HUMOR

organist and my grandmother the choir mistress. All the family played, that’s how it was.”

Then one evening as a teenager, he was in a club and asked to sing with the band when the singer didn’t show up. The name Herman’s Hermits came about because of a joke about Sherman from the Bullwinkle Show, which became Herman. Herman’s Hermits was “discovered” by Harvey Lisberg in 1964.

“We were doing it for fun,” Noone recalled. “Then it became our job. I remember the day we got more money than we spent. We stopped for chips – we couldn’t afford the fish. We felt professional. Ultimately, it turned into a career.”

With Noone under the stage name Peter Novak as the lead singer, spokesman and front man, Herman’s Hermits quickly rose to fame, selling over 60 million recordings. In all, 14 singles and seven albums went gold. The Hermits were twice named Cashbox’s “Entertainer of the Year.”

In the U.S., the group had four Top 3 hits and appeared in the MGM movies: “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter,” “When the Boys Meet the Girls” and “Hold On!”

The Band appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dean Martin Show and The Jackie Gleason Show. As “Herman,” the photogenic Noone appeared on the cover of many international publications, including Time Magazine’s collage showing new faces in popular music.

Then it was time to move on. Noone left the band in 1971 to pursue other interests, including leading roles in a Broadway show, “The Pirates of Penzance,” and a variety of other stage and television shows.

Some 20 years ago, Noone put a band back together as Herman’s Hermits Starring Peter Noone. The band has a busy tour schedule of some 120 shows a year to sold-out venues and admirers who span the generations.

When the opportunity came up to book the band into Westwind, Activities Director Richard Van Guilder didn’t hesitate. “I remember and enjoyed their music,” he said. “This will be a walk down memory lane for me.”

He concluded: “A lot of folks in our park and our clientele who come also remember them. Lots of folks who have purchased tickets told me they put on a terrific show and they’re looking forward to seeing them again.”

Tickets for the show are $45 (Gold) or $39 (Silver). They may be purchased at the resort’s Box Office, which is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays and also 6 to 7 p.m. concert night. Internet orders may be made at www. westwindrvgolfresort.com; an Internet fee of $2 per ticket will be applied. For further information, call 928-342-4533.

LOANED PHOTO PETER NOONE ACHIEVED fame at an early age as the lead singer for the legendary 1960s British pop band Herman’s Hermits. He went on to star on Broadway and in a variety of stage and television productions. Today he continues to tour with the band billed as Herman’s Hermits Starring Peter Noone.

PHOTO BY KAREN BOWEN ART IN THE GARDEN raises funds to replace the last 1/3 of the irrigation system in the garden. During the event, local artists create and sell their artwork while the public tours the garden and visits with the artists. Garden clubs will have plants, decorative birdhouses and African violets for sale.