Fans of music from the 1960s will be disappointed – the Tobin’s HippieFest has been canceled. But fans of the 1950s will celebrate – Frankie Avalon, Fabian, and Bobby Rydell will be at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, July 19.
The show is billed as “Dick Fox’s Golden Boys.” All three “boys” (now in their 70s) were teen idols in Philadelphia and all were early stars on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand.
Rydell’s first hit was “Kissin’ Time,” recorded when he was 17. Music fans may remember him for his top-ten hit, “Volare.” Movie buffs may remember his song, “One Boy,” in the 1963 film, “Bye Bye Birdie.” Rydell has had more than 50 hit records in his long career.
Frankie Avalon started his rise to the stars with “Venus” in 1959. “Why” was another number one song that year. He played a serious character in John Wayne’s “Alamo” and recorded “Ballad of the Alamo,” one of the Western Writers of America Top 100 Western Songs of all time. And who can forget all the “Beach Party” movies Frankie made with Annette Funicello.
Fabiano Anthony Forte, known professionally as Fabian, had a string of hits in the 1950s as well. “Turn Me Loose” and “Tiger,” both released in 1959, reached the Top Ten. Fabian began his acting career with “Hound Dog Man,” which turned out to be a much better song than movie. But Fabian went on to star in countless movies and TV episodes and had many hit records.
These men have known each other since childhood. Performing together as the Golden Boys, they have packed concert halls since 1985. Catch them July 19 at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.
*Featured/top image: From left: Bobby Rydell Frankie Avalon, and Fabiano Anthony Forte perform together as “The Golden Boys.” Photo courtesy of the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.
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