The Lettermen Concert To Benefit Willow Tree Missions Dec. 4

The Lettermen

The timeless musical trio, The Lettermen, well known for their hits such as “The Way You Look Tonight” and “Theme from a Summer Place” will present a benefit holiday concert on Monday, December 4 at the Monticello High School Auditorium. All proceeds from the concert and other activities during the evening will directly benefit Willow Tree Missions and be used for the renovation of their Family Service Center. The concert will begin at 6:30 PM with opening acts by the Monticello High School music program followed by a 90-minute concert by The Lettermen. “We were approached by a representative from The Lettermen earlier this year about the group performing a fund-raising concert on our behalf and best of all, this group offered to donate their time and talents to support us! Without hesitation we jumped at this opportunity to bring this phenomenal group to our community. This gift comes at a perfect time for us as we are beginning the renovation of the second floor of our Washington Street building. This space will be the site of our Family Service Center with programming space for our domestic violence prevention initiative and transitional housing for the families we assist. The funds from this concert will allow us to kick-off the renovation of this space”, said Jill Maxey, Executive Director of Willow Tree Missions. Doors will open at 6:00 PM and a silent auction of gift baskets from local businesses will precede the concert. Tickets for the concert are $65 and may be purchased at Willow Tree Missions’ website: willowtreemissions.org. About The Lettermen: The dictionary defines harmony as “a combination of musical sounds considered to be pleasing”. The music world could define harmony as “The Lettermen”. Donovan Tea, Bobby Poynton and Rob Gulack, each of whom are entertainers in their own right, have kept the meaning of harmony alive with their soft, romantic, harmonic blend of music which is as popular with their fans today as it was in 1961 when The Lettermen recorded their first hit, “The Way You Look Tonight”. For The Lettermen debut single record in the summer of 1961, Capitol Records decided to put a romantic ballad on the B-side of “That’s My Desire”, which was an attempt at a doo-wop single, figuring radio stations would have to play the A-side because the B-side was so sweet, and slow, and did not necessarily encompass the commercial sound of the day. The B-side was “The Way You Look Tonight”. Soft, melodic, and romantic, it was a departure from the rock ‘n’ roll music of the day. Eventually, listener requests made it a must for radio station play lists nationwide. The song shot to No. 13, on the Billboard chart. The group’s second single that year did even better. “When I Fall In Love,” another soft, slow ballad hit No.7, establishing The Lettermen as the most romantic singing group of a generation. To their credit, The Lettermen have over 75 albums— numerous certified gold – and a myriad of hits including “When I Fall In Love”, “Come Back Silly Girl”, “Theme From A Summer Place”, “Goin’ Out Of My Head/Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, “Put Your Head On My Shoulder”, “Hurt So Bad”, and “Shangri-La”. The Lettermen have also enjoyed international success touring Japan, The Philippines, China, Thailand, Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, Germany, France, South America, Canada, Mexico and even Saudi Arabia. They have sung and recorded in many different languages and have received eighteen gold records internationally. Even though there have been personnel changes over the years, the one thing that has remained constant is the vision that Tony Butala first dreamed of – that unique three-part harmony as only The Lettermen can achieve. Though musical tastes have changed over the years, The Lettermen legacy continues. Harmony will always endure the true test of time—just as The Lettermen have stood the test of time To their credit, The Lettermen have over 75 albums – numerous certified gold – and a myriad of hits including “When I Fall In Love”, “Come Back Silly Girl”, “Theme From A Summer Place”, Goin’ Out Of My Head/Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”, Put Your Head On My Shoulder”, “Hurts So Bad”, and “Shangri La”. The Lettermen were honored with a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020. About Willow Tree Missions: Established in 2007 first in Cisco and now in located in Monticello, Willow Tree Missions is a Christ centered non-profit corporation that operates resale shops that fund services for victims of domestic abuse. Family Service Center staff assists clients determined to escape abusive situations and create healthier, safer environments for themselves and their children. For victims in imminent situations, we provide emergency shelter and assistance with food, clothing, transportation, and household needs. We partner with law enforcement officials and community advocates to obtain orders of protection, safety planning, and legal referrals. To help clients in moving forward, we also provide ongoing crisis and spiritual counseling. But we don’t stop there. Recognizing the interaction between education, substance abuse, and emotional/physical trauma, we have instituted Christ centered support programs and proactive educational outreach initiatives. Willow Tree Missions is renovating a 140-year-old building in downtown Monticello and greatly expanding its services to include two transitional housing apartments and a multi-purpose space for educational and support programs. The completed renovations will allow our resale shop to double its footprint, thus increasing its revenue to increase its services. One-time capital funding is essential to meet life safety requirements as we re-purpose the building to meet Willow Tree Missions’ programming needs.