THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 28, 1996 TAG: 9604270121
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY IDA KAY JORDAN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
A Hall of Fame Show featuring the sounds of the Platters, the Coasters, the Drifters and the Marvelettes will be featured at Willett Hall at 7 p.m. May 5.
The show is one of a series of May events sponsored by Ports Events, managers of the concert hall. The 1950s groups that ushered in the rock and roll era as well as Motown record's ``pop soul'' music will sing the songs that made them famous.
THE PLATTERS: Formed in 1953 in Los Angeles, this group emerged on the national scene when it recorded ``Only You'' for Mercury Records in 1955. They recorded in their own arrangements songs by Jerome Kern and other great composers as well as some original materials to attain four No. 1 songs and 16 gold records between 1955 and 1960. They now have toured 75 countries and continue to perform on a regular basis around the world. Among 20 movie appearances, they were featured in ``Rock Around the Clock Tonight'' and among their top records were ``Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,'' ``Harbor Lights,'' ``To Each His Own,'' ``I'll Never Smile Again'' and ``The Great Pretender.''
THE COASTERS: This group is considered the comedians of rock and roll, their reputation enhanced by their parodies. Their first record, ``Down in Mexico'' propelled the group to fame in 1956. The group moved to Atlantic Records and started a career of gold records that lasted a decade. Their big hits included ``Charlie Brown,'' ``Yakety Yak,'' ``Searching,'' ``Young Blood'' and ``Little Egypt.'' They have continued to perform at Disneyland, the Kennedy Center, Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and the Apollo Hotel. They starred in a movie, ``Let the Good Times Roll,'' and have been in six other movies. The Coasters were the first vocal group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
THE DRIFTERS: Their first release on Atlantic Records, ``There Goes My Baby,'' was the first rhythm and blues record to incorporate violins. It was a 2 million seller and the group was on its way to stardom. Over the next 10 years, they recorded 29 additional bestsellers and The Books of Lists shows they had the fifth largest sales of all recording groups behind the Beatles, Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones and the Bee Gees. They sang around the world and at the White House, and appeared on television about 100 times. Among their million sellers are ``Save the Last Dance for Me,'' ``Up on the Roof,'' ``I Count the Tears'' and ``This Magic Moment.''
THE MARVELETTES: The trio of women made history in American music as the group that caused Motown to change the label's focus from bluesy soul artists to a smooth orchestrated harmonic sound that transcended racial limits of rhythm and blues. When their first record, ``Please Mr. Postman,'' hit the top of the chart and sold 3 million records, Motown began to concentrate on the Marvelettes along with the Supremes, the Temptations, the Four tops and Martha and the Vandellas. They created a group pop soul sound that dominated the music charts until the advent of the Beatles. They have continued to record and perform a highly choreographed and humorous act.
Tickets for the show are $13.50 with discounts of $2 each in groups of 10 or more.
Other shows scheduled in May include The Blind Boys of Alabama featuring Clarence Fountain, 8 p.m. May 18; Hal Holbrook in ``Mark Twain Tonight,'' 8 p.m. May 22; Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, 8 p.m. May 25.
Tickets for all Willett Hall shows are available at the box office and at all Ticketmaster locations. For more information, call 393-5144. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
The Drifters hit stardom with ``There Goes My Baby,'' the first
rhythm and blues record to incorporate violins. It was a 2 million
seller.
The Marvelettes hit the top of the chart with ``Please Mr.
Postman.''
by CNB