THE JACKSONS and VILLAGE PEOPLE

Two of the most legendary groups in music history take the stage for one memorable evening at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. You’ll hear the soulful hits of The Jacksons like “I Want You Back,” “ABC,” “I’ll Be There,” “Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)”, “Can You Feel It” and “Blame It On The Boogie,” and iconic songs of Village People – including “Y.M.C.A.,” “Macho Man,” “In The Navy”– and many more!

Note: The San Diego Symphony Orchestra does not appear on this program.

Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael, five brothers from Gary, Indiana, known originally as The Jackson 5 and later The Jacksons, rose to fame for their combination of extraordinary musical talent and spectacular choreography. They soon earned the status of pop royalty in the music world, providing the launching pad for what would become Michael Jackson’s legendary solo career.

First signed to Steeltown Records in 1967, the group soon found international success at Motown with the songs: “I Want You Back”, “ABC”, “The Love You Save” and “I’ll Be There”, making history in 1970 as the first recording act whose first four singles reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. They ultimately scored 17 top forty singles on the Hot 100, following with hits such as “Never Can Say Goodbye” and “Dancing Machine.” To date, their Motown recordings alone have sold in excess of 200 million records.

The group can be said to find many of its music inspirations in legends like The Temptations, The Supremes, James Brown and Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers and, in turn, came to eventually serve as the inspiration for several generations of boy bands, including Backstreet Boys, New Edition, N*SYNC, New Kids on the Block, and of more recent vintage, the Jonas Brothers, One Direction, and many more.

In 1980, The Jacksons were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They were inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999 as The Jackson 5. Listed among The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll” are two of the group’s songs “I Want You Back” and “ABC.” At the annual BMI Urban Awards on September 8, 2008, The Jacksons were honored as BMI Icons. In 2016, “ABC” joined “I Want You Back” as the group’s second recording to be inducted into the Recording Academy’s Grammy® Hall of Fame.

Village People is one of the most iconic music groups in the world. Their music is part of the international songbook and featured in dozens of major motion pictures, on Broadway, and in commercials. Of course, “Y.M.C.A” (along with its namesake dance) is played at almost every party, wedding, bar mitzvah and sporting event in the world. They’ve sold over 100 million records worldwide.

The debut album, released in 1977, featured the hit singles “San Francisco (You’ve Got Me)” and “In Hollywood (Everybody is a Star).” At that time however, the group was simply Victor Willis with use of session background singers. Auditions were held and a group of characters were assembled around Willis for a 1977 television appearance on American Bandstand.

Soon Village People was a real group (not just Victor Willis). Live musicians were added for tour purposes. The group was soon an international phenomenon. A second album, Macho Man, was quickly released, followed by a third album titled Cruisin’ which featured the blockbuster hit “Y.M.C.A.” Next up was the Go West, the fourth album featuring the hit “In the Navy.” This was followed by the group’s sixth album in 1979, titled Live & Sleazy, which featured Willis performing all the hits, live from The Greek Theatre.

Village People is now more popular than ever. The group returned to the charts in 2019 and 2020 with “Happiest Time of the Year,’ and “If You Believe,” both written by Willis and quickly becoming hits by breaking into Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart top 20.

Recent television appearances include Fox New Year’s Eve in Times Square and Good Morning America. The group continues to perform to sold out audiences worldwide.

Ace Parking has provided a DEDICATED PARKING PURCHASE PAGE for this event.