Whatever Happened to Doo-Wop Revival Group Sha Na Na?

Photo of Sha Na Na — Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

What To Know

Sha Na Na notably performed at Woodstock and appeared in the film Grease.
The group enjoyed further popularity with their syndicated TV variety show from 1977 to 1981.

The band Sha Na Na looks like they came straight out of the ’50s with their greaser style, but they actually became famous at one of the defining events of the late ’60s. Formed at Columbia University in 1969, the rock and roll revival act mixed doo-wop, comedy, choreography, and greaser-style nostalgia at a time when most of the music world was feeling much more psychedelic.

They got famous after appearing at Woodstock, working on Grease, getting their own TV show, and decades of touring. They have been fairly quiet in recent years. So, whatever happened to Sha Na Na?

How did Sha Na Na Form?

Before they were Sha Na Na, several of the group’s founding members had been part of the Columbia Kingsmen, an a cappella group at Columbia University. Then the act was reshaped into something much more theatrical, with leather jackets and pompadours. Their name came from the nonsense syllables in the Silhouettes’ song “Get a Job,” and their whole act played around with the time period and music of the 1950s.

In 1969, Sha Na Na landed a spot at Woodstock, performing shortly before Jimi Hendrix closed the festival. Their version of “At the Hop” was later included in the famous Woodstock documentary, helping introduce the group to a much wider audience.

SHA NA NA, from left, front, Scott Simon, Scott Powell, Jocko Marcellino, Johnny Contardo, Danny McBride, Lennie Baker, back, from left, John Bauman, Frederick Greene, Donald York, Dave Ryan, ca. mid-1970s

Everett Collection

After Woodstock, Sha Na Na became one of the acts most closely associated with the early ’70s wave of 1950s nostalgia. They toured, released albums, and helped bring back old-school rock and roll. Their biggest pop culture moment came in 1978, when they appeared in Grease as Johnny Casino and the Gamblers.

In the film, they performed during the high school dance sequence and contributed several songs to the soundtrack, including “Those Magic Changes,” “Born to Hand Jive,” “Hound Dog,” “Blue Moon,” “Tears on My Pillow,” and “Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay.” Screamin’ Scott Simon, who joined Sha Na Na in 1970, also co-wrote “Sandy,” the ballad performed by John Travolta in the film.

By then, Sha Na Na had also become a TV act. Their syndicated variety series, Sha Na Na, ran from 1977 to 1981 and mixed oldies performances, comedy sketches, and guest stars. The show featured the group performing ’50s and ’60s songs, often in street-corner or diner-style settings, and included appearances from artists such as Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Chubby Checker, the Ronettes, the Ramones, and many others.

But the lineup of the group changed many times over the years. Some members left for other careers, and several went on to lives that were far removed from the stage. Henry Gross became a solo artist and had a major hit with “Shannon” in 1976. Rob Leonard became a linguistics professor at Hofstra University and later worked as a forensic linguistics expert. Alan Cooper pursued an academic career in religious and Jewish studies. Scott Powell became an orthopedic surgeon. Denny Greene became a lawyer, Columbia Pictures executive, and law professor. Elliot Cahn later became Green Day’s first manager.

Musicians Tim Butler, Jay Leslie, Donny York, Reggie Battise, Jocko Marcellino, Screamin' Scott Simon, Gene Jaramillo and Paul Kimbarow of the band Sha Na Na attend the celebration of the DVD release of "Grease Rockin' Rydell Edition" at the Santa Monica Pier on September 19, 2006 in Santa Monica, California

David Livingston/Getty Images

Jon “Bowzer” Bauman also built a post-Sha Na Na career of his own. After leaving the group in the early ’80s, he worked as a performer, host, and advocate, and became involved in Truth in Music efforts to stop misleading concerts by groups using famous oldies names without original members. He will be seen at the upcoming Hollywood Show. Johnny Contardo, remembered by many fans for singing “Those Magic Changes” in Grease, later became a vocal coach and continued performing.

Who has Died From Sha Na Na?

Sadly, some of the best-known members of Sha Na Na have died. Greene died in 2015 at age 66. Dave “Chico” Ryan died in 1998. Danny “Dirty Dan” McBride died in 2009. Reggie Battise died in 2010. Screamin’ Scott Simon died on September 5, 2024, at age 75 after sinus cancer. Simon had spent more than 50 years connected to Sha Na Na and remained one of the group’s longest-serving members. As for the band itself, Sha Na Na eventually ended its touring career. The official Sha Na Na website posted a message dated December 5, 2022, saying that Sha Na Na “will no longer tour as a concert group.” That means the group’s long run, which began in 1969 and stretched across more than five decades, appears to be over.