WILDWOOD — Hard to believe the year is 2008 with greasers in leather jackets, a ‘57 Thunderbird cruising down Atlantic Avenue and girls in poodle skirts Hula-Hooping to the sounds of Bobby Rydell.
Wildwood stepped back in time Oct. 17-19 during the Fifth Annual Greater Wildwood Chamber of Commerce Fabulous ‘50s Weekend. The event is a tribute to the great history of rock n’ roll music and the era’s lifestyles and trends – including Wildwoods’ role in the musical history of that decade.
The city hosted a classic-car show in front of the Wildwoods Convention Center on Oct. 18. Across the street at Fox Park, a fair with food, contests and entertainment by The Mahoney Brothers, Love Affair and Stan Zizka’s Del Satins.
The Fabulous ‘50s Concert Oct. 18 stretched for four and a half hours and opened with a 1970 vintage Elvis performance from the Mahoney Brothers who are probably best known for their Beatles tribute shows.
Two Doo-Wop era groups, Terry Johnson’s Flamingoes and The Del Vikings, received standing ovations.
The Flamingos performed their smash hits “Nobody Loves Me Like You” and “I Only Have Eyes for You,” as their finale.
The Del Vikings were crowd pleasers with “Whispering Bells” and their huge hit, “Come Go with Me.”
Ben E. King thrilled the crowd with his signature song “Stand By Me,” plus “Spanish Harlem” and his big hit as lead vocalist with The Drifters, “There Goes My Baby.” He left the stage to enter the audience where he received hugs from female fans and sang to Lori Roach, board president of the Greater Wildwood Chamber of Commerce.
Gary U.S. Bonds opened his set with a medley of his hits including “New Orleans” and “Quarter to Three” and visited his more recent work including Bruce Springsteen’s “This Little Girl is Mine.”
Photos by Jack Fichter and Lauren Suit.
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