Gary Lewis & The Playboys with special guest Dennis Tufano, the original lead singer of The Buckinghams will hit the stage in the Starlite Theatre at Riviera Hotel & Casino July 20 through July 31.
Gary Lewis like his father, comedian Jerry Lewis, skyrocketed to fame at a young age. While playing in their first job at Disneyland, Gary Lewis and The Playboys were discovered in the summer of 1964 by producer Snuff Garret. Soon after, they produced their first hit single “This Diamond Ring.” Continued success ensued for Gary Lewis and The Playboys with several more Top 10 hits including “Count Me In,” “Save Your Heart for Me,” “Everybody Loves a Clown,” “She’s Just My Style,” “Sure Gonna Miss Her” and many more. In addition to appearing on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” “American Bandstand,” “Hullabaloo,” “The Tonight Show” and other shows, Lewis was named Cash Box magazine’s “Male Vocalist of the Year,” winning the honor against other nominees Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra in 1965.
As a part of the great 60s band The Buckinghams, Dennis Tufano, the original lead singer of the group, had a string of five Top 10 hits including “Kind of a Drag,” “Don’t You Care,” “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,” “Hey Baby, They’re Playing Our Song,” “Susan” and “Back in Love Again.” Following his success in The Buckinghams, Tufano was part of the song-writing duo, Tufano and Giammarese, and recorded three albums with Lou Adler's custom label, Ode Records. He has also performed and co-written with Elton John’s lyricist, Bernie Taupin, and renowned composer and musician Tom Scott. Tufano continues to perform with a ‘tip of the hat’ tribute to Bobby Darin in “I Remember Darin.”
Shows will run nightly Wednesday through Sunday at 7:30pm in the Starlite Theatre. Tickets are $39.95 for preferred seating and $59.95 for VIP seating. As a special offer, locals will receive 50 percent off tickets. All prices are exclusive of tax and fees. To purchase tickets, visit www.rivierahotel.com, call 702-794-9433 or visit the Riviera Box Office.
