Harvey Brownstone conducts an in-depth Interview with Founding Member of The Four Preps, Bruce Belland

 

About Harvey's guests:

 

Today’s guest, Bruce Belland, is a founding member of one of America’s most popular and beloved vocal groups, commonly referred to as America’s First Boy Band, The Four Preps.  

 

As young teenage students at Hollywood High in 1954, our guest, along with singing partners Glen Larson, Ed Cobb and Marv Ingram, entered a high school talent show, and they kept on performing at high schools until that fateful day in 1956, when they were signed to a recording contract at Capitol Records, making them the youngest vocal group in history to ever sign with a major record label.  

 

They recorded dozens of classic songs and produced 8 gold singles and 3 gold albums featuring their signature tunes, “Dreamy Eyes”, "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)," "Big Man," "Lazy Summer Night," “Down By the Station”, “More Money for You and Me”, and many more.   In 1957, Cashbox Magazine named The Four Preps the Most Promising Newcomer of the Year.  They made numerous appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, American Bandstand and many other TV variety shows, in addition to singing backup for Ricky Nelson for 4 years on “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet”.  And of course, they appeared with Sandra Dee in the 1959 movie, “Gidget”.  And they sang the theme song from the 1957 Clark Gable movie, “Band of Angels”.  

 

The Four Preps headlined at nightclubs, concert halls and college campuses across the country, and toured with everyone from Tennessee Ernie Ford, George Burns and Carol Channing to Henry Mancini, Johnny Mathis, Buddy Rich and Glen Campbell.  They received an official commendation from the Air Force for their extraordinary contribution to National Guard Recruitment.  And in 2007, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.   

 

And now, our guest has released a fascinating and highly entertaining memoir entitled, “Icons, Idols and Idiots of Hollywood:  My Adventures in America’s First Boy Band.”   This delightful book details our guest’s remarkable show business journey, full of great anecdotes, many colourful adventures, and poignant memories of pop culture history.  And let me tell you, the chapter about his hilarious experience filming a TV commercial with Annette Funicello at Disneyland is easily worth ten times the price of the book.   

 

For more interviews and podcasts go to: https://www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com/

 

To see more about Bruce Belland, go to:

https://www.brucebelland.com/ 

https://the4preps.wixsite.com/thefourpreps

https://www.facebook.com/BruceBelland 

https://www.facebook.com/the4preps

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9J0TACPReX2IRCFPgDStZw

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-four-preps/19280148

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5MsnoFODDc5nxWrjm99Zew 

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+four+preps

 

#BruceBelland   #TheFourPreps  #harveybrownstoneinterviews

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