January 10, 2017
THE HIT MEN — FEATURING FIVE BRILLIANT MUSICIANS AND SINGERS
WHO HAVE PERFORMED AND TOURED WITH SOME OF MUSIC’S BIGGEST NAMES —
START THE NEW YEAR OFF BY ANNOUNCING INITIAL U.S. TOUR DATES,
NEWEST BAND MEMBERS AND NEW MUSIC ON THE HORIZON
THE HIT MEN PAY TRIBUTE TO THE LATE, GREAT, JIM CROCE,
BY SHARING VIDEO STORY ON WHAT WOULD’VE BEEN THE SINGER’S 74TH BIRTHDAY
A group of amazing performers, superb musicians, superior vocalists, great arrangers and creative composers, THE HIT MEN are hit makers of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s — including performing and recording members of superstar acts like Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, Tommy James and the Shondells, The Critters, and band-mates who played and performed with Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, Carly Simon, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Cheap Trick and more.
On the road touring as THE HIT MEN, this brotherhood of musicians — keyboardist and group founder Lee Shapiro, lead guitarist/vocalist Jimmy Ryan, keyboardist/percussionist/vocalist Russ Velazquez and new members, bassist/vocalist Jeff Ganz and drummer/vocalist Steve Murphy — relive the magic they created on world stages and in recording studios years ago, bringing audiences a night of mega-hit after mega-hit, after mega-hit.
“Who Loves You,” “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night),” “The Loco-motion,” “Peace Train,” “Mony Mony,” “Good Lovin’,” “You’re So Vain” and “Joy to the World” are just a few of the many hits they perform at their shows.
Such hits are the fabric of our lives.
Whether you’re a child of the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s or 80’s or just a fan of good music, THE HIT MEN have created a performance for all to enjoy.
The hits they’ve recorded with well-known artists or the songs they have performed with those artists have spanned four decades.
“Good music will always stand the test of time and we love to perform the hits of the artists we’ve been associated with over the years at our shows,” states Lee Shapiro.
“We take people on a journey back to a more innocent time when they were kids and just out to have fun on a Saturday night. We promise you will leave our shows feeling younger than when you arrived!” comments Jimmy Ryan, a founding member of THE HIT MEN.
During their performances, THE HIT MEN share engaging and often hilarious stories and anecdotes from their days in recording studios and on the concert circuit; it’s a fascinating look back through rock & roll history from the guys who lived and breathed the experience. They simply deliver sizzling shows that combine hit after hit after hit with eye-popping videos and reminiscences born from their witnessing and making musical history.
Make no mistake… THE HIT MEN are not a tribute act, nor are they the former cast of a Broadway musical.
They are the actual musicians that have recorded in the studio or appeared on stage with the artists of the hits, themselves.
In all, they have individually appeared on over 85 albums, awarded numerous Gold and Platinum albums and have received Emmy nominations, Telly awards, Clio awards and more.
“We have an emotional connection with the audience that tribute bands and sound-alike bands can’t have,” comments Shapiro. “When we share our experiences and tell stories, we aren’t reciting a script. We were on the team that made these songs what they are… When we tell you how ‘My Eyes Adored You’ was originally called ‘Sweet Eyes of Georgia,’ we know because we were there.”
Their musical resume reads like a Who’s Who in Rock & Roll.
`This year, the band will be performing dozens of dates all over the United States and will be finishing up the recording of their new CD between their mid-January and mid-February performances (see announced and confirmed itinerary below).
Today would’ve marked Jim Croce’s 74th birthday and, as such, THE HIT MEN’s Jimmy Ryan pays tribute to him with this video story:
https://youtu.be/Sk7ntIUtbMU
In describing his days with Jim Croce, Jimmy commented, “Beyond being a brilliant and immediately lovable composer, not to mention an old Villanova U buddy, Jim was a pleasure to work with… His spirit and energy filled the studio and the musicians had no trouble tuning into the sound and style he wanted to create in his music because he made it so easy.”
A medley of Jim Croce hits is expected to appear on the new CD.
While final songs have yet to be determined, one thing’s for sure… it’ll be chock-full of greatest hits from THE HIT MEN!
Here come the flashbacks!
For more information on The Hit Men, please contact Jeff Albright / The Albright Entertainment Group at RockStarPR@aol.com.
THE HIT MEN can be found at:
Official Website: www.thehitmenlive.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheHitMenLive/
Twitter: @TheHitMenLive
THE HIT MEN TOUR 2017*
JANUARY
14 – Peoples Bank Theatre in Marietta, Ohio
FEBRUARY
10 – The McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey
18 – Broadway Theatre in Pitman, New Jersey
MARCH
1 – Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida
3 – Flagler Auditorium in Palm Coast, Florida
4 – Artis in Naples, Florida
5 – Sharon Morse Performing Arts Center in Lady Lake, Florida
24 – The Macomb Center for the Performing Arts in Clinton Township, Michigan
26 – Arcada Theater in St. Charles, Illinois
APRIL
1 – Scottsdale Performing Arts Center in Scottsdale, Arizona
6 – Cole Auditorium in Hamlet, North Carolina
21 – Brauntex Theatre in New Braunfels, Texas
22 – Palace Theatre in Corsicana, Texas
28 – The F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
29 – Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey
MAY
6 – Niswonger Performing Arts Center in Van Wert, Ohio
JUNE
17 – Martin Lipscomb Performing Arts Center in Highlands, NC
*Stay tuned for additional dates.