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He first appeared on a stage as a child-model at age four in 1951 and formed his first band in 1959. Today Tommy James is still touring nationwide, playing from a list of ubiquitous '60s classics that began with his 1966 break-out hit, "Hanky Panky." He appeared at Cypress Gardens in February, once again playing "Crimson and Clover," "Mony Mony," "Crystal Blue Persuasion," "Sweet Cherry Wine" and more, all with hearty audience participation and appreciation. James frequently is categorized as a "bubblegum" artist, but his songs have become classics, covered by hundreds of bands and appearing in the soundtracks of countless movies. The trivia about his career includes such remarkable gems as that in 1968-69 his singles outsold every other artist in the world, including The Beatles. His 1966 album "It's Only Love" featured the first professional photo shoot by Linda Eastman McCartney. He was one of the first artists to feature the Moog Synthesizer in his work and recorded a music video of "Mony Mony" in 1968, 13 years before MTV existed. He was a lifelong friend of Vice President Hubert Humphrey and headed his "Youth Affairs" commission during Humphrey's 1968 Presidential campaign. Most infamously, in 1969 James and his group turned down an invitation to perform at the original Woodstock Festival when his booking agent described the event as "…a stupid gig on a pig farm in upstate New York." More Tommy James & The Shondells information can be found at his official website, www.tommyjames.com.