GEORGE THOROGOOD & THE DESTROYERS @ MASSEY HALL - MAY 30/08

NEW SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT:

GEORGE THOROGOOD AND THE DESTROYERS

FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2008, AT 8 PM / MASSEY HALL (TORONTO)

Tickets on sale to FriendsFirst MEMBERS NOW;
to the Public on Tuesday, December 11, at noon

Tickets $69.50 - $39.50 / 416-872-4255 or online at www.masseyhall.com

Or visit the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Toronto, ON. December 7, 2008

George Thorogood and The Destroyers return to Massey Hall in their first concert since 1990. A blues-rock guitarist who draws his inspiration from Elmore James, Hound Dog Taylor, and Chuck Berry, George Thorogood was somewhat controversial to the blues purists. However, Thorogood became a popular favourite in the early 1980s through repeated exposure on FM radio and play to the arenas popular in the rock circuit. His music was always loud, simple, and direct – his riffs and licks were taken straight out of the 1950s Chicago blues and rock and roll scene, but his formulaic approach helped him gain a rather large audience in the 1980s, when his albums regularly went gold.

Before devoting himself exclusively to music Thorogood played semi-pro baseball. In the late 1970s, Thorogood played on a team in Delaware in the Roberto Clemente League, which was created in 1976. He was the second baseman and was chosen rookie of the year in the league. Soon after this achievement, The Destroyers forced him to quit playing the sport. In the 1970s, George and the band were based in Boston. George and the Delaware Destroyers were friends with Jimmy Thackery and the Nighthawks. While touring in the 1970s, the Destroyers and the Nighthawks happened to be playing shows in Georgetown (DC) at venues across the street from each other. The Destroyers were engaged at The Cellar Door, the Nighthawks at Desperados. At midnight, by prior arrangement, while both bands played the same song ("Madison Blues") in the same key (E), George and Jimmy left their clubs, met in the middle of M street, exchanged guitar cables and went on to play with the opposing band.

George and the Destroyers are also notable for undertaking a rigorous touring schedule after appearing throughout the Rolling Stones tour in 1981. After two shows in Boulder, Colorado, George and his band flew to Hawaii and played for only one night. The next night they appeared in Alaska for one show. The following day the band flew to Washington State, met their roadies who had their car and a truck, and continued a one-show-per-state tour for all fifty states in exactly fifty nights. In addition, they played Washington, DC, on the same day that they performed a show in Maryland.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Thorogood recorded some of his most well known works. "Bad to the Bone" was used frequently in television and the big screen. Several appearances include Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the comedy Problem Child, John Carpenter's Christine, and during many episodes of the television sitcom Married with Children. This track also was used during the intro to the movie "Major Payne". The same song is also featured in the game Rock 'n Roll Racing. It is also played during football pre-game festivities at Mississippi State University. Quincy Jones once said to Thorogood, "The three things important in a record is the tune, tune, and the tune".

For more information, please visit www.georgethorogood.com.


GEORGE THOROGOOD AND THE DESTROYERS
Friday, May 30 at 8 PM / Massey Hall
178 Victoria Street, Toronto

Tickets $69.50- $39.50 - Call 416-872-4255 or visit the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office

www.masseyhall.com

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Liz Parker, Publicity Manager / Ph: 416 593 4822, Ext. 318 / email: liz.parker@rth-mh.com
THE CORPORATION OF MASSEY HALL AND ROY THOMSON HALL
60 Simcoe Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5J 2H5

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