Wednesday, May 14, 2003
|
Wednesday, May 14, 2003 |
|
Village People bring the party to Peachtree City By MICHAEL
BOYLAN When one hears the letters Y-M-C and A, it is almost an involuntary reaction to raise ones arms and create the letters along with them. For this, the world can thank The Village People. If local citizens would like to thank them personally, there are still tickets available for this weekend's show at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City. The Village People formed in New York's Greenwich Village in 1977. Producer/Composer Jacques Morali saw a man, Felipe Rose, dancing in an Indian costume and came up with an idea to put together a group of other Village icons, which included a soldier, a cop, a construction worker, a cowboy and a character known as biker/leatherman. The current touring group includes three original members Rose, Alexander Briley (soldier) and David Hodo (construction worker). Raymond Simpson has been the cop since 1980, which is also around the same time that Jeff Olson (cowboy) joined up. The newest member is Eric Anzalone (biker) who joined the group in 1995. Their career began with the release of the albums Village People and Macho Man in 1977 which featured the hit songs "San Francisco," "In Hollywood (Everybody is a Star)," and "Fire Island." The song "Macho Man" was a big hit but it wasn't until 1978 that the group had their biggest hit, "YMCA." "YMCA" has sold over 12 million units around the world, including sales of over three million in the United States. The success of both "Macho Man" and "YMCA" helped pave the way for the group's foray onto the silver screen. In 1980 The Village People starred in "Can't Stop The Music," a film starring Steve Guttenberg, Bruce Jenner, Valerie Perrine and Paul Sand. The film remains popular to this day as a cult classic. The group has also appeared on the small screen, featured on shows such as "The Love Boat," "20/20," "American Bandstand," "Solid Gold," and "Soul Train" among others. The Village People recorded three more albums that either went gold or platinum from 1980 to 1985. Some of the hit songs from this period were "Action Man," "Five O'Clock in the Morning," "Fox on the Box," and "Play Bach." The group took a break from touring in 1986 but came back with a vengeance. They recorded the album "Living in the Wildlife" in 1990 and sang with the German national soccer team in 1996 on the song "Far Away in America." Their hits have never been far from the American consciousness, appearing in hit films such as "Addams Family Values" and "Wayne's World II." The Village People also made a number of television appearances again, popping up on "Oprah," "Married With Children," and The Rosie O'Donnell Show" as well as several others. In addition to appearances on television and in movies, their biggest hits are played on almost a nightly basis at athletic venues around the world. Tickets for The Village People are $45. The show will start at 8 p.m. with local band Fairborn opening. Phone 770-631-0630 for more information. For more information on The Village People, visit www.officialvillagepeople.com.
|
