music.wikisort.org - Singer

Johnny Contardo (born December 23, 1951) is a former singer with the musical group Sha Na Na, which he left in 1983. In 1978, he appeared with Sha Na Na in the movie musical Grease as Johnny Casino and the Gamblers. His performance of the song "Those Magic Changes" was featured in the film and on the soundtrack for Grease.

This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (February 2019)

Early years

Johnny Contardo was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. His first singing experience was at the age of six, in a Boston church choir.^{[citation needed]}

His mother took him into night clubs when he was a teen to perform for audiences. She discovered that he had stage presence and personality in addition to his singing talent.^{[citation needed]}

After graduating from Brookline High School in 1969, Johnny attended the Boston Conservatory of Music, studying voice, acting, and dance.[1]

At age 19, Johnny took a minor role in a Boston production of the musical Hair. After six months, he played the lead role. He then received an offer to be understudy for the lead role on Broadway, and an offer to join Sha Na Na.^{[citation needed]}

The Sha Na Na years

Johnny joined Sha Na Na in 1971. The television show Sha Na Na, aired from 1977 to 1981.[2]

The show was primarily made up of 1950s song covers, and featured musical and non-musical guests and comedy sketches. Johnny performed many ballads, doo-wop, and rock and roll songs on the program.^{[citation needed]}

In 1983, he left the group and began a solo career. He appeared in a minor role in the movie Scarface, released two albums and did live performances.^{[citation needed]}

Eventually, he left the business and worked in advertising for a number of years. He taught voice lessons as well.^{[citation needed]}

Recent life

In 2005, Johnny returned to show business at the urging of his fans. He rehearsed in his garage, then made his comeback in a show in Florida, with headliner Frankie Avalon, who had also appeared in Grease.^{[citation needed]}

Johnny's comment about his return to the business was, "My fans are unbelievable. They pushed me to do this. When I got on that stage again, it was like I never left Sha Na Na."^{[citation needed]}

In June 2007, Johnny did a reunion performance with Jon "Bowzer" Bauman. He sang a few songs and a duet with Bowzer at Bowzer's Rock 'N' Roll Party Volume VI, held in Connecticut.^{[citation needed]}

As of July 2008, Johnny is performing as a solo artist in concerts around the U.S. He holds an occasional Meet and Greet, which consists of a performance, followed by a gathering of his fans. At these events, there are photo opportunities, a chance to get Johnny's autograph, and to talk with him.^{[citation needed]} Contardo also enjoys cooking and runs a catering business in California.^{[citation needed]}

In the early 1970s, guitarist Joe Jammer, who worked with many classic groups including Led Zeppelin, assembled a group of musicians to record an album of funk/rock tunes called "Headway," with Contardo on vocals. The album sat on the shelf for years but was finally released in February 2015.^{[citation needed]}

Film appearances

• 1972: Dynamite Chicken (with Sha Na Na) - as himself
• 1978: Grease (with Sha Na Na) - as Johnny, of Johnny Casino and the Gamblers
• 1978: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (with Sha Na Na) - as himself, in the all-star finale recreation of the famous album cover
• 1983: Scarface - as Miguel Echevierra

General references

• Orange Coast article
• OCRegister news article and video interview
• Jon "Bowzer" Bauman's site
• Rock and Roll Gourmet

External links

• Contardo's official website
• Johnny Zone fan site
• Johnny Contardo at IMDb
• Johnny and Bowzer reunion music video on YouTube

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