'A Night of Solid Gold' set for Sept. 24 at Kirby

Sep. 13—WILKES-BARRE — Gary Puckett, the lead singer of Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, said it best about the upcoming "A Night of Solid Gold" concert at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts.

"Don't hesitate to come to the show," Puckett said in a telephone interview with the Times Leader. "You will hear the absolute best music done by great groups. I promise it will be a night with a lot of fun-filled memories."

The concert, originally scheduled for Nov. 6, 2021, was rescheduled for Saturday, Sept. 24 — Joe Nardone presents "A Night of Solid Gold" — an incredible five act concert that will transport the F.M. Kirby Center audience back to the wonderful era of the 1960s, reliving those amazing days through their timeless music and its connection with the audience.

The show stars the legendary Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, along with the Brooklyn Bridge, the Happenings, the 1910 Fruitgum Co., and Shades of Blue.

Tickets purchased for Nov. 6, 2021 will be honored. Tickets can be purchased at the Kirby Center Box office, or by phone at 570-826-1100.

Puckett enjoyed six Top Ten hits — including two No, 1 — in the late 1960s. His band, the Union Gap — Gary grew up near Union Gap, Idaho — still wears the Union Army outfits from the Civil War era.

In 1968, the group had six consecutive gold records and sold more records than any other group — including The Beatles. Their hits included "Woman, Woman" (#3 on the cashbox charts), "Young Girl" (#1 on cashbox and #1 in the UK), "Lady Willpower" (#1), "Over You" (#5) and "This Girl is a Woman Now"(#9).

Puckett, 79, talked about his high school days — he graduated in 1960, and how he started out with a trio of a guitar, bass and drummer called the Outcasts.

"It gradually got to the point where it wasn't fun anymore and we broke up," he said. "It took a while, but I found the guys that became the Union Gap when I was living in San Diego."

The group clicked, Puckett said, and success would come, but not before the rigors of traveling on the road, playing nightclubs and other venues.

"I remember thinking how do we get out of this nightclub scene and start making some records," Puckett said. "We finally met the right guy that believed in us and we entered the real world."

The idea of dressing in Civil War uniforms for the first album cover had little, if anything to do with the town where Puckett grew up, or for that matter, the Civil War.

"It was just an idea for people to see just how different we were," he said. "We looked great in that picture, but the key was it got people to buy our records to hear how great our music was."

Puckett credited Jerry Fuller at Columbia Records for lifting the band to its new heights. Fuller wrote "Travelin' Man" for Ricky Nelson and many other hit songs.

"I met Jerry in his office when he was hanging a gold record on his wall and that caught my eye," Puckett said. "He liked my voice and he really liked our songs. He said, 'let's go make a record,' and we did."

On Aug 17, 1967, "Woman, Woman" was recorded and released on Sept. 17 as a single.

Puckett took time to remember those original members of the Union Gap who are all deceased.

"Those were great times," he said. "It's a wonderful feeling to be able to go on stage now and sing those songs. I never expected I'd still be doing this all these years later."

But he quickly said he enjoys the feeling of walking on stage and hearing the fans react to each song.

"That era of the '60s and '70s was so special," he said. "Everybody loves that music. I hear that all the time. we all still love that music and that music will live on for a long time."

The show

Co-headlining the show will be the Brooklyn Bridge. Kirby Center concert goers have been asking to see them again since they brought down the house a few years ago.

The Bridge was formed by combining the Crests' lead singer, Johnny Maestro, with the Del-Satins (Dion's backup singers) and the horn players from the Rhythm Method.

Maestro had several hits in the late 1950s with the Crests, including "16 Candles," "The Angels Listened In" and "Step by Step," and the Bridge still perform those songs in concert.

In 1969, they enjoyed their biggest hit, "The Worst That Could Happen" (#3 on the Billboard charts),a Other Brooklyn Bridge hits include, "Welcome Me Love," "Blessed is the Rain," "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Your Husband, My Wife."

The Brooklyn Bridge, including five original members, will bring down the house again at the F.M. Kirby Center.

Bob Miranda, incredible lead singer and face of the Happenings, continues to WOW audiences. Their 1966 and 1967 chart-topping hits "See You in September" (international #1 as well) and "I Got Rhythm" were both gold records, as was "Go Away little Girl" and "My Mammy."

Also performing will be the 1910 Fruitgum Company. They defined "bubble gum pop" in the 60s. Their hits included "Simon Says" (#4 US, #2 UK charts), "1,2,3 Red Light" (#5) and "Indian Giver" (#5).

Opening the show is Shades of Blue. Formed in a suburban Detroit high school, they sang doo wop songs on street corners. Their music married their Motown roots with a blue-eyed soul vibe. They sang backup vocals on songs recorded at Golden World studio where they collaborated with Edwin Starr ("War, What is it Good For" and "Twenty Five Miles from Home"), writing their smash hit "Oh How Happy."

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.