The following is an excerpt from the theater program for the performance of
September 7, 1979. - Enjoy!
(note: the Gamble spelling is as printed in the program)

The Concord Pavilion Presents
Glenn Yarbrough
and
The Kingston Trio
September 7, 1979

The Kingston Trio
In 1957, three young men, Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds and Dave Guard, decided to form a group called The Kingston Trio. They selected that title because their music had a calypso sound to it and the name "Kingston" evoked Jamaican vibrations.

They were playing at night clubs in the San Francisco area and were booked at San Francisco's Purple Onion for a one-week stand. That one week turned into a standing-room-only, seven-month engagement. The Trio was the first group to perform popular songs in the folk style with strong rhythmic background and their own unique brand of folk music and entertainment caught on quickly.

While playing an engagement in Hawaii, "Tom Dooley" hit. The Trio cut short their engagement and returned to the mainland to go on a nationwide tour. One of their stops was the famous engagement at San Francisco's "Hungry i". The Kingston Trio's first LP on the Capitol label was a huge success and The Kingston Trio was on it's way to becoming a household word. "Tom Dooley" was one of the biggest record sellers of the year in 1958 and it was followed by hits like "Tijuana Jail," "Where Have all The Flowers Gone?," "Reverend Mr. Black," "Greenback Dollar," "MTA," and others.

As the Trio's popularity grew, they appeared on the top network TV shows and performed to packed houses around the world. The Trio also were enormously successful on college concert tours.

"Life Magazine" honored them with a cover story and the title of "Best Group of the Year." They appeared in concert with Barbara Streisand, Henry Mancini, Dave Brubeck, Bill Cosby, and Keely Smith. In all, the Trio has no fewer than seven gold albums to it's credit.

During the Trio's rise to the top, they met John Stewart, a performer and songwriter. When Dave Guard decided to go his own way in the spring of 1961, John Joined Nick and Bob.

Finally, after years of overwhelming success, the three members of the Trio wanted to change their music style but discovered that they were confined by their own image. They decided to part ways. On June 17, 1967, exactly 10 years to the day after they had gotten together, the Kingston Trio broke up.

John Stewart is now performing as a solo artist, Nick Reynolds, who decided not to continue a career in music, is living in Oregon. And Bob Shane, after a few years as a single performer, decided that the Trio should not have ended. And Bob's back, with Roger Gamble and George Grove, to see that The Kingston Trio lives on.

* * * * *

Nostalgia has it's own rewards and a very noteworthy one lies in the fact that one of the most popular entertainment groups of the '50's and '60's is back. The Kingston Trio, consisting of Bob Shane, Roger Gamble and George Grove, is again entertaining audiences with old trio favorites and host of new ballads. Whether they are performing "Tom Dooley," "The MTA," "Early Morning Rain," or "The Midnight Special" as reminder of yesterday, or playing new songs for today, the Kingston Trio has a very special touch.