By Sharon Dargay, O&E Staff Writer

Rock-n-Roll Valentine's

• What: A dinner and rock music show fundraiser for the Canton Partnership for Arts and Humanities
• When: 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10
• Where: The Village Theater at Cherry Hill, 50400 Cherry Hill Road, Canton
• Details: A reception kicks off the event and features appetizers by P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Northville, and Station 885, Plymouth, along with desserts from The Chop House, Ann Arbor. The Showroom of Elegance and Indigo Salon and Day Spa will be onsite offering promotions. Steve King and the Dittilies play classic rock at 8 p.m. Couples can get a free appetizer by showing their concert ticket at the afterglow at Hayden's Bar and Grill, 39895 Ford Road Tickets: $30
• Sponsors: Frank and Jill, Glenn and Patty Shaw and Don and Colleen Soenen.

Contact: www.cantonvillagetheater.org or call (734) 394-5460

There's more to Steve King than meets the ear.

The frontman for the band, Steve King and the Dittilies, King, known as the "Wayne Newton of Wayne County," began his singing career as a choir student during the 1970s at Bentley High School, where he also formed a band for a school talent show.

Through the years King also has:

• Learned to become a "survivor" while growing up in a family of 13 siblings.
• Rebuilt - and then lived in - three houses in his hometown.
• Coached soccer and taught physical education after getting a teaching degree in 2001.
• Earned a master's degree in educational leadership last summer, with an eye toward becoming a school principal.
• Served on the Livonia school board after winning a four-year term in 2006.
• Lost his bid for the Livonia City Council last November.

Through it all he has continued to sing at events as large as the Woodward Dream Cruise and as small as private birthday parties.

"I hate not being busy," King explained. "I always have 10 balls in the air and I see what happens. I have so many interests. I love teaching, coaching and building. Pursuing my passions is what I've always done and that is the secret to well-being.

"I really enjoy performing and I would like to continue doing it for a long ling time. We get around. I try to work as much as possible."

The band specializes in classic rock - tunes from the '50s-'90s - although it has expanded its repertoire to include music from the '30s and '40s. It will play a little of everything when it headlines Rock-n-Roll Valentine's, a benefit for the Canton Partnership for the Arts and Humanities, Friday, Feb. 10 at the Village Theater at Cherry Hill.

Sing, dance along

King said the show will include a dance area for audience members who want to move to the music.

"We've never played a gig where someone didn't get up and start dancing."

The set list also will include songs that show the depth of the band and "showy stuff" that brings horns front and center.

"This gig is more challenging than most. The majority of the people will be sitting in the audience, listening. So, not only are we doing a show with people sitting there, we have to try to hit all eras because that will be the demographics."

Putting the listener first is second nature to King. When a power outage zapped the Woodward Dream Cruise in 2003, King, who was playing at a Royal Oak restaurant, said he convinced management to quickly round up generators, enabling the show to continue until police shut the annual event down.

He insists on producing live sounds with a nine-piece group, rather than downsizing to a smaller band with pre-recorded tracks.

"My approach always has been that I'm here to facilitate fun for people who come to see us. People want to have a good time. The music we do is recognizable, good songs and I make that connection from stage to the audience."

Classic tunes

He describes his favorite music - 1960s rock - as "the best ever written," with memorable melodies and lyrics. He also points out that long-time rockers who are still popular today, such as Mick Jagger and Tom Petty, got their start during that decade.

While performing in Las Vegas, Nev. last year, King noticed a table of Polish women singing along as the band played songs made popular by the 1960s-era television show and band, The Monkees.

"They didn't speak English. I asked how they knew these songs and they said 'American movies.' Any (contemporary) music style today has roots in the '60s. They are great songs. They tell a story."

For more about the Canton Partnership for Arts and Humanities visit www.partnershipforarts.org

For more on Steve King and the Dittilies, visit www.skdittilie.com

Crowne Plaza Hotel in Novi, Michigan
Saturday, September 25, 2010

The radio community honored icons of Detroit radio broadcasting at the 2010 Motor City Radio Reunion on Saturday, September 25, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Novi, Michigan. Honorees included Sonny Eliot, Ernie Harwell (posthumously), Specs Howard, Dick Purtan, Robin Seymour and the venerable radio station WWJ. The Master of Ceremonies for the event, which began at 5:30 p.m. with an informal social hour, was Dick Purtan. Proceeds were donated toward the reopening of Detroit's Belle Isle Aquarium.

The invitation-only event was attended by 300+ current and former Detroit radio professionals from all across the U.S., including station owners, talent, management, sales and marketing staff, operations and engineering staff, and others. The guest list was a veritable cornucopia of Detroit radio talent, past and present, including Gary Stevens, Bob Green, Chris Edmonds, Paul W. Smith, Bill Bonds, Erik Smith, Frank Beckman, Joey Reynolds, Bob Allison, dozens of CKLW Big 8 jocks like Jim Edwards and many of the 20/20 newsmen!

Entertainment for the event was provided by Steve King & The Dittilies, with a special appearance by native Detroit comic and writer, Kevin McPeek.

The event was broadcast live on www.mcrr2010.com for the general public and for those industry professionals who were unable to attend due to work commitments or health issues.

Big Read Kick-off Event at Cromaine Library

Saturday, April 24 from 10 am - 3 pm

Let's celebrate the 1960s with great music, food, dressing in your best 1960s outfit to win prizes, and of course, FREE BOOKS. Get your copy of The Things They Carried and get ready to join us for a celebration of our Vietnam War Veterans and how this time period has changed how we all live. Listen to the music of the 1960s from Special Guest Steve King and the Dittilies, with opening act Matto.

Special Guest Speakers: Representative Cindy Denby, Senator Valde Garcia and Library Director Ceci Marlow will begin at 1:00 pm.

Copies of The Things They Carried will be available (while supplies last). Drop-in -Village South Lawn.

As many have noted, 2009 is a banner year for change. The Dittilies have considered working in Las Vegas for many years, but the time and circumstances never seemed right. At last the stars have aligned, and Steve King and the Dittilies are appearing for 5 nights at the Salute lounge in the exclusive new Palazzo Hotel, located on the Venetian complex on the Strip.

"We consider outselves very fortunate. When we received the invitation from the Venetian/Palazzo organization to appear at probably the hottest new hotel on the Vegas Strip; right in the Sands complex with it's incredible entertainment tradition, in an 'A' room no less, we had to jump at the chance. Most bands from the midwest that go to Vegas have to start way off the Strip and work their way up. We get to start at the top. The pressure is on us to bring our very best show. And Salute is just the perfect club for us. It's intimate without being stuffy, and there's no cover, which is pretty rare in Vegas these days."

The 3,066 room Palazzo is a AAA five-diamond luxury hotel and casino resort. It's grand opening was January 17, 2008. Upon its completion, the Palazzo displaced the Pentagon as the largest building in the United States in terms of floor space, by a margin of about 35,580 square meters. The resort features a Lobby where guests from the street arrive beneath a 60-foot glass dome with a two-story fountain. Those approaching from The Venetian make the transition through a towering octagonal structure, itself topped by a glass-and-iron dome.

The Dittilies 2009 6-piece Vegas configuration with Joe Tackett on guitar

For information about upcoming public performances, check the Dittilie website (www.skdittilie.com) or the Dittilie Hotline, 313-535-3313. Steve King and the Dittilies have been playing Rock 'n' Roll favorites for sold-out crowds since the 1970's. With a reportoire spanning Big Band through modern rock, the Dittlilies energize events both large and intimate, from world-class concert stages to wedding receptions -- and now, the Las Vegas Strip.