Johnny Rivers Makes Absecon Island Debut Aug. 21 as Margate Rock Festival Headliner

MARGATE, N.J., Aug. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Singer, songwriter and guitarist Johnny Rivers, whose music became the soundtrack of a generation, makes his Absecon Island debut August 21 when he headlines the Seventh Annual Margate Rock Festival, concert organizers announced today.

The outdoor show, which begins at 6:30 p.m., includes special guests John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band and will be held at Amherst and Washington Avenues here. The evening concludes with a spectacular fireworks show over the bay.

There is no admission charge for the show.

"Johnny Rivers was one of the best-selling solo artists of the 1960s, and his music is so meaningful to an entire generation of fans," says area businessman Roy Goldberg, whose charitable organization, the Gold Foundation, is presenting the Margate Rock Festival.

"It's amazing that Rivers has never played in our area before, which only makes his performance at the Margate Rock Festival even more exciting," Goldberg added.

Performing ahead of Rivers before an expected audience of over 10,000 will be John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, the group that supplied and wrote the music for the 1983 movie Eddie and the Cruisers, a fictional band that made a name for itself while performing in Somers Point.

Funds raised through festival sponsorships will be distributed by the Gold Foundation to a variety of area charities. Caesars Entertainment is the show's presenting sponsor. Caesars Eastern Division president, Don Marrandino, plays guitar and is a friend of Cafferty's, so expect the casino executive to join his buddy on stage to jam with the Beaver Brown Band.

Cape Bank will present the fireworks show following the concert, and radio station KOOL 98.3 is the festival's media sponsor.

Other sponsors to date include Masterminds Advertising, Tomatoes Restaurant, Stone Concrete, Academy Bus, Innovative Risk Solutions, Shoreline Express and Casel's Marketplace.

Born in New York City, Rivers' family relocated to New Orleans when he was a young boy. A self-taught guitarist who originally gravitated toward the blues and country music, he was just 14 and still in junior high school when he began recording professionally.

By the early 1960s, he worked as a demo singer and songwriter in Nashville. He first hit the charts in 1964 with the song "Memphis," which reached number two on Billboard's Hot 100.

A prolific writer and recording artist, Rivers often fused rock, blues and country and wrapped it around his singularly distinctive voice. From the start, he alternated between original material and covers and racked up an amazing string of hits that included "Mountain of Love," "Midnight Special," "Seventh Son," "Secret Agent Man," "Summer Rain," "The Poor Side of Town" and "Sea Cruise."

Between 1964 and 1977, Rivers charted more than 30 songs on the Hot 100 chart. When he wasn't recording his own songs, he was producing music for others and won a Grammy Award for his work with the 5th Dimension.

Rivers continues to perform and produce today and works up to 60 shows a year at venues around the country.

John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band formed in Rhode Island nearly 40 years ago and performed throughout the New Jersey shore in the 1970s, including at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park. Cafferty wrote and performed the Springsteen-esque music for Eddie and the Cruisers.

The film's soundtrack hit number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart and spun out the number seven hit single "On the Dark Side," which also hit the top spot on Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

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About the Gold Foundation

During this past year, the Gold Foundation organized three highly successful fundraising events:  The Margate Rock Festival 6 featuring the Hooters; The 24th Annual Gold Invitational Golf Tournament held at the Linwood Country Club; and the Shirley Mae Breast Cancer Assistance Fun Run at The Trump Taj Mahal. Currently, The Gold Foundation raises and gives away over $250,000 a year. The Gold Foundation, started by Roy Goldberg, has raised and donated over $2.8 Million Dollars to more than 105 local charities during the past 24 years. Beneficiaries have included: Catholic Social Services, Special Olympics of South Jersey, The South Jersey Cancer Fund, Manna at the Shore, FACES, The Marine Corp Law Enforcement Foundation and many, many others. For more information about the Margate Rock Festival 2011, sponsorships or VIP packages, please call Roy Goldberg at (609) 823-0200.

SOURCE Longport Media, LLC