Concert Week is Here--The Chicago Hitmakers at the Genesee and Star Plaza May 29th, 30th

Catch The Buckinghams on radio and TV all this week and preview what will be two unforgettable concerts. The Chicago Hitmakers starts at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan on Friday, May 29th, and continues the next night at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrilville, Indiana on Saturday, May 30th. Both shows begin at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster outlets.

On the Radio
On Sunday, May 24th at 7 pm (CST), Carl Giammarese will be the guest of longtime friend and music journalist, Tom Lounges, on X-Rock Radio in Indiana from 6-9 p.m. Enter a contest to win tickets for the concert and a grand prize to meet The Buckinghams. For more info, check out www.nightrockonline.com.

On Your Television
On Thursday, May 28th, tune in to the WGN Morning News at 8am (CST), and hear music from The Buckinghams, as a preview of what you'll hear at The Genesee and The Star Plaza in concert.

The Chicago Hitmakers Visit WGN's Steve and Johnnie
Anyone who tuned in to Steve and Johnnie's show on WGN Radio last Thursday night from 11 pm until 2 am Friday morning enjoyed exceptional 3 hours' of listening to Carl Giammarese and Ronnie Rice singing and playing unplugged, with a call-in from Los Angeles by Jim Peterik, whose Ides of March will join The Chicago Hitmakers in concert. Two great songs are posted on their web page: For more on Steve and Johnnie, tune into their Life After Dark Show. Visit
http://www.wgnradio.com/shows/stevejohnnie/wgnam-stevejohnnie-carlgiammarese-uncut090522a,0,2524901.mp3file
to listen to Carl sing his composition, "Have a Little Faith".

Comments

Remembering Frank Tesinsky, Beloved Chicago Musician, Key to The Buckinghams' Characteristic Sound

Each time the opening notes to “Kind of a Drag” come on the air, whether it’s your car radio, your phone, or choice of streaming media, the first 23 notes you hear inform you immediately that not only are you hearing “Kind of a Drag,” but you are hearing The Buckinghams. That instant recognition, in turn, is thanks to the talent of musician Frank Tesinsky, who arranged the iconic tune for producers Dan Belloc and Carl Bonafede in a 1966 recording session in Chicago’s Chess Studios. The Buckinghams family was greatly saddened to learn of Frank’s passing on November 9. Catherine Johns, his wife of 32 years, was a beloved part of his life and part of Chicago radio as well. In February 1967 "Kind of a Drag" was #1 on the Billboard charts for two weeks, and it forever defined the sound of five young men from the northside of Chicago. Just 27 notes, right? And yet, it defined the magic of what would become known as “the horn sound” that The Buckinghams are b...

What Celebrating 50 Years Since Reaching #1 on Billboard Means in the World of The Buckinghams

Everyone who is a fan of the band The Buckinghams can easily name all the songs that were Top 10 hits, Top 20 hits, and Billboard Top 100 chartmakers. You have several songs that have personal, special meaning for you. But the song that took the native Chicagoans out of the basements of the band members' homes was the one USA Records released last, almost as an afterthought. "Kind of a Drag" has the distinction of being the song that took this band to the national level. Many wonderful bands are part of Chicago history, and they are as beloved today as they were in their time. But this one song, "Kind of a Drag" took flight and went to #1 on Billboard 50 years ago today, February 18, 1967. Imagine what it was like for five young men to hold a copy of "Billboard" in their hands. For a few years, Carl and Jon-Jon had gone to the newsstand each week, buying a single copy of "Billboard" and reading it cover to cover. These days you hear about ...

In Memory of John Poulos, March 31, 1947 - March 26, 1980

Five days before his 33rd birthday, we lost John Poulos, a dear friend who was like a brother to us, as well as The Buckinghams’ drummer. Often described as the heartbeat of our band, he was known to most Buckinghams’ fans of the 60s simply as Jon-Jon. To know John was to love him. With his outgoing personality, he never met a stranger. His talent is remembered best in the style he displayed on drum fills and riffs on our hits, including “Don’t You Care,” “Hey Baby, They’re Playing Our Song,” and “Kind of a Drag.” It’s not surprising that Jon-Jon was included as one of the Top 10 drummers in Modern Drummer Magazine. Contemporary MySpace profiles of aspiring amateur and professional musicians today include the name John Poulos among their musical influences. That’s an honor both fitting and accurate for a musician who was truly one of a kind. Nick and I recall that one of John’s own musical influences was Bobby Elliot, drummer for The Hollies, whose signature beret and tossing of his he...

The Buckinghams in Concert

Search This Blog