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"Rock 'n' roll has nothing to do with a generation gap any more.
Today, it's really a generation bridge."
Donny York, co-founder, Sha Na Na
may not have invented rock
nostalgia, but the group has successfully - very successfully - celebrated the
music and the memories for the past three decades…in clubs and in concert, in
the movies and on TV, and on record.
Sha Na Na's story is an all-encompassing one: They were in the original
Woodstock Festival lineup, starred in the film "Grease" (the most successful
movie musical), hosted the "Sha Na Na" TV series for four years, and still
play more than 100 concerts a year, from state fairs to performing arts centers,
casino showrooms to mega corporate functions world wide.
And through it all - flower power, hard rock, metal music, disco, hip hop, rap,
and more - Sha Na Na remains true to the original concept: rock 'n' roll is here
to stay!
The Sha Na Na story begins oddly for a group that, in appearance, runs the gamut
from greaser to gold lame. Attired in turtlenecks and blue blazers, the nucleus
of Sha Na Na were undergraduate members of The Kingsmen, a glee club ensemble at
New York's Columbia University that used to perform a cappella versions of 50s
rock songs as part of the performances.
These proved hugely popular and eventually rock 'n' roll took over, instruments
were added and Sha Na Na - the name comes from the 50s Silhouettes' hit "Get A
Job" - was born.
Heard of Woodstock?
If the original 1969 Woodstock Festival was a defining moment in rock history,
it was also a defining moment in the history of Sha Na Na. The group's
appearance - only the seventh in Sha Na Na's career, followed by the
Woodstock album and movie -- cemented their reputation and style. "We went on
second to last, at sunrise on the final day, but, importantly, just before Jimi
Hendrix," recalls co-founder, drummer Jocko Marcellino. "We did 40 minutes and
were paid $300…and the check bounced!"
Sha Na Na was the only group at Woodstock without a record deal. Immediately
afterward, they had one and today the group has released more than 25 albums in
total, with worldwide sales of more than 20 million.
TV was another important step for the group…
The group taped 97 episodes of the Sha Na Na music variety show from 1977 to
1981 that were seen - and still can be - in worldwide syndication. The shows,
which featured Sha Na Na's music plus the group in comedy skits with special
guests, further established the group's credentials as a part of the landscape
of rock 'n' roll America.
“Grease: The Movie” became another significant building block in the Sha Na Na
story. The group appeared in the 1979 musical, as Johnny Casino and the
Gamblers, and contributed to the original music score with six Sha Na Na
versions of rock classics and one original song, “Sandy,” co-written by Screamin’
Scott Simon for John Travolta to sing. (Between takes, Travolta also sang a
little doo-wop with the group.)
The accompanying “Grease” soundtrack album was a major hit, Grammy-nominated and
certified eight times platinum.
And it still makes an impact for Sha Na Na…
Recalls Marcellino: “Whole new generations get swept up in the nostalgia craze,
effectively becoming our potential audience.”
“For example, Sha Na Na played the immense Los Angeles County Fair in front of a
special audience – 20,000 girl scouts! They were too young to have seen our TV
show, but they had seen ‘Grease’ on video. We played a 90-minute set and they
knew the words to every song from the movie.”
Working for the past three decades throughout the world – from Carnegie Hall to
the Grand Ole Opry, in Asia and in Africa, Paris to London to Tokyo – Sha Na Na
has had some interesting unknown performers opening for their show, such as:
Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Billy Crystal, Steve Martin and Jay Leno!
Live performances remain at the heart of Sha Na Na. Whether it is those girl
scouts or their baby boomer parents, the reaction to the group is the same – the
discovery of a common joy in the music from a time when part of the world was
“greased and ready to
rock.”
Broadway Show Theater Tour…
Sha Na Na starred in a national tour of
LEADER OF THE PACK, the Ellie Greenwich Musical. Along with a company of
over twenty performers, Sha Na Na played themselves as well as other roles and
performed all the music in Ellie Greenwich’s autobiographical journey featuring
some of the greatest hits of rock’n’roll written or co-written by Ellie
Greenwich: Da Doo Ron Ron, Be My Baby, Do Wah Diddy, Baby I Love You, River Deep
Mountain High, Chapel Of Love, Hanky Panky and Leader off The Pack.
Marcellino says, “As a band of musicians, actors, singers and dancers doing a
Broadway musical was a logical progression for us.” Simon adds,” And of course
Ellie’s musical legacy is legendary.”
Sha Na Na Rocks with Symphony Orchestras…
Sha Na Na, has also performed with the
symphony orchestras of Columbus OH, Louisville KY, Phoenix AZ, Roanoke, VA. and
the National Symphony and Choir at the Capital Fourth Celebration in Washington,
D.C.
The arrangements for up to a seventy-six piece orchestra range from the
staccato strings of RHYTHM OF THE RAIN, a lush rhythm and blues “wall of sound”
for SOUL AND INSPIRATION and a swinging arrangement of ROCK’N’ROLL IS HERE TO
STAY.
Of course Sha Na Na invites the orchestra to lose their tuxedos, open their
collars and roll up their sleeves. That is, to get greased and ready to
Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Recent Sha Na Na recordings…
Joining the release of ROCK ‘N’ ROLL DANCE
PARTY, a collection of the greatest dance themes of the era (with THE TWIST, THE
STROLL, THE HAND JIVE), Sha Na Na recorded their first Holiday CD of their
career, ROCKIN’ CHRISTMAS (with SANTA’S ON A DIET, YOU’RE ALL I WANT FOR
CHRISTMAS, BLUE CHRISTMAS and THE DREIDEL SONG ). Sha Na Na is now working on
their first completely original Rock “N’ Roll and doowop CD, ONE MORE SATURDAY
NIGHT (including SANDY from Grease co-written by Screamin’ Scott, THE CAT IN THE
P.T. CRUISER by Jocko and Buzz and ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HALL OF FAME by Donny). Sha Na
Na CDs are on Pat Boone’s Gold Label and available though the Sha Na Na website
 Jocko
Jocko, now starting his fourth decade with Sha Na Na, was the first to walk
onstage “greased and ready to rock ‘n’ roll” in 1969. That same year, the
drummer was the youngest performer at the Woodstock Festival. He holds the
distinction of performing in both the most successful music documentary ever
(Woodstock) and the most successful film musical ever (Grease).
Juggling his schedule around his touring, Jocko earned both a B.A. from Columbia
and a Masters in Drama from New York University.
When not with Sha Na Na, Jocko is an actor and a songwriter. His acting credits
include TV’s “Veronica Mars”, “NYPD Blue”, “Alley McBeal,” “The Tiger Woods
Story”,” “Herman’s Head,” “Good Advice,”,”18 Wheels of Justice”, “The Invisible
Man”, “Amazing Stories,” and the “Gary Shandling Show,” and the motion pictures
RAINMAN, NATIONAL SECURITY and HOT TO TROT. He has written and performed songs
for the films RAINMAN, THAT’S LIFE and THE NIGHT OF THE COMET. He most recently
performed and produced an arrangement of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” for the
motion picture BENCHWARMERS. Jocko and
Pete Amato have produced a hip hop drum line fan chant with John Salley from The
Best Damn Sports Show performing the lead. The original composition by Jocko can
be sampled and down loaded on iTunes.
Jocko also has a rock ‘n’ roll/ rhythm and blues band:
Jocko and the Rockets who are always at the ready to rock you in the So Cal
area. For more information, go to
www.jockoandtherockets.com.
Jocko was born in Quincy, Mass. and toured New England with his high school
band, The Pilgrims. He now lives with his family in San Diego, California.
 Screamin' Scott Simon
Screamin’ Scott Simon has been an integral part of Sha Na Na’s popularity since
1970 as a charismatic performer, multi-instrumentalist musician (from keyboards
to guitar and bass) and prolific songwriter. His best-known composition, “Sandy”
was sung by John Travolta in the hit movie Grease....... Two other songs of his
have made the billboard Hot 100, “Top Forty” and “Only One Song” both on the
group’s “ Sha Na Na” (Gold Boots) album. Scott also wrote “Wrestling Tonight”
performed by Sha Na Na for the 1985 film Grunt, and recorded a solo album on
Rolling Rock Records, “Transmissions from Space.”
Raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Scott lives in Los Angeles, and can be seen
performing at blues clubs throughout the L.A. area as his alter ego Eddie “Hong
Kong” Tailor. "Boomer Humor" is the CD produced by Hong Kong Tailor and the Prom
Kings, available online at www.eddiehongkongtailor.com
He is married and has two daughters, who are young adults in their own right.
 Donny
Donny York is a native of Idaho and a 1971 graduate of Columbia, where he
co-founded Sha Na Na. Donny penned a song on an early road tour, urging
establishment of a “Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.” He later performed the song on
Sha Na Na’s hit TV series. Finally, his prophecy came true with the opening of
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in 1995.
These days, Donny lives an hour north of Los Angles with his wife, kids, dogs,
and horses and often provides animals for film and video productions. He’s also
on the faculty of the Vocal Power Institute, teaching singers from around Los
Angeles, and he sometimes substitute teaches in his local school system. His
students aren’t dazzled with who he is or where this square grown-up has been
until he tells them he performed at Woodstock. Says Donny, “Rock ‘n’ Roll has
nothing to do with a generation gap anymore. Nowadays, it’s really a generation
bridge.”
 Reggie
A native Chicagoan, Reggie Battise started out in the fine arts, attending the
school of the Art Institute of Chicago, before including the performing arts in
his repertoire. At age 20, he was a local TV celebrity, hosting “Dancing with
Robyn and Reggie.” Later, he toured as a member of the rock band, “The Bus
Boys.” He also sang in “Porgy and Bess” with the Houston Grand Opera in Paris
and on “Fantastico,” the #1 TV variety show in Rome, singing R&B in three
languages.
Reggie choreographed Billy Crystal’s “You Look Mahvelous” video; sang on the
soundtrack to the Civil War film Glory; appeared in “Moonlighting” with Bruce
Willis and in commercials for Coca Cola, Pepsi and McDonald’s; and worked with
Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Reggie was a principal dancer in Stayin’ Alive with
John Travolta, and was both actor and script consultant for, White Men Can’t
Jump. These days, between gigs with Sha Na Na, Reggie designs and builds
avant-garde furniture.
 Jim
Jim “Billy” Waldbillig is Sha Na Na’s “Rockabilly Romeo.” Though Jim is a man
of few words, he’s always ready to rock. Jim, originally a guitarist, is
primarily the authentic bass guitar player on stage and, on most nights, is very
proud of his hair. He is also a skilled carpenter and building contractor. Jim
recently built his own vacation dream home on the shores of Bass Lake in
Sandstone, Minnesota.
Paulie
Originally from the Bronx, New York, drummer Paul Kimbarow now lives in San
Diego where he is one of the most sought-after musicians in the area. With his
diverse musical background he has performed with a myriad of artists including
A.J. Croce, the Ventures, Angela Bofill, Willie Colon, Robin Henkel, Chuck
Berry, Ashford and Simpson, the Platters and now Sha Na Na . His television
appearances include “The Tonight Show”, “The Today Show” and “Rock Concert”.
 Gene
Gene
Jaramillo knew that he wanted to play guitar as soon as he saw the Buddy Holly
Story when he was 4 years-old growing up in the southwestern border town of
Yuma, AZ. Since then he’s achieved his dream by not only playing with Sha Na
Na, but with his role as ringmaster of the Los Angeles-based Eugene Edwards
Band. Flagship Records released his debut album My Favorite Revolution in 2005
and it has received critical acclaim along with his bombastic live shows. For
more information go to
www.eugeneedwards.com
 Michael
“Downtown” Michael Brown originally from Newport Beach in Orange County Ca. now
hails from Pahrump Nevada. The son of renowned jazz Pianist, Ronnie Brown,
Michael has played the saxophone since the age of nine. He started out on a
clarinet but quickly moved to saxophone because: 1. Clarinet players were not
allowed in the school jazz band at Hienze Kaiser Middle School, and 2. His big
brother said, “girls dug saxophone players a lot more than clarinet players”.
A regular on the Las Vegas and national touring scene he has performed with the
likes of, Buckwheat Zydeco, The Platters, Lil' Elmo and the Cosmos, Shake Rattle
and Roll, Launi Kristopher, Mitch Woods and His Rocket 88's, the house band at
Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce Club inside Mandalay Bay Las Vegas, and now Sha Na Na.
When not rocking, he is a racecar driver, a TV weatherman for Ch#30 and the
Executive director for the
Melanoma Education Foundation of Nevada.
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