November 17, 2022 NANAIMO, BC @ The Port Theatre

“We were at the Campbell River show last night and completely enjoyed the performance. The music was great and the way that they do the performance was very enjoyable! We loved it!” – Allen S., November 16, 2022 CAMPBELL RIVER, BC @ Tidemark Theatre

“Saw it in Campbell River last night. The standing ovation says it all. Every member of the show is extremely talented especially the lead guitarist and the saxophone player. Highly recommend it” – Eric R., November 16, 2022 CAMPBELL RIVER, BC @ Tidemark Theatre

“Just saw this show in Campbell River last night. It was excellent! …Don’t miss it. We highly recommend it.” – Marnie E., November 16, 2022 CAMPBELL RIVER, BC @ Tidemark Theatre

“We saw the show at Campbell River last night. It was so much fun! We sang along with the cast, surprised by how many of the songs we still knew the words for! It was a completely delightful experience!” – Sheryl S., November 16, 2022 CAMPBELL RIVER, BC @ Tidemark Theatre

“The performance was wonderful. My wife and I loved the music, the interaction and just everything about the group. Thank you!” – Allen S., November 16, 2022 CAMPBELL RIVER, BC @ Tidemark Theatre

“Saw them last night… the best!!!! So much fun” – Josie B., November 16, 2022 CAMPBELL RIVER, BC @ Tidemark Theatre

“I saw the show on Tuesday at the Royal Theatre. Absolutely fantastic!! I loved every second of it!! Thank you for the opportunity to see such spectacular performers.” – Joanne P., November 15, 2022 VICTORIA, BC @ The Royal Theatre

“We enjoyed your show very much. Love those old songs! I haven’t sung so much in years. Thank you for coming to Victoria.” – Jim G., November 15, 2022 VICTORIA, BC @ The Royal Theatre

“What an incredibly fun evening. Lady on guitar – WOW. Tina Turner – what a performance. The costumes fabulous. Loved every second.” – Anne H., November 15, 2022 VICTORIA, BC @ The Royal Theatre

“Great show in Victoria! Lots of fun and great singing.” – Tracey M., November 15, 2022 VICTORIA, BC @ The Royal Theatre

“Congratulations Luisa and to the whole crew. I can watch it over and over again. Vocals were so extra ordinary and costumes were so colourful and beautiful.” – Leni S., November 8, 2022 OLIVER, BC @ Venables Theatre

“Awesome show! Loved it in Oliver. You are all so talented” – Lorayne G., November 8, 2022 OLIVER, BC @ Venables Theatre

“You guys rocked it last night thank you for an amazing show. Please come back again” – Laurie H., November 7, 2022 VERNON, BC @ Vernon Performing Arts Theatre

“We had such a great time, thanks for an amazing show” – Jess I., November 7, 2022 VERNON, BC @ Vernon Performing Arts Theatre

“It was an awesome show! Great singers and energetic. I encourage people to wear their ’50s and ’60s attire. The woman doing Tina Turner was awesome!!” – Wayne W., November 4, 2022 PENTICTON, BC @ Cleland Community Theatre

“Absolutely loved the show. Did not want it to end.” – Annette A., November 4, 2022 PENTICTON, BC @ Cleland Community Theatre

“Born and raised in Prince Rupert, I had to come out to see if Steve was still rocking the drums 48 years later and he sure is! Way to go Steve, fabulous show, very energetic, entertaining and lots of laughs. Keep rocking.” – Holly Z., November 4, 2022 PENTICTON, BC @ Cleland Community Theatre

“Just saw this show and loved it. They’re all amazing” – Penny G., November 4, 2022 PENTICTON, BC @ Cleland Community Theatre

“I want to tell anyone if this show comes your way don’t miss it. The music is fantastic and the singers awesome. Great performance all around” – Rita G., October 18, 2022 ST. ALBERT, AB @ Arden Theatre

“Saw it in CAMROSE. What a Funtastic Show” – Lucille R., October 19, 2022 CAMROSE, AB @ Jeanne & Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre

“The Relive The Music ’50s & ’60s Rock N Roll Touring Show in Calgary, Oct. 17th was awesome! What a blast! Great music and entertainment!!” – Steve H., October 17, 2022 CALGARY, AB @ Grey Eagle Event Centre

“Best show I have seen in a long time! Would definitely go again! Loved it” – Judy S., October 16, 2022 LLOYDMINSTER, AB/SK @ Vic Juba Community Theatre

“We sure enjoyed the show last night in Camrose! It was a fun show and lots of musical memories and singing along. Thanks for visiting our little city and we hope to see you back here sometime.” – Judy B. October 19, 2022 CAMROSE, AB @ Jeanne & Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre

“Show last nite was great. Zenia has an amazing voice as well as the rest of the cast members. Good luck on the rest of the tour. The show was well produced, a pleasure to watch and we enjoyed it immensely.” – Pat O. October 9, 2022 MOOSE JAW, SK @ Mae Wilson Theatre

“What a great performance, we enjoyed all the awesome music that we grew up with, so much talent!! Keep up the good work, no doubt the best two decades of music, you folks put a lot of effort into this production, making it so successful.” – Garry O.

“I was at the Saskatoon show this evening. It was absolutely fantastic. Thank you so much. You’ve no idea how your music and laughter touched my heart.” – Kathleen O., October 8, 2022 SASKATOON, SK @ TCU Place, Sid Buckwold Theatre

“It was a great show Friday night. Thank you for the memories, laughter and your energy.” – Karmarsch, October 7, 2022 REGINA, SK @ Conexus Arts Centre Theatre

“The show last night was groovy! Love the trivia. Cast are a lot of fun. Very glad we partook in this event.” – Karen M.

“The show was so good! Way better than I expected. Very talented and entertaining group of performers. Highly recommend to anyone who has an opportunity to see them.” – Sheron M.

“Saw this in Trail. It was an amazing night, so high energy and great singing. Highly recommend seeing it!!!” – Judy M., October 3, 2022 TRAIL, BC @ The Bailey Theatre

“It was terrific!!! The songs, the singing, the costumes, the choreography, and video info on the artists covered. So uplifting and happy making.” – Eileen T., October 3, 2022 TRAIL, BC @ The Bailey Theatre

“We really enjoyed it! All the performers were good, but the lead guitarist was awesome” – Karen B., September 25, 2022 CHILLIWACK, BC @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre

“I have to say that I never enjoyed a show as much as I enjoyed seeing Relive the 50’s and 60’s. The joy, enthusiasm, humour, color, boy oh boy, I could go on and on.” – George B., September 25, 2022 CHILLIWACK, BC @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre

“The 50’s & 60’s music show last night…I took my 82 year old mother (she’ll be 83 on the 29th) and she loved it…this is a woman who NEVER goes out socially, this was her first time at your venue… it was nice to dress up a little and enjoy time together…thank you for helping make a great memory for us, it was super special…” – Diane M., September 25, 2022 CHILLIWACK, BC @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre

“Just leaving and show was absolutely amazing!!!! Thank you so much for all the hard work that must have gone into it. LOVED IT” – Carol L., September 25, 2022 CHILLIWACK, BC @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre

“Fantastic show in Chilliwack tonight. So much energy. So much fun!” – Christina S., September 25, 2022 CHILLIWACK, BC @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre

“Best Rock N Roll show ever! Better than Las Vegas shows? Going to my 3rd performance in April. It’s a must if you grew up with this music, as I did. It’s a must for all age groups anyway so they can experience and appreciate how absolutely wonderful the music was back in those glorious days. Today’s indecipherable music doesn’t even compare. Don’t miss it!” – A. Goodman

“Saw the show last night and it is fantastic. Great singing, dancing and music. This was a very enjoyable night out. Couldn’t stop seat dancing or singing along with the music. If you get a chance to see this show, DO IT!” – K. Barden SURREY, BC @ Bell Performing Arts Centre

“It was an amazing concert with 13 of the hardest working musicians, singers and dancers I could ever imagine. It was the best 50 dollars I ever spent on entertainment.” – Audience Member, RTM Facebook Page

“Great show!” – Benny B., NEW WESTMINSTER, BC @ Massey Theatre

“That was such an awesome event! Definitely a “feel good” experience!” – R. Lucente VERNON, BC @ Vernon Performing Arts, Vernon, BC

“WOW it was fantastic. Hope they come this way again.” – Audience Member, RTM Facebook Page

“It was a fantastic show and the entertainers were outstanding! If you get a chance to see this show, I would highly recommend it!” – L. Palmer CAMPBELL RIVER, BC @ Tidemark Theatre

“Just saw in Vernon. Great music and presentation. Did the Twist sitting in our seats we could not be still!!!!” – Audience Member, RTM Facebook Page 

“What a great show! It was fun, charming, playful, informative, interactive, and entertaining! Loved it!” – T. Bender SURREY, BC @ Bell Performing Arts Centre

“This is such an awesome feel good show. They will have you rocking in your seats. A Great Musical Family.” – Audience Member, RTM Facebook 

“This show is awesome. Be sure to see this fantastic show!!! We danced in our seats ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!!” – Audience Member, RTM Facebook Page

“To say that I enjoyed the show is an understatement.” – Guy Beaulieu

“It was a great performance, enjoyed every minute. Brought back so many memories of our ‘youth’.” – C. Skelton MISSION, BC @ The ACT Theatre

“Seriously considering seeing u guys again. Great show.” – D. Lev MISSION, BC @ The ACT Theatre

“Went to see this in Mission last night. Had some doubts in light of past experience, but this was very good! Singers were excellent! As was the band! A GOOD EVENING ENTERTAINMENT!” – Audience Member, RTM Facebook Page

“Thank you for an awesome fun night taking back to the 50s. You were all amazing singers.” – D. Mills NEW WESTMINSTER, BC @ Massey Theatre

“Saw this show last night – it was fantastic. Recommend going to see.” – C. Stephenson NEW WESTMINSTER, BC @ Massey Theatre

“OMG what a great Show. Seen it last night. Excellent.” – J. Stephenson NEW WESTMINSTER, BC @ Massey Theatre

“Very impressive show which I highly recommend to everyone!!” – P. Pincott SURREY, BC @ Bell Performing Arts

“A fun travel back in time highlighted by powerfully intense performances.” – B. Mendez SURREY, BC @ Bell Performing Arts Centre

“Fabulous show, saw it tonight and loved it!!” – D. Coultas De Val NEW WESTMINSTER, BC @ Massey Theatre

“Saw this show tonight. It was so awesome. Could have watched it again. Such energy from the cast. Definitely worth seeing if you enjoy rock and roll. My great granddaughter loved it too. Thank you performers for such an amazing night of nostalgia.” – E. Grimes LANGLEY, BC @ Chief Sepass Theatre

“One of the best shows I’ve ever seen, including some Las Vegas shows. Loved every song. Saw it last Saturday in New Westminster, BC. Would love to see it again.” – A. Goodman NEW WESTMINSTER, BC @ The Massey Theatre

“We so enjoyed your show in Penticton. What an awesome group.” – H. Fransen PENTICTON, BC @ Cleland Community Theatre

“We were at the Penticton show last night… It was absolutely wonderful… so fun to listen to all our oldies…” – H. Lingel PENTICTON, BC @ Cleland Community Theatre

“Fun and enjoyable evening last night!” – E. Inglis PENTICTON, BC @ Cleland Community Theatre

“We attended your concert here in Penticton. It WAS beyond “AWESOME.” We definitely will go again if you ever come back. The best concert I’ve been to in years, thank you for a great evening.” – J. Knoll PENTICTON, BC @ Cleland Community Theatre

“Saw this show in Duncan a few days back… don’t second guess it peeps… it’s the real deal.” – J. Draude DUNCAN, BC @ Cowichan Performing Arts Centre

“These entertainers each and every one of them are excellent. They involve the audience and the trivia is very well done. Fabulous show. They even took the time out to wish my friend a happy 65th birthday. Needless to say, he was ver surprised at the way it was done. Thanks group. We will see them again if given the chance… a must see.” – Y. Day CHILLIWACK, BC @ HUB International Theatre, Chilliwack Cultural Centre

“Thank you for coming to Chilliwack. It was a truly amazing show. Loved, loved it. Hope it comes back.” – C CHILLIWACK, BC @ HUB International Theatre, Chilliwack Cultural Centre

“This show was the absolute best. Standing Ovation for sure. Not only the actual music, the performers themselves are special and caring. When they return to my hometown I will definitely be there.” – Y. Day NORTH VANCOUVER, BC @ Centennial Theatre

“Such a wonderful, high energy show!! Loved it! If you’re in Ladner go!!” – C. Ewens NORTH VANCOUVER, BC @ Centennial Theatre

“Loved, loved, loved the show last night in North Van! Such talented and humorous antics of the cast just made it so much fun. A comment from an elder, “they are so much younger than us yet they know the music so well!”. Shows the love you all have for what you do.” – D. Vickers NORTH VANCOUVER, BC @ Centennial Theatre

“A fun & entertaining evening of ’50s & ’60s music by some incredibly talented performers, including our very own Eli Williams as part of the troupe… was mesmerized by all the costume changes throughout the show, non-stop entertainment… will definitely be looking forward to this show in 2020.” – D. Berube-Blois NORTH VANCOUVER, BC @ Centennial Theatre

“Awesome show! Best show around. Makes you feel like dancing. I’d go again any day.” – Gilbert Sylvain NORTH VANCOUVER, BC @ Centennial Theatre

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Wildwoods ’50s, ’60s & ’70s Weekend

Join us for this fabulous weekend of fun, nostalgia and great music! Friday night, October 18, 2024, features a ’50s, ‘60s & ‘70s Dance Party at the Wildwoods Convention Center from 6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person. Saturday night, October 19, 2024, the concert in the Wildwoods Convention Center begins at 7 p.m. with doors open at 5 p.m. featuring Frankie Avalon, The Shirelles starring Beverly Lee, and The Lettermen. Tickets range from $54 – $89.50. Saturday Free Festival & Classic Car Show at Fox Park in Wildwood, NJ from 11:00am to 5:00 p.m.

Tickets for both the Dance Party and Concert are on sale NOW! Dance Party Tickets sold ONLY at the Greater Wildwood Chamber of Commerce (3306 Pacific Avenue, Wildwood), 609.729.4000 or at the door night of event. Saturday Night Concert Tickets available at Greater Wildwood Chamber of Commerce (3306 Pacific Avenue, Wildwood), 609.729.4000, ALL Ticketmaster locations and on TicketMaster.com Additional ticket sales will be at the Wildwoods Convention Center Box Office the weekend of the event. For more information call 609.729.4000 or gwcoc.org

10/18/2024 - 10/19/2024

609.729.4000

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‘Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’ Review: A Soulful Celebration of the Live-in-Concert Bruce, Past and Present

Together for 50 years, Bruce and his fabled band haven't lost their rock 'n' roll life force. But now they know what's waiting down the road.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

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When Bruce Springsteen stands onstage, staring out at the crowd, or with his head bowed, and cocks his guitar behind him, that pose is now as iconic as that of the young Abraham Lincoln holding an ax over his shoulder. It’s a mythic image of American nobility. In “ Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band ,” we follow Springsteen, in his first concerts since the pandemic, as he reconnects with his fabled band and they rehearse for six days and go out on a tour that will take them from the U.S. to Europe, from 2023 to 2024.

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Now that Springsteen and the E Street Band, the musical blood brothers he has played with for half a century, are in their golden years, the meaning of what they’re doing has changed. They still sound fantastic — crisp and tight and rockin’ and vibrant. Nothing about the E Street Band is weary or wobbly or slow; their sound is ageless. Yet the man fronting them has always had the desire to share the song of himself, and that means that Bruce now sings in a way that’s timeless but that also acknowledges time. There are moments when what he’s singing about is the darkness on the edge of death.

Now, when I hear that guitar solo in all its blistering fury, and watch Bruce screwing up his face to play it with maximum intensity, it sounds like what it is: a form that has faded from the center. Yet the solo seems to be saying that as long as Springsteen can take a guitar and make it sound like this , rock ‘n’ roll lives. This is music that erupts right past nostalgia.

“Road Diary” starts with Bruce getting the band back together, and I must say: They’re quite a mutual-admiration society (not that there’s anything wrong with that). They have a sense of drama about honing their sound back to midseason form that seems a tad overstated. True, they haven’t played together for six years. The film’s director, Thom Zimny (who co-directed, with Bruce, the intimate 2019 Springsteen performance documentary “Western Stars” ), interviews each of them, and when they talk about how sluggishly paced the songs are at first, we think, “Don’t worry about it. You’ll get up to speed.” There are now rock nostalgia tours in which the bands haven’t played together for 30 years. The E Street Band, even from the “rough” first rehearsals, sound like a spangly well-oiled machine, and they know these songs in their bones. And Bruce, if anything, has only gotten more polished and organized. He irons out a set list, of 25 songs, that add up to a story he’s telling — of the past and the present, of youth and age — that’s as meticulous in its meaning as a novel.

A music doc should certainly celebrate its subject. I’ve never seen one that didn’t. But in “Road Diary,” there’s a whole lot of effusive celebration going on. Bruce talks about how much he loves the band, and how great they all are, and how great the additional members are (the jazz/funk horn section, the soul choir, the percussionist Anthony Almonte), and they all talk about how much they love Bruce, and how miraculous it is that they can all be doing this after 50 years. I don’t doubt a word of it, but the 99-minute movie didn’t need to keep reminding us. Springsteen is too resonant and classy an artist to need a music doc about him to ever feel, in its positivity, like an infomercial, and this one occasionally does.

But you can forgive that. These guys (and girls, notably Springsteen’s wife of 33 years, Patty Scialfa, who reveals in the movie her diagnosis of early-stage multiple myeloma), have earned the right to salute their longevity and the bliss they bring out in each other. Their acknowledgment of the loss of band members Danny Federici and the great Clarence Clemons (who was replaced by his nephew, Jake Clemons, who does a good job but summons maybe half the sound that Clarence did) are stirring and sobering. (Onstage during the tour, Bruce sings the Commodores’ “Night Shift” as a tribute to them. It becomes one of the concert’s showstoppers.)

Reviewed at Toronto Film Festival (World premiere), Sept. 9, 2024. Running time: 99 MIN.

• Production: A Disney+ release of a Hulu production. Producers: Adrienne Gerard, Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen, Sean M. Stuart, Thom Zimny.
• Crew: Director: Thom Zimny. Screenplay: Bruce Springsteen. Camera: Justin Kane. Music: Bruce Springsteen.
• With: Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt, Patty Scialfa, Max Weinberg, Nils Lofgren, Garry Tallent, Roy Bittan, Jake Clemons, Sukin Lahav, Anthony Almonte.

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The 50s: A Decade of Music That Changed the World

By Robert Palmer

Robert Palmer

F or some of us, it began late at night: huddled under bedroom covers with our ears glued to a radio pulling in black voices charged with intense emotion and propelled by a wildly kinetic rhythm through the after-midnight static. Growing up in the white-bread America of the Fifties, we had never heard anything like it, but we reacted, or remember reacting, instantaneously and were converted. We were believers before we knew what it was that had so spectacularly ripped the dull, familiar fabric of our lives. We asked our friends, maybe an older brother or sister. We found out that they called it rock & roll. It was so much more vital and alive than any music we had ever heard before that it needed a new category: Rock & roll was much more than new music for us. It was an obsession, and a way of life.

For some of us, it began a little later, with our first glimpse of Elvis on the family television set. But for those of us growing up in the Fifties, it didn’t seem to matter how or where we first heard the music. Our reactions were remarkably uniform. Here, we knew, was a sonic cataclysm come bursting (apparently) out of nowhere, with the power to change our lives forever. Because it was obviously, inarguably our music. If we had any initial doubt about that, our parents’ horrified — or at best dismissive — reactions banished those doubts. Growing up in a world we were only beginning to understand, we had finally found something for us: for us together, for us alone.

But where did it come from? How did it get started? Thirty-five-odd years after rock & roll first burst upon us in all its glory, we still don’t have a simple, definitive answer to these questions. Of course, they are trick questions. Where you think rock & roll came from and how you think it grew depend on how you define rock & roll.

Fats Domino , the most amiable and pragmatic of the first-generation rock & roll stars, was asked about the music’s origins in a Fifties television interview. “Rock & roll is nothing but rhythm & blues,” he responded with characteristic candor, “and we’ve been playing it for years down in New Orleans.” This is a valid statement: All Fifties rockers, black and white, country born and city bred, were fundamentally influenced by R&B, the black popular music of the late Forties and early Fifties. R&B was a catchall rubric for the sound of everything from stomping Kansas City swing bands to New York street-corner vocal groups to scrappy Delta and Chicago blues bands. As far as Fats Domino was concerned, rock & roll was simply a new marketing strategy for the style of music he had been recording since 1949. But what about the rest of the Fifties rock front-runners?

When we get down to cases, we find that several of the most distinctive and influential rock & roll performers of the mid-Fifties were making music that could not, by any stretch of the imagination, be defined as a continuation of pre-1955 R&B. There was no clear precedent in R&B for an artist like Chuck Berry , who combined hillbilly, blues and swing-jazz influences in more or less equal measure and wrote songs about teenage life and culture that black and white teens found equally appealing. (Louis Jordan, the early idol of both Berry and Bill Haley, came closest, but his jump ‘n’ jive story songs were aimed as much at adults as teens, and any hillbilly flavor in his records was strictly a comedic device.) Certainly, mainstream popular music had never seen a performer whose vocal delivery, stage moves and seamless integration of influences as diverse as down-home blues, white Pentecostalism and hit-parade crooning remotely resembled Elvis Presley ‘s. And where, outside the wildest, most Dionysian black storefront churches, had anyone heard or seen anything like Little Richard?

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Sam Phillips, the rock & roll patriarch whose Sun label first recorded Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and other first-rate talents, has suggested that the true import of Fifties rock & roll had very little to do with musical content, let alone musical innovation. And it’s perfectly true that once you strip the music down and analyze it, riff by riff, lick by lick, you find a mélange of blues conceits, prewar big-band and Western swing, gospel and other existing vocabularies. For Phillips, rock & roll’s real significance was twofold.

First, it was the only form of popular music that specifically addressed and was tailored to teenagers — there had been adult records and kiddie records, but nothing for that burgeoning bulge of the baby-boom population caught between childhood and adulthood. Second, rock & roll enabled “marginal” Americans — poor white sharecroppers, black ghetto youths and, not coincidentally, storefront record-label operators in out-of-the-way places like Memphis — the opportunity to express themselves freely, not as purveyors of R&B and C&W, whose audiences were limited, but as a dominant force in the popular marketplace. Elvis was transformed from hick truck driver to idol of millions in less than a year. Suddenly, it seemed, the sky was the limit, if there was a limit at all.

The coming of rock & roll in the mid-Fifties was not merely a musical revolution but a social and generational upheaval of vast and unpredicatable scope. It also represented a major reversal in the business of popular music. There were no pre-rock & roll counterparts to Sam Phillips, who parlayed a tiny Memphis label with a staff of one into a company whose artists sold millions of records throughout the world. In record-business terms, rock & roll meant that small, formerly specialized labels like Sun, Chess and Specialty were invading the upper reaches of the pop charts, long the exclusive domain of the major corporate record labels and old-line Tin Pan Alley music-publishing interests.

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Concentrating on high-volume sales and bland, lowest-common-denominator pop disposables, the majors were caught napping by an unholy coalition of Southern renegade radio engineers (Phillips), Jewish immigrant merchants (the Chess brothers), black ex-swing-band musicians and raving hillbilly wild men. These were the “marginal” Americans who had been recording for specialized audiences since the majors had virtually ceded them that territory at the end of World War II. The ghetto-storefront, nickle-and-dime record operation of 1949-53 suddenly emerged an industry giant in 1955-56, accounting for many and often most of the records at the top of the pop charts.

The 50s: A Decade of Music That Changed the World , Page 1 of 3

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Q&a: pj harvey talks her first u.s. tour in seven years.

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BERGEN, NORWAY - JUNE 12: PJ Harvey performs on stage at Bergenfest 2024 on June 12, 2024 in Bergen, ... [+] Norway. (Photo by Per Ole Hagen/Redferns)

Alternative superstar PJ Harvey begins her first North American tour in seven years tonight in Washington, DC. The return of Harvey, the only artist ever to win both Britain’s Mercury Prize twice (for 2000’s Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea and 2011’s Let England Shake ), is a gift for all serious music fans.

As Harvey reminded all music connoisseurs last year with I Inside the Old Year Dying , inspired by her poetry book, Orlam , she remains just as adventurous and cerebral as when she first burst on the scene in 1992 with Dry .

One of the most daring and challenging artists in any form of music over the last 30 plus years, Harvey continues to push the envelope. On the eve of the tour I spoke with Harvey about returning to music, how her poetry infuses her music, why she admires Bjork, touring and more.

Steve Baltin: How has your relationship with music changed in the seven years between albums?

PJ Harvey: It was 2017 that I stepped away from music for a while. I'd been on tour for quite a long time, but also I think I'd been in the same pattern of write an album, record an album, go on tour for a very long time. At that time, I was edging towards being 50. I think quite naturally at that time in one's life many of us sort of step back and just take a look at your whole life today. I think you make the decision about, “Okay, do I want to just carry on doing the thing I've been doing? Or could I be doing something better with my life or something?” I needed to step away just to find that. So that's why I took some time off. For me personally, it was about trying to see if the joy that had driven me to want to express myself through music and words in the first place was still there and was just somehow buried by time and by slipping into a pattern of doing things, rather than spontaneously doing something for the absolute need and joy to do it. I just thought, “No, I want to see if actually I still want to do this.” Because if you don't want to, then you're not going to make good work and I didn't want to go down a path where I was making weaker and weaker work because my joy and passion wasn't in the work anymore. So I needed to step back and it did take a while but it did come forward and I re-found that joy and love of music and expression through words and singing. Being at this stage in my life, I feel like having been through that hiatus and coming out the other side knowing this is what I want to do, this is what I love. I've applied myself to it in a different way and maybe because of being older and realizing that okay maybe I'm entering the last third of my life, and I want to maximize the benefit. I find a lot of hope in my audiences in being able to share a moment in time with these people that I maybe haven't met before. Spending that moment in time in this space with them sharing music and emotion seems of profound importance to me and actually the stuff of life itself, really, because I think that when it comes down to it, the things that are of great worth are actually very simple. They're like showing kindness to somebody, or sharing a loving moment, or appreciating love in those small places, they're not big grand things but the tiniest moments. That's what I've come to appreciate and that's where I think I place my hope, actually, in an individual way. I always want to be hopeful that I can become a better person, a better friend, a better performer or one that touches people more and gives people something in the way that they do for me.

Baltin: What I love about poetry is that every word is so critical. Every word serves a purpose.

Harvey: I became more and more interested in poetry over the last 15 years or so. It started with Let England Shake . I knew that the words I was trying to write around war and England's relationship with wars were so difficult to get right, to get the balance right, and not sound like you're preaching to people or not sound like you're biased in one way or the other. I wanted to have a completely non-biased view, almost a childlike view, just to put in front of people to think about and make their own minds up about. I knew that was a very difficult thing to get right. Therefore, I started studying poetry and read a lot of First World War poets, read a lot of contemporary poets as well, and started taking poetry lessons then because, like you just said, every word counted and was a great import. Then that carried on. After that, I just was so enthralled by trying to become a better poet and learning about the craft that I continued my study, and still do to this day. I study under a Scottish poet called Don Paterson, who's been my mentor for the last 15 years or so now. I continue to learn but it carried on through the following album, which also became my first book of poetry, called The Hollow of The Han d. It was an album called The Hope Six Demolition Project . Then into the current work that we're coming to perform, but that's a book of poetry written in the Dorset dialect called Orlam . It became an album called I Inside The Old Year Dying . It's become a pattern that I work in. I've always wanted to improve as a songwriter, but I fell in love with poetry. Now I just try to improve at both. I think they're very different disciplines, poetry, as you said, every word counts. It can be very dense, it requires to have everything to make the atmosphere, the emotion, the story work on the page. All you've got is the page and the black ink and the shape that the ink makes on the page. But with song, the words can be much leaner, much more of a sketch because the music will fill out the rest of it, the music will fill out the emotion, the music will either undercut what you're saying, or improve upon it, or double it in its intensity. There's so much more that music takes care of with song, so the words can be a lot less dense.

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Baltin: If there's one poem you wish you had written, what is it and why?

Harvey: It's so hard, isn't it? To choose one when somebody asks you to. T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets , I have come back to that book so many times in my life. I probably read it first as a teenager, and didn't understand it, but knew it was having a big impact on me emotionally, but not quite understanding why. I've read it so many times throughout my life. Reading it heavily again now, and each time, it strikes me in a different way. That would be one. If only I could get anywhere near to writing a poem like that. Not that I ever will, but I say that one just because I'm listening to it and reading it aloud and listening to it and reading it for myself at the moment.

Baltin: Are there older songs that you are playing now on this tour that have completely changed meaning for you or that you appreciate now in a different way, the same way you appreciate TS Eliot differently every time you read it?

Harvey: I still enjoy playing some of the earlier songs like “50 Foot Queenie,” like “Dress,” but now being 30 years on since I wrote them. When I wrote them, I was a young woman. I can approach them in a different way now and enjoy them in a different way. I can enjoy them for the strong song that they were and are and yet don't have to fully inhabit that teenager that wrote them. That's how I come to those songs. Then there are other songs that I can fully inhabit at this stage of my life as I am now, and they're probably the more recent songs. I mean, certainly on this tour, we found that performing some of the songs like “Words That Maketh Murder” and “The Glorious Land,” have reached a different level of understanding, looking at what's happening now in the world as to when they were written. Songs and poems can take on different meanings according to the current time that you're in.

Baltin: Are there songs from I Inside the Old Year Dying that you were surprised by how people responded to them live?

Harvey: Yeah, a song like “Lwonesome Tonight” actually. I really wasn't sure how that one would go down because it's such a fragile song, it's so delicate, and I didn't know how that would come across. People seem transfixed when we perform that one, so that surprised me. A song like “All Souls,” which we'll be playing on this tour, which on the album relies so much on the atmosphere created by the recording, but again, does seem to work in a trance like kind of way live. We seem to be able to conjure the same spell that we did on the record, so that's also been a welcome surprise.

Baltin: Are there artists that you really admire for the work they did later in their career, and because they still have that passion?

Harvey: Probably the thing I admire most in other artists is their ability to keep pushing forward. You mentioned Bob Dylan, but I think Rough and Rowdy Ways , his last album, was lyrically one of the best he's ever done. It was just astonishing, the lyrics on that record. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to see an artist that far down the line in their career and in their wisdom, and they still come out with something new. I always admire Bjork for always pushing herself into new territory, you're never quite sure what's coming next. I love that about her as well.

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This list of the best songs of the 50s celebrates far-ranging sounds that changed music forever.

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The best songs of the 50s. It wasn’t easy to construct such a list, we’ll admit. And we must begin by saying that this list is not the definitive top 100 songs of the 50s. What we’re trying to do here, instead, is set you up with some incredible music from the 50s that you can use as a jumping off point to explore the decade further. That’s why we only included one song per artist in this list. (That way, we could squeeze as many artists into this as possible.) So, without further ado, enjoy the list!

Looking to explore some of our best songs of the 50s? Check out our playlist on Spotify .

101: The Four Aces – Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing

Commissioned for the 1955 film of the same name, this Four Aces song eventually won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It’s since gone on to become a pop culture touchstone, appearing in movies across the decades.

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“Wanted For Questioning” was the only single Bob Lee ever recorded with the Mike Moore Orchestra. It was released on the Dot label in 1957, with a swaggering, grooving drum beat and an infectious piano line that sounds pulled straight from a different era.

99: The Chords – Sh-Boom

Long before the term “one-hit wonder” had been coined, The Chords were known for their breakthrough smash “Sh-Boom” and…little else. The group never again reached the same heights, but this song’s outstanding impact is more than enough to solidify their legacy.

98: Ilunga Patrice, Misomba Victor and Friends – Mamwana Kufika Munda (My Love Is Upset)

“Mamwana Kufika Munda” was a powerful piece of rumba music, a tune that Ilunga Patrice, Misomba Victor, and friends recorded and were eventually remastered by Hugh Tracey. The song is the centerpiece of a Dust-to-Digital reissue in conjunction with the International Library of African Music.

97: Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry – Ain’t Got No Home

“Ain’t Got No Home” by Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry manages to simultaneously be one of the definitive songs of the blues era, and a kitschy, playful ballad of a bygone era. The first verse of the song is sung in Henry’s natural voice, the second in a falsetto, and the third in a frog’s voice.

96: Tony Bennett – Because of You

Long before Tony Bennett was celebrated as one of the defining voices of the 50s, he was a struggling singer. “Because of You” was his first major hit song, reaching No.1 on the Billboard charts and staying there for ten weeks. From humble beginnings, “Because of You” helped launch one of the biggest careers in music.

95: Johnny Burnette & The Rock’n’Roll Trio – Train Kept A-Rollin

Tiny Bradshaw created “Train Kept A-Rollin,” but Johnny Burnette and his group turned it into one of the best songs of the 50s. It’s widely cited as a rock and roll staple, plus Burnette’s innovative guitar work introduced distortion as a thrilling, intentional artistic choice.

94: Julie London – Cry Me A River

Long before Justin Timberlake was around, Julie London popularized the phrase “cry me a river” thanks to her hit of the same name. A performance of the song by London in the 1956 film The Girl Can’t Help It helped to make it a bestseller, though it likely was destined for 50s notoriety regardless.

93: Rodgers and Hammerstein – Shall We Dance?

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Shall We Dance?” is the rare show tune that appeals to both Broadway diehards and the casual music consumer. There’s just something about the playful yet tension-filled ambiguity in the track that appeals to confused lovers across the world.

92: Miklos Rozsa – Overture ( Ben Hur )

The melodic refrain of Miklos Rozsa’s “Overture” likely could have been a powerful music moment of the 50s on its own. But set alongside the film Ben Hur , the composition took on a new life, accompanying one of the best films of the classic Hollywood era.

91: Paul Anka – Diana

“Diana” is one of the biggest songs of the 50s, but songwriter Paul Anka’s visionary style spanned multiple eras of popular music, including multiple comebacks in later decades with songs like “(You’re) Having My Baby” and “Hold Me ‘Til the Morning Comes.”

90: Jean Bosco Mwenda – Masanga

Jean Bosco Mwenda’s “Masanga” showcases the renowned guitarist in full flight. His unique style of playing would make its way to just about every corner of sub-Saharan Africa.

89: Tito Puente – Ran Kan Kan

Tito Puente didn’t need vocals to create a hit. “Ran Kan Kan,” from his 50s smash hit album, Mamborama , features little aside from staggeringly innovative arrangements. The solos by members of his orchestra occasionally steal the show, but it’s Tito’s skills as a vibraharpist on “Ran Kan Kan,” that carries the tune.

88: Marius Constant – Twilight Zone Theme

French composer Marius Constant wrote the indelible parts of The Twilight Zone theme song for a song library the network was compiling for the show. When they put two of the strange pieces together, it became one of the most memorable TV theme songs ever, and an iconic bit of 50s music.

87: Bernard Herrmann – Scene D’Amour

Bernard Herrmann was one of the most important soundtrack composers ever, and Vertigo was among his greatest achievements. It was just one of the films that Herrmann worked on by iconic film director Alfred Hitchock.

86: Sonny Boy Williamson – Don’t Start Me To Talkin

When Trumpet Records folded, Sonny Boy Williamson was without a home. Checker Records gave him a flyer, and in his first studio session, Williamson churned out “Don’t Start Me To Talkin,” one of the best songs of the era. The song was a cultural force, a Chicago blues hit that helped define 50s music.

85: B.B. King – 3 O’Clock Blues

B.B. King ’s version of “3 O’Clock Blues” was one of the best-selling R&B songs of the 1950s, and proved to be the launching pad for his vaunted career. The tune was first popularized by Lowell Pulson in the previous decade.

84: The Diamonds – Little Darlin’

The Gladiolas and Elvis Presley both released staggering renditions of “Little Darlin’,” but it was The Diamonds’ version that became one of the best-remembered songs of the 50s. It’s one of the finest doo-wop songs ever recorded.

83: Lloyd Price – Personality

Lloyd Price’s “Personality” has obvious lasting power. Not only was it a hit upon its release in 1959, but it served as an integral moment in the 2011 film The Help . A result of the 50s R&B music craze, the song’s power remains to this day.

82: The Crests – 16 Candles

While this doo-wop 50s song didn’t directly inspire the film of the same name, we like to think that John Hughes’ 1984 classic took some ideas at the very least. The song gained a second life when Jerry Lee Lewis released a country rendition of the track in 1986.

81: Domenico Modugno – Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)

In 1959, at the 1st Annual Grammy Awards, Modugno’s recording of “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blue (Volare)” became the first-ever Grammy winner for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. The Italian singer, songwriter, and actor was considered the first true singer-songwriter from Italy.

80: The Monotones – The Book of Love

Whoever says commercials are bad for the brain has clearly never heard the story behind “The Book of Love.” Lead singer Charles Patrick heard a Pepsodent toothpaste commercial with the line “You’ll wonder where the yellow went/when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent,” which inspired him to come up with, “I wonder, wonder, wonder who, who wrote the book of love.”

79: Jackie Wilson – Lonely Teardrops

“Lonely Teardrops” was one of five songs that Jackie Wilson debuted between 1957-1958. This run turned Wilson into an R&B superstar, although odds are he probably would have gotten there thanks to “Lonely Teardrops” on its own.

78: Joe Cuba and His Orchestra – Joe Cuba’s Mambo

In this 1956 recording, Joe Cuba and His Orchestra managed to foreshadow a generation of raunchy, exhilarating tunes thanks to their triumphant and evocative performances of raw, unfiltered mambo. Apparently, the session was fueled by liquor and pizza. A greater musical lubricant has still yet to be discovered.

77: Marilyn Monroe – Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend

Diamonds as a subject in pop songs are perhaps as ubiquitous as the genre itself. But few sung of the shining finger accessories quite like Marilyn Monroe. Aside from her unfathomable celebrity, Monroe was a wonderful singer, which she proved on “Diamonds,” from the Howard Hawks film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes .

76: Dion & The Belmonts – A Teenager In Love

“A Teenager In Love” has some serious credentials as a great moment in 50s music. The song was covered in 1965 both by Bob Marley and the Wailers and by Lou Christie. It was performed by Simon & Garfunkel in 1970 in their final show as a recording duo at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in Queens. But the Dion & The Belmonts’ version remains the standard, a delightful song that helped bridge the gap between jazz and pop.

75: Tennessee Ernie Ford – Sixteen Tons

Merle Travis’ hit “Sixteen Tons” is about a coal miner, based on life in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. Its iconic line, “I can’t afford to die. I owe my soul to the company store,” became an emblem of worker solidarity in the hands of Tennessee Ernie Ford, who gave the song a unique empathy.

74: Franco & TPOK Jazz – On Entre OK, On Sort KO

In 1956, Franco and a band of five other musicians agreed to accept a regular, paid gig at the O.K. Bar in what is now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo. A few weeks later, needing a name for a contract, the band settled on OK Jazz, eventually releasing a brilliant rumba written by Franco that would become the band’s motto: “On Entre O.K., On Sort K.O.”

73: The Coasters – Searchin

Not “Yakety Yak”? Well, not only is “Searchin’” one of the best songs of the 50s, it’s also likely one of the first postmodern pop songs, citing law-enforcement figures from popular culture such as Sherlock Holmes, Charlie Chan, Joe Friday, Sam Spade, Boston Blackie, Bulldog Drummond, and the North-West Mounted Police (the Mounties).

72: Louis and Bebe Barron – Main Titles (Overture) – Forbidden Planet

Louis and Bebe Barron are innovative musicians, but their intuitive knack for earworm melodies was what made them special. They are credited with writing the first electronic music for magnetic tape, and the first entirely electronic film score for the MGM movie Forbidden Planet .

71: E.T. Mensah & The Tempos – Nkebo Baaya

E.T. Mensah’s original “Tempos” band was formed in 1946 as an impromptu group of European soldiers stationed in Accra. The group played a number of clubs in Accra, and Mensah slowly replaced the European members until it was an all-African band. The group grew huge across the continent, with “Nkebo Baaya” becoming one of the best songs of the era, earning them accolades in the States, including a performance with Louis Armstrong.

70: Bobby Freeman – Do You Want to Dance

It’s hard to beat the Beach Boys on the charts, but back in 1958, Freeman’s version of “Do You Want to Dance” reached No.2 on the charts, while the Boys’ cover version from 1972 (retitled as “Do You Wanna Dance?”) peaked at No.12. The song would go on to be covered by countless others over the years.

69: Patti Page – Tennessee Waltz

“Tennessee Waltz” was originally a B-Side, but it was too popular to be denied. Patti Page’s 50s hit song entered the Billboard pop charts and established a 30-week run that peaked at No.1 on the December 30, 1950 chart; the track would remain at No. 1 for a total of nine weeks.

68: Verna Felton – Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo

Verna Felton was one of Disney’s go-to voice actors, but she perhaps had her finest moment with Cinderella and “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,” which tells the famous story of the Fairy Godmother transforming an orange pumpkin into a white carriage. The song was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1951.

67: Mighty Sparrow – Short Little Shorts

Mighty Sparrow is a helluva good name to write songs under, but Sparrow’s birth name, Slinger Francisco, ain’t half bad either. The Trinidadian helped bring Calypso music to the United States, lacing his sweet, feel-good jams with raunchy lyrics and good-time vibes.

66: Danny and the Juniors – At The Hop

“At The Hop” was released in the fall of 1957 and reached No.1 on the US charts on January 6, 1958, becoming one of the top-selling singles of 1958. Aside from its early success, the song gained renewed interest after its inclusion in American Graffiti in 1973, a movie released when nostalgia for the 50s in the United States was at a peak.

65: Machito & His Orchestra – Asia Minor

Machito & His Orchestra’s Asia Minor was less a hit of the cha-cha craze than it was an early defining moment of the genre itself. The song, like the entire album, plays with a varied group of jazz and Latin orchestrations highlighted by Machito’s soothing, brilliant singing style.

64: Elizabeth Cotten – Freight Train

Elizabeth Cotten wrote “Freight Train” between 1906 and 1912. It was only first properly recorded and released in the 50s, though, with artists in the United States and the United Kingdom seeing chart success with their own versions.

63: Mongo Santamaria – Para Ti

The Cuban-born Mongo Santamaria had a massive impact on the music in the 50s, thanks to his innovative playing style, called Pachanga, which blended son montuno and merengue. “Para Ti” is his best song, a delightful tune built around a relentlessly powerful downbeat.

62: Shirley & Lee – Let The Good Times Roll

If you recorded an R&B or rock and roll song in the 1950s and needed a steady drum beat, odds are Earl Palmer was at the top of your list. The all-time session drummer lent his impeccable rhythm to Shirley & Lee’s upbeat, grooving rock-R&B hybrid.

61: Sheb Wooley – The Purple People Eater

Sometimes novelty songs transcend their nature and become defining hits. Sheb Wooley’s “ The Purple People Eater ” is one such tune. The premise of this classic 50s song came from a joke told by the child of a friend of Wooley’s. Sheb found such joy in the joke that he finished composing the song within an hour.

60: Cliff Richard – Move It

Funny how things work out: Cliff Richard’s “Move It” was slated to be the B-side to “Schoolboy Crush,” but was eventually put out as Richard’s debut single in the UK. It became his first hit record in a career full of them. The track is widely cited as one of the first rock and roll songs recorded outside of the United States.

59: Martin Denny – Quiet Village

Next time you’re on vacation, listen to the band playing at your resort…They may just be working on a defining song of the era. That’s precisely what happened with Martin Denny and his band in the 50s, who wrote the song while performing at a restaurant in Oahu, eventually incorporating the jungle sounds surrounding them into the recorded version.

58: Nina Simone – My Baby Just Cares For Me

It’s hard to believe that Nina Simone , one of the biggest stars of the 50s and every other era of American music, would ever need a renaissance, but “My Baby Just Cares For Me” gave her one. The song was a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom after it was used in a 1987 perfume commercial.

57: The Platters – Only You (And You Alone)

If at first, you don’t succeed, try again. It’s a cliche, but The Platters are proof. The group first recorded “Only You” for Federal Records on May 20, 1954, but the recording was not released. In 1955, after moving to Mercury Records, the band re-recorded the song and it became a major hit.

56: Howlin’ Wolf – Smokestack Lightnin

Despite its popular recording the in 50s, Howlin’ Wolf had performed “Smokestack Lightning” in one form or another during the early 1930s in small Mississippi Delta communities. The song was celebrated for its hypnotic one-chord drone, and Wolf’s unmistakable, well…howl.

55: Gene Kelly – Singin’ in the Rain

There’s a worthy debate as to whether Gene Kelly’s “Singin’ in the Rain” or the film Singin’ in the Rain is the most iconic cultural touchstone of the 50s. Each has a solid argument. The song, originally from The Hollywood Revue of 1929 , is symbiotically tied to the film, but it also stands on its own as a perfect soundtrack moment.

54: Tito Rodriguez & His Orchestra – Mambo Manila

Tito Rodriguez and Tito Puente had a respectful rivalry during their careers, and “Mambo Manila” is a perfect response to Puente’s sprawling instrumental arrangements. The track, taken from Mambo Madness , helped to usher in the mambo craze, one of the defining 50s music trends.

53: Johnny Mathis – Chances Are

Johnny Mathis’ “Chances Are” plays with a delicate piano line to highlight Mathis’ deep, gorgeous voice and dramatic telling of being unable to control his love for a woman. It’s an ode to rapturous devotion and the risk of heartbreak that accompanies life’s most exciting chance.

52: Johnny Cash – I Walk The Line

With an honorable mention to “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk The Line” takes the Johnny Cash spot here, not least because it rose to the No.1 spot on the charts, and eventually gained a second life after it was chosen as the name for the 2005 Cash biopic starring Joaquin Phoenix.

51: Harry Belafonte – Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)

“Day-O” is one of those songs that transcends its creator, its era, and its style. Sure, it was performed by Harry Belafonte, one of the biggest music stars of the 50s. And yes, it brought calypso music to American shores. But it’s also the sort of melody that exists outside of time and place. Its duration is eternal.

50: Les Paul & Mary Ford – How High the Moon

For a while there, Les Paul was more famous for his songwriting than for the iconic guitar named after him. That’s because he teamed up with Mary Ford, in the 50s, to create some of the best music of the era, including “Vaya Con Dios” and this one. “How High the Moon” spent nine weeks at No.1 on the Billboard charts.

49: Ricky Nelson – Poor Little Fool

Ricky Nelson turned “Poor Little Fool” into one of the best songs of the 50s, but it wouldn’t have existed without songwriter Sharon Sheeley. Sharon had met Elvis Presley, and he encouraged her to write, which resulted in “Poor Little Fool.” It was based on her disappointment following a short-lived relationship with Don Everly of The Everly Brothers.

48: Dinah Washington – Teach Me Tonight

Dinah Washington turned the jazz standard “Teach Me Tonight” into one of the best R&B songs of the 1950s. Her powerful voice gave the song a shimmering, tender feel, in turns subtly complex and monumentally anthemic.

47: The Champs – Tequila

The Champs’ 50s classic helped bring Cuban mambo beats to a wider audience, but the song’s playful, party-starting mentality has stood the test of time, making it one of the best songs of any era.

46: Hank Williams – Your Cheatin’ Heart

Getting over a cheating heart is never a fun time, but Hank Williams turned that ache into one of the best songs of the 50s. After describing his first wife Audrey Sheppard as a “Cheatin’ Heart,” he dictated the lyrics in minutes to Billie Jean Jones while road-tripping from Nashville to Shreveport, Louisiana.

45: Ray Charles – What’d I Say

R&B classic “What’d I Say” emerged from an unlikely jam session. The tune was improvised when Ray Charles , his orchestra, and backup singers had played their entire set list at a show and still had time left; the response from many audiences was so enthusiastic that Charles announced to his producer that he was going to record it.

44: The Five Satins – In the Still of the Night

“In the Still of the Night” outlived the 50s. The song was only a moderate hit when first released, but years later became known as one of the best-known doo-wop songs, recorded by artists such as Boyz II Men and Debbie Gibson. It is also featured in a number of movies, including The Buddy Holly Story , Dirty Dancing , and Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman .

43: Dean Martin – That’s Amore

“That’s Amore” first appeared in the soundtrack of the Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis comedy film The Caddy . The song allowed Martin, born Dino Crocetti, to lean into his Italian heritage, and has since gone on to be regarded as not just one of the best love songs of the 50s, but the 20th century.

42: Celia Cruz / La Sonoroa Matancera – Burundanga

“Burundanga” was Celia Cruz ’s first gold record in a career that saw her eventually become known as the “Queen of Salsa.” Cruz’s songs from the 50s, like this one, propelled her to international stardom.

41: Link Wray and his Ray Men – Rumble

Give your average artist all the words in the world, few could produce a song as cathartic and evocative as Link Wray’s instrumental classic, “Rumble.” The song utilized such heavy doses of distortion and feedback that it was the only instrumental ever banned from radio in the United States.

40: Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers – Why Do Fools Fall In Love

Frankie Lymon and the Teenager’s massive 50s hit “Why Do Fools Fall In Love” was almost about birds. The tune was originally called “Why Do Birds Sing So Gay?” The song’s title was eventually changed based on a recommendation from record label owner George Goldner.

39: Judy Garland – Come Rain or Come Shine

Even without the golden touch of Judy Garland, “Come Rain or Come Shine” was a landmark song in the 50s. The list of artists who performed versions is almost as long as this list. Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, and Bill Evans all took cracks at it, but few matched the charm and joy that Garland brought to the standard.

38: Roy Orbison – Ooby Dooby

Roy Orbison was so unsure of his career path that he enrolled in college after writing “Ooby Dooby.” The song ended up becoming a hit, and Orbison’s time at Odessa Junior College in Texas was short-lived. He made the right choice, becoming one of the seminal voices of both 50s rock and pop music.

37: Carl Perkins – Blue Suede Shoes

While Elvis Presley turned “Blue Suede Shoes” into a mega-hit, Carl Perkins’ original version was a breakthrough track in its own right, thanks in part to its unique sound. Today, it’s regarded as one of the first rockabilly songs in American history.

36: Elmore James – Dust My Broom

“Dust My Broom” changed the course of 50s blues in a number of ways. It featured an early use of a boogie rhythm pattern, which is seen as a major innovation in the genre, as well as a repeating triplets figure, which would go on to be adopted by many in the decades to follow.

35: Fats Domino – Blueberry Hill

Fats Domino ’s rollicking piano-led rock rendition of “Blueberry Hill” is one of the best songs of the 1950s, a standout tune in a discography full of hits. With a heavy drum groove and Domino’s deep, emotive voice, it reached No. 2 on the Billboard charts.

34: Big Bopper – Chantilly Lace

Big Bopper’s “Helllllllo Baaaaby!” may be one of the most memorable openings to any 50s pop song. “Chantilly Lace” was sadly one of the few hits for early rock ‘n’ roller, as he passed away in the same airplane crash that killed Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens in 1959.

33: The Flamingos – I Only Have Eyes For You

Originally released in 1934 for the film Dames , “I Only Have Eyes For You” became a hit thanks to the doo-wop sensibilities of 50s stars, The Flamingos. The group recorded a soulful version of the song in 1958, which remains the definitive version.

32: Muddy Waters – Mannish Boy

With “Mannish Boy,” Muddy Waters was both paying tribute and trying to one-up his peer, Bo Diddley. First recorded in 1955, “Mannish Boy” is an arrangement of and answer to Bo Diddley’s “I’m a Man,” a blues conversation between two legends calling back and forth from adjacent porches.

31: Bobby Darin – Mack The Knife

Bobby Darin never wanted “Mack The Knife” to be released as a single, but in 1959 it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It ended up taking home two Grammys, and earned an accolade from Frank Sinatra, who called it the definitive version of the song.

30: Big Joe Turner – Shake, Rattle & Roll

“Shake, Rattle & Roll” is one of those songs that ended up finding a home with a number of different artists. But while Bill Haley and Elvis Presley recorded it, Big Joe Turner’s version is the one that stands out, with his rambunctious vocals and record label executives Jerry Wexler and Ahmet Ertegun shouting the chorus.

29: The Drifters – There Goes My Baby

Shortly before The Drifters released “There Goes My Baby,” the group was in turmoil. The first single by the second incarnation of the group, it quickly became a hit with a stirring vocal by Ben E. King and an incredible string arrangement by Stan Applebaum.

28: Eddie Cochran – Summertime Blues

While rock music is rife with stories of in-fighting between managers and artists, Eddie Cochran and his manager, Jerry Capehart bucked the trend, teaming up to write the monumental 50s hit “Summertime Blues.” The rockabilly tune did well across genres, becoming a country hit in the hands of Alan Jackson.

27: Nat King Cole – Mona Lisa

Everything Nat King Cole touched turned to gold, but “Mona Lisa” was both a hit and a history-changing painting long before he gave the tune his own spin. But in Cole’s hands, the song became one of the best of the 50s, a charming and delightful big-band rendition of a standard.

26: The Penguins – Earth Angel

The Penguins had formed a year before releasing their seminal “Earth Angel,” recording the song as a demo in a South Central Los Angeles garage. From those humble beginnings, it took off, eventually selling 10 million copies.

25: Buddy Holly & The Crickets – That’ll Be The Day

Buddy Holly ’s 1957 hit with The Crickets broke through to the top of the charts, thanks to Holly’s swaggering introductory guitar lick and the rollicking swing provided by his backing band. With a jangling drum groove and enchanting backing vocals, the song became one of the definitive hits of the era.

24: Sam Cooke – You Send Me

Beginners’ luck certainly exists, but Sam Cooke quickly dispelled the notion after his debut single, “You Send Me,” reached No.1 on both Billboard’s Rhythm & Blues Records chart and the Billboard Hot 100. It’s some of the best music of the 50s, but Cooke’s discography proves that “You Send Me” was only the beginning.

23: Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – I Put A Spell On You

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins had originally intended to record “I Put a Spell on You” as a love ballad, but producer Arnold Maxin had other ideas. Armed with ribs, chicken, and a bunch of liquor, the group set out to record “I Put A Spell On You” and churned out the version we love today. Says Hawkins, “Before, I was just a normal blues singer. I was just Jay Hawkins. It all sort of just fell in place. I found out I could do more destroying a song and screaming it to death.”

22: Everly Brothers – Bye Bye Love

Like many of the artists here, choosing just one Everly Brothers tune feels difficult. “All I Have To Do Is Dream” was certainly in the running, but “Bye Bye Love” wasn’t just one of the catchiest songs of the 50s, it’s also historically important. The track was the first song Paul McCartney performed live on stage, with his brother Mike at a holiday camp in Filey, North Yorkshire.

21: João Gilberto – Chega de Saudade

João Gilberto ’s “Chega de Saudade” is one of the most important pieces of 50s music. It’s widely considered the first bossa nova song ever recorded, a standard Gilberto established and continued to innovate over his storied career.

20: Lonnie Donegan – Rock Island Line

While “Rock Island Line” has been tackled by everyone from the inmates of the Arkansas Cummins State Farm prison to Johnny Cash, it was Lonnie Donegan’s version that helped spur the skiffle storm. Donegan recorded his fast-tempo version of the track with Chris Barber’s Jazz Band. It was the first debut record to be certified gold in the UK.

19: Frank Sinatra – All The Way

Frank Sinatra ’s “All The Way” is one of dozens of Sinatra tunes that could end up on the list. He’s obviously a giant of 50s music. But there’s something about his rich timbre and the swelling strings on “All The Way” that could make even the coldest hearts melt. The woodwinds are faint but accent his voice with delicate grace.

18: Isley Brothers – Shout, Pts. 1 & 2

“Shout” is one of the biggest songs of any era, not just the 50s. Despite its giant footprints, the song emerged from modest beginnings, as an improvisational interlude after a set from the band, inspired by the audience’s rapturous applause.

17: Patsy Cline – Walkin’ After Midnight

Patsy Cline didn’t want to make “Walkin’ After Midnight,” but after a compromise with her label, she eventually recorded it. Luckily for us, the deal produced one of the best songs of the 50s. Cline’s vocal gave the song an edge that simply didn’t exist in most music from that era.

16: Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley

It’s not often that a beat gets named after a songwriter, but that’s exactly what happened with “ Bo Diddley .” The iconic rhythm, mimicked countless times afterward, is just one of the reasons that this is among the best songs of the 50s.

15: The Dave Brubeck Quartet – Take Five

“Take Five” is perhaps the most famous jazz standard in the history of American music. Dave Brubeck’s Quartet turned the Paul Desmond tune into a defining song of the 50s. Released in 1959, it actually became a surprise, massive hit in 1961, eventually becoming the best selling jazz song of all-time.

14: Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – Dream a Little Dream of Me

It’s hard to overstate the impact Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong coming together had on the course of 50s music. They were bigger than popular musicians, they were icons. Both individually and together, they created some of the best songs ever. “Dream a Little Dream of Me” is among their finest.

13: Ritchie Valens – La Bamba

Ritchie Valens took “La Bamba,” a Mexican folk song originally from the state of Veracruz, and turned it into an international hit. Valens was a pioneering figure in Mexican-American culture, introducing rhythms and melodies from Mexico’s deep-rooted traditions to an eager audience.

12: Wanda Jackson – Let’s Have A Party

Pioneering rock ‘n’ roller Wanda Jackson recorded “Let’s Have A Party” for her first album, Wanda Jackson , released in 1958. Two years later, the song was released as a single and entered the UK chart in September of that year. The song had a third life when her version was featured in the 1989 film Dead Poets Society .

11: Peggy Lee – Fever

“Fever” doesn’t have much to it, instrumentally. But with Peggy Lee ’s iconic vocal, it didn’t need it. The song was a commercial smash, but her smooth jazz delivery also endeared her to professional jazzers who appreciated her deft, brilliant touch.

10: Billie Holiday – Lady Sings The Blues

“Lady Sings The Blues” helped define the blues jazz crossover style of the 1950s. The song became such an anthem – almost becoming a metonym for Billie Holiday ’s impact – that the track became the title of the iconic 70s biopic on her life, starring Diana Ross.

09: Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats – Rocket 88

While the facts may be up for debate, many attest that this was the first-ever rock and roll song. Whether or not it was the first, it’s certainly one of the best songs of the 50s, with its rollicking vocal line and unimpeachably joyous instrumentation.

08: Gene Vincent – Be-Bop-A-Lula

The average person probably isn’t productive when laying up in a hospital recovering from a motorcycle accident. Then again, 50s music icon Gene Vincent isn’t the average person. “Be-Bop-A-Lula” originated in 1955, when Vincent was recuperating from a motorcycle accident at the US Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia. A happy(ish) accident.

07: Big Mama Thornton – Hound Dog

Big Mama Thornton helped usher the R&B era into rock ‘n’ roll territory, thanks to her electric vocals on “Hound Dog.” The song eventually landed in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame thanks to its outsized impact on American music in the 50s and beyond.

06: Jerry Lee Lewis – Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On

“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” or “Great Balls of Fire”? It’s impossible to pick just one Jerry Lee Lewis 50s song, but we’ll go for “Shakin’,” which was recorded at Lewis’s second recording session for Sun Records in early 1957. Lewis radically altered the original song, adding an electrifying boogie piano that turned the track into a hit.

05: James Brown – Please, Please, Please

According to the singer Etta James, James Brown and his group came up with the idea for “Please, Please, Please” because Brown “used to carry around an old tattered napkin with him, [on which] Little Richard had written the words, ‘please, please, please’ on it and James was determined to make a song out of it.”

04: Bill Haley and his Comets – Rock Around The Clock

A giant in 50s music, Bill Haley ’s “Rock Around the Clock” was first issued in May 1954 as a B-side. It was considered a commercial disappointment and a flop upon release, but in 1955 the track was used in the opening credits of the film Blackboard Jungle and it took off, eventually becoming one of the best-loved songs of the 50s.

03: Elvis Presley – Heartbreak Hotel

Despite his monumental stature in 50s music, Elvis Presley liked to take inspiration from stories he read in the newspaper or heard on the radio. “Heartbreak Hotel,” for instance, was inspired by a newspaper article about the suicide of a lonely man who jumped from a hotel window. With humanity and empathy, Elvis turned it into one of his most memorable songs.

02: Little Richard – Tutti Frutti

Almost everything in Little Richard ’s “Tutti Frutti” could have been described as absurd in the 1950s. With its wild refrain, consistently transcribed as “A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-lop-bam-boom!” (a verbal rendition of a drum pattern that Little Richard had imagined), the song is quite literally a rhythmic onomatopoeia.

01: Chuck Berry – Maybellene

Chuck Berry ‘s first hit, “Maybellene” is considered one of the most seminal rock and roll songs in history. In fact, Rolling Stone magazine once went so far as to say “rock & roll guitar starts here.”

Think we missed one of the best songs of the 50s? Let us know in the comments below.

June 3, 2023 at 12:08 am

You didn’t even get the best Chuck Berry song. “Johnny B. Goode” and “Roll Over Beethoven” are better.

June 7, 2023 at 11:52 pm

Louis Armstrong’s BLUEBERRY HILL was far superior to Fats’s and stayed longer the Canadian/US charts, Jim

Stephanie Anderson

June 11, 2023 at 4:11 pm

Louis Armstrong’s BLUEBERRY HILL was far superior to Fats’s and stayed longer the Canadian/US charts, Jim

June 29, 2023 at 7:10 pm

Elvis had no role in writing Heartbreak Hotel. He did receive a one-third share of the royalties in exchange for making it his first single on RCA.

July 18, 2023 at 6:20 am

Not too bad. Tequilla? Of course! Some you definitely missed were Bandstand Boogie, Jenny Lee, Walking With Mr. Lee, Beyond The Sea, Sleepwalk, Mack The Knife, Lonely Boy, Kansan City and others. Respectively: Les Elgart, Jan & Arnie, Lee Allen, Bobby Darin, Santo & Johnny, Bobby Darin, Paul Anka, Wilbert Harrison. Starting to roll now. Let’s give Darin one more. Dream Lover. Not to forget Canadian Sunset by Hugo Winterhalter.

July 22, 2023 at 6:53 pm

Excellent competition agreed, but any list that puts Diana, Paul Anka in the 90s is flawed. You admit it was one of the 50s most popular! To rub salt in the wound you omit Oh Carol by Sedaka 1959.

Jim Pettyjohn

September 20, 2023 at 9:03 pm

A song from the 50’s/early 0’s popped into my head the other night, but I can’t find it anywhere. The song is “How Strange”, I have no idea who performed it. YouTube comes up blank. Lyric: “How strange is the world without your love, my darling……..” Can anyone help?

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The Doo Wop Project

The doo wop project tour dates 2024 - 2025.

• Oct 4, 2024 - May 16, 2025
• 50s / 60s ERA

The Doo Wop Project recently planned a concert schedule performing at select cities in North America. As one of the most followed 50s / 60s Era live performers at the moment, The Doo Wop Project will eventually be appearing on stage once again for fans. Take a look at the lineup below and locate an event to attend. From there, you can take a look at the concert details, say you're going through Facebook and take a look at a inventory of concert tickets. If you won't be able to get to any of the current concerts, sign up for our Concert Tracker to get notified as soon as The Doo Wop Project shows are released in your town. The Doo Wop Project may reveal extra North American events, so come back often for more updates.

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The Doo Wop Project: Merry Christmas! From The Doo Wop Project

• Doo Wop Christmas
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The Doo Wop Project: The Doo Wop Project

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The Doo Wop Project: The Doo Wop Project Live Concert Event

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Frankie Beverly, Frontman of the Soul Group Maze, Is Dead at 77

A consistent hitmaker on the R&B charts for almost 50 years, he had announced just this year that he would be retiring.

By Derrick Bryson Taylor and Richard Sandomir

Frankie Beverly, the lead singer and songwriter of the soul and funk band Maze, whose songs, including “Golden Time of Day,” “Joy and Pain” and “ Happy Feelin’s,” provided the soundtrack to countless summer cookouts and family reunions for more than five decades, died on Tuesday. He was 77.

His death was announced in a statement by his family on his Instagram account . The statement did not say where he died or cite a cause.

“He lived his life with pure soul, as one would say, and for us, no one did it better,” the statement said. “He lived for his music, family and friends.”

Mr. Beverly had announced a farewell tour this year with a handful of dates. He had said that he would retire after going on the road one last time.

“Thank you so much for the support given to me for over 50 years as I pass on the lead vocalist torch to Tony Lindsay,” Mr. Beverly said in a statement to Billboard at the time. “The band will continue on as Maze Honoring Frankie Beverly. It’s been a great ride through the decades. Let the music of my legacy continue.”

With his smooth baritone, Mr. Beverly led Maze to success on the R&B charts and Black radio. But the band did not have a lot of crossover pop success.

“Frankie Beverly may be the biggest R&B star you never heard of,” J.D. Considine, the Baltimore Sun music critic, wrote in 1994.

That did not seem to bother him much.

“Yeah, I wish more people did know who I was,” he told Mr. Considine, “but if it’s at the expense of me giving up this thing we have, then I just have to wait until they find out. ’Cause whatever we have, whatever this thing is that we seem to have a part of, it’s a cult kind of thing.”

It would be difficult to count the number of artists who have cited Mr. Beverly’s music as inspiration or sampled from his ever-expanding playbook of infectious melodies and harmonies. Many have covered his work, some with more fanfare than others. His 1978 song “I Need You” was sampled in “Hustler’s Ambition” by 50 Cent, “Talk to Em” by Young Jeezy and “I Need U” by Lil Boosie and Webbie.

And Mr. Beverly’s song “Before I Let Go,” though not a big hit, was covered by Beyoncé on her live album “Homecoming” in 2019. In the New York Times podcast “Still Processing,” with Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham, the song was described in 2021 as having “a unique ability to gather and galvanize,” becoming “a unifying Black anthem and an unfailing source of joy.”

Howard Stanley Beverly was born on Dec. 6, 1946, in Philadelphia. His father was a truck driver, and his mother ran the household.

He was influenced as a child by the music he heard in church, by R&B singers like Sam Cooke and Lloyd Price, and by the doo-wop group Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.

“I was so blown away by Frankie that I changed my own name — my birth name is Howard!” he was quoted as saying in an online biography . “But after I heard Frankie and the guys, I was totally bitten.”

As a 12-year-old, he said, he toured the East Coast for about a year with the Silhouettes (who had a No. 1 hit with “Get a Job” in 1958) after they heard he could sing like Mr. Lymon. He then formed a few doo-wop groups of his own and recorded for one of the early record labels of the songwriter and producer Kenneth Gamble — who, with his partner, Leon Huff, would help create the sound known as Philly Soul.

Mr. Beverly transformed his group Butlers from a traditional vocal harmony ensemble into Raw Soul, which bore the influence of Sly and the Family Stone’s adventurous fusion of soul, rock and funk.

He and the other members of Raw Soul moved to San Francisco in 1972, but they initially had trouble finding success.

“We were going through hell,” Mr. Beverly told The St. Louis Post-Dispatch n 1978. “San Francisco was no Disneyland. It was real, with real hurts and heartaches. We didn’t have any bread and we were out in the street.”

They did manage to get booked at a few small clubs; at one of them, Marvin Gaye’s sister-in-law saw them perform and alerted Mr. Gaye to their talent. He took them out on tour in 1976 as an opening act and helped them get a deal with Capitol Records.

“He loved me like a little brother,” Mr. Beverly said of Mr. Gaye in the online biography, “and certainly working with him helped bring our demos back to life.”

Raw Soul changed its name before its first album, “Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly,” was released in 1977. It was the first of nine albums by the group to be certified gold, including the two-disc “Anthology” (1996).

Information about survivors was not immediately available.

In 2009, when they closed the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans for the 15th straight year, Ben Ratliff of The Times described the experience of listening to Maze:

“The band’s shows are rehearsed rituals, working up to a rare and special audience feeling: deep, sentient serenity, not the usual kind of lose-yourself pop catharsis. It’s done by repetitive funk in slow to medium tempos, without a lot of instrumental flexing; moderation is everywhere.”

As for Mr. Beverly, he added: “His voice was half-scorched, and some of the usual traces of Donny Hathaway and Sam Cooke weren’t coming through. But he managed by keeping it in the middle register and by adding small vocal gestures to the rhythm cycles — percussive uh-uhs and dibba-dibbas, gospel grunts.

“His lyrics are about joy and desire, but he works realism, as well as a horror of hurting anyone, into his euphoria.”

Derrick Bryson Taylor covers breaking and trending news and is based in London. More about Derrick Bryson Taylor

Richard Sandomir, an obituaries reporter, has been writing for The Times for more than three decades. More about Richard Sandomir

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MJ Lenderman joins rock and roll’s lineage of heartbreak kids

MJ Lenderman's fifth solo album, Manning Fireworks , finds inspiration in The Band and the Drive-By Truckers. Charlie Boss/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

This essay first appeared in the NPR Music newsletter.  Sign up  for early access to articles like this one, Tiny Desk exclusives, listening recommendations and more.

Can you remember the worst place where someone broke up with you? I think mine was my own San Francisco flat, during a New Year’s Eve party I was throwing — there I stood, stranded at midnight, nursing my plastic cup of André. Maybe your painful dumping happened at a show by your favorite band, or in the hallway outside an important class or meeting, or at a fancy restaurant before the second course came. These days, most breakups seem to unfold virtually; I’m not sure if this is a merciful development. A devastating text message allows for better camouflage when the tears well up. But it’s a closed casket. Facing reality can be harder when those ruinous words aren’t delivered directly from the mouth you will never kiss again.

MJ Lenderman , the North Carolina-based indie-rock bard who has just released his fifth solo album, Manning Fireworks , locates its most poignant moment of heartbreak in a perfectly pedestrian location. I’m reading “You Don’t Know the Shape I’m In” as a breakup song, though its wry poeticism fogs up the narrative a bit; the album abounds with stories of people who can’t maintain connections, and this one stands out as particularly tender, a love song sung after the reason for its existence has petered out. “We sat under a half-mast McDonald’s flag,” Lenderman sings in his crackly tenor as Shane McCord plays some mournfully deflating clarinet lines. “Broken birds tumble past my window.” Parking lot birds, the grimiest, most depressing kind.

As always, the perspective in this song is as fractured as the imagery; it’s unclear whether he’s doing the dumping, or if the partner from whom he’s drifted is the active party, or if he’s imagining the heartache of a friend. The scene feels as real as a tumble of mixed-up emotions, but that little dash of gritty realism — the fast-food emblem serving as a witness — turns out to be borrowed from a meme: Images of lowered flags at the fast-food giant’s franchises have been reposted on social media to signify everything from the death of a dignitary to a broken ice-cream machine . That’s Lenderman’s style: He’s a homespun magical realist, always throwing in something off-kilter to elevate his tales of lovable losers.

“You Don’t Know the Shape I’m In” is one of the quieter moments on Manning Fireworks , and possibly one of the more personal ones. Lenderman eschews straight-up confessional writing, but he and his ex (and — more people should be saying it — major songwriting influence) Karly Hartzman, both members of the beloved Asheville band Wednesday , severed their romantic bond during a grueling year as both the band’s and Lenderman’s solo star were on the rise. The sweet thing about this ballad, surrounded by other songs about emotional failure from the edgelord-eviscerating “Wristwatch” to the road-dog insomniac ramble “On My Knees,” is the way it forgives its wayward protagonists. Though someone punches a wall in the third verse, the song concludes in a disorganized flurry of woodwinds that scatters away any blame. The song itself heals the wound. “Clarinet singin’ its lonesome duckwalk,” Lenderman intones. “What else can you say to a friend with a broken heart?” Hartzman’s singing harmony.

Comparing Lenderman’s account of a deflating dream with its clear inspiration, The Band ’s 1970 stomper “ The Shape I’m In ,” exposes a multi-generational shift in rock’s prevalent attitudes. Robbie Robertson ’s portrait of a rogue in distress is a standout track on the Canadian American ensemble’s third album, Stage Fright , released at the height of its stardom and colored by the troubles a rise like theirs (and, though things are different these days, Lenderman’s) can bring. After its Dylan -assisted debut Music from Big Pink and even more popular self-titled second album, the group was prospering financially and artistically, but heroin had infiltrated its ranks, with keyboardist Richard Manuel and bassist Rick Danko struggling particularly hard. The cleaner-living Robertson wrote “Shape” as a vehicle for Manuel, eerily predicting his bandmate’s eventual breakdown. (Manuel died by suicide in 1986.)

Musically, the song is wildly uptempo in The Band’s signature disassembling way, a manic episode fed by swagger and desperation. The song’s narrator preaches and proclaims and frantically calls for the woman who’s left him, screaming out words of advice and supplication that culminate in a lost soul’s cry for justice: “Now here I am back on the street for the crime of having nowhere to go!” Manuel howls as Levon Helm ’s drums beat a quick path toward Garth Hudson’s churchy keyboards. Listening to it for the thousandth time, I suddenly realized its relationship to Otis Redding ’s classic “ (Sittin’ On the) Dock of the Bay ” — “I can’t do what 10 people tell me to do,” Redding declared in that missive from the end of the line, the triumph in his voice a last gasp in the face of defeat. He was trying to tell us the shape he was in, but in the end, he could only whistle.

After much searching, we found the perfect spot right outside their window. Or did it find us? Levon and Rick's yard. Woodstock, NY, '68 Elliott Landy/LandyVision, Inc hide caption

After much searching, we found the perfect spot right outside their window. Or did it find us? Levon and Rick's yard. Woodstock, NY, '68

Music Features

50 years on, the band's 'music from big pink' haunts us still.

In “Dock of the Bay,” Redding is on his knees. Except for that rousing moment in the bridge, he’s not a menace to anyone but himself. The voice in “The Shape I’m In,” on the other hand, could wreak havoc — there’s a masculine power behind his disorganized fury that’s compelling and frightening. Lenderman imagines a guy like that in the title track of Manning Fireworks , the kind of marginal character whom people want around because he’s risky and adventurous; but the 25-year-old songwriter knows enough to issue a warning about him. "You was once a baby and now a jerk," he sings over a Hudson-style organ swell. “Standing close to the pyre, manning fireworks.” Lenderman knows that wild men like that can’t be trusted near explosives, including explosive emotions.

That’s the difference between Manning Fireworks and Stage Fright , though they remain spiritually intertwined. Robertson’s songwriting always incorporates grandeur: biblical references; evocations of a mythic, weird America; the healing potential of carnival and catharsis. In “The Shape I’m In,” he’s expressing serious doubts about his bandmate’s downward spiral, but he still turns it into a hero’s journey. Lenderman doesn’t really like heroes; even at his most imaginative, he exudes a certain modesty, and his characters stumble most drastically when they’re emboldened enough to overstep. (Consider the D.U.I.-injured seminarian flirting with the nurse caring for his wound “ ‘til it burns” in the pathetic Christmas carol “Rudolph.”) This stance is personal — rooted, he’s said, in his own Catholic shame and his education at the hands of Southern naturalists like the late fiction writer Larry Brown and Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley of the Drive-By Truckers . But I think it’s also very indie rock.

The shift in attitude that began with indie titans like The Replacements ’ Paul Westerberg , who famously wrote , “God, what a mess, on the ladder of success / when you take one step and miss the whole first rung,” made rock less heroic — there was less to live up to within its mythologies, and a wider array of people were able to take them on. Women, in particular, started carving out a larger role within regional scenes and making a bigger mark globally. As much as Manning Fireworks recalls The Band and its West Coast counterpart, Neil Young ’s Crazy Horse, Lenderman is unmistakably a scion of that less grandiose, more self-conscious era — Hood and Cooley learned much of their art from Westerberg and his peers.

Wednesday performs a Tiny Desk concert. Michael Zamora/NPR/NPR hide caption

Wednesday performs a Tiny Desk concert.

Wednesday: Tiny Desk Concert

In Wednesday, Hartzman expands on rock and roll’s glorious loser stories with a strong awareness of class and gender; her songs are rich portraits of (chosen or inherited) families and communities, often damaged but surviving by the skin of their teeth: The kids who witness all kinds of mischief in the band’s “ Quarry ,” for example, ultimately conclude, “we had to add it to the tab.” The songs on Manning Fireworks are more narrowly focused, but they do make room for points of view like Hartzman’s. It strikes me as almost unbearably tender that his “You Don’t Know The Shape I’m In” doesn’t name a wrongdoer in its unraveled romance. Even if the lyrics have nothing to do with his and Hartzman’s own experience, as a songwriter, Lenderman keeps the “she said” side of the story in view as he tells his (narrator’s) own. That’s something Robertson didn’t do in “The Shape I’m In”; the woman is absent, part of the hopelessness at the heart of the song’s crisis.

Maybe the more modest, less alpha attitude Lenderman projects isn’t generational. Robertson could write painfully tender heartbreak ballads: Witness “ It Makes No Difference ” from 1975, maybe The Band’s most nakedly emotional moment. But the modesty this new rock hope projects inspires me; it leaves different doors open. As Lenderman sings in “She’s Leaving You,” another song about heartbreak and the dumb behavior that can cause it, “we’ve all got work to do.”

• MJ Lenderman

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Alexis Papalia is a TribLive staff writer. She can be reached at [email protected].

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Sixties Gold

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Past Events

Here are the most recent UK tour dates we had listed for Sixties Gold. Were you there?

October 2023

• Fri 20 Oct Blackpool Winter Gardens Sixties Gold
• Sat 14 Oct Darlington Hippodrome Sixties Gold

November 2022

• Sat 19 Nov Newcastle upon Tyne, O2 City Hall Newcastle Sixties Gold
• Fri 18 Nov Blackpool Winter Gardens Sixties Gold
• Sat 12 Nov Chesterfield, Winding Wheel Theatre Sixties Gold
• Fri 11 Nov Darlington Hippodrome Sixties Gold
• Wed 2 Nov Eastbourne, Congress Theatre Sixties Gold

October 2022

• Sun 30 Oct Leeds Grand Theatre Sixties Gold
• Wed 26 Oct London, New Wimbledon Theatre Sixties Gold
• Fri 21 Oct Peterborough New Theatre Sixties Gold
• Wed 12 Oct Cardiff, St David's Hall Sixties Gold The Tremeloes, Hermans Hermits, Spencer James, Gerry's Pacemakers…

November 2021

• Mon 22 Nov Aberdeen Music Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sun 21 Nov Inverness, Eden Court Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sat 20 Nov Dundee, Caird Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Fri 19 Nov Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Wed 17 Nov Gateshead, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Tue 16 Nov Musselburgh, The Brunton Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sat 13 Nov Blackpool Winter Gardens Sixties Gold The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Fri 12 Nov Leicester, De Montfort Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Thu 11 Nov Southend-on-Sea, Cliffs Pavilion Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Wed 10 Nov Aylesbury Waterside Theatre Sixties Gold
• Sun 7 Nov Dartford, Orchard Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sat 6 Nov Basingstoke, The Anvil Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Mon 1 Nov Birmingham, Symphony Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…

October 2021

• Sun 31 Oct Leeds Grand Theatre Sixties Gold
• Sat 30 Oct Doncaster, The Dome Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Fri 29 Oct Ipswich, Regent Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Wed 27 Oct Llandudno, Venue Cymru Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sun 24 Oct Manchester, Bridgewater Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sat 23 Oct Peterborough New Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Fri 22 Oct Cardiff, St David's Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Wed 20 Oct Cheltenham Town Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Tue 19 Oct Plymouth Pavilions Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sun 17 Oct Southampton, Mayflower Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sat 16 Oct Chesterfield, Winding Wheel Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Fri 15 Oct Stevenage, Gordon Craig Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Thu 14 Oct Cambridge Corn Exchange Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Wed 13 Oct Darlington Hippodrome Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sun 10 Oct Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sat 9 Oct Margate Winter Gardens Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Wed 6 Oct Guildford, G Live Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sun 3 Oct London, New Wimbledon Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sat 2 Oct Northampton, Royal & Derngate Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…

September 2021

• Sun 12 Sep Norwich, Theatre Royal Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sat 11 Sep Eastbourne, Congress Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sun 20 Jun Norwich, Theatre Royal Sixties Gold Tour 2021 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…

November 2020

• Sun 22 Nov London, New Wimbledon Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sat 21 Nov The Great Hall, Exeter Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Fri 20 Nov Margate Winter Gardens Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Thu 19 Nov Northampton, Royal & Derngate Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Wed 18 Nov Southend-on-Sea, Cliffs Pavilion Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Tue 17 Nov Eastbourne, Congress Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sun 15 Nov Birmingham, Symphony Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sat 14 Nov Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Thu 12 Nov Cheltenham Town Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Wed 11 Nov Southampton, Mayflower Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sun 8 Nov Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sat 7 Nov Dundee, Caird Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Fri 6 Nov Aberdeen Music Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Thu 5 Nov Musselburgh, The Brunton Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Wed 4 Nov Gateshead, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sun 1 Nov Leeds Grand Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…

October 2020

• Sat 31 Oct Doncaster, The Dome Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Fri 30 Oct Dartford, Orchard Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Thu 29 Oct Manchester, Bridgewater Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Wed 28 Oct Bath, The Forum Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sun 25 Oct Norwich, Theatre Royal Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sat 24 Oct Cardiff, St David's Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Fri 23 Oct Leicester, De Montfort Hall Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Wed 21 Oct Cambridge Corn Exchange Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Tue 20 Oct Llandudno, Venue Cymru Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sat 17 Oct St. Albans, The Alban Arena Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Fri 16 Oct Stevenage, Gordon Craig Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Thu 15 Oct Blackpool Winter Gardens Sixties Gold, The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade, Steve Ellis, Dave Berry, Mamas & Papas UK, Gerry's Pacemakers …
• Wed 14 Oct Darlington Hippodrome Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Tue 13 Oct Chesterfield, Winding Wheel Theatre Sixties Gold Tour 2020 The Tremeloes, The Merseybeats, Hermans Hermits, Marmalade…
• Sat 10 Oct Peterborough New Theatre Sixties Gold

December 2019

• Sun 15 Dec Leeds Grand Theatre Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …

November 2019

• Sat 30 Nov Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Fri 29 Nov Manchester, Bridgewater Hall Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Thu 28 Nov Stoke-on-Trent, Victoria Hall Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Wed 27 Nov Northampton, Royal & Derngate Theatre Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Tue 26 Nov Eastbourne, Congress Theatre Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Sun 24 Nov Birmingham, Symphony Hall Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Sat 23 Nov Llandudno, Venue Cymru Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Fri 22 Nov Doncaster, The Dome Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Thu 21 Nov Chesterfield, Winding Wheel Theatre Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Wed 20 Nov Hull City Hall Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Sun 17 Nov Ipswich, Regent Theatre Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Fri 15 Nov Margate Winter Gardens Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Thu 14 Nov Portsmouth Guildhall Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Sun 10 Nov Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Sat 9 Nov Musselburgh, The Brunton Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, The Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Fri 8 Nov Aberdeen Music Hall Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Thu 7 Nov Perth Theatre & Concert Hall Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Wed 6 Nov Gateshead, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Sun 3 Nov Darlington Hippodrome Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Sat 2 Nov Blackpool Winter Gardens Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …
• Fri 1 Nov Leicester, De Montfort Hall Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …

October 2019

• Wed 30 Oct Norwich, Theatre Royal Sixties Gold, Hermans Hermits, The Merseybeats, Wayne Fontana, Marmalade, Steve Ellis …