UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 38, Page 4
August 1, 1996
Homecoming '96: Bobby Rydell and Mary Wilson

     Stop! In the name of love or nostalgia...or great music! The Bob
Carpenter Center is where you'll want to be on Friday, Oct. 18, when
hit songman Bobby Rydell and The Supremes with Mary Wilson take the
stage at 8 p.m. for a smash oldies concert.
     Hear the Supremes songs you still love, including "Baby Love,"
"Where Did Our Love Go," "Back In My Arms Again" and "You Can't Hurry
Love," as well as Rydell's golden era hits, such as "Volare," Wild
One," "Forget Him" and "We Got Love."

Bobby Rydell
     Rydell's career spans several decades and encompasses nearly
every area of the entertainment world.
     From his debut in the late '50s as a rock 'n' roll teen idol to
starring roles in such films as Bye Bye Birdie  and such plays as West
Side Story to countless appearances on television shows from Ed
Sullivan to American Bandstand, Rydell's name has become a household
word.
     His recording career earned him 34 Top-40 records, putting him
among the elite group of artists who have sold a combined total of
more than 25 million records.
     Rydell lives in suburban Philadelphia, not far from where he
spent his childhood.
     Married with two children, he is a visible fan of all of the
professional sporting teams in the city.
     With two fellow teen idols, Frankie Avalon and Fabian, Rydell
toured for three years in the hit show, The Golden Boys of Bandstand,
seen by more than 400,000 people.

Mary Wilson of The Supremes
     Growing up in Detroit's Brewster Projects, Wilson fantasized
about being a singer. When she was only 13, she befriended Florence
Ballard, Diana Ross and Betty Travis. The quartet formed a singing
group, calling themselves the Primettes.  The group auditioned and was
signed by Motown Records.
     Eventually, the group became a trio consisting of Wilson, Ballard
and Ross, which necessitated a name
     change, and the group known as The Supremes was born.
     The group went on to have 12 number-one singles, record nearly 40
albums and was one of the most influential, memorable and successful
icons of the turbulent 1960s. A testimony to the group's impact was
seen when Wilson shared the stage with Mick Jagger, Ringo Starr and
George Harrison in January 1988, when The Supremes was inducted into
the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. The group also has a star on
Hollywood's legendary Walk of Fame.
     In addition to her singing, Wilson
     had a featured role in the film, Brown Sugar, and in the musical
documentary, Girl Groups.
     In 1988, she was featured in Beehive, a musical tribute to the
female groups of the '60s. Wilson has written two well-received books
on her experience as a Supreme- Dreamgirl...My Life as a Supreme and
Supreme Faith...Someday We'll Be Together.
     Her recent CD for CEO, entitled Walk The Line, features all new
material and received rave reviews in Billboard magazine.


     Tickets for the Oct. 18 show, currently on sale, are $16.50 for
the general public, $15 for UD faculty and staff, $8 for students and
$10 for groups of l0 or more. Tickets are available at the box offices
in the Bob Carpenter Center and Trabant University Center in Newark
and by phone from Ticketmaster at 984-2000 or (215) 336-2000. For
information, call UD1-HENS.
                                                          -Gerry Elter