Bruce Channel sets the mood for Kiwanis Club Rock 'n' Roll Revival

Hey, hey baby ... I wanna know ... will you come and dance?

And that's the question for anyone and everyone this weekend as the Cape Girardeau Kiwanis Club holds its annual Rock 'n' Roll Revival on Saturday at the Arena Building.

"We want anybody who can dance to come out," organizer Fred Horrell said. "People of all ages usually come. We'll have not only [people in their] 50s and 60s, but college-age and high school kids, too. It's a family event, sometimes parents even bring their children."

And with the entertainment provided, it would be hard not to dance. Headliner Bruce "Hey Baby" Channel has the nickname for a good reason. He wrote and performed the song "Hey Baby" in the late '50s and early '60s, hitting No. 1 on the U.S. pop charts in 1962 and influencing many artists of the time, including John Lennon and The Beatles.

"Hey Baby" was also featured prominently in the movie Dirty Dancing in the log-balancing scene. Horrell said Channel has been donating his time to this event for several years, so the Kiwanis Club is naming its student music scholarship after him.

"Every May we give out 27 to 29 $1,000 scholarships to first-year freshmen," Horrell said. "The music scholarships are different, though, because they're four-year scholarships."

Also playing at the dance will be The Decade Band, featuring covers of pop and country from the 1950s to the present.

According to Horrell, the event was started in 1972 by Saint Francis Hospital. Kiwanis member Tom Ward took over the next year. And although the revival is not known to be a huge fundraiser for the club — that would be their Monday night bingo — Horrell said about 600 people usually show up.

"It's a night of authentic '50s and '60s rock 'n' roll that everyone can enjoy," Horrell said. "And every dollar we make we put back into the community. We don't keep anything."

Although the rule is BYOB, or bring your own liquor, Horrell said snacks and non-alcoholic refreshments will be available. The dance is from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday at the Arena Building. Tickets are $10 in advance and $11 at the door, and can be purchased at Cape Carpet, Shivelbines, Minor's Harley-Davidson, Circle S Saddle Co., Van Matre Buick and Tom Ward Hairstyling. For more information, call 335-0109 or 334-7716.