Denny Laine live in Midland, Pennsylvania next Saturday

(Midland, PA) Denny Laine, the British guitarist and singer who founded the Moody Blues and was Paul McCartney's right-hand man in Wings, will headline an evening of classic British rock and roll on Saturday, October 11 at 8 p.m. at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center. Tickets for Pete Bennett's British Invasion are $25 and $20 and are available now by calling the box office at (724) 643-9004.

Pete Bennett's British Invasion is being presented by former Apple Records top executive and promotional manager and world-renowned music promoter Pete Bennett. Bennett, who promoted hit records by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, the Who, the Kinks, the Dave Clark Five, Eric Burdon and the Animals, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Chad and Jeremy, Peter and Gordon, and others, is considered by many to be one of the main architects of the British Invasion. He was hailed by Billboard as "the most powerful man in show business who has made unknowns into stars and stars into superstars." After the breakup of the Beatles, Bennett helped guide the solo careers of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Bennett also promoted hit records for Elvis Presley, Nat King Cole, and other pop luminaries. While many think of Presley as "the King of Rock and Roll," that title is actually owned and trademarked by Pete Bennett.

"I am very excited to be bringing the timeless music of the British Invasion to a new generation at such a unique and spectacular place as the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center," Bennett said. "I've had the pleasure of visiting Lincoln Park on a number of occasions and I am blown away by the facilities, but more so by the energy, talent, passion, and creativity of its students and staff."

At 7 p.m., Bennett will participate in a pre-show discussion of his stellar career, including inside stories from his years with the Beatles and Stones, how he helped launch the British Invasion of America in the 1960s, and tips on how up-and-coming bands and performers can promote themselves and their music. All events for Pete Bennett's British Invasion will take place in Lincoln Park's 750-seat mainstage theater.

Denny Laine joined the Moody Blues in 1964, and wrote and sang their early smash hit "Go Now." He later formed the pioneering Electric String Band. In 1971, he was invited by Paul McCartney to join his post-Beatles band Wings. Denny stayed with the group until it disbanded in 1981, recording several hit records including "Band on the Run," "Jet," "Live and Let Die," "Silly Love Songs," "Listen to What the Man Said," "Let 'Em In," and "Mull of Kintyre" (which Laine co-wrote with McCartney).

Joining Laine onstage will be western Pennsylvania's First Family of rock, the Granati Brothers. Lead guitarist David Granati, who serves as visiting artist and instructor in rock guitar at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School and the Henry Mancini Arts Academy (two programs based at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center) will open the show by performing British Invasion-era songs with some of his students.

Heavily influenced by the British Invasion, and known for their melodic songs and soaring riffs, the Granati Brothers were signed to A&M Records and Atlantic Records 1986. They performed 78 sold-out dates with Van Halen, and have performed or recorded with a number of artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Peter Frampton, Boston, J. Geils, Heart, and Def Leppard.

Rick Granati, percussionist with the band and a close friend of Bennett's, is helping produce Pete Bennett's British Invasion at Lincoln Park.

"In addition to presenting a great evening of classic rock and roll, I want to expose the students at Lincoln Park to the art and artistry of Pete Bennett, the world's greatest talent scout," Granati said. "Pete has done so much to give the world great music, and it is important that his legacy continue through the next generation of artists. That's why we are doing this exciting event."

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The Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center is located 50 minutes northwest of Pittsburgh in Midland, Beaver County. A new $30 million facility, it hosts the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, a Pennsylvania public charter school providing professional training in music, theater, dance, creative writing and media arts, along with a rigorous academic program, and is home to the Henry Mancini Arts Academy. For more info, visit the Center's Website at www.lppac.org.

Lincoln Park www.lppac.org
Denny Laine www.myspace.com/dennyiaine
Pete Bennett: www.petebennett.com
Granati Brothers www.myspace.com/granatibrothers

Published October 2, 2008

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