they co-starred along with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. an=navigator.appName;d=document;function They were sidelined on the playlist due to various difficulties until Jimi Hendrix threatened not to play until they played first. George decided the transform the group into a '50s band. He has appeared on many television series, such as Miami Vice, and has also done voiceovers for animated series, such as Animaniacs, and animated feature films, including My Little Pony: The Movie and The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones. Taken from their TV show. In Grease. Baumans Sha Na Na character, Bowzer, was a greaser in a muscle shirt. Sha Na Na, an oldies (which in 1969 meant the 1950s) group that emerged out of a Columbia University a cappella ensemble, was helmed by Alan Cooper, who went on to pursue an academic career. click here. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. trib.al/lRvckvn. Their dance routines and comedy skits made them television naturals, and they followed Happy Days from 1977. Sha He appeared in the filmGreasein 1978 with Sha Na Na, enjoyed success with other bands and as a solo artist, appeared as an actor andvoice-overperformer, and was a published writer of humorous pieces for magazines. Of all the anecdotes and bits of trivia about that famous music festival, the presence of '50s revival/novelty act Sha Na Na is among the weirdest. [4] He is also a co-founder of the group Senior Votes Count, which is a political action committee designed to elect leaders to protect and advance the rights of elderly Americans. LET IT BE KNOWN: Baker and Sha Na Na appeared in the 1978 big screen adaptation of Grease as the fictional band Johnny Casino and the Gamblers; the saxophonist sang lead vocals on the bands hit cover of Blue Moon, which featured on the films soundtrack. unit manager (1 episode, 1979) Longtime member sang band's hit cover of "Blue Moon" for 'Grease' soundtrack, Longtime Sha Na Na member Lennie Baker (left, with saxophone) has died at the age of 69, Lennie Baker, Sha Na Na Saxophonist, Dead at 69, Glastonbury Co-Organizer Promises Female Headliners in 2024 After All-Male Top Billing This Year, NBA Investigating, Team Suspends Ja Morant After Allegedly Flashing Gun on Social Media, See the Beths Deliver Refreshing Expert in a Dying Field Mini-Set on CBS Mornings, founding Sha Na Na member and singer Dennis Greene died, There Were Sidemen. Other films, such as American Graffiti (which was set in 1962 but had the feel of the 50s) and The Godfather, were released in 1973. Originally formed as an a cappella group at Columbia University in 1968, Sha Na Na had taken their name from a line in the Silhouettes hit Get a Job and still introduced themselves as coming from the streets of New York. You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Na Na, as fellow college students at Columbia University in New York in 5 5. An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works website archived And really, I should have known. What does white represent in aboriginal culture? In the summer of 1969, Jimi Hendrix saw Sha Na Na perform at Steve Pauls The Scene Club, and recommended them to the Woodstock producers. Bowzer once stunned a fourth season audience by announcing dramatically at the end of one episode, "This is the last Sha Na Na show you will ever see." He then launches into an explanation that "me and the boys (sic) have been giving it a lot of thought, and we've decided that it's time to move on". Please try again. The death toll of music-world notables in 2016 continued Friday, with the announcement of the death of Lennie Baker, a longtime member of the rock-and-doo-wop band Sha Na Na. He was always willing to share all he had with friends and family, David Baker wrote in theobituaryto his uncle. They discuss the amorphous nature of nostalgia, why children should go on boring vacations, and the podcast Ball & Chain that he hosts with his wife, basketball great Rebecca Lobo. Sha Na Na is a rock and roll group that first gained fame by appearing at Woodstock. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. According to theLA Times,Greene died after a brief illness. MCA released the album 41 Original Hits from the Soundtrack of American Graffiti, which continued to reintroduce audiences to some of the songs from the 50s, and the album went triple platinum. We are showing you options for a phone or a tablet but if you're on a computer, Need that deep voice. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. What happened when a writer hit the boards instead of his keyboard--- . Jane Fonda and Sha Na Na's Jon "Bowzer" Bauman at a Wildwood School Fundraiser in Santa Monica. Bauman has also helped pass legislation that would compel any group using the name of a classic group to have at least one of the original members. According to Robert Leonard, George choreographed them into a music hall act. The transformed group, Sha Na Na, named after a line in the 1957 song Get a Job by The Silhouettes, became a popular live act. He is an actor and writer, known for My Little Pony: The Movie (1986), Golden Age of RocknRoll (1991) and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (1990). After gaining initial fame for their performance at Woodstock, made possible with the help of their friend Jimi Hendrix, the group hosted Sha Na Na, a . Crosby Stills & Nash played. They also appeared on the soundtrack for the movie, performing six songs and the bands pianist, Screamin Scott Simon, cowrote the song Sandy for the film. He endorsed Barack Obama for President in 2008. According to John Jocko Marcellino, one of the bands original founders, their music was all campy when the band originally formed. We are showing you options for a computer but if you're on a phone or tablet now set to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the movie Grease in which TV then sought to reproduce some of this success. Gross left for a solo career in 1970 and scored a Top Ten hit six years later with "Shannon," something his old group was never able to do; Sha Na Na was largely a live act playing on nostalgia and entertainment value, which did not translate as well on record. Leonard Lennie Baker, longtime saxophonist forthe doo-wop rock group Sha Na Na and the singer on the bands hit cover of Blue Moon, died Wednesday in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Greene is survived by his brothers Michael and Gerald. All contents 2023 The Slate Group LLC. (1 episode, 1979) Series Costume Design by Series Makeup Department Brad Wilder . From concerts to art classes to festivals and drive-thru holiday light shows, Bethel Woods offers year-round experiences dedicated to creating that same sense of community and creativity that existed during Woodstock over 50 years ago. In his "Bowzer" persona, Bauman became instantly recognizable for his "greaser" clothes and hair, his muscular pose with his arm, and his catchphrase "Grease for Peace!". Christmas Bells 6. While remaining the star of "Sha Na Na," Jon branched out on his own and made over 150 solo appearances. Jon Bowzer Bauman (born September 14, 1947) (Died January 5, 2019). . Please enable javascript to get your Slate Plus feeds. And so did Sha Na Na. "Shannon": Henry Gross, Sha Na Na, and a Beach Boys Dog Henry Gross, who was born in Brooklyn on April 1 in 1951, was the youngest person to perform on the main stage at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair in 1969. He hosted the Hollywood Squares half on The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour, and The Pop-N-Rocker Game . Jon " Bowzer " Bauman (born September 14, 1947) (Died January 5, 2019). If you still have questions about subscriptions or your Slate Plus Feed, check our FAQ. He is currently president of Social Security Works PAC, a national organization working to elect candidates who support protecting and expanding Social Security benefits. | They began with 12 performers, a number which dwindled to seven, with just three of the original members continuing with the group: Jocko Marcellino, Screamin' Scott Simon, and Donny York. January 24, 2016 Sha na na was great. Series Directed by Series Writing Credits Series Cast Series Produced by Series Film Editing by Series Art Direction by Jack McAdam . Was disappointed that Bowser, Jon Bauman, did not perform. We're sorry, but something went wrong while fetching your podcast feeds. Sha Na Na was an American rock and roll doo-wop cover group. The record company, Buddah Records, promoted the album, taking out a full-color ad on the front page of Billboard in November 1969. The original lineup consisted of vocalists Rob Leonard, Scott Powell, Johnny Contardo, Frederick "Denny" Greene, Richard "Ritchie" Joffe, and Don York, plus guitarists Chris Donald, Elliot Cahn, and Henry Gross, bassist Bruce Clarke, drummer John "Jocko" Marcellino, pianists "Screamin'" Scott Simon and John "Bowzer" Bauman, and former Danny and the Juniors saxophonist Leonard Baker. Screamin' Scott Simon co-wrote the song "Sandy" for the film; meanwhile, Jon "Bowzer" Bauman continued his television career, co-hosting a morning show in Los Angeles and guesting frequently on several game shows. s=screen;srw=s.width;an!="Netscape"? 2018. Angel for Christmas, An 10. Official Sites The singer/personality headlines Bowzer's Rock 'n' Party at Cobb Energy PAC this weekend. Rick Wakeman / Sha Na Na / Buffy Sainte-Marie / Roxy Music: Rick Wakeman / Sha Na Na / Buffy Sainte-Marie / Roxy Music - Nightbird & Company: Cosmic Connections Presented By The US Army Reserve (2xLP, Transcription) Army Reserve: none: US: 1974: Sell This Version: Image Title Label Catalog Number Year In Your Collection, Wantlist, or .