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As I walked down to the “Brown Bag Lunch Concert Series” at noon Wednesday from The Herald, I had to smile as I heard a song by “The Letterman” playing through a loudspeaker outside Penn-Ohio Cigar Shop on East State Street.
The concerts are being held each Wednesday in front of The Vocal Group Hall of Fame (old Columbia Theatre), which is owned by Tony Butala, the Sharon native who founded The Lettermen.
Wednesday’s concert certainly stirred some memories for Tony, since the group that was performing was “The Silver Street Singers,” a group of youngsters from First United Methodist Church in Sharon.
As I talked with Tony and Hall of Fame director Bob Crosby, Tony admitted it brought back thoughts of how he started his singing career as a boy. He left Sharon as a youngster to become part of a boys choir and the rest of his career is history – from Lettermen fame to appearing in a few movies.
Tony is still on the road a lot, performing with the group. In fact, he’s heading for Toronto and then the Philippines. He told me he has appeared at least 30 times in the Philippines. WOW. He must have taken to heart the famous words of Gen. Douglas MacArthur: “I shall return!”
Despite Tony’s “road work,” I actually caught up with him twice this past week since he also came down to watch the performances at the Sharpsville Historical Society Ice Cream Social fundraiser. I was singing with the Senior Follies group, a brief warm-up for the Follies which will be held Aug. 7 and 8 at Hickory High auditorium.
As I watched the kids singing on Wednesday, I couldn’t help but think that maybe some of them will sing with me someday in the Follies. Of course, I’ll be at least 110 years old when they do. But hey, people are living longer, aren’t they?
Tony told me how much he enjoys the Brown Bag series and watches the talent when he’s in town. He and The Lettermen have cut another album “New Dimensions 2010” which was recently released on CD.
I would recommend the free concert series to anyone who can make it at noon on Wednesdays throughout the summer. It’s a great way to eat lunch and watch the entertainers.
The tentative schedule is: July 7 — Northside Jazz, sponsored by First National Bank; 14 — Max Schang; 21 — Kindermusik Flute & Piano Duel; 28 — Black Tie Optional; Aug. 4 — Julie Morris Quartet; 11 — Uncharted Course; 18 — Max Schang; 25 — Trumpeter Tom Hunt.
People bring their folding chairs and take in the shows, eat or sip on a soft drink. Maybe I’ll see you there.
NOTE: Thanks to the people who called wondering why my column wasn’t in last week. I was on vacation. The editors were going to run “The Best of Lynn Saternow,” but determined there was no such thing,
The Herald’s Lynn Saternow writes this column each Saturday for the Opinion page. He can be reached at lsaternow@sharonherald.com
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