Where were

you when you first saw Sha Na Na?

Were you

one of the alleged millions who were at Woodstock (the

non-riot version)? Did you first see them take the stage

in the hit film "Grease?" Perhaps it was their

hit syndicated television show that ran for four years

that gave you a glimpse into the sights and beautiful

sounds that is Sha Na Na.

Wherever

you may have seen them, Sha Na Na has built a successful

musical career that has spanned four decades.

The band

was originally called The Kingsmen. They formed on the

campus of Columbia University in 1968 and performed a

wide variety of acapella music. Soon, the band realized

that their most successful numbers were songs from the

1950s. They dropped their first name and became Sha Na

Na, named after lyrics in the song "Get a Job."

the world by storm.

After

Woodstock, the band released their first album,

"Rock `n Roll is Here to Stay." The album,

produced by Buddha Records on the Kama Sutra label,

featured dozens of hits from the `50s and early `60s and

went platinum. The album was re-released in 1973. Sha Na

Na toured extensively, playing every major city in the

United States and most of the countries in the world.

Their star would only get bigger.

Soon, it

was not enough to hear Sha Na Na, the screens of

televisions and movie theaters called. The band was cast

as one of the musical acts in the movie

"Grease." The movie was a celebration of

everything 1950s, so it only made sense to include the

band who had been paying their tribute to the decade over

the past six years.

After the

film's enormous success, a TV show followed. The band

took the sound stage, built to look like an inner city

apartment complex, and crooned weekly for over four years

on syndicated television. The show featured the songs

that had made them famous as well as short comedy

sketches. Though the show was cancelled in 1981, Sha Na

Na can still be seen on some channels in the U.S.

In 1983,

the group lost one of its more famous members,

"Bowzer," to the lure of a solo career. The

band continued to tour, adding several new members long

the way and recording a new album, "Rock `n Roll

party Forever." Many of the original members are

still with the band and will be when Sha Na Na performs

at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater this weekend.

Sha Na Na

is made up of members Jocko Marcinello, Screamin' Scott

Simon, Lenny Baker, Chico Ryan and Donny York. After

their stint in Peachtree City, the band plays dates in

the midwest before launching a Japanese tour in November.

Sha Na Na

will play Friday and Saturday at the Frederick Brown Jr.

Amphitheater. The show will begin at 8 p.m. Admission is

$21. Call 770-631-0630 to purchase tickets or for

information.

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