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THE SHAWN PERKINSON PROJECT entertained the crowd at Evening Shade Friday eveing at Johnston Park this is the 18th season of the concert in the park.
Dennis Tufano, the “original voice” of The Buckinghams will conclude the 18th season of Evening Shade on Friday, as many begin their Memorial Day weekend celebration.
The concert begins at 6:30 p.m. in Johnston Park.
“What better way to kick off a holiday weekend than to enjoy some free entertainment right here at home,” Kyle Elrod, event organizer, said.
“This is a great time to support our local efforts to provide cultural activities for the community and even support downtown businesses by eating dinner at a local restaurant or purchasing a boxed supper to eat in the park.”
Provided by the Allied Arts Council (AAC) of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce, the concert is funded in part by local sponsors and under an agreement with the Tennessee Arts Commission. Garden Plaza at Cleveland is ccorporate sponsor for the final concert of the season.
A Chicago native, Tufano is widely recognized as the signature voice of the 1960s hit makers The Buckinghams. With his vocals leading the way, the Chicago-based group scored with a string of five Top 10 hits in the late ’60s, including the No. 1 “Kind of a Drag,” “Don’t You Care,” “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,” “Hey Baby, They’re Playing Our Song” and “Susan.”
Following his success in The Buckinghams, Tufano was part of the song-writing duo "Tufano and Giammarese" and recorded three albums with Lou Adler’s custom label, Ode Records (1971-1976). In 1978, he wrote the music and performed with Bernie Taupin, Elton John's lyricist, on Taupin’s album, “He Who Rides the Tiger.” He has also performed as guest vocalist and co-written with renowned composer and musician Tom Scott. With Scott as composer, Tufano performed the original title/theme song for the first 13 episodes of the long-running “Family Ties” television show.
In 1982 Tufano toured with Olivia Newton-John and was featured with Olivia on her HBO Special in two dramatically inspired duets, “Suddenly” and “You’re the One That I Want.”
In 1995 he was invited once again to co-write, co-produce and perform with Bernie Taupin, Robin Le Mesurier and Jim Cregan on the Discovery Records CD “Farm Dogs, Last Stand in Open Country.”
As an actor, Tufano has appeared in theater productions in Los Angeles and has worked in film, television, radio and commercials. He was also one of the founding members of an improvisational voice-ensemble called the LAMadDogs.
In 1992 this group of actors began performing in hundreds of movies and on numerous television shows. They have produced and performed seven “live” radio dramas, three of which Tufano directed, for KMPC Radio Theater in Los Angeles.
He also produced, directed and filmed a documentary in Chicago, “Major Hall: Therapy Tuesday.”
Tufano is featured on the PBS Series “My Music: My Generation — the ’60s,” and is included in the award-winning PBS-DVD series. Currently, he is starring in “I Remember Darin,” a critically renowned tribute to the songwriting/performing genius of the late Bobby Darin.
“Dennis and his band are excited about performing for the Evening Shade audience,” Kyle Elrod, event organizer said.
“His classic rock show and familiar tunes will be a great way to bring this year’s concert series to an end. We’ve had some of the most talented performers ever with this year’s lineup, and Dennis Tufano will top it off.”
