Stray Cats Bassist Lee Rocker Comes To The Gracie To Rock This Town

Rockabilly music legend, Lee Rocker and his band, will be performing for one night only at Husson University's Gracie Theatre on Saturday, November 10, at 7:30 p.m. This Grammy-nominated member of the legendary music group Stray Cats will perform some of the band's signature hits like "Sexy and Seventeen", "Stray Cat Strut" and "Rock This Town." Original songs, and hits by Elvis and Carl Perkins will also be included in the concert performance.

"We're incredibly fortunate to have a musician of this caliber playing on our stage," said Jeri Misler, managing director of the Gracie Theatre. "The show features rock, rockabilly and Americana. Stories from Rocker will punctuate the show between numbers, making it a special evening for everyone."

Lee Rocker made his mark singing, playing, standing on, spinning and rocking his giant upright bass in the band Stray Cats. The Grammy-nominated Stray Cats have sold nearly 10 million albums and garnered an astounding 23 gold and platinum certified records worldwide. The band renewed worldwide interest in rockabilly music through songs that went to the top of the charts. Founded by Lee Rocker, Brian Setzer, and Slim Jim Phantom, the Stray Cats remain a radio staple. The band's videos were often seen on television during the early years of MTV.

Rocker has performed with a variety of music legends including Ringo Starr, George Harrison, John Fogerty and The Rolling Stones. In 2011, he did a guest star turn with the cast of the Broadway's hit musical "Million Dollar Quartet." "Million Dollar Quartet" is inspired by the legendary recording session that took place Tuesday, December 4, 1956, in the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The session was an impromptu jam session among Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and other musicians. Rocker played the role of Carl Perkins' brother and bass player Jay Perkins. "The story is especially close to my heart," says Rocker, who was a close friend and musical collaborator of Carl Perkins up until his passing. A performance of a similar show, called One Night in Memphis, was on Grace Theatre stage on Saturday, June 24, 2017.

Rocker has released several albums, including "The Cover Sessions" EP (extended play) in 2011. Musical instruments utilized in creating the "The Cover Sessions" included banjos, harmonicas, dobro, mandolin, washboards and all types of folk American instruments. Rocker put his Americana twist on many of the classic 1970's radio hits that were part of the album. These songs included the Lennon/McCartney song "Come Together", Elton John's, "Honkey Cat," and the Allman Brothers song "Ramblin' Man."

Rocker released "Night Train to Memphis," a disc of classic rockabilly music, in 2012 in honor of his 33 years of playing music. According to Rocker, "'Night Train to Memphis' is the soundtrack of my life. These songs are tattooed on my soul. Rockabilly music grabbed me, a kid from New York, shook me, spun me round and rattled my brains. I was never the same again."

At 16-years-old, Rocker got an upright bass fiddle and started a band who practiced in his father's garage next to an Olds Delta 88. In the summer of 1980, the band moved to London and called themselves the Stray Cats.

"Over the years I devoured everything I could about rockabilly and I've played or recorded with a lot of musical architects and pioneers, including Carl Perkins, Scotty Moore, Wanda Jackson, Levon Helm, as well as George Harrison, Ringo Starr and others," said Rocker. "Hey, dreams do come true."

Tickets for this unforgettable concert range from $30-$40.50, with special balcony seat pricing of $10.00 available to any student who shows his or her ID at the box office. Tickets can be purchased by calling (207) 941-7888, visiting the Gracie Box Office in person, connecting online at gracietheatre.com or purchasing tickets at the door.

More About the Gracie Theatre

The Gracie's season is made possible with support from Bangor Savings Bank. The theatre also gratefully acknowledges the generous support provided throughout the season by additional show sponsors including: Downeast Toyota, Pepsi and the Dead River Company.

This season, the Gracie is offering a "You Pick 4" plan which allows patrons to sculpt their own season package. When a patron selects any four shows, the prices of each ticket are automatically reduced by 15-20 percent. Patrons who select this plan will be offered individual discounts for some of the other shows in the season and have their choice of seats in our premium section for the plan shows.

This "You Pick 4" offer is only available at the Gracie Theatre box office by calling (207) 941-7888, or by stopping by the box office located in the Beardsley Meeting House on the campus of Husson University in Bangor. Single show tickets are also available at their regular price. Ticket prices range from $28-49.00 depending on the show and are available by calling (207) 941-7888 or online at www.gracietheatre.com.

Completed in October of 2009, the Gracie is Husson University's center for the fine and performing arts. This beautiful 500-seat theatre is considered one of Maine's premier performance venues. In addition, the Gracie also serves as a learning platform for students from the New England School of Communications in digital audio, sound mixing, set design and construction, lighting, acting and electronics. For more information, visit GracieTheatre.com.

For more than 120 years, Husson University has prepared future leaders to handle the challenges of tomorrow through innovative undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson University has come to represent superior value in higher education. Our Bangor campus and off-campus satellite education centers in Southern Maine, Wells, and Northern Maine provide advanced knowledge in business; health and education; pharmacy studies; science and humanities; as well as communication. In addition, Husson University has a robust adult learning program. According to a recent analysis by U.S. News & World Report, Husson University is the most affordable private college in New England. For more information about educational opportunities that can lead to personal and professional success, visit Husson.edu.

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