70s soft rock to hit MPAC

MORRISTOWN — The best in 70s soft rock come to Mayo Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Rock the Yacht.

Tickets are $39 to $89.
Rock the Yacht features Little River Band ("Reminiscing," "Help Is on Its Way"), Ambrosia ("How Much I Feel"), Player ("Baby Come Back"), Stephen Bishop ("On and On," "It Might Be You") and Robbie Dupree ("Steal Away").

Between 1976 and 1983, Little River Band was one of the top Australian bands with chart success in America. Hits include "Help Is on Its Way," "Happy Anniversary," "Reminiscing," "Lady," "Cool Change," "Lonesome Loser," "The Night Owls" and "Take It Easy On Me."

In its brief recording history, Ambrosia garnered five Grammy Nominations, five hit singles, heavy FM airplay with such hits as "How Much I Feel," and "Biggest Part of Me."

Today, the band consists of three of the original members in tact plus the addition of guitar ace Doug Jackson on electric guitar and backing vocals, Mary Harris contributing keyboards and vocals, and the lead vocals and acoustic guitar of Ken Stacey.

Stephen Bishop's first album, "Careless" scored two hits ("Save It For a Rainy Day" and "On and On"). Soon the album went gold, as well as his next album, "Bish."

He sang the hit theme, "It Might Be You," from the movie, "Tootsie," as well as writing and/or singing 13 other films including, "Animal House," and "Separate Lives," from "White Nights."

He appeared as the "Charming Guitar Player" in "Animal House," wherein John Belushi slammed his guitar into smithereens in the Toga Party scene. Stephen was nominated for two Grammys and awarded an Oscar nomination for his song, "Separate Lives."

In 1980, Robbie Dupree's debut self-titled album yielded two Top 10 singles, "Steal Away" and "Hot Rod Hearts," and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. To date, "Steal Away" has been played on American radio almost three million times.

Player began as a chance meeting between Peter Beckett and J.C. Crowley, in 1977, and hit the top of the charts in 1978 with "Baby Come Back."

Player was voted by Billboard Magazine's as Best New Single Artist for 1978. "Baby Come Back" was immediately followed by their top ten hit, "This Time I'm In It For Love."

The Mayo Performing Arts Center is located at 100 South St. in Morristown. For more information contact the box office at 973-539-8008 or www.mayoarts.org.