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| Gary U.S. Bonds and Daddy G to play Attucks Theatre July 24 Gary U.S. Bonds will be back on Church Street on Saturday, July 24, when he's scheduled to play the historic Attucks Theatre in Norfolk. Bonds is a rock singer from Norfolk whose R&B recordings in the early 1960s greatly influenced rockers including Bruce Springsteen. His local show will also feature sax man Gene "Daddy G" Barge, who played on many of Bonds' classic hits as part of the band the Church Street Five. Barge eventually relocated to Chicago where, as a studio musician, he played on many Chess Records blues and R&B sessions. His connection with Chess led the Rolling Stones to invite him to tour with the band in 1982. When Barge returned to the area for an oldies show in 2008 he said that Church Street had changed radically from what he remembered from his days as a young man. "That used to be my beat, " he said. "It was very important, something like 7th Avenue and 125th Street in Harlem. You walked down Church Street and it was bristling with activity." In 2002, Bonds returned to Norfolk to be honored as part of the first wave of artists inducted in the city's Legends of Music Walk of Fame. "I'm so humbled and thankful to come back home and be honored in this way, " Gary "U.S." Bonds said. "I'm being honored along with Ella Fitzgerald? Are you kidding me? You've got to be kidding!" A press release from the Natchel Blues Network says that a crew from PBS will film the Attucks show for later broadcast. Norfolk's own and W.C. Handy award winner Gary US Bonds returns home for a reunion concert event celebrating Norfolk as the birthplace of Rock & Roll. Bonds' hits include "New Orleans", "Quarter to Three", "School is Out, " "School is In, " "Dear Lady Twist, " "Twist, Twist Senora, " "Seven Day Weekend" and many more. What few know is that in 1963 Bonds headlined a European tour with a group of relative newcomers … The Beatles. Gary's influence over the Beatles sound, and later Bruce Springsteen's, is considered the catalyst for modern day Rock & Roll. That sound, "the Church Street sound, " will rock the stage of the Attucks for this once-in-a-lifetime reunion concert event! Gene Barge, aka "Daddy G, " was born in Norfolk and was a founding member of the The Church Street Five during the 60s. With his alto sax, he's played with all of Rock's greats from Fats Domino, Bo Diddley, Ray Charles, and The Rolling Stones. In 1964, after seven years of teaching, Gene Barge was hired as a producer, arranger, sax player and musical contractor for Chess Records. Some of the artists with whom he was involved were Little Milton, Fontella Bass, Muddy Waters, Billy Stewart, Koko Taylor, the Dells and the Soul Stirrers. He also launched Natalie Cole's triumphant career and won a Grammy award for co-producing Cole's "Sophisticated Lady" (1976). He currenlty leads the Chicago R&B Kings. PBS will be recording the show for future broadcast. write your comments about the article :: © 2010 Jazz News :: home page |