The Buckinghams in Concert

Never one to spend too much time with math, that sounded like a neat equation in The Examiner's column of Nov. 4th. Donnie Iris = The Buckinghams Pittsburgh .... Chicago From The Examiner: Apparently (Donnie) Iris, known nationally for his 1981 hit single, "Ah! Leah!", is to his native Pittsburgh what the Buckinghams are to Chicago, a still popular oldies act. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Iris is applying his nickname, King Cool, to a beer thought up by his keyboardist (also an intellectual property laywer) Mark Avsec. "King Cool Light" is set to debut in the Pittsburgh area November 20, during a concert by Iris and his band. The beer is contract-brewed by Lion Brewery, Inc. in Wilkes Barre, current maker of the Christian Moerlein brands, Stegmaier, and Little Kings Cream Ale. Full story at http://www.examiner.com/x-9128-Chicago-Craft-Beer-Examiner~y2009m11d4-Celebrity-beer-news When it comes to beer, Donnie Iris and his 1960...

The new release, "Book of Days '60s" by Harvey Solomon and Rich Appel is a pop culture delight for anyone who considers themselves to be trivia experts, or the wannabes who need a good reference guide to check their facts. Subtitled, "A Day-by-Day Look at the Pop Culture Moments That Made History," the reader is treated to a well-organized collection of facts from music, film, and TV that was important to everyone growing up in the baby boomer decade of choice. An intelligent presentation with superb and plentiful color and b/w photographs fill the pages, bringing the facts to life with ease. Published by Metro Books, the hard cover volume includes a CD smpler with 7 favorite tunes that bring instant recall to mind. Hugo Montenegro's "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" and Roy Orbison's "Only the Lonely" are part of the 60s soundtrack included on the bonus disk. On page 40, February 18th marks the day that The Buckinghams' hit, ...

Connie Szerszen, Chicago's First Female Rock DJ on AM Radio, has a new book on the market, a superb collection of memories from her days at WIND-AM and WCFL-AM. Titled "Top Rock Girly Jock," the book is available both at her web site ( http://toprockgirlyjock.com ) and on amazon.com. Page 70 features a 1968 photo of Connie and Jerry G. Bishop with The Buckinghams during a personal appearance visit to WCFL. Connie will be a guest on WGN Radio's Steve and Johnnie Program, Tuesday overnight, October 27th/early morning October 28th and share her memories of 1960s Chicago radio, including setting several 'firsts,' which were actually written into the U.S. Congressional Record as the 1st woman with her own prime time show, AM radio, major market, and the 1st woman in America to broadcast "live" on an all-digital radio station. Today, Szerszen does celebrity DJ events, is a talented commission portrait artist, and enjoys writing when time permits. The book ...

Singing their first hit on Columbia Records, Carl Giammarese and The Buckinghams perform "Don't You Care," at the Wheeling Freedomfest in July 2007. Thanks to videographer smctopia for posting this footage: and, in another 2007 YouTube video, user jacksdistrict does a nice job on the song as well. Timeless music is just that...and holds up well as part of the soundtrack of our lives. and, if you don't play the guitar, you can still play the radio. Here's user MMiiKKee95 playing the ...stereo with "Don't You Care".

In a video recorded August 15th, McCrackin, Chicagoland's music videographer, interviewed Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna before they took the stage at Wood Dale. A guest appearance by Bob Abrams is at the end of the video. Carl and Nick remember the early days of the band in this segment.

The next Chicagoland performance of The Buckinghams is set for this weekend at the Heart of Chicago Festival, 24th and Oakley, to benefit the Heart of Chicago Association. The weekend-long event starts Friday, and The Buckinghams take the stage on Saturday, October 17th at 8 pm. From their web site: All things Italy will be celebrated at the inaugural Heart of Chicago Festival which coincides with October's Italian-American Heritage Month. The festivities run from Friday, October 16, through Sunday, October 18, in the city's Heart of Chicago neighborhood at 24th Street and Oakley. The three-day fest will feature plenty of culinary delights and wine of the Mediterranean nation as well as music, artisans and a grape stomping contest. For visitors who may not be familiar with the cozy Heart of Chicago enclave on the city's near southwest side, they'll be treated to a hidden neighborhood jewel that includes the Italian eateries lining Oakley. The festival coincides with Ita...

Check out several YouTube videos by Buckinghams' drummer Tom Scheckel. These two segments are just a preview to show the versatility and talent of this excellent musician. Check out YouTube to see all of The Buckinghams' videos from recent live performances. Here's Tom's drum cam on a Buckinghams' song: