Rockapella is an American

a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...

musical group formed in 1986 in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. The group's name is a

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

of "rock" and "a cappella". Rockapella sings original vocal music and a cappella versions of other songs. Over time, their sound has evolved from high-energy pop and

world music "World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...

style toward a sound more influenced by R&B. Rockapella found their enduring success in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

early in their career. They are most successful for their role as a house band and comedy troupe on the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

children's geography game show '' Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?''. In addition to three compilation albums in Japan, Rockapella has released 19 albums in the US and Japan. Since the band's vocal percussionist was hired, the line "All sounds provided by the voices and appendages of Rockapella" has been printed on each of their CDs.

Band history

Early years (1986–1990)

The founding members of Rockapella consisted of

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

alumni Sean Altman, Elliott Kerman, Steve Keyes, and David Stix. They had each been in an

group at Brown called High Jinks, but not all at the same time. Having been in High Jinks the longest, Altman was the only connection between the other three members; when they found each other in

following their graduation, they decided to form Rockapella. The band began performing on New York City street corners in 1986 with a hat at their feet and a song repertoire that consisted of a mix of barbershop arrangements and a cappella renditions of classic

doo wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, ...

pieces that evolved to focus less on oldies and barbershop and more on contemporary rock music. Passers-by began to drop business cards into the hat, and these street corner performances led to private party and club performances around NYC. Stix left the group in 1987 to pursue his artistic career and was replaced by Charlie Evett. That same year, a dinner party performance for television personality

Kathie Lee Gifford Kathryn Lee Gifford (Given name, née Epstein; born August 16, 1953) is an American television presenter, singer, songwriter, actress, and author. From 1985 to 2000, she and Regis Philbin hosted the talk show ''Live with Kelly and Mark, Live! wi ...

led to Rockapella's 1988 appearance on the WABC-TV show ''The Morning Show'',

Regis Philbin Regis Francis Xavier Philbin ( ; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest-working man in show business", he held th ...

and Gifford's NYC morning talk show before it went national. Their performance of Altman's signature arrangement of the calypso novelty standard " Zombie Jamboree" caught the eye of producer Gerard Brown. He invited Rockapella to perform on the PBS "Great Performances" TV special ''

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...

& Company – Do It A Cappella,'' which would put them into the national spotlight. However, Evett left the group to continue a career in software design in 1988 before the special's taping, and Barry Carl was hired to take his place.

''Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?'' (1991–1996)

With a

special and numerous morning talk show appearances under their collective belt, Rockapella was noticed by the producers of an up-and-coming children's geography game show ''Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?''. Shortly before the show's premiere, Keyes had decided to leave Rockapella to launch his legal career, but was still part of the band when they auditioned and were hired to write and perform the show's theme song as well as appearing as the comic relief house band. Keyes was replaced by Scott Leonard, who had just returned from a career as the lead singer in a

Tokyo Disneyland is a theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Disney park t ...

electronic rock band. Between Leonard joining the band and the start of their television break, Rockapella began to pick up fame, starring in a

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ...

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

comedy special ''Chez Whoopi'', a

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commercial, and opened for acts such as

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; ; lit. "Shuddering"), also called the River Styx, is a goddess and one of the rivers of the Greek Underworld. Her parents were the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, and she was the wife of the Titan Pallas and the moth ...

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...

, and their a cappella idols The Persuasions, who the group had met on the ''Do It A Cappella'' special. They also performed on

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno ( ; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show'' from 1992 until 200 ...

's first

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episode of ''

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...

'' in 1992.The Showbiz Wizard: ROCKAPELLA'S SCOTT LEONARD!
Theshowbizwizard.blogspot.com (January 03, 2011). Retrieved on October 17, 2011. Rockapella first appeared on the half-hour game show in 1991 and later continued to appear daily for five seasons, catapulting the band's four members into mid-level television celebrity status and making the Rockapella-performed theme song (which was penned by Altman and his childhood friend,

David Yazbek David Norman Yazbek (born 1961) is an American writer, musician, composer, and lyricist. He wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals ''The Full Monty'' (2000), '' Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' (2004), '' Women on the Verge of a Nervous B ...

) as one of the best known television themes in history. Jeff Thacher joined Rockapella as the band's permanent vocal percussionist in 1993, although he only appeared on ''Carmen Sandiego'' during its fifth and final season two years later. While Rockapella was seen daily in homes across America, Leonard used his connections to the Japanese music market to acquire a recording contract with ForLife Records. The group released seven albums of original and cover material under this label in Japan during their run on ''Carmen Sandiego'' and for two years after that, being the first to bring contemporary a cappella music to Japan. On the final episode of ''Carmen Sandiego'', Sean Altman memorably had his blonde braids cut by show host Greg Lee. As the other members of Rockapella became aware that his braids were actually being cut, they stopped miming the title song and covered their mouths in shock.

Post-''Carmen Sandiego'' years (1997–present)

Following the end of ''Carmen Sandiego'' in 1996, Altman left Rockapella to pursue his solo career the following year, and was replaced by Kevin Wright. They did two Folger's coffee commercials between 1998 and 2001 and a PBS special of their December 9, 2000, concert. In 2002, Carl was replaced by George Baldi III. In 2003, the group started their now annual "A Rockapella Holiday" tour, and in 2004, they released a live album, as well as re-released all of their previous North American albums on the independent label Shakariki Records. That same year, Kerman, the group's baritone and the last remaining founding member of the group, left and was replaced by John K. Brown, a second tenor. Rockapella began joining the

Boston Pops The Boston Pops is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in light classical and popular music. The orchestra's current music director is Keith Lockhart. Founded in 1885 as an offshoot of the Boston Symphony Orc ...

on stage in the eastern US in 2006, creating a concert experience that shows both the orchestra's and Rockapella's talents separately and together in a manner never done before: a cappella with instrumentation. In August 2009, Wright announced he would be leaving the group at the end of the year to spend more time with his family; his last performance with the band was on December 22 of that same year, and was replaced by Steven Dorian. The project to make "Bang", the title track off their newest album, the first track in Rock Band to feature full, four-instrument gameplay based on no live or synthesized instruments began in the summer of 2010, and was released for purchase on January 30, 2011 through the RBN. At the beginning of 2011, the band's cover of "

It's A Small World It's a Small World (stylized in all lowercase and in quotations or with exclamation mark) is an Old Mill boat ride located in the Fantasyland area at various Disney theme parks around the world. Versions of the ride are installed at Disney ...

" from their album '' Comfort & Joy'', was featured in a TV commercial for the animated film '' Gnomeo and Juliet''. On November 16, 2011, Rockapella released a new holiday album, '' A Rockapella Holiday''. In 2022, Jose Rosario left the group and was replaced by Manny Houston. Bryant Vance left the group at that time as well, allowing George Baldi III to return. By mid-2023, Baldi left the group once again and was replaced by Armand Hutton.

Personnel

; Current members * Scott Leonard - Countertenor (1991–present) * Jeff Thacher - Vocal Percussion (1993–present) * Calvin Jones - Tenor (2013–present) * Armand Hutton - Bass (2023–present) * Manny Houston - Tenor (2022–present) ; Former members * Sean Altman - Tenor (1986-1997; founding member) * Elliott Kerman - Baritone (1986-2004; founding member) * Steve Keyes - Countertenor (1986-1991; founding member) * David Stix - Bass (1986-1987; founding member) * Charlie Evett - Bass (1987-1988) * Barry Carl - Bass (1988-2002) * Kevin Wright - Tenor (1997-2009) * John K. Brown - Tenor (2004-2013) * Bryant Vance - Bass (2016-2022) * Ryan Chappelle - Bass (2014–2016) * Steven Dorian - Tenor (2009–2016) * Mitchell Rains - Tenor (2016-2019) * Jose Rosario - Tenor (2019–2022) * George Baldi III - Bass (2002-2014, 2022-2023) ; Former supporting musicians * Kenny X – Vocal percussion (1992; touring) *

– Vocal percussion (1992; session) * Nathan Herron – Tenor (2014–???; substitute for Steven Dorian) * Rolin E. Alexis – Bass (2014–???; substitute for George Baldi III and Ryan Chappelle) * Christopher Rossi – Tenor (2013–???; tenor substitute)

Timeline

Discography

US & International albums

All albums from ''Don't Tell Me You Do'' through ''Comfort & Joy'' were re-released in the US by Shakariki Records in 2004.

Compilation albums

Miscellaneous albums

Singles and EPs

Other appearances

Solo albums and appearances

Songs used in commercials

* Gnomeo and Juliet - feature film trailer *

Folgers Folgers is an American brand of coffee produced and sold in the United States, with additional distribution in Asia, Canada and Mexico. It forms part of the food and beverage division of The J.M. Smucker Company. Folgers roasts its coffee in ...

coffee *

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'') is an American morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was the first of its genre on American television ...

'' promos for the earliest version of the program's "Where in the World is

Matt Lauer Matthew Todd Lauer (; born December 30, 1957) is a former American television news personality, best known for his work with NBC News. After serving as a local news personality in New York City on WNBC, his first national exposure was as the ne ...

?" segment. The song was re-recorded later in different styles by other musicians. *

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* Mazola * Kent Super Lights - Japan-only * Showtime - (Became "We Got A Happy Holiday" song from Japan-only album "Bash") *

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insurance * ProScan televisions *

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* Ozone Ford - Long Island, NY dealership (now defunct) * Tools To Help You Choose (an infomercial about the TV Ratings System) feat. Bob Keeshan (aka Captain Kangaroo) * BuiltBar Health Barshttps://built.com/pages/rockapella * '' The Big Con'', a 2021 video game

Filmography

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's 40th Anniversary (1988, guest appearance) * ''

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'' (1989, guest appearance) * '' Spike Lee & Co. Do It A Capella'' (1990, guest appearance) * '' Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?'' (1991-1995, house band and comedy troupe) * ''Chez Whoopi'' (1991, guest appearance) * ''Zappa's Universe'' (1991, guest appearance) * ''

'' (1992, guest appearance) * ''The Biggest Little Ticket'' (1993, guest appearance) * The 1996 Orange Bowl Parade * '' Joe's Apartment'' (1996, were the voices of The Roach Chorus) * '' Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child'' (1997, were the voices of The Five Little Piggies in the special, "Mother Goose: A Rapping and Rhyming Special") * Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular (1998, guest appearance) * '' Where in the Universe Is Carmen Sandiego?'' (1999) * The 1999

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the American-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States ...

* So You Think You Can Dance Canada (2011, guest appearance)

Notes

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Professional a cappella groups Musical groups established in 1986 Musical groups from New York City 1986 establishments in New York City American vocal groups