Music Mondays: After 30 Years, Hooters Keep Alumni Together

(l to r): John Lilley, Rob Hyman (C'72), Eric Bazilian (C'75), Fran Smith, Jr. and Dave Uosikkinen

What happens when a group of undergrads get together to form a band and they’re still together touring the world over 30 years later?!

Ask Eric Bazilian (C’75, Penn Singers, Mask and Wig), Rob Hyman (C’72), and Rick Chertoff (C’72) who are currently touring the world with their band The Hooters.

Over the past 30 years, some notable achievements of theirs include:

• Rob and Eric writing and playing on Cyndi Lauper’s debut album "She’s So Unusual".
• Rob and Cyndi co-writing the hit song "Time After Time".
• Eric and Rob contributing much of the material and instrumentation for the debut album "Relish" for Joan Osborne. Eric's masterfully penned "One Of Us", shot up the charts.

I recently chatted with Eric about his beginnings and he told me he had already been in several bands by the time he got to Penn. However, he worked with the Penn Singers initially as band leader and director under Bruce Montgomery and liked it so much he started singing with them.

More here about Eric’s beginnings at Penn...+/-

Per Eric,

“I got involved with “Uncle Benny's Summer Camp” (also known simply as "The Cabaret" --also featuring Doris Cochran-Fikes (C'72) currently known for being involved in Penn’s Alumni Relations, and now Admissions) also as bandleader and musical director through Todd Feinberg (C'74) who was already in the group as a performer. I joined Mask & Wig spring semester senior year as bass player because I didn't have anything to do over spring break and Florida seemed like a good idea.

Outside of Penn groups, during Eric’s freshman year he played in a band called “Wax” with Rob and Rick and had a band called “Cyclic Blowfield And His Funky Calypsos” (together with Bob Goldman, C’74) which played numerous times at Houston Hall, in the Quad at Spring Fling, various frat houses and many more gigs.”

Recently The Hooters were featured on NY’s WPIX news and introduced by Penn alum entertainment reporter Emily Frances.

Click here to watch their WPIX performance of their catchy hit “I’m Alive”

Get their new album, "Time Stand Still" here

Visit the Hooters website and myspace page here

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Watch the Media, Sports & Entertainment Panel at Alumni Weekend 2007!

Taken from the Penn Video Network's posting on itunes (divided above into 11 parts):

"Many Penn alumni pursue careers in the fields of media, sports, and entertainment. In this panel discussion, graduates share their stories, inspiration and practical advice, as they illustrate the appeal behind these fields. Moderated by Dr. Peter Fader, Frances and Pei-Yuan Chia Professor and Professor of Marketing at Wharton.

Featuring: Matthew Blank, W'72, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Showtime; Ben Katz, Nu'02, W'02, WG'02, Chief Executive Officer, iStyleCustom.com and Producer and Chief Executive Officer, Ben Katz Productions, credits include Johnny Was and Nailed; Sylvia Wolinsky Kauders, CW'42, Actor, Analyze That, "Law and Order" Franchise, "The Sopranos"; Joseph Rascoff, W'67, co-founder RZO Entertainment, currently producing the Police reunion tour, produced tours for the Rolling Stones, U2 and David Bowie; Mike Stiles, C'67, Vice President for Operations and Administration, Philadelphia Phillies.

Recorded on May 11, 2007."


Update:
Click here to now watch the panel!

READ MORE - Watch the Media, Sports & Entertainment Panel at Alumni Weekend 2007!