1983: Recorded (2) 45's for Starlite Records, Eddie Velasquez left, replaced by Frank Resola

1985: Recorded and released LP "A Cool Change" on Clifton Records. Frank Resola left, replaced by Jack Simcsak, Represented American Movie Classics channel at the 2nd Annual Cable TV convention in Atlantic City.

1988: Appeared on WNBC-TV "Showtime at the Apollo".  Winner Acappella Showdown competition,

1989: Winner UGHA's "Sonny Till" Award. Winner acappella Showdown competition, Recorded and released LP "Another Night with the Boys'" on Clifton Records. Lou left, replaced for a short time by Pete Horan, then Glen Wilson, and permanently by Pete Wiese

1990: Winner UGHA's "Sonny Till" Award, Winner "Lead East" Doo wop Contest

1991: Winner of UHGA's "Sonny" Till Award (Best Veteran Acappella Group) The only Group to ever win this award three times!
1993: Recorded and released "Street Corner Singers" for Collectables Records

1994: Appeared at the "Acappella Comes to Broadway" concert at Symphony Space Hall in NYC. A Live recording of the show was released on Clifton Records in 1997.

1995: Recorded and released "So Much in Love" (featuring Willie Winfield of the legendary Harptones) for Collectables Records, Appeared at the opening of the Broadway musical "Smokey Joes' Cafe" with "Cousin" Bruce Morrow, Jack left, replaced by Marty Zaid

1996: Jack came back

1997: Dennis and Ron left, replaced by Ray Block and Marty Reed. 

2000: Dennis and Ron return as Ronnie I asks group to appear to celebrate release of Compilation CD "The Very Best of Reunion" on Clifton label

2005: Ray leaves, Jack comes back. Appeared on PBS-TV nationwide as part of T J Lubinsky's Doo Wop Cavalcade

2006: Featured performerrs at Freehold Raceway for Opening Day, and again on Labor Day Weekend.

2007: A good year for shows! We were featured acts on: Harvey Holiday's Super Bowl of Acapella, Mr. Acappella's Sping Fling, The Delaware State Fair, Freehold Raceway, and the Benefit for the Philadelphia Veterans Association.
Reunion's Story (Long Version):
Reunion was formed in the spring of 1981, when members of two disbanded street-corner groups, (the Chime-Times and the Memo's) joined together to drink some beer and sing some songs.

It all started when two old friends were reminiscing about their teen-age years, and singing in a street-corner group, in Brick, NJ. The two, Dennis Chervenak and Ron Meyer, wondered if there were others who still enjoyed singing the doowop songs they grew up with. They put a classified ad in a local paper, and waited to see if there was any response.

The first call they had was from a guy who said that he sang lead in a group when he was a teen-ager in Brick, and the group was called the Chime-Times. Ron said,"Is this Steve Schmidt", he answered yes, who's this! The next day another phone call brought us "Singin Eddie" Velasquez, and two fellow members of the Memo's, Lou Spinelli and Steve D'Onofrio.

So, we started out as six-man group, with Steve Schmidt, and Steve D'Onofrio doing most of the leads. We never intended to perform for anything other than friends and family, but soon found ourselves singing in a Talent Show. A friend of Lou and Ed's, got us our first paying job, singing in a bowling alley bar in Union, NJ. We were the opening act for the main groups, Mixed Company and The Emery's.

The emcee for that show was Ronnie I (Italiano), the president and founder of the United in Group Harmony Association (UGHA). Ronnie liked our sound, and invited us to perform at a meeting. Steve D'Onofrio left the group just after that job, so it wasn't til the fall of 82' that we sang at UGHA. What a great experience that was! Because we were new, we were the last group to perform, and didn't get onstage until well after 11:00 PM. Again, we were well received, sang our six songs, and were called back for an encore. Those were the days when the UGHA audience would boo groups off the stage if they didn't like them.

We went back a couple of months later, and after singing, were approached by Mr. Bob Kretchmer of Starlite Records. He wanted to record us! We recorded 4 songs for Starlite, which they released on two 45's. Singin' Eddie left after those sessions, and was replaced by Frank Resola. We began a pretty active period of 15 years singing in Clubs, Concerts and Shows in the North Jersey area.

Those releases led to the first of two albums (A Cool Change, 1985, and Another night With the Boys', 1988) recorded for Clifton Records. Frank Resola left the group after the first session, and was replaced by Jack Simcsak. Frank's voice can be heard on 4 of the Cool Change tracks, Man Oh Man, Cool Change, Wonderful Tonight, and Don't It Make You Wanna Go Home.Jack made his public debut with us in 1988 at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, when we appeared on NBC-TV's SHOWTIME AT THE APOLLO.

1989, 1990, and 1991 we were voted winners of the "Sonnie Till Award" (Best Veteran Acappella Group) by the membership of the UGHA. We also won several acappella competitions during those years, and were a part of the "live" recording "Acappella comes to Broadway" on Clifton. We also made a connection with Mr. Randy Bergen, Long Island's "Mr. Acappella". We've been asked many times to perform at Randy's shows, which are held 2-3 times per year at Molloy College, in Rockville Center.

Around the same time, noted Philadelphia Radio personality Jerry Blavatt (The Geator With the Heater) began playing our version of "Wonderful Tonight" to great response, which led to our Philadelphia area popularity. We sang at many Philly clubs, and that led to our meeting another great Philly radio personality, Harvey Holiday. We sang live on Harvey's Sunday night WOGL radio show (Streetcorner Sunday), and have been featured several times on his annual "Superbowl of Acapella" shows.

Lou Spinnelli left the group just before the release of "Another Night With the Boys", and was replaced for a short time by original "Chime Time" Pete Horan, then by Glen Wilson of Toms River, and permanently by Pete Weiss.

 

Late in 1992 we were in studio, working on a third record for Clifton, when Ronnie I called and said that "Collectables" records in Philadelphia was going to put out a line of Acappella CD's and wanted to put us in their line-up. Ronnie advised us to go, saying we would get wider exposure and promotion. So thats how we hooked up with Jerry Greene, and an old friend, Dennis Pettit.

 

1993 saw the release of "Street Corner Singers", followed in 1995 by "So Much in Love", which featured Willie Winfield of the Harptones on 5 songs. What a thrill! A really nice guy, and quite a gentleman, we had a ball just rehearsing with him, and listening to his stories. As an added bonus, we appeared with Willie "live" on Harvey's Street Corner Sunday, and again at the 1996 Super Bowl of Acappella.

 

We also participated in a Christmas CD for Collectables, "Acappella Christmas". "Pure Gold" from Pittsburgh, and "DC's Finest" were co-contributors.

 

In September of 1996, Ron and Dennis left the group, and were replaced by Ray Block and Marty Reed.

 

In the Spring of 2000, Ronnie I called me (Ron Meyer), and said he was putting out a "Best of Reunion" CD. He asked if we would get back together for the release, and sing at UGHA again. Well, after a few phone calls, Dennis, Lou, Frank, Steve and I, had a rehearsal, then went out and sang for an audience again. It was great fun, and it sort of relit the candle for Dennis and I.

Lou and Frank both perform in their own groups, so Dennis and I got back with Steve, Pete, and Ray Block to reform Reunion. Ray left early in 2005, and Jack came back to replace him.

We've appeared in many concerts since 2000, but the absolute highlight was when we were asked to perform for the PBS Special, "Doo Wop Cavalcade", by producer and host T. J. Lubinsky. The show taped at the Sands Casino in Atlantic City in March 2005, and started airing in December of that year. TJ had several nice things to say about us during the TV show. We had a short clip on the nationwide telecast, and both of our songs are included in the 3 tape VHS video of the show. We also got to sing along with the closing credits.

 

In August of 2006 we were asked to sing on Opening Day of Freehold Raceway, in New Jersey, and were asked to comeback on Labor Day Weekend, to perform before the opening of their biggest Day, the Cane Pace, 1st leg of Harness racing's Triple Crown Series.

 

In 2007 we sang at Harvey Holiday's "Superbowl of Acapella" in Philly at the TLA, and Randy Bergen's Acappella show in Rockville Center (Apr. 21st). We also were the opening act at the Delaware State Fair Do- Wop Show, had 2 appearances at Freehold Raceway, and were featured at the Benefit Concert for the Philadelphia Veterans Association.