Herman's Hermits Starring Peter Noone and The Grass Roots

Thursday, July 27, 2023 @ 7:30pm

Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC)
100 South Street, Morristown, NJ 07960

Peter Noone

Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone is a multi-talented entertainer, who has been delighting audiences nearly all his life. He was born in Manchester, England, where he studied voice and acting at St. Bede’s College and the Manchester School of Music and Drama. As a child, he played “Stanley Fairclough” in the long-running British soap opera Coronation Street. He was also featured in the television series Knight Errant, Family Solicitor and Monro’s Saki Stories.

At the age of fifteen, Peter achieved international fame as “Herman”, lead singer of the legendary pop band Herman’s Hermits. His classic hits include: “I’m Into Something Good”, “Mrs. Brown, you’ve Got A Lovely Daughter”, “I’m Henry VIII, I Am”, “Silhouettes”, “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat”, “Wonderful World”, “Just A Little Bit Better”, “There’s A Kind of Hush”, “A Must To Avoid”, “Listen People”, “No Milk Today” “The End of the World” “Leaning On A Lamp Post”, and “Dandy”. Ultimately, Herman’s Hermits sold over fifty-two million recordings. In all, fourteen singles and seven albums went gold.

As “Herman”, the photogenic Noone graced the cover of nearly every international publication including Time Magazine. He performed on hundreds of television shows and appeared with such luminaries as Ed Sullivan, Jackie Gleason, Dean Martin and Danny Kaye. He was cast as the engaging “Duke of Cheshire” in ABC’s musical version of The Canterville Ghost. Soon thereafter, he portrayed the title role in Hallmark Hall of Fame’s Pinocchio. He also starred in three highly successful feature films for M-G-M: Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter, Hold On! and When The Boys Meet The Girls.

With characteristic zeal, Peter took on leading roles in full-scale theatrical productions of Dick Wittington, Aladdin and Sinbad The Sailor. These live stage spectaculars were mounted at major theatres throughout Great Britain and Noone received critical acclaim for his outstanding work. In the eighties, Peter starred on Broadway in the New York Shakespeare Festival’s production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance. He won rave reviews for his superb portrayal of the dashing, young hero, “Frederic”. His performance was so well received, that he went on to reprise the role at the world-famous Drury Lane Theatre in London. Noone charmed audiences worldwide as he continued to play “Frederic” with both the U.S. National Touring Company and the International Touring Company of “Pirates”.

Peter’s acting career flourished with guest-starring roles in prime-time television series such as: Married With Children, My Two Dads, Dave’s World, Easy Street, Too Close For Comfort, and Laverne and Shirley. In a memorable episode of Quantum Leap, he shed his “nice guy” image to portray “Dwayne”, a scheming promoter with murderous intentions. He starred as “Apoo”, a frustrated African relief worker, in the Los Angeles stage premiere of Topokana Martyr’s Day and as Alfred Von Wilmers in the U.S. National Tour of the smash Broadway hit Romance, Romance.

The nineties found Peter embarking on a four-year stint as the winsome host of VH1’s My Generation, the highest-ever-rated half hour retrospective of pop/rock music. More recently, he was featured in the recurring role of “Paddington” on the CBS daytime drama, As The World Turns. His legion of fans eagerly awaited each episode and Peter quickly became a favorite of the soap opera magazines and online message boards. He began the millennium with his successful entry into cyberspace and the New York Daily News dubbed him “The King of the Sixties on the Internet” due to the overwhelming popularity of his websites: peternoone.com and hermanshermits.com.

Accompanied by his band, Herman’s Hermits, Noone currently performs over 200 concerts a year. He consistently plays to sold-out venues and his admirers span the generations. Today’s teen girls scream just as passionately as their mothers did back in 1965, prompting VH1 to select Noone as their viewer’s choice for the “Sexiest Artist of the Year”. There is no doubt that Peter Noone’s extraordinary talent, disarming wit, handsome features and compelling stage presence will continue to delight fans of all ages, for a long, long time to come.

The Grass Roots

DUSTY HANVEY: (Lead Guitar , Vocals)- For more than 27 years this Cherry Valley, California native has been an integral part of one of the most iconic bands of it’s time. Along with his skills as a lead guitarist and vocalist, Dusty also takes on the title of The Grass Roots’ Road Manager. “Great compositions stand the test of time. These songs will always be considered some of the best pop rock songs ever recorded and it’s a pleasure to perform them with this great band.”

LARRY NELSON: (Keyboards, Vocals) – Hailing from Norfolk, Virginia, Larry has been performing The Grass Roots’ memorable keyboard lines in countless venues across North America for more than 27

years. “It may be a cliché, but it really is all about the songs. It never gets old performing great songs and enjoying the immediate feedback from the audience. The first few notes of Temptation Eyes or Midnight Confessions never fail to elicit a response, and are always a joy to play.”

JOE DOUGHERTY: (Drums) – For more than 26 years, this Evansville, Indiana native has been pounding out some of Classic Rock’s greatest hits with one of the genre’s most accomplished bands. “ It’s always great to see the fan reaction when we perform these great hits. Our fan base spans from 15 to 75 years old. It’s pretty amazing that the songs appeal to such a wide audience.”

MARK DAWSON: (Lead Vocals, Bass) –Mark has been a part of The Grass Roots for 6 years. This Chicago, Illinois native who now calls Orlando, Florida home has made a big impression on die-hard fans and audiences everywhere. Mark’s vocals bring to life the classic Grass Roots’ sound that America has loved for almost 50 years. “It’s hard for anyone to deny that The Grass Roots are one of pop music’s most memorable bands. If there is any doubt, take a listen to the band now; still playing all of the great hits from 1966 on up…and playing them the way YOU remember them.”

In 1965, Rob Grill and 3 others teamed up with mega-hit producer Steve Barri (The Mamas & The Papas, Tommy’s Roe, Four Tops, and Dusty Springfield) to form The Grass Roots. Since their formation The Grass Roots have gone on to chart 29 singles; 13 of which went gold followed by 2 gold albums and 1

platinum album. In the entire history of Rock n’ Roll, only 9 bands (including The Beatles) have charted more hits on Billboard’s Hot 100 than The Grass Roots. For almost 50 years one of the most recognized groups on “Classic Rock” stations has continued to be The Grass Roots. During that time, the Grass Roots have averaged over 100 live performances each year. They have appeared on over 50 national

television shows including, “The Tonight Show,” “The Today Show,” “Ed Sullivan,” “Andy Williams,” “Sonny & Cher,” “Good Morning America,”VH1 Hit-Makers,” “MTV,” and a record 16 times on “Dick Clark’s American Bandstand,” and they have sold over 20 million records worldwide. Along with these impressive accolades, The Grass Roots have also accomplished many more amazing feats including:

-Holding the all-time records for a one act, US concert by performing for 600,000 people on July 4^th, 1982 in Washington, DC.

-Setting a record between 1967 and 1972 by being on the Billboard charts an unbelievable 307 straight weeks.