The “Undisputed Godfather of Doo-Wop” is headed to St. Joseph with the rest of his band members in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group, The Spaniels Forever, to perform a benefit concert for Harbor Habitat for Humanity at the First Congregational Church in St. Joe.
The special one-night show on Saturday, June 26th will feature lead member Billy Shelton, declared to be the “undisputed Godfather of Doo-Wop,” for the first Midwestern R&B group in music history.
The Spaniels Forever will perform in an outdoor concert at the First Congregational Church in St. Joe, located at 2001 Niles Avenue from 6:30pm until 8:30pm on Saturday, June 26th. Those planning to attend are encouraged to bring their own lawn seating for the event, and COVID-19 precautions will be followed, with guests strongly encouraged to wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines.
Originally from Gary, Indiana the group’s first single “Baby It’s You” reached #10 on Billboard magazine’s R&B charts. The following year, they released the song they are most known for “Goodnite, Sweethart, Goodnite” which hit #24 on the Variety pop-charts before rising to #5 on Billboard’s R&B chart. That success launched appearances at the Apollo, Radio City Music Hall, The Regal, and multiple large theaters. Internationally, The Spaniels have toured England’s Wimbley, Liverpool, and London; Austria; and Amsterdam, in the Netherlands.
Donations to Harbor Habitat for Humanity will be accepted at the door. Business sponsorship opportunities are available for $500, which includes a notation in the program and day of verbal recognition at the event. Checks for sponsorship can be made payable to Harbor Habitat for Humanity and mailed to First Congregational Church of St. Joseph.
Attendees of the concert will be able to enjoy a large selection of food, drinks, and snacks from St. Joseph’s “Twisted Dawg,” with part of the proceeds from their earnings being donated directly from Harbor Habitat for Humanity. During intermission, Harbor Habitat’s Erin Hudson and her volunteers will give a short presentation on the scope of current projects happening in southwest Michigan.
Erin Hudson, Executive Director of Harbor Habitat for Humanity says, “Coming off of our 25th year of providing a hand-up and not a hand-out to the community, we are incredibly excited to share that Harbor Habitat for Humanity has extended their geographical area to include several areas in northern Berrien County as well as a partnership with the City of Bridgman to build 7 homes.”
Hudson adds, “Over the years, Harbor Habitat has built 116 homes and rehabbed another 30. Their homeowners have paid more than $2 million in property taxes since 1995, and 15 families have paid off their mortgages completely!”
Fundraising events, such as The Spaniels Forever, help Harbor Habitat to secure materials for the next round of homes that will be built and rehabbed in Southwest Michigan. Hudson notes, “Unfortunately, the pandemic has significantly increased the scarcity and price of materials, making it more important than ever for us to secure funds and volunteers for our builds.”
Those interested in volunteering for an upcoming build or donating materials, can contact Harbor Habitat for Humanity at 269-487-6387, or email Hudson at ehudson@harborhabitat.org. Additional information about Harbor Habitat for Humanity, including individual donations, volunteering opportunities, or applying for a home can all be found by visiting https://www.harborhabitat.org/.
For more information about The Spaniels Forever in concert, visit http://fccstjoseph.org/events, or at http://facebook.com/FCCStJoseph You can also call First Congregational Church at 269-983-5519.
The photo of the Spaniels Forever performing in concert at the Lansing, Illinois Public Library accompanying this story on Moody on the Market is courtesy of their YouTube Channel.
