Sheen Center to Welcome Valerie Smaldone for HIT MAKERS Series

The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture presents a new music and thought series called Hit Makers: Music Icons in Performance and Conversation with Valerie Smaldone. Kicking off Hit Makers is Tommy James of Tommy James and The Shondells on Monday, May 16 at 7:30pm at The Sheen Center, 18 Bleecker Street.

Hit Makers will feature media personality and celebrity interviewer Valerie Smaldone with music's biggest stars, who will perform and share intimate details on their rise to fame and behind the scenes adventures.

"I am looking forward to spending an evening in conversation and a little music with my friend Valerie Smaldone for Hit Makers at The Sheen Center," remarked Tommy James. "Valerie is an amazing and talented lady and someone I enjoy talking to about the music and the music business."

Five-time Billboard Magazine Award winner VALERIE SMALDONE, best known for holding the #1 on-air position in the New York radio market on 106.7FM, has produced and created several nationally syndicated programs featuring in-depth interviews with top recording artists such as Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, Rod Stewart, Elton John and Mariah Carey, among others. Having interviewed hundreds of celebrities, performers and entrepreneurs, she is an accomplished interviewer who is always interested in procuring each individual's unique story.

American pop-rock musician, singer, songwriter and record producer TOMMY JAMES, who toured the world with his band Tommy James and The Shondells, has sold over 100 million records worldwide and enjoyed 32 Billboard Hot 100 charting hits, 23 gold singles and 9 platinum albums. His beloved, classic songs include "Persuasion"; "Mony, Mony"; "I Think We're Alone Now"; "Hanky Panky"; "Draggin' The Line"; and "Sweet Cherry Wine" and have been covered by major artists around the world including Prince, Joan Jett, Billy Idol, Bruce Springsteen, Carlos Santana, REM, Kelly Clarkson, Dolly Parton, Boyz ll Men and even the Boston Pops. His music is heard in 29 motion pictures, numerous TV shows including "Breaking Bad," "Criminal Minds," "The Simpsons" and "The Goldbergs," as well as many TV commercials.

Named after the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, best known for his popular radio and TV ministry in the 1950s and 60s, The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture is a project of the Archdiocese of New York with the mission of showcasing works in the performing and visual arts, lectures and symposia that highlight the true, the good, and the beautiful as they have been expressed throughout the ages. The state-of-the-art complex has a 273-seat proscenium theater equipped with five-camera high-definition livestream capability and a multi-track recording studio with thirty-two onstage inputs; an 80-seat black box theater; four rehearsal studios; and an art gallery. This facility is the newest arts center in Manhattan in 35 years and a great addition to the growing artistic community in the East Village/NoHo.

Tickets to Hit Makers featuring Tommy James are $25 and available at www.sheencenter.org or by calling 212-925-2812.