THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 3, 1996 TAG: 9610020157
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: COVER STORY
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FRANKLIN LENGTH: 150 lines
ROCK 'N' ROLL triple whammy- The Coasters, Drifters and Marvelettes - will headline this weekend's Fall Festival.
The performers will be at Paul D. Camp Community College for a whopping four hours - 8 p.m. to midnight Friday - with a 9:30 interruption for fireworks.
Everything else will take place Saturday. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, Main Street will be closed to vehicular traffic, open to pedestrians. The only cars allowed will be the antique autos on display.
The street will be crowded with booths aplenty, the heart of the Fall Festival block party. There will be food, crafts, games, a magic show, jugglers, entertainment for children, performances by the County Line Cloggers.
The activity moves to Barrett's Landing Sunday for a three-hour gospel sing that begins at 3 p.m.
The big musical news is the appearance of three Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame groups. The Drifters, Coasters and Marvelettes will play the songs that made them famous, adding tributes to such folks as the Beatles, Four Tops and the Beach Boys.
While those performers are best known for their singing, it should also be noted that their choreography and sense of humor have a lot to do with the success of their stage shows.
Take a close look at the groups, and you will see that the point of immediate familiarity is mention of their hit songs.
The Drifters: ``There Goes My Baby.'' Ah-h-h, that rings a bell. It should. It sold two million records.
And, there were these million sellers: ``This Magic Moment,'' ``Save the Last Dance for Me,'' ``Under the Boardwalk'' and ``On Broadway.''
Altogether, the group claims 29 major hits, their record sales topped only by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bee Gees and Michael Jackson, according to the Book of Lists.
The publication adds that the Drifters ``sold more records over a more sustained period of time.''
Another fascinating figure is this: They have performed on television about 100 times.
The Drifters also entertained President George Bush at the White House, and at the home of Ethel Kennedy.
The Drifters drifted across the sea to perform in Europe and the Far East.
Back in the United States they hit the big spots, performing in Las Vegas and Madison Square Garden - selling out 10 times in that New York venue.
Drifters' hits were penned by such prestigious folk as Burt Bachrach, Carole King, Leiber & Stoller.
``Charlie Brown, he's a clown . . .'' Or, try this: ``Yakkety yak. Don't talk back.'' Fun stuff from the Coasters, once billed, and rightly so, as ``the supreme comedians of rock 'n' roll.''
Like the Drifters they, too, have played in some impressive locales including two areas normally associated with the likes of Beethoven and Tchaikovsky - Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall.
They were on stage in Las Vegas and at Radio City Music Hall and on screen in six movies including ``Let the Good Times Roll.''
The Coasters did just that with songs like ``Zing Went the Strings of My Heart,'' ``Little Egypt,'' ``Searching,'' ``Love Potion No. 9'' and one that every '50s rock fan knows well, ``Along Came Jones.''
As an indication of how highly respected and well loved they are, they became the first group inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Here is another bit of '50s rock trivia. Who sold three million copies of ``Please, Mr. Postman?'' Easy - the Marvelettes. Other well-known tunes by the trio include ``Playboy'' and ``Don't Mess With Bill.''
The Marvelettes, who lived at the top of the charts, had quite a bit to do with the history of rock 'n' roll. Their success was the reason Motown Records switched from bluesy artists to smooth harmonic sounds.
The pioneer group was followed by the Supremes, Temptations, Four Tops, and Martha and The Vandellas. Those were the ``sounds'' that dominated the charts until the Beatles came along.
Those are three acts that will make it easy to forget your problems, momentarily at least, and have a rockin' good time. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by JOSEPH A. PASCUCCI
Main Street will be closed to vehicular traffic Saturday and the
street will be crowded with booths for the Franklin Fall Festival.
1983 file photo
The Drifters will sing ``This Magic Moment'' and other hits Friday
at the Fall Festival.
File photo
The Coaster, above, have been billed as ``the supreme comedians of
rock 'n' roll.'' It's likely that they'll sing such hits as
``Yakkety Yak'' and ``Love Potion No. 9'' Friday night at
Franklin's Fall Festival.
The Marvelettes, left, were so successful in the '50s that Motown
Records switched from bluesy artists to smooth harmonic sounds. The
group is known for such hits as ``Please, Mr. Postman'' and ``Don't
Mess With Bill.'' You can hear them perform Friday at the festival.
Graphic
AT A GLANCE
WHAT: Franklin Fall Festival
WHEN: 8 a.m. to midnight Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 3 to
6 p.m. Sunday.
WHERE: Friday at Paul D. Camp Community College, 100 N. College
Drive; Saturday, Main Street; Sunday, Barrett's Landing.
CALL: call 562-8511.
SCHEDULE
Friday
6 p.m. The Janitors
8 p.m. The Drifters, Coasters and Marvelettes
9:30 p.m. Fireworks by Zambelli International
Admission free, food and beverages available
Saturday
East Stage, East 2nd Avenue, James River Bank parking lot.
11 a.m. - County Line Cloggers
Noon - Singer, Meredith Rogers
1 p.m. - State Line Dancers
2 p.m. - Franklin Line Dancers
3 p.m. - Rhinestone Renegades, western dancing
4 p.m. - Iron Butterfly Karate
West Stage, West 2nd Avenue, near Crestar Bank
10:00 a.m. - MerMan's Magical Mania
11:15 a.m. Circus Petite No. 1
12:15 a.m. Snow White and Her Seven Helpers. Storytelling with
audience participation
1 p.m. - Clowns A Poppin'
2:15 p.m. Matt the Marvelous Mime
3:15 p.m. Hardison the Great
4:15 p.m. - Circus Petite No. 2
Other Saturday events and locations:
7 a.m. - Kids' fishing tournament, Barrett's Landing.
9 a.m. - 5-K run, starting at Paul D. Camp Community College
9 a.m. Car show. Classic cars to be judged by The Mustang Club of
Tidewater. Trophies and dash plaques. 2nd and Middle streets
10 a.m. Horseshoe tournament, Barrett's Landing.
4 p.m. - Lucky Duck River Race and street dance with music by
Fire-Star. Barrett's Landing. Free. Food and beverages available.
Other events include Kid's Kove with pony rides, putt-putt, arts,
crafts and activities. Main Street across from Fred's Restaurant.
Western Tidewater Emergency Responders Expo. Fire, rescue,
police, hospital and other representatives of emergency agencies
will offer demonstrations. Downtown.
Sunday
3 p.m. Fall Festival Moments of Gospel. Music by True Believers
of Chesapeake, The Children of Today from Franklin, The Mighty
Pearly Gates of Suffolk. Free. Food and beverages available. by CNB