Sha Na Na‘s story is an all-encompassing one: They were in the original Woodstock Festival lineup (it was only their seventh performance), starred in the 1978 film Grease (as Johnny Casino and the Gamblers), hosted the Sha Na Na TV series for four years, and still play more than 100 concerts a year, from state fairs to performing arts centres, casino showrooms to mega-corporate functions worldwide.
Sha Na Na formed in 1968 while most of the original lineup were students at Columbia University in New York and one was a student at Brooklyn College. The name was chosen from the refrain in the 1950s Silhouettes’ song, Get A Job.
The group taped 97 episodes of the Sha Na Na music variety show from 1977 to 1981 that were seen in worldwide syndication. The exuberant mixture of 1950s good-time rock ‘n’ roll and cornball comedy sketches was one of the surprise hits of the late 1970s.
The setting was a city street, and the members of the group all played variations on the dumb-but-lovable 1950s “greaser” – like Fonzie on Happy Days – with ducktail haircuts, leather jackets, and Lamé trousers.
The emcee and unofficial leader was Bowzer (Jon Bauman), who would strike a pose and flex imaginary muscles in his skinny arm while grinning with a mouthful of crooked teeth.
The jokes were corny and the comedy skits usually silly, but it was all done with infectious enthusiasm. The boys performed energetically and obviously didn’t take anything or anybody too seriously, which helped make this a very appealing half-hour.
Each member of the band had his own personality. Bowzer was the smarter-than-he-looks leader; Lennie (Baker), the jolly, bearded sax player; Johnny, the sexy, baby-faced Italian; Denny Greene, the only black guy in the band; Dirty Dan, another youthful good-looker; drummer “Jocko” was chunky and a bit on the crazy side; Chico, a handsome, macho type; Screamin’ Scott, the balding piano player who looked a bit like Elton John; Santini, also balding and on the heavy side (he used to be called Captain Outrageous) and Donny, the spaced-out guy in dark glasses.
Helping out on the show were a multitude of guest stars, from Phyllis Diller and Ethel Merman to Dr Joyce Brothers (who offered to give the boys psychiatric counselling). Many were authentic 1950s rock artists such as Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Freddy Cannon, The Shirelles, Chubby Checker, and Brenda Lee.
A backup cast of comics, including Avery Schreiber, Kenneth Mars and gum-chewing dizzy blonde Pam Myers, also appeared.
The group closed each show with the slogan, “Grease for peace!”
Bassist Chico Ryan died on 26 July 1998 in Boston, Massachusetts, of heart failure. He was just 50. Danny McBride died in his sleep on 23 July 2009 in Los Angeles, aged 64.
Denny Greene passed away in Dayton on 5 September 2015 from oesophagal cancer just a few weeks after his diagnosis. He was 66. Lennie Baker died on 24 February 2016 in Weymouth, Massachusetts, aged 69.
Screamin’ Scott Simon died of sinus cancer in Ojai, California, on 5 September 2024 at the age of 75.
David “Chico” Ryan
Vocals, bass John “Jocko” Marcellino
Vocals, drums “Screamin’ Scott” Simon
Piano, vocals Lennie Baker
Saxophone, vocals Donald “Donny” York
Vocals Scott “Tony Santini” Powell
Vocals Johnny Contardo
Vocals “Dirty Dan” McBride
Guitar, vocals Jon “Bowzer” Bauman
Vocals Frederick “Denny” Greene
Vocals Joe Witkin
Piano Richard Joffe
Vocals Elliot “Gino” Cahn
Guitar, vocals Bruce “Bruno” Clarke
Bass, vocals Henry Gross
Guitar Larry Packer
Guitar Alan Cooper
Vocals Dora Pearson
Vocals
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The jokes were corny and the comedy skits usually silly, but it was all done with infectious enthusiasm. The boys performed energetically and obviously didn’t take anything or anybody too seriously, which helped make this a very appealing half-hour.
