Staff Reports
During the burgeoning days of the folk music scene in the 1960s, The New Christy Minstrels were without a doubt one of the strongest leaders of the pack. During its heyday, the ensemble scored several hits, including "Green, Green,""Saturday Night,""Today,""Denver" and "This Land Is Your Land."
Over the decades, the New Christy Minstrels have continued to tour and record under the direction of the group’s founder, Randy Sparks. At 1 p.m. Saturday, they will appear at the Town of Apple Valley’s Conference Center, 14975 Dale Evans Parkway, Apple Valley.
“When I invented The New Christy Minstrels in 1961, I heard a sound in my mind, and I envisioned a group that would be as entertaining as The Kingston Trio but have the choral power of The Norman Luboff Choir,” said Sparks. “I liked the joyful noise of a chorus — all those gifted people singing in perfect harmony.”
The New Christy Minstrels got their first big break in 1962 when they released their debut album “Presenting The New Christy Minstrels” on Columbia Records. The project went on to win a Grammy Award for "Best Performance by a Chorus" and also peak at No. 19 on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart.
That success was followed by the New Christys being given an opportunity to appear on television on "The Andy Williams Show."
In 1964, the group starred in its own musical variety show sponsored by Ford Motor Company. It was titled “Ford Presents the New Christy Minstrels” and ran for five weeks before it was cancelled.
Sparks left the group in 1965 and turned it over to Greif-Garris Management.
The ensemble then became more of a variety act, performing novelty and pop songs, as well as light comedy. In 1965, it scored a Billboard Top 100 hit with a cover of "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from the Disney film, “Mary Poppins.”
Three decades later, Sparks re-joined the New Christy Minstrels as their director and he and his members have been touring ever since. He said he couldn’t be happier about his decision to reunite with his beloved ensemble.
“The billing of the act, both on record and in live performance was (originally) The New Christy Minstrels, Under the Direction of Randy Sparks,” said Sparks. “Now, over 56 years later, it’s exactly the same. I take much pride in not just being fossils in a museum.
“We’re the hardest working entertainers out there. The audience matters and we work at it every show.”
According to Sparks, The New Christy Minstrels launched the careers of hundreds of artists, including Kenny Rogers, Kim Carnes, Barry McGuire and Steve Martin, to name a few.
“For the younger folks who may not know anything at all about me and my group, Kenny Rogers & The First Edition came out of The New Christy Minstrels,” said Sparks, who worked as Burl Ives’ opening act for more than 30 years. “Kenny was our third bass player."
Along with Sparks, The New Christy Minstrels' lineup includes Tholow Chan, Becky Jo Benson, Sue Harris, Greg O’Haver, Dave Rainwater and Dave Deutschendorf (uncle of the legendary John Denver).
In 2013, the group released a CD titled “Nice Time To Be Alive,” which features original songs written by Sparks.
Tickets to The New Christy Minstrels' concert are $35 per person, or $30 per person for groups of 10 or more. Seating is extremely limited, so advance ticket purchases are encouraged. Purchase online at www.ticketriver.com/event/21040, call 760-240-7000, ext. 7074, or visit www.AppleValleyEvents.org.