April 14, 2022
The Vern Riffe Center for the Arts (VRCFA) at Shawnee State University will host “A Tribute to Clyde McCoy” on Saturday, May 14. The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be held in the Eloise Covert Smith Theater of the VRCFA.
Join Joseph Rubin as he directs a 15-piece Big Band Orchestra as they take the audience on a sentimental journey through the 1940s. They will be traveling back to the heyday of the era with tunes from Glenn Miller, Ted Lewis, Benny Goodman, and the famous bandleader and trumpeter, Clyde McCoy.
McCoy started his musical career at the age of nine on the trombone in our hometown. He later mastered his golden trumpet and developed a unique, muted “wah-wah” style which was widely copied, but never equaled. In 1930, he introduced his theme song, “Sugar Blues.” That record sold over a million copies. McCoy never forgot his Portsmouth roots and returned to perform here no less than six times between 1933 and 1942. You won’t want to miss this exciting “living history” concert celebrating the centennial of McCoy’s first band.
Tickets for “A Tribute to Clyde McCoy” are available online or at the McKinley Box Office in the VRCFA, Monday through Friday. Tickets can also be purchased via telephone call at (740) 351-3600. Ticket prices for the show are $35 for standard, $32 for seniors, and $15 for those 18 years of age and under. Handicap accessible seating is available upon request.
For more information on upcoming shows at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts, visit vrcfa.com or call the McKinley Box Office at (740) 351-3600.