Forsyth’s new Fine Arts Center will host its most widely acclaimed star yet with the appearance of Peter Noone on Sunday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. as a prelude to the Forsythia Festival the following weekend. Noone is still best known for his part in the “British Invasion” when music from the U.K. (including the Beatles) took the U.S. by storm in the 1960’s.
As a 15-year-old, Noone led the chart-topping Herman’s Hermits. Although Herman’s Hermit’s disbanded in 1971, Noone has continued as a singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist and actor on television, film and stage in a career that has never lost momentum.
Noone said that he played 138 concerts last year and has at least 120 scheduled for 2017. His tour was in Venice, Fla. last Sunday, will be in Ohio on Friday and Pittsburgh on Saturday before the performance in Forsyth on Sunday. Stops for the rest of March include Las Vegas, New York and Hagerstown, Md.
Asked how he keeps his concerts fresh after so many performances, Noone said that the songs are good and that the continued demand from his fans speaks for itself. He said he, and his fans, bring an enthusiasm that makes his concerts the positive experience that concertgoers want to repeat.
“They won’t be disappointed,” said Noone. “It will be what they expect and more.”
He said he has a repertoire of 300 songs and steps before his audience ready to perform any of them. He reads his audience and gives them what they want. Noone said that he is a fan who loves to listen to all kinds of music; he puts himself in his audience and reaches for the right songs.
Some of his top signature pieces include: “Mrs, Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter,” “I’m Into Something Good,” “There’s a Kind of Hush,” “I’m Henry VIII I Am” and “Oh! You Pretty Things.” But he said if it fits he is ready with a Johnny Cash number.
“I am the audience; I know how it works. On my day off, I go to concerts, I listen to records, I listen to music in my car,” said Noone. “Music is my hobby. We love it. It’s what we do.”
Noone has sold over 60 million recordings and has had 14 gold singles and seven gold albums. Beginning as a child actor in England, he has acted in soap operas and television series and has starred in feature films. He is proud of his work in live theater, including on Broadway in ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ as Frederic with Linda Ronstadt.
Noone said he has learned something from all of his ventures in the entertainment world, the most from live productions, and brings what he has learned over the years to his concerts. He said his audience has expanded with the internet making his music accessible in even remote spots of the world. His songs are on You Tube, Spotify, Pandora, Play Music, HeartRadio and Tune In.
He also has a very personal connection with the younger generation of singer-songwriters. His 29-year-old daughter, Natalie, is following a music career in Nashville. In spite of calling California home for the last 40 years and becoming a U.S. citizen, Noone’s ties to his family are still as much a part of him as his British accent.
“We’re more than family. We’re also a team. We’re real family people,” he said as he talked about the values he learned from his parents and grandparents that taught him to work hard at whatever job was available to pay the bills while following his dream. He said his first dream was to hear himself on the radio. Over the years he has met and worked with some of the best known and most influential people in the music world. And has joined their ranks.
“In 1963 I would never have believed it,” he said.
Tickets are $45 for balcony, $55 for main floor (rows A-X). They are available online until 4 p.m. the day of the show. Find the link to purchase online through the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce website. The event is sponsored by SP Design Group and MEJA Construction, Inc., contractors on the new Monroe County Fine Arts Center.
