Posted by Greg Amato on Feb 16, 2019
                         The Capris II
               
              Tufano                       Lala Brooks
The Lake Mahopac Rotary Club's 7th Annual Doo Wop Rock and Roll Oldies Show will be taking place Mother's Day Weekend, Friday May 10th at the Mahopac High School, starting at 7 PM.
 
We are pleased to announce that Dennis Tufano, original lead singer of The Buckinghams, will  headline our 2019 show.
 
Dennis, a native of Chicago, is the original "voice" of “The Buckinghams”. The Chicago-based group scored with a string of five Top Ten hits in the late-sixties including, the No#1 “Kind of A Drag”, “Don’t You Care”, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”, “Hey Baby, They’re Playing Our Song”, “Susan” and “Back In Love Again”. Dennis is not associated, in any way, with the current rendition of the band that owns the name The Buckinghams.

Following his success in the Buckinghams, Dennis was part of the song-writing duo "Tufano and Giammarese" and recorded three albums with Lou Adler's custom label, Ode Records. Appearing as guest vocalist he went on to co-write with renowned composer and musician Tom Scott. With Scott as composer, Dennis performed the "original title/theme song" for the long running "Family Ties" television show. (First 13 episodes).

Dennis also wrote the music and performed with Bernie Taupin, Elton John's lyricist, on Taupin's album, " He Who Rides The Tiger ". Subsequently he teamed again with Taupin to co-write, co-produce and perform the Farm Dogs album “Last Stand In Open Country”.

Back on the road, Dennis joined Olivia Newton-John on her hugely successful tour and was featured, with her on the HBO Special in two dramatically inspired duets.

He was also one of the founding members of an improvisational voice-ensemble called the “LA.MadDogs”. This group of actors performs on hundreds of movies and numerous television shows and have produced and performed seven "live" radio dramas, three of which Dennis directed, for KMPC RADIO THEATER in Los Angeles. 

Dennis produced, directed and shot a documentary in Chicago, "Major Hall: Therapy Tuesday" and is currently preparing it for release. He has been praised for his performance on the, “PBS Music Series the ‘60s”, and will be included in the award winning PBS-DVD series.
 
Additionally performing will be La La Brooks, the original lead singer of The Crystals, making a first time appearance in the Mahopac, NY area.  Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and The Vocal Group Hall of Fame, The Crystals were one of the defining girl groups of the 1960s and La La Brooks was the voice of their biggest hits. 
 
La La joined The Crystals when she was just 13 year old and was the youngest member of the group. Two years later, she became the lead singer. Coupling La La's strong voice with Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, lightening struck twice for The Crystals in 1963.
 
Her first hit as lead singer was "Da Doo Ron Ron," a top 5 hit in both the United States and United Kingdom. Later that year The Crystals next single featuring La La on lead vocals was "Then He Kissed Me." That song was again a smash hit in both the US and UK. It was later named one of the top hits of the 1960s.  Today, both songs are well known by generations of fans and Rolling Stone magazine proclaimed each as one of the top 500 greatest hits of all time.
 
The Capris originated in Queens, NY in the summer o 1957, singing on the street corners of Ozone Park.  By late 1958, the group found themselves at Bell Sound Studios in New York City recording their future biggest hit, "There's A Moon Out Tonight".  The Capris are inductees in "Vocal Group Hall Of Fame".
 
Today's group consists of original member Frank Reina lead singer and 2nd tenor,  Tony Sergi first tenor, lead singer and drummer, Lou Esposito baritone, lead singer and guitarist, Michael D'Amore Lead Singer and background vocals and John Monforte bass singer and background vocals.
 
Our event will be hosted by Radio Personality Johnny Z of WLNA - AM 1420. 
 
Tickets for our event are $35 in advance or $40 at the door and can be purchased at PCSB (Mahopac Branch), Bucci Brothers Deli and Catering and Route 6 Deli.  In addition, tickets can be ordered on line by visiting www.eventbrite.com - search for Lake Mahopac Rotary