weinberg – Gary Bennett Publishing

Joe Theismann will talk in Frederick about how to set and reach goals

By Gary Bennett
Special to the News-Post

This article appears in the January 8, 2026 issue of Frederick News-Post’s “72 Hours” entertainment magazine.

Legendary NFL quarterback Joe Theismann will share his incredible journey from 1982 NFL MVP and 1983 Super Bowl champion to media personality, businessman and motivational speaker at 8 p.m. Jan. 10 at the Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick. An Evening with Joe Theismann is part of the Weinberg Center’s Live Series, celebrating iconic speakers and resilient stories.

Joe Theismann is an iconic Washington sports figure, best known for his long NFL career spent entirely with the Washington Redskins, after a short stint in the Canadian Football League. He played with Redskin greats like the “over-the-hill-gang,” “hogs,” “fun bunch” and “Riggo.” He led the Redskins to victory in Super Bowl XVII in January 1983 over the Miami Dolphins but unfortunately suffered a gruesome on-field injury that ended his football career abruptly in 1985.

His football journey was unique and star-crossed, to say the least.

A college football Hall of Famer, Theismann starred for three years as quarterback for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He was not only a football all-American and Heisman Trophy runner up in 1971 but was also an academic all-American, loquacious and witty and with movie star good looks. The Notre Dame sports information department was so eager for him to win the Heisman in 1971 that they informed him they would change the pronunciation of his name to rhyme with Heisman (with a long i sound). At the time, there was not a more glamorous or well-known player in college football.

Thought too small to play quarterback in the NFL, Theismann was drafted into the Canadian Football League in 1971. He spent three standout years with Toronto Argonauts, lauded for his daring and effective quarterback play. In 1974 he was acquired by the Washington Redskins as a backup quarterback and punt returner. The latter was a job unheard-of for any quarterback before or since. Known as a fierce competitor, Theismann willingly took the job just to get onto the field. In 1978, he finally assumed the starting quarterback position, supplanting another Redskin favorite, Billy Kilmer.

In November 1985, shortly after his MVP and Super Bowl winning years, Theismann suffered a devastatingly severe compound fracture of his tibia and fibula when sacked by Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants on Monday Night Football in front of millions of viewers. The 36-year-old Theismann was wstill in his prime for an NFL quarterback, but unfortunately, the injury ended his career on the spot. The image of Taylor frantically waving for help while a prone Theismann lay unable to move and in clear agony is one of the most enduring and wrenching images the NFL has to offer.

Unable to play again, Theismann retired and embarked on a successful broadcasting career. In 1986 and 1987, he served as color commentator on NFL games for CBS. In 1988 he became the longtime lead analyst for Sunday Night Football, a job he kept through 2005. He joined the Monday Night Football TV crew for one year in 2006. Since then, he has appeared consistently on the NFL Network and covered Thursday Night Football. In 1994 he won a CableACE Award (an Emmy equivalent) for insightful NFL commentary.

Today, he appears across various media, co-hosting Playbook, a weekly show on the Washington Commanders network; on podcasts such as 2nd City Gridiron and the Ruffino and Joe Show; in the movies, usually playing himself in such fare as Cannonball Run II; and in the theater with his live show, An Evening with Joe Theismann. His NFL Films documentary, Joe Theismann: A Football Life airs periodically on the NFL Network. He has written books, including his latest, How to be a Champion Every Day, and leads various business ventures including Theismann’s, his restaurant in Alexandria, that has been in operation since 1975.

As a motivational speaker, Theismann is in high demand by organizations such as Gaylord Hotel, ADM Investor Services, SHOPCO Stores, Prosperity Life, University of Phoenix and the Restaurant Association of Maryland. Theismann often speaks on the relationship between business, sports, and our personal lives, and how they parallel one another. He shares lessons on leadership, overcoming adversity and mental toughness, which he now brings to his live shows.

At the Weinberg Center, Theismann will speak for about 60 to 75 minutes about his football life and how to set and reach your goals and motivate those around you. After his talk, he will entertain questions from the audience. Tickets are available at weinbergcenter.org.

Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.

Comedian Colin Mochrie in conversation ahead of his show in Frederick

By Gary Bennett

Thus article appears in the June 12, 2025 issue of Frederick News-Post’s “72 Hours” entertainment magazine.

Colin Mochrie, of “Whose Line Is It Anyway” fame, has made a career of making stuff up for laughs and couldn’t be prouder of it. He is one of those lucky ones who found his niche and stuck with it.

Mochrie and his buddy Brad Sherwood, also from “Whose Line,” will bring their improv comedy show “Asking for Trouble” to the Weinberg Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. June 15.

My wife and I caught their hilarious improv show in Hagerstown a few years ago, called “Scared Scriptless,” and just about split our sides laughing.

His everyman look and befuddled, dry sense of humor has made him a fan favorite for years. “Whose Line” is no longer in production, but its 17-year run over two incarnations in America makes it one of the longest running and best-known comedy shows ever. Mochrie not only starred in the two American versions (1998 to 2006 with Drew Carey on ABC and 2013 to 2022 with Aisha Tyler on the CW), he even starred in the British version from 1991 to 1998.

I spoke with Mochrie by phone in May to talk about his life, his career and the upcoming show in Frederick.

You were born in Scotland, south of Glasgow. Do you have any memories of Scotland? You emigrated when you were very young.

Yes, my parents and I would go back every summer to visit my grandparents, so I don’t have my earliest memories of Scotland but certainly going back there and, of course, as an adult going back there for the Edinburgh Festival and other things, I have those memories.

Why did you and your parents move to Canada?

I think my dad was one of those rare Scottish people who thought he could do better elsewhere. He had friends who had moved to Canada, so he moved my mom, brother and me, and yeah, it certainly worked out well for all of us.

First it was Vancouver, I believe, and then you moved to Toronto?

We started in Montreal, which was an odd choice — none of us spoke French, and nobody could understand our brogue. Then I ended up in Vancouver and then moved to Toronto, where I am now.

Why did you move to Toronto?

It was right after Expo ‘86 in Vancouver, and I sort of felt that I had done all I could at that point. I got hired for the Second City comedy troupe in Toronto by the woman who later became my wife. So it was a good move.

I am interested in the Theatresports league you played at in Vancouver. What exactly is that?

That’s where it all started for me. It was a strangely named theater. One of the local owners quite generously said, “You can have weekends after the main show here.” So we started our shows at 10 or 11 o’clock. We would go into McDonald’s next door and sort of wrangle audience members. They’d say “Well, what’s the show about?” and we’d say “We don’t know! You’ll have to help us!”

I understand that you were valedictorian of your high school class. Is that right?

I was, yes.

Obviously, you are very quick-witted. Were you studious and serious or just naturally very bright?

I was a bookworm. I was studious. It wasn’t until a friend of mine dared me to go out for a school play that things changed. My plans were to be a marine biologist — and then I got my first laugh and bye-bye biology. It was all about “now this is what I want.”

Getting laughs must be intoxicating.

You’re right. It is intoxicating to be able to get an entire audience to laugh at something you said. It just gave me something that I didn’t realize I needed.

You’ve written, produced and acted. What’s your favorite thing to do?

Acting! I love that I get to work with someone I trust. When I improvise, it’s usually with people I know, good friends. I love that. If you’re doing a movie or television, there are so many fingers in the pie. You have the director, the writers, the producers, and what you do may not end up in the final project. I love that when I‘m onstage and improvising, all the responsibility is on us. If we suck, it’s because we have sucked; we can’t blame anyone else. If it goes well, it’s because we did well.

I do want to ask about “Whose Line” a little bit. You’ve said that you worked with friends. You go way back with Ryan Stiles. How about the other two that were on the show? Wayne Brady was on most of the time, and there was a fourth person that sort of rotated. Was working with them as easy as with Ryan, or did that take more work?

It was pretty easy with Ryan. From day one, we kind of had the same sense of humor. It just fit very well. And with Wayne, Brad and Chip and all those guys, it was fairly easy. They are all excellent improvisors. I think that part of the reason that “Whose Line” did so well was that we really enjoyed each other. We had fun playing off each other.

I know you’re touring with Brad, so this may be hard to answer. But besides him, who was your favorite number four person on the show?

That is tough. Greg Proops is one. I first met Greg when we were doing the British “Whose Line,” so I’ve probably known him the longest, and he’s just one of my favorite people. It was always fun when he was on the show. Chip Esten is a lot of fun. Jeff Davis, too. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings (laughs).

You didn’t mention Jonathan Mangum. I really like him.

Oh God, I hate him! He’s horrible! (Laughing.) Again, he’s lovely. I think one of the uniting things about the people is that they’re all really nice people, which is unusual in comedy. Some people are not so nice.

So I also have to ask: Drew Carey or Aisha Tyler?

Yes! What I love about Drew is he was a big fan of the show. He just loved watching it and was the biggest laugher. And he was incredibly generous. He would take us on trips every year that would cost him quite a bit of money, but he’d say, “You guys work your asses off.” And Aisha added a new element. When I first heard she was going to do it, I thought “Oh, what are we going to do with her. She’s beautiful, she’s smart, she’s funny.” Then you find out she’s just a big nerd. She would give as good as she’d take. So both had their special skills.

What were some of your favorite games? I really loved when you did sound effects with the audience members and when you were the newscaster in front of the green screen — that was great. How about you?

My favorite was always Greatest Hits. Because, first of all, I got to sit down, which is always good. Then Ryan and I just bantered and handed it over to the two incredible improv singers. I got to be a participant and a viewer and it never failed to tickle me. I loved watching the singers, but there’s also a deep, piercing jealousy, thinking, “Why don’t I have that in my utility belt?” They were not only improvising, coming up with the lyrics, but also just sounding so good, being able to parody the genres that we threw at them.

I’ve seen Hoedown. You’re not a singer, are you?

(Laughing) I’m not. And that’s what makes this show so exciting with Brad. We started doing this thing where our second act includes a tribute [song] to the town that we’re playing in. That makes it exciting that only one of us can actually sing well.

Have you ever been to Frederick?

I think we have. But I think it’s been a while.

What were some of your least favorite games?

Hoedown, right off the top! I also wasn’t a fan of Props, because they would bring us these two big things that immediately reminded you of some kind of genitalia. So you’d try to think of other things. That was always a tough job.

You have said that you weren’t paid fairly for the show. Can you explain?

We basically provided all the content for the show as writers, in a way, but there was no credit given for that because there’s really no classification for improv. I mean, we weren’t getting Ted Danson money, but we were doing OK. But you’d think, “Somebody’s making more money than we are, and we are the reason there’s a show.” Also, there were no residuals. They sort of classified us as a reality or game show or something to get around that. Don’t get me wrong — everything I have, I owe to” Whose Line,” but there are times when you go, eh. I went to the producer’s house in London once and thought, “Well, this is where the money went.”

How did your tour with Bard come about? You’ve been touring with him since 2002?

Yeah, it was during the Drew years. Drew one day said, “Hey, I’m doing a gig Super Bowl weekend in Vegas — why don’t we all go? We’ll do improv instead of me doing standup.” So we said, “Great!” That became sort of a yearly thing. The only downside was that there were 10 of us so we really didn’t get a lot of chances to do stuff. Brad suggested we try a two-man thing where we just go on tour and do improv. We did a test run for 10 days, and it seemed to go well. That was 23 years ago, and we’re still going strong.

What’s next for you? Do you have any projects that you are working on or are going to be working on soon?

I’m doing these two tours, and then my wife and I are going to be starring in a film to be shot in Ontario this summer, and then there are a couple of television things in the works up here.

This interview has been edited for space and clarity.

Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.

Music from the 1970s is the best

By Gary Bennett

This article appears in the April 24, 2025 issue of Frederick News-Post’s “72 Hours” entertainment insert.

My bold declaration that music from the ‘70s is the best might have raised some eyebrows, especially if you’re not a person of a certain age, but hear me out.

Before I defend myself, I don’t think you can blame me.

It’s a well-known truism that people tend to carry the music of their youth with them all their lives. It makes perfect sense.

When we are young, the world is full of possibilities, good times and any number of wonders we have yet to experience. And somehow, music makes all of it even better.

I can still remember teasing my mom and dad for playing their big-band sounds of the ‘40s and old-time country hits of the ‘50s on their gigantic, living room stereo. “They should really get with it,” I thought.

Well, now it’s my turn to get with it, but I just can’t let go.

How can I when my first memory of really enjoying music is as vivid today as it was then? I was lying in my bed in 1972 with my transistor radio nestled to my ear, listening to some faraway AM radio station playing Elton John’s “Rocket Man.” I felt so alone yet so connected to the rest of the world.

I was born at the perfect time. In the 1970s, I went from 13 years old to 23 years old. I graduated from high school smack dab in the middle — 1975 — and from college as the decade ended. That time of life, I believe, is when we really discover the joy of music. It’s the time of first jobs, first kisses, making friends and discovering what you are all about. As all this swirls around you, music provides soundtrack to your life.

Frederick’s Weinberg Center for the Arts will give me another chance to revel in the music of my youth on April 26 when Neil Berg brings his Broadway-quality troop of vocalists and musicians to town with his show “The 70’s: Long Live Rock N’ Roll.”

Berg has been to Frederick before with his show “50 Years of Rock N’ Roll.” This new show promises to recreate the sounds and spirit of the ‘70s with stories and songs from iconic names like Elton John, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel.

I’ll be there.

Now, back to my thesis.

Many music historians agree with me that the music of the ‘70s is the best, but even if that were not so, I would still argue that the sheer variety of music and artists pushing the envelope to create new genres and sounds is unmatched by any other decade.

There were emerging genres like funk, heavy metal and disco. What constituted rock ‘n’ roll, pop, soul and even country became more and more blurred as artists “crossed-over” and experimented with strings, electronic instruments and synthesizers. What emerged was a nourishing stew of unique and memorable sounds that had something for everyone.

The ‘70s began on a sour note, however: the disbanding of the Beatles. Although we didn’t know it at the time, this seismic shift in the music world created a vacuum that drew in all types of new sounds. Add to this heartbreak the early ‘70s drug overdose deaths of ‘60s rock legends Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison, and the slate seemed to be wiped clean.

First on the scene were the sensitive singer-songwriters. These were some of my favorites. This list includes household names like Elton John, James Taylor, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Simon and Garfunkel, Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, Barry Manilow, Billy Joel, John Denver, Jimmy Buffet, Neil Diamond and, of course, each of the four ex-Beatles. They brought thoughtful lyrics, heartfelt emotion and acoustic instruments to the mix. They provided music that felt raw and emotional, often focusing on storytelling and real experiences that resonated with listeners.

Female solo artists came into their own in the early ‘70s, too. Besides King and Mitchell, artists like Linda Ronstadt, Carly Simon, Roberta Flack, Olivia Newton-John, Joan Baez and Helen Reddy provided a new voice to pop music.

In the ‘70s, Black music expanded from soul into funk with the raw city sounds of James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Parliament, Funkadelic, War, and Sly and the Family Stone. With funk music, rhythm and beat were emphasized over melody, to great effect. Most of these artists had no trouble landing in the mainstream Top 40 charts, as young people became more adventurous in their musical tastes. Rap music even has its roots in the ‘70s.

Pure soul music from the Motown record label got even better. Unparalleled artists like Stevie Wonder; Marvin Gaye; Kool & the Gang; Earth, Wind & Fire; the Spinners; the Stylistics; the Temptations; Barry White; the O’Jays; Gladys Knight & the Pips; and the Jacksons became cross-over sensations. Stevie Wonder’s 1974 masterpiece album, “Songs in the Key of Life,” and Marvin Gaye’s thought-provoking single “What’s Going On” brought a whole new vibrancy and mass-appeal to soul music.

Even rock ‘n’ roll music went through changes in the ‘70s, as it entered its own teen years. Somehow, it got divided into hard rock and soft rock.

Soft rock featured acoustic instruments and prioritized melodies and harmonies over a hard-driving beat. Some of the top soft rock bands of the ‘70s are legendary. Fleetwood Mac with their seminal 1977 album “Rumours,” dominated the chart for a couple of years. Others included Paul McCartney & Wings, America, the Hollies, Steely Dan, Rod Stewart and Faces, Hall & Oates, Queen, ABBA, the Doobie Brothers, Chicago and Three Dog Night.

The soft rock superstar band, the Eagles, were (and still are) in a category of their own. They pioneered the laid back, California sound with exquisitely tight harmonies, an at-times hard-driving beat, and relatable lyrics. Their work-of-genius single “Hotel California” became one of the defining songs of the ‘70s. To this day, they sell out the largest venues worldwide.

During the ‘70s, a distinctive sound emerged that became known as Southern rock. It fused rock, country and blues into an unforgettable and instantly recognizable sound led by electric guitars and whiskey-tinged vocals. Stalwarts like the Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ozark Mountain Daredevils and the Marshall Tucker Band led the way. Even country audiences took to this new brand of rock music.

The hard rockers had their own iconic bands, too. It was the decade of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Kiss, Deep Purple and Judas Priest. The all-time great band, The Rolling Stones, much like the Eagles in the soft rock category, reside in their very own musical stratosphere, undeniably great in the ‘60s, ’70s and ‘80s.

While the ’60s had their British Invasion that knocked many of the old standby singers into the realm of the forgotten, many folks forget that the ‘70s had their own invasion: the disco invasion of 1976.

Love it or hate it, there is no denying that disco music, derived from the dance clubs and discotheques of New York City, enjoyed about five years of unsurpassed popularity. The invasion was led by an unlikely group that was already here: the Bee Gees.

They somehow were able to re-create themselves from syrupy balladeers in the early ‘70s to the founders of disco music. They dominated the charts in the mid- to late-‘70s with a string of No. 1 singles and albums, including the best-selling soundtrack of all-time, “Saturday Night Fever.” At one Beatle-like point in time, they had five songs in the top 10 and three songs in the top five of the Billboard chart simultaneously. They are universally considered to be one of the most important acts of all time.

Other offshoots of rock and soul music emerged with their own superstar artists and devoted fans: punk rock, blue-eyed soul, progressive rock and new wave. In a category all his own, Bob Marley introduced the world to reggae music in the ‘70s and became one of the best-selling artists of all time.

Relive the timeless hits of ABBA

By Gary Bennett

The Concert: A tribute to ABBA will come to Frederick Oct 13

This article appears in the October 10, 2024 edition of Frederick News-Post’s “72 Hours” entertainment magazine.

I remember ABBA so well. Like a shooting star, the Swedish pop group came and went quickly. They burst on the scene in 1974 with a unique sound that featured rich female harmonies with backing vocals from a couple of satisfied-to-be-in-the-background males. But by the early ‘80s, they were finished as big hit makers.

But for those six or seven years, they were a group to be reckoned with — a global phenomenon of epic proportions and Sweden’s biggest “export” to the world.

On Oct. 13, we can relive the timeless hits of the ‘70s and early ‘80s as The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA takes center stage at the Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick.

Their music was bubblegum “poppy,” decidedly up-tempo and definitely “feminine.” As a male teenager in the ’70s, I couldn’t really admit to liking them, as I could with female rockers like, say, the band Heart. More than once, I had to quickly turn the radio down as pals piled into my car.

To say ABBA’s sound was unique would be an understatement. They are still immediately recognizable on certain Sirius XM channels and streaming services today.

The band was comprised of four members, and that’s how they got their name. Benney Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus (the two B’s in ABBA) wrote and produced all the songs and played piano and guitar. Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad (the two A’s) sang the rich vocals while wearing very short mini-skirts and other dazzling costumes.

Like most bands, ABBA was no overnight success. The ABBA story began in Sweden in 1966 when Bjorn and Benny, who were playing for different bands, met and wrote their first songs together. In 1969 they met the women who would become their wives and musical partners.

After a few years of toiling and achieving modest success in Sweden, they entered a singing contest with the song “Waterloo” and won. Soon, “Waterloo” was No. 1 all over Europe and reached the top 10 in the U.S in 1974. About 18 months later in 1976, they hit it big again on the U.S. charts with “SOS” taken off their third album.

Later that year, “Mamma Mia,” perhaps their most widely known song because of the musical and movie, was released and spent time at No. 1 in the U.K. and amazingly, 10 weeks at No. 1 in Australia. Crikey! In the U.S., “Mamma Mia” peaked only at number 63. This song, however, established them as reliable hit makers and one of the most popular groups in the world.

Then, 1977 brought hits like “Fernando” and the ever popular “Dancing Queen,” the latter being ABBA’s only No. 1 U.S. single. That one will get you up and onto the dance floor even today.

In 1978, ABBA’s fourth original album “Arrival” was released and spawned hits “Money, Money, Money” and “Knowing Me, Knowing You.” Later that year, they completed a sold-out, worldwide tour, completed a feature film called “ABBA: The Movie” and their newest album called, naturally, “ABBA: The Album.”

The hits began to wane in 1979 as one of the married couples announced their divorce. This did not mean the complete end to ABBA, however. They completed their final tour in Japan in 1980 but also found the time and geniality to complete the “Super Trouper” album. In 1981 the other married couple divorced, effectively ending ABBA’s reign as one of the most unlikely top pop groups in the world.

A revival of sorts came in 1999 when the musical “Mamma Mia” premiered in London. It opened on Broadway two years later and became a cultural phenomenon. To date, more than 60 million people have seen it in over 400 cities. A successful movie version starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan was released in July 2008.

Today, ABBA is regarded as one of the all-time classic pop acts, acknowledged by their 2010 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. All four group members are still alive, doing well and living in Sweden.

IF YOU GO:
The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA will start at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Weinberg Center, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Tickets start at $40 and are available at weinbercenter.org, by calling the box office at 301-600-2828, or in person.

Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.

The Everly Brothers Experience brings the nostalgia and harmonies of the famed duo to Frederick

By Gary Bennett

This article appears in the Frederick News-Post’s “72 Hours” entertainment insert, April 18, 2024.

Since 2016, brothers Zachary and Dylan Zmed, along with their partner and drummer Burleigh Drummond, have celebrated the pivotal music of the Everly Brothers with a heartfelt tribute.

That tribute, the Everly Brothers Experience, featuring the Zmed Brothers as the Everlys, plays at the Weinberg Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. April 20.

Presented by Key West Productions, the Everly Brothers Experience promises to be a trip down memory lane, revisiting the rich vocals and gorgeous harmonies popularized by the Everlys in the late ’50s and early ’60s.

“The music of the ’50s and ’60s are nostalgic for us,” they said in a press release. “Our parents raised us on it, and we feel that the Everlys’ contribution is greatly overlooked, especially by younger generations.”

The Zmed brothers do not try to impersonate the Everlys but honor their iconic sound by recreating the music as close to the original as possible.

I’m a little too young to remember the heyday of the Everly Brothers and other founders of rock ‘n roll as they came on the scene in the 1950s. However, it is no secret, for my generation at least, that the Everly Brothers had an outsized influence on the Beatles and many other iconic acts that came later. John Lennon and Paul McCartney made no secret of their admiration, patterning their unmistakable harmonies on the ones from “Don And Phil.”

Before the Beatles, Lennon and McCartney referred to themselves as “the British Everly Brothers” when hitchhiking to talent contests in England.

Other super groups, like the Beach Boys, Bee Gees, and Simon and Garfunkel, credit the Everlys as having a huge influence on their music.

I vividly remember my father was an avid Everly Brothers fan. He mostly enjoyed country music, especially Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, but he made an exception for the Everlys.

It was no wonder. The Everlys embraced elements of country in their music with some twangy vocals and steel-string acoustic guitars. Today, their music might be categorized as country rock. Along with Elvis, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and others, the Everly Brothers were among the pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll.

As with many stars, the Everlys were raised in a musical family. They sang with their parents on the radio during their high school years. As they gained attention, they began writing and recording their own music. Their first hit song came in 1957, the hugely popular “Bye Bye Love.” It hit No. 1 in the spring, shortly after I was born, and stayed there for four weeks. You know the chorus: “Bye-bye love/ Bye-bye happiness/ Hello loneliness/ I think I’m-a gonna cry-y.”

Huge hits would follow, like “Wake Up Little Susie,” “All I Have To Do Is Dream” (my No. 1 all-time favorite song about dreaming!), “When Will I Be Loved” (perhaps made more famous by Linda Ronstadt in 1974), “So Sad,” “Crying in the Rain” and “Problems.” Their biggest-selling single of all time, “Cathy’s Clown,” came in 1960. You know this one, too: “Here he co-o-o-omes: That’s Cathy’s clown.”

In a move that would be unheard of today, the brothers enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1961. Elvis did the very same thing. There were very few military exemptions back then, and it beat being drafted and sent to Vietnam.

But, unfortunately, unlike Elvis, the Everlys’ output and fame fell off upon their return. Their last big hit came in 1962 with “That’s Old Fashioned (That’s the Way Love Should Be).” The British Invasion took hold shortly thereafter, curtailing or ending the careers of many rock ‘n’ roll pioneers. They did, however, launch a successful touring career in the ’60s. In the ’70s, the brothers began releasing solo recordings — but no hits — and officially broke up in 1973.

They got back together for a while in the ’80s, performing periodically until Phil’s death in 2014. Don died seven years later in 2021.

In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked the Everlys as the No. 1 greatest musical duo of all time. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1986, along with such first-name luminaries as Elvis, Chuck, Buddy and Jerry Lee. The Everlys were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Musician’s Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019.

By all accounts, they were unaffected by their meteoric stardom. They said in 1960 at the height of their popularity, “We’re not Grand Ole Opry … we’re obviously not Perry Como … we’re just pop music.”

Neil Berg and his merry band of performers revive the psychedelic ’60s for a night

By Gary Bennett

This article appears in the April 20, 2023, edition of Frederick News-Post’s “72 Hours” magazine.

Relive the powerhouse music that shaped a generation with Neil Berg’s The 60’s: Peace, Love & Rock N’ Roll, rolling into Frederick’s Weinberg Center on April 21 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are still available.

Composer/producer/arranger/musician Neil Berg returns to Frederick with his new production that takes us on a musical trip to the stormy, counterculture 60’s. Berg and his talented troupe of musicians last wowed Frederick audiences in October 2021 with his show 50 Years of Rock N’ Roll.

In this new production, Berg recounts the 60’s through music and stories, culminating with a celebration of the historic Woodstock concert in 1969. If you didn’t make it to Woodstock like me (I was only 12) but remember all the wonderful music wafting down the hall from your big sister’s jukebox, you’ll not want to miss this rollicking evening.

Berg is privy to many behind-the-scenes stories from Woodstock due to his personal friendship with Michael Lang, the original organizer and producer of the iconic event.

“Michael brought me into his New York City office about 15 years ago to discuss the possibility of writing a Broadway musical about Woodstock—stories about unknown artists like Bert Sommer, who was in the Broadway musical Hair, and who was a solo artist at Woodstock and got the first standing ovation.”

That idea morphed into The 60’s: Peace, Love & Rock N’ Roll when Berg realized there are many more stories to tell and music to play that had nothing to do with Woodstock. Berg is not shy about sharing these tales.

Berg promises we’ll hear the story of Joni Mitchell’s song Woodstock, and her relationship to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, who were famously playing only their second concert ever in public. We’ll learn about the famous bands that were invited to play, but did not. We’ll hear about Carlos Santana playing his entire Woodstock set tripping on LSD given to him by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead.

And don’t forget the music! Berg and his merry band of Broadway performers will cover the music of Woodstock acts Richie Havens, Country Joe McDonald, The Band, Canned Heat, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Sly and the Family Stone, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Joe Cocker. (Lineup is subject to change.)

A who’s who of 60’s rockers who did not perform at Woodstock will be covered too: Bob Dylan, Four Seasons, Beach Boys, Beatles, Rolling Stones, James Brown, Tom Jones, Aretha Franklin, Monkees, Neil Diamond, Cream, Mamas and the Papas, Otis Redding, Doors, Shirelles, Tina Turner, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin and more.

For everyone who wanted to be at Woodstock but wasn’t, The 60’s: Peace, Love and Rock N’ Roll will make you feel like you are there.