The Buckinghams in Concert

Photo courtesy of Jack Mongan Today, all of The Buckinghams wish a very special birthday to founding member and original lead singer, Dennis Tufano. From the beginning of the band in 1965, they ultimately celebrated several birthdays together, mostly while on the road. Their schedules were so busy it’s not like they could take their special night off just because it was their birthday. The first performances of The Buckinghams found them in matching suits, mostly acquired from "A Man at Ease" and other Chicago favorite men's stores, with Carl Bonafede working great deals for the band to advertise their couturie: These gold dinner jackets...stylin' and profilin' to be sure, even matched the liner curtains around the stage. At the time, it was true. The matching blue-grey suits were a little more coordinated. At that time, having "the look" was just as important as having a sound. Suits made the man, as they say, and their hair was just abo

On August 31, Illinois music fans can be part of an exciting first in classic music history. At 7pm the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet will be the site of the inaugural Annual Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony sponsored by the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66. Twelve inaugural inductees include bands The Buckinghams, the band Chicago, Cheap Trick, The Ides of March, and REO Speedwagon, plus bluesmen Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters. Also to be honored are radio station WLS-AM, popular deejay Larry Lujack and the iconic Dick Biondi (Lifetime Achievement Award) legendary Chess Records, and venue The Thirsty Whale. This is the group originally identified as the Class of 2020, but COVID delayed the opening of the museum and Hall of Fame inauguration. A concert on August 31 will feature live performances by REO Speedwagon, Ides of March, Jimy Sohns (Shadows of Knight), Muddy Waters’ son, Mud Morganfield, New Colony 6, and the Millenials. The band Chicago and The Buckinghams ar