A year or so ago, a friend of mine paid big money to see “The Kingston Trio”. I didn't have the heart to tell her that all 3 members of the Kingston Trio were long in the grave, and what she spent her money on was an official tribute band. She told me that she had a great time at the concert, and I'm glad I didn't spoil it for her.

When I was very young, there were a lot of my parents' generation bands doing the same thing. Glenn Miller, Dorsey Brothers, and others. Ghost bands, where the band went on, after the leader was gone and most of the players were way too young to be originals. I did get to see the Count Basie Orchestra before he died in the 1980s, and the Orchestra is still playing under that name today, led by Scotty Barnhart.

In the early 1980s, I was in a house band at a show club in Miami, Florida. On Saturday nights, 'has-been' acts came and did two sets. People like The Shirelles, Blue Notes (without Harold Melvin), Little Anthony (great singer) and The Ink Spots.

Like The Kingston Trio, there were no original members of the Ink Spots, as the record label owned the name. One of the singers said that his uncle was one of the original members of The Ink Spots, and that seemed to justify it to him.

When I was gigging for Motown, there were multiple Temptations, Four Tops, Miracles, Marvalettes, and other groups touring the country. The fans didn't know the difference, but that was way before MTV, so we didn't recognize the singers faces.

When I gigged on the cruise ships in the late 1980s, one of the headliners came on with a billing 'formerly with The Patters'. No, he wasn't Tony Williams, the lead singer on the records, but the lead singer in the “Herb Reed Platters”, one of four groups known as “The Platters” touring the country in the 60s and 70s.

Now have the official Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eagles, Kingston Trio, and other ghost bands.

So what's new?

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

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