Sha Na Na Reunion

One of my small claims to fame is that as a junior reporter, I once had the great privilege of watching Sha Na Na live during their classic tour of the UK in 1972. After the show, I got to interview Screamin' Scott Simon and lead guitarist Gino.

Four decades after performing as the penultimate act at Woodstock and three decades after hosting a long-running TV variety show and appearing in the movie classic, "Grease," several former members of Sha Na Na are reuniting this weekend for a special one-time-only performance.



Three longtime members of Sha Na Na actually still perform more than 50 shows a year, but this is the first time that three others, including David Garrett, now a New York City businessman, and Elliot Cahn, a California entertainment lawyer will be back on stage together.

"This is a delight; I left in 1973," said the 62-year-old Cahn during a break in rehearsals Friday at a Long Island hotel conference room. "The last two times I sang in public were at memorial services for friends of mine who died."



Born in the era of flower power, Sha Na Na's founders were all college students at Columbia University who shared a love of harmonies inspired by the 1950s doo-wop groups. The group's name comes from the chorus of the Silhouettes' hit, "Get a Job (Sha Na Na Na).

The group later appeared in 97 episodes of their own music variety show that aired from 1977 to 1981; by that time Leonard, Cahn and Garrett had left the group, replaced by Jon "Bowzer" Bauman and others.

In 1978, the group appeared as "Johnny Casino and the Gamblers," in the movie musical "Grease," which featured several Sha Na Na rock covers. The soundtrack album was nominated for a Grammy and was certified platinum eight times.

"What Sha Na Na did was put the fun back in rock 'n' roll at a time when rock 'n' roll was starting to take itself a little too seriously," said Bruce "Cousin Brucie" Morrow, a legendary New York City disc jockey. "I'd have to say they were very influential in many ways. They never got the flowers, never got the bouquets they deserved."

Marcellino said he was amazed how well the group meshed during Friday's rehearsal. "It's like they were in the other room. We're all just falling into it all over again," he said.