They may lack the name recognition of their Fab Four trailblazers, but British imports Chad & Jeremy have made their mark in American pop culture.
Their brand of folk/soft rock sold millions of records in the mid-1960s, and the two notched several television appearances, including a 1965 episode of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" that satirized Beatlemania.
The Athens Area Council for the Arts, which will present the two in concert Tuesday, credits the musicians with "creating the template for the kind of lush, sensitive folk-pop embraced by an entire generation."
"Of the many British invasion acts that stormed the charts in the wake of the Beatles," said the news release, "Chad & Jeremy possess a subtlety and sophistication unmatched among their contemporaries."
Tuesday's show, the kickoff of the council's Small Town Big Time performance series, is part of Chad & Jeremy's fall tour celebrating their 50th anniversary. A new limited-edition CD, "Fifty Years On," celebrates their tenure together.
Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde were discovered by movie composer John Barry. They rose to fame on a string of 11 Top 40 hits, including "Yesterday's Gone," "Summer Song," "Willow Weep for Me" and "If I Loved You."
This past spring, they were involved in a three-day concert event featuring 45 doo-wop, folk and oldies acts that was filmed for Pittsburgh PBS station WQED. The program will air nationwide on PBS stations beginning in December.
IF YOU GO
* What: An Evening With Chad & Jeremy.
* When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
* Where: Athens Junior High School auditorium, 200 Keith Lane, Athens, Tenn.
* Admission: $20 adults, $10 students (tickets available by phone, online or in person at The Arts Center, 320 N. White St., Athens).
* Phone: 423-745-8781.
* Website: www.athensartscouncil.org
SAVE THE DATE
All concerts start at 7:30 p.m. in the Athens Junior High School auditorium. Individual tickets are $20 adults, $10 students, unless otherwise noted. Season tickets are $125 per family, $90 per couple, $50 per individual.
* Oct. 26: The National Dance Company of Ireland's Rhythm of the Dance ($22, $12).
* Dec. 16: "It's a Wonderful Life," a live radio play by Joe Landry.
* Jan. 10: The Piano Men, starring Jim Witter and featuring the music of Billy Joel and Elton John
* March 20: Franc D'Ambrosio's Broadway