WALSENBURG- On December 5, southern Colorado is in for a wintertime treat with a rare acoustic performance by legendary Rock & Roll singer-songwriter Tommy Tutone. Tommy burst on to the world stage in 1982 with the multi million selling hit “867-5309/Jenny”, after having several smaller hit records in the early 1980s. He continued as a hit making top concert draw throughout the decade, recording three successful albums along the way. In the early 1990s he relocated to Nashville from his native San Francisco and recorded the album “Nervous Love” (1994) with Fred James handling the production chores. Whereas his 1980s albums showcased his hard driving Rock & Roll songwriting, “Nervous Love” focused more on his acoustic material. This opened up a new avenue for Tommy and he began touring as an acoustic singer-songwriter as well as working with his rock band.
The late 1990s saw the CD reissue of all of his 1980s material as well as a “Greatest Hits” package. “867-5309/Jenny” became a staple on Classic Rock radio stations the world over and by the turn of the century it had been played over one million times. Tommy continued touring, both with and without his band, and released the album “tutone.rtf’ (1998) to critical acclaim and strong sales. Tommy then returned to the West Coast (Portland this time) and continued touring and recording, though he augmented his income as a computer analyst for a few years. In 2009 Tommy again relocated to Nashville and is currently taping a new television show entitled “Nights On Broadway”, a program he is hosting that features grass roots musicians performing in the local nightclubs along lower Broadway in Music City. He is also a “VJ” on the online music video site “Hitmaker.com” and has a new album, “Soul Twang”, ready for 2010 release.
The husband/wife duo Fred James & Mary-Ann Brandon are both singer-songwriters and have nine Grammy nominations for their compositions in the “Best Blues Album” category. In addition to playing with Tommy Tutone, Fred has handled guitar chores for The Amazing Rhythm Aces, Dr. Hook, Billy Joe Shaver, Vern Gosdin, The Sam Lay Blues Band and many others. Mary-Ann has sung backup for Tommy Tutone, David Olney, Tim Krekel, Earl Gaines and Buzz Cason, to name but a few. They have written songs for Johnny Winter, Koko Taylor, Saffire, Kenny Neal, C.J. Chenier, Charlie Musselwhite and Jr. Wells & Bonnie Raitt, among others. They have each recorded a half a dozen solo albums, have toured worldwide and have just completed their first duet album, “We Belong Together” that is slated for release next year.
The December 5th show will be at 7 pm at the Fox Theatre in Walsenburg, CO and promises to be a night to remember. It will be an evening of acoustic music by three of the top songwriters in their field and will have something for everyone who appreciates good music and high quality entertainment.
Tickets will be $20. For more information and advance ticket sales please contact Elizabeth McLean at 719-742-3069.
