Doo-wop concert to benefit Michelle Krill Memorial Field at Pullman Park
Bill Reichert is bringing doo-wop music and baseball together in harmony.
If there’s two things the lead male vocalist for the Pittsburgh Doo-Wop Big Band enjoys, it’s doo-wop music and baseball. He’s been singing doo-wop for 50 years and once organized New York Yankees superstar baseball clinics in New York City.
So when he was offered a chance to bring his band to Butler’s Michelle Krill Memorial Field at Historic Pullman Park for a benefit concert to raise money to replace the field’s artificial turf, he thought it was a hit in both baseball and musical senses.
The concert fundraiser is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 20 at the park, 100 Pullman Park Place.
“Here at the ballpark, they host 400 games a year,” Reichert said. “In 10 years, that’s 4,000 games. All that AstroTurf on the infield has to be replaced.”
Reichart said the field is used by high schools, colleges including Butler County Community College and Pennsylvania Western University Clarion, tournaments, recreational leagues and the collegiate summer league.
Dean Selfridge, director of the City of Butler Parks, Recreation Grounds & Facility Authority, which oversees the ballpark and the Blue Sox, Butler’s summer collegiate league baseball team, said the protective netting also needs to be both updated and raised higher behind the dugouts.
The cost to replace the artificial turf has been placed at $150,000, a hefty sum, Selfridge said, for an entity that doesn’t receive any tax dollars.
“We don’t get tax funding from the city or the county. The money comes from sponsors, ticket sales, concessions,” Selfridge said.
Reichert, who traces his passion for doo-wop back to his days growing up in Queens and Long Island, said doo-wop features a lead vocalist singing the melody of a song with a trio or quartet singing background harmony. The term doo-wop comes from the sounds made by the group as they provided background for the lead singer.
Reichert said doo-wop hits include “In the Still of the Night,” “Earth Angel,” and “16 Candles.” Famous doo-wop groups were The Skyliners, The Del-Vikings and The Marcels.
“Doo-wop is the music of the ’50s and ’60s. It’s a transition from the big band era,” said Reichert. “Where the big bands had instruments harmonizing, doo-wop had vocal harmonizing.”
“I guess what I like about doo-wop is the words of the songs back then are about things people are going through as a young teenager,” he said. “The words and music were easy to remember and enjoy.”
He has performed with the Mystics, the Holidays and Vito and the Salutations.
He began singing with the Pittsburgh Doo-Wop Big Band about seven years ago. The group of 16 musicians, Reichert and female lead vocalist Laura Rozday, of Pittsburgh, under the direction of Richard Mansfield performs eight to 12 shows a year in venues such as The Palace Theatre in Greensburg, Pa. and the Lamp Theatre in Irwin, Pa.
Reichert said the band’s appearance last year at the Concordia Lutheran Ministries Summer Festival drew 700 people.
Reichert said he’s using his love of doo-wop to help another love, baseball.
He said when he was organizing baseball clinics featuring Yankee stars such as Don Mattingly and Dave Winfield, he saw how baseball opened up the world for the young attendees and gave them a place to stay out of trouble.
He said baseball can carry young players safely from little league to high school to college teams.
Selfridge said the concert has been 18 months in the making. He said he was introduced to Reichert by Eric Will of Dollar Bank last year.
The band’s 24-by-24-foot stage will be set up in front of the pitcher’s mound at the park. The park’s stands can hold up to 1,428 people, and Selfridge said the park’s concession stands will be open during the concert.
“The nice part of it is it’s an outdoor show. People don’t have to worry about being cramped together,” said Reichert. “The over-40 population love their outdoor shows, fresh air and plenty of room.”
Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.butlerbluesox.org or by calling 724-841-0540 during business hours.
