Legendary vocalist Pat Boone to perform in benefit for ORHS music department

Legendary vocalist Pat Boone will perform in a benefit for the Oak Ridge High School music program in Oak Ridge on Thursday.

The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, October 22, at the Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center.

Boone will be backed by Knoxville swing orchestra The Streamliners.

“The performance of his ‘The Music and The Memories’ show is a benefit for the Music Department at the Oak Ridge High School,” a press release said.

Tickets are $75 VIP (with artist meet and greet), $50 orchestra, $35 side aisles, and $20 upper balcony.

The Oak Ridge High School Performing Arts Center is located at 1450 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Charles Eugene “Pat” Boone was born June 1, 1934. He continues as a successful pop singer throughout the world but made his start becoming the first “American Idol” in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s, the press release said. He has sold more than 45 million albums, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in more than 12 Hollywood movies.

According to Billboard Magazine, Boone was the second-biggest charting artist of the late 1950s, behind only Elvis Presley, but ahead of Ricky Nelson and the Platters. He was ranked at No. 9, just behind the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney but ahead of artists such as Aretha Franklin and the Beach Boys in the magazine’s listing of the Top 100 Top 40 Artists 1955-1995. Boone still holds the Billboard record for spending 220 consecutive weeks on the charts with one or more of his songs listed each week, the press release said.

At the age of 23, he began hosting a half-hour ABC variety television series, “The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom,” which aired for 115 episodes (1957-1960). Many musical performers, including Edie Adams, Andy Williams, Pearl Bailey, and Johnny Mathis made appearances on the show, the press release said. His cover versions of popular rhythm and blues hits had a noticeable effect on the development of the broad popularity of rock and roll. In 1955, Elvis Presley had the honor of being the opening act for a show in Cleveland, Ohio, starring Pat Boone.

As an author, Boone had a No. 1 bestseller in the 1950s, “Twixt Twelve and Twenty,” which has been recently re-released from Prentice-Hall. In the 1960s, he focused on gospel music and is a member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, the press release said. He continues to perform and speak as a motivational speaker, a television personality, and a conservative political commentator.

“While many school systems across the United States consider whether to continue offering music, theatre, and art classes, the Oak Ridge High School is committed to keeping these programs strong and vibrant,” the press release said. “Proceeds from this special performance are specifically earmarked for activities of the Oak Ridge High School’s Music Program and Jazz Ensemble. Additionally, students will have the hands-on opportunity to experience the workings of a live touring production. They will help load and unload equipment, set lighting, usher, and take tickets and sell concessions and artist merchandise.”

Tickets to the Thursday night show are available at all Knoxville Tickets outlets, by phone at (865) 656-4444, or online at www.knoxvilletickets.com.

“In this funny and often touching autobiographical one-man show, entertainment icon Pat Boone sings the hits and tells the stories of his 50-plus years in show business,” the press release said.

“From the early days of competing with Elvis for the number one spot on the pop music charts, to his film and television career to an inside glimpse of his family life…Pat shows why he’s still one of the all-time greats,” the release said.

“Music and Memories: An Evening with Pat Boone” was conceived and designed to provide the live audience with an inside look into Pat Boone’s career spanning five decades, the release said. Selections from Boone’s all-time greatest hits will be performed with a piano accompaniment in a very intimate setting. Between songs, Boone will share the behind-the-scenes stories that shaped the songs, recordings, and career of one of pop culture’s most influential icons. Video clips from his appearances on the Ed Sullivan, David Letterman, and Tonight shows, blooper reels from Pat’s own TV shows (featuring actors such as Dustin Hoffman, Sean Connery, Bing Crosby, Dick Van Dyke, and others), and other fond memories will be displayed throughout the show on overhead projector screens.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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