The Lettermen live in Iloilo
The Lettermen: Donovan Scott Tea,
Tony Butala, and Mark Preston
The good things are getting even better for Iloilo in 2006 as the city establishes yet another musical milestone with the coveted performance here of one of the greatest singing sensations of all time - The Lettermen.
The American singing group, which has sold twenty million records and performed in seven thousand concert shows over a span of 45 years, opens their 2006 concert calendar with a four-city tour of the Philippines including Iloilo on January 29. The tour, titled "The Lettermen Live in Manila," premieres with a dinner-show on January 26 at the Manila Hotel. Other shows are slated on January 28 at the Araneta Coliseum, January 29 in Iloilo City, January 30 in Cebu City and January 31 in Davao City.
The Lettermen concert in Iloilo will be held at the Rose Memorial Hall of the Central Philippines University and is for the benefit of the Graciano Lopez Jaena Foundation. A group of local businessmen put together by Ilonggo International Balladeer-turned entertainment impresario Aristeo Demavivas is credited with bringing the act to Iloilo. This early, tickets to the concert at prices ranging from P500 to P3,000 are nearly sold out. Sources said fans from Bacolod and neighboring provinces have already made reservations for the show which coincides with the highlight of thus year's Dinagyang Festival.
The Lettermen was formed in 1960 and first hit the music charts in 1961 with "The Way You Look Tonight." After following that first hit with another chart topper, "When I Fall In Love," they were voted best vocal group of that year. Hit after hit followed: "When I Fall in Love," "Theme From A Summer Place," "Put Your Head on My Shoulder," "Hurt So Bad," and "Shangri-La" as well as over fifty albums filled with special romantic Lettermen harmony. One of their better known songs, "Goin' Out of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off You," was a first of its kind when it was released; it was the first hit record ever to completely integrate two songs as one.
The Lettermen were inducted into the "Vocal Group Hall Of Fame" on October 4th, 2001.
The Lettermen, which flourished alongside the effervescence of rock and roll, are an enduring phenomenon because of their timeless appeal and romantic music.