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The Hudson Brothers (from left) Bill, Mark and BrettH udson Brotherslooking forwardto Bucks visitBy MADELEINE JOHNSON Intelligencer Staff Writer Brett Hudson is the youngest third of the music/comedy team that will headline the Quaker town CommunityHospital Lawn Fete’s big top shows in this week — the Hud* son Brothers.Brothers Bill, Mark and Brett star m Bonkers!, their weekly, syndicated television series; perform in Las Vegas, most recently as an opening act to Gabriel Kaplan; make movies; and record albums.Yet, given the choice, Brett would prefer the concert tours that bring the brothers to towns like Quakertown. He talked about his upcoming visiit in a telephone interview from his home in California.44A lot of entertainers think that if they are not playing Los Angeles, Chicago or New York, why bother? But I would rather tour the secondary cities any day. The audience response is always better. They are too sophisticated in LA and New York and Chicago; they don't want to let themselves go. But in towns like Quakertown, the audiences are great — you know they are there to have a good time.” Brett said.Two of the members of the band that backs up the Hudson Brothers are originally from Pittsburgh, and according to Brett, they played at clubs in the Quakertown area during their early days in entertainment.Since hearing that Quakertown was the first stop in the next Hudson Brothers' tour (which also includes stops in Kansas City. Sacramento. Seattle and Omaha), the drummer and guitar player have talked of nothing but their old stomp* ing ground, Brett said. The entire Hudson Brothers entourage has been infected with their excitement.44I like touring 100 times better than doing Las Vegas or television,” Brett said. 44 I get nervous when I do Las Vegas-And I admit I get nervous doing a small town, but you are almost guaranteed that you'll have a good time.”From what he has been told about Quakertown, it is ideal for giving the type of performance he likes best-This is the kind of tour that keeps people remembering who you are. The same people can see you on television every day, but seeing you in person keeps your face with them - These people already know who you are from your success, but when they see you in person, they feel like they know you,” he said.Touring also removes the restrictions that television places on the Hudson Brothers’ act. For instance. Brett maintains that their 4‘real style” of music is rock, but that 44no one has ever let us do it” on televi-. —sion. Why not? Because there is an image conflict.”The image conflict is a result of television people thinking we’re rock personalities, and rock people thinking we're television personalities. ’ ’Television and rock *n roll have never successfully mixed, and Brett said that the Hudson Brothers have been sytmied by that lack of success.4‘When we do (The Johnny Carson Show), we rock a little bit. But we can't go overboard, because it is Carson’s show, and they call the shots,” Brett said.The Hudson Brothers have included an occasional rock song on albums they have recorded, but again, the image conflict has restricted their style, according to Brett. Their true style, he said, sounds like Guy Lombardo and Royal Canadians on a strange type of drug.” Actually, he corrected himself, their style resembles the rock group 4'Foreigner, but with three-part harmony.Half of the Hudson Brothers'routine is comedy, all of which the brothers write themselves. Writing of skits, said Brett, is a group effort and occasionally resembles the format of Morey Amsterdam. Rose Marie and Dick Van Dyke on the old Dick Van Dyke Show.” The major difference, Brett remarked, is that none of us is living with Mary Tyler Moore. ”One of them is, however, living with Goldie Hawn. Bill, the oldest Hudson Brothers, is married to the former star of Laugh In,” and they have a ehild. Actually, Goldie is very normal.” Brett said. To me, she’s^ Goldie, my sister-in-law, and I* love her to death.”He admitted, however, that w hen the three brothers and Goldie Hawn go to a restaurant for dinner, they usually attract attention.My brother Mark and I were out to dinner at a Japanese restaurant last night, and Mark started a skit on a Kamakazi waiter. We kicked it back and forth until we agreed it was funny. The next step Is to measure it in front of an audience.” Apparently, it delighted the impromptu audience in the restaurant.And so was born another comedy routine.The Hudson Brothers' comedic style is slapstick, mostly influenced by Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges, the Marx Brothers, Abbott and Costello and Charlie Chaplin.The Hudson. Brothers will perform with Bobby Rydell under a big top on the lawn fete grounds in Memorial Park. Mill Street. Quakertown, for two shows on Thursday and Friday. Tickets are on sale. For more information. call the hospital at 536-2400.
Newspaper Details
Doylestown Intelligencer
Doylestown, Pennsylvania, US
Mon, Jun 18, 1979
Page 28
Full Page
Clipped by
Joanne J.
USA 13 Sep 2021
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