PURCHASE THE COMMUNITY CONCERT SERIES - 5 EVENTS FOR AS LOW AS $75
Okuley Unverferth Dentistry presents BIG TIME Entertainment & Big Time Fun in the Community Concert Series 2016-17 as part of the Niswonger 10 Years Of Impact Season.
THE HIT MEN
Legendary Performers with Frankie Valli, Carole King, Cat Stevens & more!
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Carly Simon, Elton John, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Carole King, Cheap Trick, Sting, Paul McCartney, Three Dog Night, Christopher Cross and Alan Parsons were among the most influential pop music artists of the second half of the 20th century, and all share a common denominator: at some point during their careers, each had at least one of THE HIT MEN playing behind them on the road or in the studio.
THE HIT MEN – a supergroup consisting of Lee Shapiro, Jimmy Ryan, Jeff Ganz, Russ Velazquez and Steve Murphy – either played, sang or peformed on stage with one or more of these artists, creating or recreating live, some of the most memorable hits of the era, including “Who Loves You,” “Oh What a Night,” "You're So Vain," “The Loco-motion,” “Anticipation,” “Mony Mony,” “Joy to the World,” "Don't Stop Believing," and many more, on which they used their musical alchemy to spin songs into gold and platinum.
Lee Shapiro is a producer, arranger, singer and musician who not only arranged some of the Four Seasons biggest hits, but also collaborated with artists ranging from Barry Manilow, Tony Orlando, and Tommy James.
Jimmy Ryan began his career in the 1960s as lead guitarist, singer and a songwriter for The Critters. He was Carly Simon's music director for twenty one years, and his guitar is heard on works by Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, Rod Stewart, Paul McCartney and Elton John and many others.
Jeff Ganz is a bassist and singer who has worked with an eclectic array of artists including Blood Sweat & Tears, Johnny Winter, Cheap Trick, Lou Reed, Dr. John, Vanilla Fudge and jazz greats including Gerry Mulligan, Tito Puente and Larry Coryell.
Russ Velazquez is a singer, composer and arranger whose credits read like a musical Who’s Who. He has collaborated with everyone from Sting, The Ramones, and LL Cool J to Luther Vandross, Korn and Paula Abdul. He has earned four Emmy Award nominations for his songs on Sesame Street and his song “2BA Master” hit the top of the children’s music charts on Radio Disney.
Steve Murphy is a drummer, singer, producer and engineer who has toured with The Alan Parsons Project, Jack Bruce, Eric Burdon and the Animals, Chuck Negron (formerly of Three Dog Night), Felix Cavaliere (The Rascals), Dave Mason, Todd Rundgren, Christopher Cross, Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad), The Turtles, Mickey Dolenz, Gary Puckett, Mitch Ryder and over a dozen more major artists from the 60's, 70's and 80's.
THE HIT MEN connect with audiences on a level rarely seen by today’s musical artists. From the classic songs we all know and love (such as “Oh What a Night” & “You’re So Vain”) to the backstage stories never told until today, a HIT MEN show is like no other, as they combine the music & the memories alongside exciting multimedia footage & visuals, evoking an unforgettable musical and visual experience. “We can say whatever we want about our legacy with complete legitimacy," Lee Shapiro said. "We have an emotional connection with the audience that tribute bands and soundalike bands can't have. Whe we share our experiences and tell stories, we aren't reciting a script. We were there. When we tell you how Warren Beatty got thrown out of Carly Simon's dressing room at the Troubador in LA in 1971, we know it's true because Jimmy Ryan was the one who did it!"
Reliving the magic they created on stages around the world & in recording studios with some of the greatest and most famous of the royalty of rock, when THE HIT MEN take the stage today, it’s easy to see why their music has transcended generations. Now touring across the country, they have performed at prestigious theatres such as Town Hall in New York City, the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Ft. Myers FL, the Gallo Theatre in Modesto, CA and with symphony orchestras in Grand Rapids MI, Allentown PA, Birmingham, AL, and Des Moines IA.
The 2016, 2017 Community Concert Series comes to a rousing end on Saturday, May 6th with The Hit Men.
A Community Concert Series Event
