THE "GREAT PRETENDERS" FAREWELL SHOWS

A Special Set of Shows
held on Friday & Saturday, 18 & 19 November 2011
as a Fundraiser for The Brendan Grant Foundation
...The Great Pretenders DVD is now available; click here for details....
QUINCY, MA --- Yes, one last time, the legendary Great Pretenders have shown us they still have "it", dazzling us with their amazing talents at a weekend set of reunion benefit shows on 18 & 19 November 2011. Anyone who spent time in New England during the 1970's is likely familiar with the unique entertainment skills of the Great Pretenders and their classic brand of entertainment. 

The weekend event was a marvelous success, with nothing but smiles from all in attendance. The time and energy put into the preparations by the performers and organizers was genuinely significant, and all this hard work really paid-off.  The shows repeated each evening and started with a heart- rendering solo by Lyndsay Freeman. Silent and live auctions were held with authentic sports memorabilia from the New England Sports Museum involving certified, guaranteed authentic autographed items from all of Boston's major league sports.  A full length DVD of the event is available and provides detailed documentation of the event.

The venue was the banquet hall at the Granite Links golf club in Quincy, MA, with its breathtaking vista of the metro Boston area. The program started at 8:00 pm on each night, and included two sets each evening.  The facility was perfect and Neal Fay, the emcee, once again displayed his gifted talents as an auctioneer. Lyndsay Freeman’s solo was stunning and beyond breathtaking, and many felt that this was the most touching part of the evening.

The event was a success on all levels: generating smiles and having “fun” among the approximate 400 attendees each evening.  The event also publicized the good work of the Foundation and helped raise additional funds for their good work, including three scholarships provided annually to graduating high school seniors.   

The Great Pretenders proved once again that they are indeed timeless.  The group was born when five close friends from Belmont decided to lip-sync some oldies tunes for some friends at a New Years Eve Party ushering in 1972. What started as a one time party gag eventually blossomed into one of the most popular nightclub acts in New England from 1973-1983.

The Great Pretenders started their professional careers in the fall of 1972 at Studley's, a pub located just outside of Harvard Square. Word of their entertainment value quickly spread, and within weeks, there were long lines of fans eager to witness the zany group. Their local success propelled them to larger venues and broader audiences. The Great Pretenders began working on Cape Cod in the summer of 1973, and their faithful fans kept them there every summer for the next 10 years, at such nightspots as The Chuck Wagon, Jason's, Brothers 4, and the Mill Hill Club.

The group continued performing in Boston, where they were a feature act at Lucifer's, but also played gigs north and west of the metropolitan area in Gloucester, Leominster, Amherst, and Peabody, among others. They also headlined at clubs in Miami, and Montreal. As the group's popularity increased, they shared the stage with James Brown, BB King, the Drifters, the Coasters, and Del Shannon.

In addition to their night club performances, The Great Pretenders performed on numerous local TV shows and presented countless concerts at area colleges. The original five members of the group - Bob DiGiovanni, Rick Ford, Billy Freeman, Rick Freeman, and Robert "Horace" Greeley - are all graduates of Belmont High School. The connection with their home town has led them to partner with The Brendan Grant Foundation. 

All proceeds from these two shows go to support the worthy causes of The Brendan Grant Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation dedicated to enhancing youth development and parent/child relationships. The Foundation honors the memory of Brendan Grant, an accomplished 19-year-old Belmont baseball player who was fatally injured in an outfield collision during a Senior Babe Ruth game in June 2001. The Foundation carries out its mission through clinics/mentoring programs, field/facility enhancements, and scholarships given annually to two graduating high school seniors.

This was the third concert performed by The Great Pretenders for The Brendan Grant Foundation, and it has been a wonderful partnership.  In May 2008 the group held their 35th anniversary reunion show in Newton MA, and the initial show was held in March of 2002 in Boston MA.  DVD Copies of the November 2011 shows can be purchased for $19.95 (including shipping & handling) from Boston InFocus Video & Photo. For ordering details, please contact elena@infocus.com.

From the standpoint of the performers and organizers, we honestly don’t see how anything could have been improved. Thanks to all who made this historic set of shows a marvelous success!

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