Music show to pay tribute to legends of rock ’n’ roll

Published 9:42 am Monday, October 28, 2013

A tribute show full of stars is coming to the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center.

The DC Drifters, a local rock ’n’ roll band, will take the stage along with impersonators of Elvis, Neil Diamond, Tina Turner, Sonny and Cher, Marilyn Monroe, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and Jiles P Richardson aka Big Bopper. DC Drifters band leader Denny Charnecki said it will be a night of fun and great oldies.

“Any two of those would be a good show,” Charnecki said. “But you’re getting six or seven shows for the price of one.”

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The show is a fundraiser for a project in Clear Lake, Iowa, where there is a monument built for Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and Big Bopper. The three musicians died in a plane crash near Clear Lake in February of 1959, and the day is referred to as The Day the Music Died.

A memorial is already built to the three musicians called Three Stars Plaza, but volunteers are working to add music so that visitors could press a button and hear songs by the three men. Funds raised at the tribute show in Albert Lea will go toward this project.

“It’ll be fun,” Charnecki said. “And people can contribute right there if they want to.”

For those unable to attend the concert, contributions can be sent to the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, where there is a fund set up for the project. Charnecki said the show will be sure to thrill music lovers.

“We’ve never, ever done all these people together,” Charnecki said. “It’s just a blast.”

The tribute show is at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $15 and are available at the theater box office.