Tony Butala of The Lettermen noted that each year the show gets better with more groups represented than the last. Butala, who is founder of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation (VGHF), also pointed out that the organization itself is gaining wider recognition as well, with requests from other cities considering annexes and induction ceremonies. Butala and President/CEO, Bob Crosby, along with the board of directors, have voted to keep headquarters and a museum in Sharon, Pennsylvania, but have agreed to consider annexing the museum to other cities. Wildwood, New Jersey was the first tourist destination to begin negotiating with the Foundation and plans are underway to establish an annex in Las Vegas as well.
Crosby noted that the list of inductees and performers, reads like a Whos Who in American Music.
Festivities will get underway at the Reception Dinner on Tuesday, July 5, at 7 p.m. The evenings entertainment will include Harold Jacksons Ink Spots, Harvey Fuqua and The Moonglows, The Dixie Hummingbirds, The Clovers, The Modernaires, The Chantels and Sonny Tils legendary Orioles. The show includes dinner with the inductees.
On Wednesday, July 6, at 11 a.m. the Induction Ceremony Show will feature The Cadillacs, The Original Tokens, The Diamonds, The Jordanaires, Tribute to the Crests by former founding member J.T. Carter, Russell Thompkins Jr. Former Lead Singer of The Stylistics and The Marvelettes. The 7 p.m. concert on Wednesday evening, will feature entertainment provided by Danny & The Juniors, The Skyliners, The Lettermen and "Girl Power performances by Mary Wilson of The Supremes, Florence LaRue of The 5th Dimension, Arlene Smith of The Chantels and Nedra Talley Ross of The Ronettes. Martha & The Vandellas,
Audiences will also be able to see performances by Sonny Turner and Herb Reed original members of The Platters, Carl Gardner original member of The Coasters, and Charlie Thomas, Bill Pinkney and Ben E. King original members of The Drifters, all together on stage for an historic concert performance of their hit songs during the Thursday, July 7, concert at 7 p.m. Other illustrious performers on this show include The OJays, Charles Calello of The Four Seasons, Jimmy Merchant of The Teenagers, Jim Freeman of The Five Satins, Terry Johnsons of The Flamingos, The Impressions, The Association and Al Jardine Founding member of The Beach Boys.
There will be surprise guest performances at all of the shows.
These are the artists that made our pop music culture. Crosby said. The concerts will definitely be once-in-a-lifetime events.
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame, founded in 1997, is a non-profit 501(c)3 foundation created to honor the greatest vocal groups of the world, to preserve their legacies at a world-class museum, to promote their music and memories throughout the world and to pay tribute to the inductees as National Music Treasures.
"This has been a dream of mine for a long time," said Tony Butala of The Lettermen. "In 1963, I was working in Las Vegas with George Burns and we were having dinner after the show when I recognized our bus boy who was the lead singer of a vocal group that had had a top-ten hit three years earlier." Butala said that he decided then to do whatever he could to keep people such as that young man from being forgotten. Thus, the concept of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame was born, and with the help of many dedicated people, is now a reality."
The Foundation closed its two East State Street buildings in Sharon, Pennsylvania in November 2004. The remodeled offices at the Columbia Theatre at 82 West State Street are near completion. The Foundation owns the theatre, but extensive renovations are needed before it can be reopened as a performance hall or museum. We have had several offers to move the entire VGHF operation to other cities, Crosby said. But we have chosen to keep the headquarters in Pennsylvania with annexes in other parts of the country.
For additional and ticket information, contact Bob Crosby at 724-983-2025 or Crosby@vghf.org and at 1-800-736-1420 or www.wildwoodsnj.com
Internet visitors can also take a virtual tour of the Columbia Theatre and the VGHF Museum at the Foundations website at: www.vghf.org
Tuesday, July 5
Reception Dinner: 7 p.m.
THE CLOVERS
HAROLD JACKSONS INK SPOTS
HARVEY FUQUA & THE MOONGLOWS
THE DIXIE HUMMINGBIRDS
SONNY TILS LEGENDARY ORIOLES
THE CHANTELS
THE MODERNAIRES
Wednesday, July 6
Induction Ceremony: 11 a.m.
THE CADILLACS
THE ORIGINAL TOKENS
THE MARVELETTES
J.T. CARTER (FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE CRESTS)
RUSSELL THOMPKINS JR. (FORMER LEAD SINGER OF THE STYLISTICS)
THE DIAMONDS
THE JORDANAIRES
NEDRA TALLEY ROSS OF THE RONETTES
PLUS SPECIAL GUEST ARTISTS
Wednesday, July 6
Induction Concert: 7 p.m.
THE ORIGINAL JAY & THE AMERICANS
THE LETTERMEN
DANNY & THE JUNIORS
THE SKYLINERS
MARY WILSON OF THE SUPREMES
MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS
ARLENE SMITH OF THE CHANTELS
FLORENCE LA RUE OF THE 5TH DIMENSION
PLUS SPECIAL GUEST ARTISTS
Thursday, July 7
Induction Concert: 7 p.m.
THE OJAYS
THE ASSOCIATION
THE IMPRESSIONS
JIMMY MERCHANT (FORMERLY OF THE TEENAGERS)
AL JARDINE (FOUNDING MEMBER OF THE BEACH BOYS)
TERRY JOHNSON OF THE FLAMINGOS
CHARLES CALELLO OF THE FOUR SEASONS
CHARLIE THOMAS, BILL PINKNEY & BEN E. KING OF THE DRIFTERS
CARL GARDNER OF THE COASTERS
SONNY TURNER & HERB REED OF THE PLATTERS
PLUS SPECIAL GUEST ARTISTS
Sponsored by GWTIDA (Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement & Development
Authority).
Acts & times reflect currently scheduled performers and are subject to change.
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