The program featured guests with much 70s fame such as soul and funk star James Brown and the popular punk band Ramones musicians from rock & roll's golden era such as Little Richard and Chubby Checker also appeared. Sha Na Na was also successful with the hit syndicated television show of the same name that the guys did from 1977 to 1982. Still, the group appeared in the movie 'Grease' (based off of the musical of the same name) as "Johnny Casino & The Gamblers", gaining them even more attention. The degree to which their act was truly nostalgic, as opposed to the degree to which it was "invented nostalgia" for joking purposes has been called into question. The Broadway musical 'Grease' and the TV show 'Happy Days' both also displayed the same ethos as Sha Na Na. appeared (examples being Alvin Stardust and Gary Glitter). Similar artists both in the Americas and in the U.K. Their ninety-second appearance in the popular Woodstock concert film brought the group national attention, and they were a part of the 50s nostalgia craze of the era. In fact, the ever friendly and genial Hendrix stuck out his neck for the group, insisting the band be allowed to take the stage even after festival’s promoters wanted to cut them from the bill at the last minute, and Sha Na Na members have since credited him for 'saving' them from obscurity almost single-handed. The guys achieved national fame after playing at the Woodstock Festival, where they preceded Jimi Hendrix. Conceived by George Leonard, then a graduate student in Humanities, Sha Na Na began performing in 1969, at the height of the hippie counterculture. The group began singing as part of the longstanding Columbia University a cappella group "Kingsmen", but the ensemble changed their name due to the popularity of the Pacific Northwest rock band of the same name (see: "The Kingsmen"). The 'Sha Na Na' syndicated variety series that ran from 1977 to 1981 brought them much fame, as did the inclusion of their work in the famous 'Grease' soundtrack as well. The group has performed a song and dance repertoire of classic 50s pop and rock for several decades, both acting as retro revivalists as well as quirky parodists of old-time NYC street culture. Sha Na Na is an American rock and roll ensemble, its members often outfitted in … Read Full Bio ↴ Sha Na Na is an American rock and roll ensemble, its members often outfitted in gold lamé, leather jackets, and pompadour hairdos.
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