For the last four decades, the members of Sha Na Na have been delighting fans with their homage to the bygone era of the doo-wop group – conjuring up images of yesteryear through their fun-filled performances highlighted by their harmonious vocal magic. Popular with older and younger generations alike, they continue to offer a glimpse back in time, when a group of guys would grease back their hair and stand around a street corner in NYC, crooning ballads to anyone within earshot.

Sha Na Na first got their start when a group of young students at Columbia University formed a singing group called The Kingsmen (no, not the ones of “Louie Louie” fame.) With their shared loved of the doo-wop era, the group found success performing locally to nostalgic fans. As their popularity grew, they started donning the ducktail hairstyles and classic clothing of the past, complete with drainpipe trousers and gold lame suits. They assembled a complete line-up of musicians and re-christened themselves Sha Na Na, based on a lyric from the classic 50s doo-wop song, “Get a Job.”

In 1969, they got some major exposure, performing before Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock to a welcoming crowd and scoring a recording contract as a result. They released their first album, Rock and Roll is Here to Stay the same year, which included a mixture of doo-wop standards and original compositions performed in the same style. They took to the road, performing tirelessly across the country in energetic shows complete with choreographed dance routines and their trademark “jiving contests” that allowed audiences to participate in the nostalgic fun. Always a huge hit with the fans, they caught the eye of John Lennon who asked them to open for one of his tours, and were even once joined onstage by The Who’s explosive percussionist Keith Moon, who provided the drumming for one of their shows.

Sha Na Na would reach a much wider audience in 1977 when they landed their own television variety show, aptly called Sha Na Na. With a mix of comedy skits and classic musical performances, the syndicated series charmed audiences for four years. Numerous musical guests from the early days of rock and roll were featured on the show, including Jan and Dean, Chubby Checker and Fabian, as well as more modern acts such as The Ramones. Fans of the show were particularly fond of the lovable baritone-voiced thug named Bowser (John Bauman,) remembered for his constant muscle-flexing and penchant for belching.   

Sha Na Na also managed to get some exposure on the big screen, contributing their music to the film version of Grease in 1978. Besides performing such classic songs as “Hound Dog” and “Tears on my Pillow” in the film as the band, “Johnny Casino and the Gamblers,” they also contributed an original composition, “Sandy” which was sung by John Travolta's character.

And for the next 30 years, Sha Na Na has continued to delight audiences all over the world with their trip in the wayback machine to a time when vocal harmonies reigned supreme. Although there have been numerous changes in personnel over the years, they still remain popular wherever they perform, with their mixture of comedic stage antics and a timeless sound that continues to bring a smile to faces from every generation.