Peter Noone was a rock ‘n’ roll star during a vaunted era of pop culture.
However, he views himself as a certain type of performer.
“I like to think of myself as an entertainer,” the British singer said. “I’m actually an entertainer, not a musician. I’m an entertainer who just got lucky with some really great songs.”
Having gained fame as the frontman for Herman’s Hermits, Noone headlines the annual “Salute to the ’60s” show that is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville.
“Herman’s Hermits were always underrated,” the 69-year-old Noone said in a recent phone interview. “Herman’s Hermits, right from the very beginning, said, ‘Let’s be careful, we don’t want to be a band that just wants to impress musicians — we want to have a following who like us and our music.'”
During the heralded British Invasion, when young English artists ruled record sales in America, Herman’s Hermits did just that.
The band notched six Top 10 hits on Billboard’s U.S. pop chart in 1965, a total that was higher than the Beatles’ sum and doubled the amount racked up by the Rolling Stones that year.
Steering clear of a hard-driving sound, Noone’s band lit up the charts with sweet, infectious material such as “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat,” “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter” and “I’m Into Something Good,” which was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
A different, brassier sound was employed by the Buckinghams, who will team up with Noone’s band for the Saturday night “Salute to the ’60s” concert in Merrillville.
Giving Chicago representation on the pop charts, the Buckinghams scored five hit singles in 1967, including “Don’t You Care” and the chart-topping “Kind of a Drag.”
Dyer’s Roman Sawczak is a local rock guitarist who has had the opportunity over the years to share the stage with the Buckinghams on several occasions.
“They sound as good as ever, and really entertain — polished, professional and best of all, just really amazing guys,” said Sawczak, who played in Teenage Radiation, the backing band for noted Chicago radio personality Steve Dahl.
The Buckinghams know how to dish “a sing-along, feel-good show,” said Sawczak, a member of the Dancing Noodles, a popular Chicago-area party band.
“They’re still draw strong everywhere,” Sawczak said of the Buckinghams.
The Grass Roots will join the musicians for Saturday’s musical throwback. The Grass Roots features lead singer and bassist Mark Dawson, who was born and raised in Chicago, and also lived in Cicero, Ill. Formed in California, the band had hit singles with “Let’s Live for Today” (1967) and “Midnight Confessions” (1968).
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By the late ’60s, the heyday of Herman’s Hermits was past, but not before Noone and company had locked into a sound and style that assured them of a formidable catalog that still appeals to a sizable audience today.
“Herman’s Hermits, like the Beatles at the beginning, made records to be listened to on the radio, not necessarily to be taken home,” Noone said. “We didn’t think of people sitting at home with a stereo. Like the Beatles’ early records, you mixed in mono so that it would sound good on the radio. We were a made-for-radio band.”
Plenty of transistor radios were transmitters of their breezy fare, which included “Silhouettes,” “Just a Little Bit Better” and “A Must to Avoid.”
Formed in Manchester, England, Peter Noone’s band found a successful formula, and rode it with gusto in an era that may have been rock’s most creative decade.
“Herman’s Hermits was of the moment, and we took advantage of the moment,” the vocalist said. “We could make a record on a Monday afternoon and we could have it on the radio on Friday.”
Saying he remains a British citizen who divides time between England and Santa Barbara, California, Noone is a venerable rocker who keeps up a brisk pace.
“Last year, this version of Herman’s Hermits did 138 concerts, and this year we’ll probably do about the same,” he said. “The Stones are still going out working on the road, and Paul McCartney’s still going out on the road, because that’s what we do.”
The lasting success that Noone has achieved in the fickle and competitive music industry is not taken for granted.
“It takes a lot of elements, including the woman who made the sandwiches for the recording session,” he said. “They’re all part of the credits, I think.”
Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
‘Salute to the ’60s’
Where: Star Plaza Theatre, 8001 Delaware Place, Merrillville
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Tickets: $38 and $48
Information: 219-769-6311, www.starplazatheatre.com