The Buckinghams in Concert

"Tonight, after 15 successful concerts in June and a two-week hiatus, the Happy Together Tour 2012, the ultimate classic rock and roll road show, resumes in California. The first 15 shows, featuring The Turtles, The Buckinghams, Micky Dolenz, Gary Puckett, and Grass Roots, spent the first part of the anniversary tour in the eastern United States. The week ahead includes seven shows across the western United States—with four in California, and one each in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah." Carl Giammarese, The Buckinghams' lead singer and guitarist at the Keswick Theatre. (Marie J. LoPrete, used with permission) Nick Fortuna, The Buckinghams bassist and vocalist at the Keswick Theatre. (Marie J. LoPrete, used with permission) Concert reviews from the first leg of the tour have been consistently positive. Writers have remarked how true the artists’ voices are still today to the original records from the 60s and 70s. Also noted is the high energy that the artists show on

Many of you know that Susan Rakis, Concert Coordinator for The Buckinghams has also been with the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana and so this event is close to her heart in two ways. The Buckinghams headlined the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouts Birthday Celebration in Chicago's Grant Park on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. "Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 8, for the first Girl Scout Cookie Classic, to be held in Chicago’s Grant Park, in a celebration that starts with a 5K Run/Walk race to begin a day that features first-class music entertainment, food, fun and more. The nationally acclaimed pop-rock band, The Buckinghams will perform, as will Girl Scout music legend, Melinda Caroll, and teen favorite pop band, Savvy. And that’s just for starters." To read the rest of the story and check out the photos, click here .

Classic rock is alive and well and on tour in 43 cities nationwide, beginning tonight in Columbus, Georgia, much to the delight of all baby boomers who want summertime entertainment. The tour gives audiences another chance to relive some of the greatest classic rock music of the summers of their youth. Five musical acts comprise the Happy Together Tour this year, anchored by The Turtles, whose invitation to The Buckinghams, Micky Dolenz of The Monkees, Gary Puckett, and Grass Roots guarantees great music and some really fun onstage antics, courtesy of Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan’s ad libs and zany senses of humor. 2011 Happy Together Tour at the DTE Center, with The Buckinghams on stage. The Buckinghams' FB page, used with permission. This year’s tour is the 3rd anniversary of the 25th anniversary tour of the Happy Together group, anchored by the familiar beloved anthem by The Turtles, and the audience invariably sings along when the entire group of entertainers comes back on

Last evening, the Secret Agent Foundation hosted their annual tribute dinner at the lovely Victoria Beau Jolie restaurant in Schiller Park. Our friend Phil Vaughan, the group's founder, went to great lengths to make us all welcome and very honored to be there. Phil's brother, Tony, served as emcee and introduced a musical lineup of entertainment, including the wonderful band Hip-Noz, and music by Tony Ocean, Rick Lindy, Mark Inlow as "Roy Orbison", and Star David Brooks as "Jerry Lee Lewis" direct from Branson, MO. Music philanthropist Lester Trilla, who has been key in supporting the Northern Illinois University Steel Drum Band for more than 10 years, surely sets the pace for support youth and education. We had a wonderful evening from start to finish. It was an honor to be named their 2012 Man of the Year and be surrounded by so many people expressing love and best wishes. As I said last night, the focus of the evening, and rightly so, is the fund-

Two years ago I received was surprised and honored to learn that I'd been named Man of the Year, by the Secret Agent Foundation in Chicago. This charity organization was started by Phil Vaughn of Nation Records, who produced our "Terra Firma" CD in 1998 when we first met him. The Foundation has one mission--to make sure musical instruments are available for free to children who can't afford to buy their own, but who want to play music. You might remember how long you had to wait or save up for your first guitar, or piano, or drums. This foundation also accepts donations of musical instruments, in addition to raising money to buy them. This year, I'm proud to announce that my music partner, Carl Giammarese, has been named the 2012 Man of the Year by the Secret Agent Foundation and they're holding their annual awards banquet in Chicago on Sunday, April 29th, at the Victoria Beau Jolie restaurant on Schiller Avenue. If you're a Chicago-area Buckinghams

We'd like to ask you to take a moment today to lift up in prayer the family of our longtime friend, and Chicago sound engineer, Martin (Marty) Bilecki, who collapsed while mixing at the sound board at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville last evening. He was taken quickly to a nearby hospital, where he passed away. We’d just finished our set, in our 15th year for the Salute to the 60s concert there, a very special night, together with our friends Peter Noone and Herman's Hermits, and the Grass Roots. Marty’s passing leaves us solemn and missing a man we considered an important part of our musical family. We'd just spent the previous week together with Marty, as he ran sound for all of us on the Concerts at Sea tour aboard the Grand Princess. Of his many wonderful qualities, he was a man who cherished his family. Poignantly, his parents were also aboard the cruise ship, and they were so happy to be there to see their son doing his great job mixing each group, for all the

[Second in a series of articles chronicling the 7-day Southern Caribbean tour, ‘Where the Action is’ cruise, featuring Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Buckinghams, Charlie Thomas’ Drifters and Davy Jones of The Monkees.] Continuing on this journey, you’re on the Concerts at Sea Rock and Roll oldies tour cruise, a passenger aboard the Grand Princess sailing vessel, which is making its way down the eastern U.S. coast headed for the Caribbean Sea. Admit it. Now aboard, you think. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you are humming the theme song made famous by the cruises of the Pacific Princess, another jewel in the fleet of the Princess Cruise lines, made even more famous in the 1970s as a superbly successful CBS TV series. With the QE2 docked right next door, the Grand Princess was our ship for Concerts at Sea, promising a fun adventure. The strings swell and the horns blast, and the familiar theme music can’t help but pop up in the back of your mind. Hear Jack Jones sing now, ‘L