MONROE - The doo-wop quartet, The Diamonds, will return to Monroe at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Monroe High School Performing Arts Center.
Billed as having tight vocal harmonies, snappy choreography, and remarkable musicianship, The Diamonds have been entertaining audiences of all ages since 1957.
In the mid-1950s, The Diamonds released the song "Little Darlin'" which became an instant hit. It has sold 20 million copies, continues to sell worldwide, and has been dubbed "the National Anthem of Rock and Roll." The Diamonds have earned three gold records, made 33 appearances on American Bandstand, performed on the "American Graffiti" and "Happy Days" soundtracks, and have been inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and Doo-Wop Hall of Fame.
Since the beginning of The Diamonds, the group says it has learned one important lesson: the durability of classic rock and roll music is as much about the future as it is about the past. "We've been pleased to find a growing audience among all age groups. The audience loves songs they can understand, remember, and actually sing the words to - today, tomorrow, or even 20 years from now," the group says.
A major reason for The Diamonds' longevity as performers and entertainers lies in the diverse backgrounds of the individual members of the group.
Baritone singer Gary Owens has spent the longest time as a Diamond, joining forces with the group in 1975. Besides singing, and playing saxophone and flute, Owens does most of the vocal and technical arranging for the group.
Bass singer Jerry Siggins has worked throughout the United States, Japan, and Australia as a singer and actor. Before becoming a permanent member of The Diamonds, he enjoyed a successful commercial career, sang in a doo-wop group called Danny And The Dappers, and was a mainstay at Disneyland and Disney World as a vocalist with the Dapper Dans vocal quartet.
A recent addition to the group is tenor Sean Sooter. Sooter received his early performance training with the highly acclaimed national touring group, The Young Americans, performing in eight U.S. tours and as well as Japan. He worked for six years as a high school music teacher before joining the Diamonds - following his dream of singing with "one of the best vocal groups in show business today."
Bass singer Jeff Dolan is the newest addition to the group. He was a bass singer and vocal contractor for Ray Conniff, toured internationally for 10 years, and appeared on more than 25 music CDs. He has numerous recording credits including a Grammy award.
The Diamonds are one of the heartiest groups from the 1950s to outlast their era in the sense that they still maintain their original sound and have some long standing members. As a result, The Diamonds continue to expand their audience to this day, performing in a variety of venues and settings worldwide. They have performed with symphony orchestras, in performing arts venues and concert halls, on cruise ships, in casinos, at county and state fairs, and have gone on tour in England, Ireland, Brazil, Chile, Korea and Japan.
Reserved seat tickets for The Diamonds performance are $50, $35, $25, $20, and student (18 and under) tickets are $10. Tickets may be purchased in person at the box office, 1315 11th St.; by calling MAC at 608-325-5700 or 888-596-1249, or visiting www.monroeartscenter.com.
This performance has been underwritten by corporate underwriter Colony Brands, Inc., and media underwriters Monroe Publishing, LLC, and Big Radio. Additional underwriting for this performance has been provided by Precision Drive and Control; Super 8 Monroe; Dave and Janeen Babler; Lisa Baumann; Lee and Chris Knuteson; Monroe Clinic; Deb Thompson; Bob and Gaida Vickerman; Wisconsin Bank and Trust; Ekum Abstract and Title; Wil and Pat Klippel; Jane Paradowski; and Tom and Karen Vale.
Billed as having tight vocal harmonies, snappy choreography, and remarkable musicianship, The Diamonds have been entertaining audiences of all ages since 1957.
In the mid-1950s, The Diamonds released the song "Little Darlin'" which became an instant hit. It has sold 20 million copies, continues to sell worldwide, and has been dubbed "the National Anthem of Rock and Roll." The Diamonds have earned three gold records, made 33 appearances on American Bandstand, performed on the "American Graffiti" and "Happy Days" soundtracks, and have been inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and Doo-Wop Hall of Fame.
Since the beginning of The Diamonds, the group says it has learned one important lesson: the durability of classic rock and roll music is as much about the future as it is about the past. "We've been pleased to find a growing audience among all age groups. The audience loves songs they can understand, remember, and actually sing the words to - today, tomorrow, or even 20 years from now," the group says.
A major reason for The Diamonds' longevity as performers and entertainers lies in the diverse backgrounds of the individual members of the group.
Baritone singer Gary Owens has spent the longest time as a Diamond, joining forces with the group in 1975. Besides singing, and playing saxophone and flute, Owens does most of the vocal and technical arranging for the group.
Bass singer Jerry Siggins has worked throughout the United States, Japan, and Australia as a singer and actor. Before becoming a permanent member of The Diamonds, he enjoyed a successful commercial career, sang in a doo-wop group called Danny And The Dappers, and was a mainstay at Disneyland and Disney World as a vocalist with the Dapper Dans vocal quartet.
A recent addition to the group is tenor Sean Sooter. Sooter received his early performance training with the highly acclaimed national touring group, The Young Americans, performing in eight U.S. tours and as well as Japan. He worked for six years as a high school music teacher before joining the Diamonds - following his dream of singing with "one of the best vocal groups in show business today."
Bass singer Jeff Dolan is the newest addition to the group. He was a bass singer and vocal contractor for Ray Conniff, toured internationally for 10 years, and appeared on more than 25 music CDs. He has numerous recording credits including a Grammy award.
The Diamonds are one of the heartiest groups from the 1950s to outlast their era in the sense that they still maintain their original sound and have some long standing members. As a result, The Diamonds continue to expand their audience to this day, performing in a variety of venues and settings worldwide. They have performed with symphony orchestras, in performing arts venues and concert halls, on cruise ships, in casinos, at county and state fairs, and have gone on tour in England, Ireland, Brazil, Chile, Korea and Japan.
Reserved seat tickets for The Diamonds performance are $50, $35, $25, $20, and student (18 and under) tickets are $10. Tickets may be purchased in person at the box office, 1315 11th St.; by calling MAC at 608-325-5700 or 888-596-1249, or visiting www.monroeartscenter.com.
This performance has been underwritten by corporate underwriter Colony Brands, Inc., and media underwriters Monroe Publishing, LLC, and Big Radio. Additional underwriting for this performance has been provided by Precision Drive and Control; Super 8 Monroe; Dave and Janeen Babler; Lisa Baumann; Lee and Chris Knuteson; Monroe Clinic; Deb Thompson; Bob and Gaida Vickerman; Wisconsin Bank and Trust; Ekum Abstract and Title; Wil and Pat Klippel; Jane Paradowski; and Tom and Karen Vale.