At his birthday
bash, a surprise affair orchestrated by his wife, Kathy, at the King's Mills in Media, Cellucci noticed a lot of familiar
faces from the past and an empty stage full of instruments.
When the band took the stage, it was Cellucci's old sixth-grade band, "The Court Pages,"
the one that used to play the theme songs from television shows like "Batman" and "The Monkees."
There was slide guitarist Sal Alfieri, 51, who had moved to Texas and then returned to his Drexel Hill roots, and Greg
Viola, 51, from Garretford Elementary School on keyboards. Middle-school guys drummer Michael Coladonato (at age 50 the baby
of the group) and lead guitarist Bill Shea, 51, rounded out the reunion.
Cellucci was called to the stage to play bass guitar. The boys were back. The Fabulous 49ers Classic Rock Band was born.
"He looked happy. He was back in his element," says Kathy Cellucci. "It was fun. He was up there with his old buddies playing
and sounding good. Everybody was excited."
Over a year later and the band is still together, playing gigs at Maggie O'Neill's, PJ Henry's and local charity events.
Now everyone in the band is over 50.
"We're all AARP members," jokes Bob Cellucci, 51, of Broomall. "We're more than just a band of over-50 guys. We do good
rock 'n' roll. We've been together since 1966. We just took a 35-year leave of absence.
Cellucci has continued to play acoustic guitar over the years, accompanied by his wife, at church services. After the birthday
party, Cellucci admits it took some practice to get their rock 'n' roll licks back.
"It took a few months to get it together," he says lightheartedly. "We're doing the same stuff that we were doing back
then. We're still trying to learn the same darn songs."
The songs that the "good 'ol boys" play were on the Top 40 list in 1966 and include The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The
Beatles, The Rolling Stones and others of that era.
With a song list of well over 150 songs, the Fabulous 49ers have many baby boomers putting on their dancing shoes. "We
play '50s, '60s and '70s stuff. I do think we sound good musically and people like to dance to us," Cellucci says.
Cellucci knew his "new band" had arrived when his 17-year-old daughter Michelle was overheard telling a friend, "They're
pretty good." Nine-year-old daughter Amy is known to play a mean rendition of Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire."
After playing the Garretford Elementary School and St. Andrew School mixers circuit as well as some later Penn and Temple
frat parties, life interfered with the music. Like all great bands, "The Court Pages" broke up. Education, careers and families
replaced Motown, guitar solos and the British rock invasion.
Now life has come full circle. "Old friendships are the ones that last," says Kathy Cellucci. "And to do something you
loved as a child feels like you never let it go."
Bob Cellucci says he'll keep playing right into his golden years. "We do it to entertain ourselves and others," he says.
"In a few years, we'll be the Fabulous 59ers."
The Fabulous '60s sounds even better.
If you go: The Fabulous 49ers play Maggie O'Neill's in Drexel Hill on Friday, July 9 at 10:15 pm. Visit: www.FAB49ERS.com.
