Huey Lewis & The News: What you may not know

Did you know he lived in Ohio as a kid?

Contact this contributing writer at donaldthrasher8@aol.com.


Sold-out show

What: Mix 107.7 SummerFest 17 with Huey Lewis & The News and special guest Richard Marx

Where: Fraze Pavilion, 695 Lincoln Park Blvd., Kettering

When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday

More info: 937-296-3300 or www.fraze.com

Artist info: www.hueylewisandthenews.com

Also at the Fraze

What: Kickin' Chicken Wing Fest

When: 3 p.m. Saturday, July 11

Cost: Free

Who: VoicePlay with special guests Eleventh Hour

When: 8 p.m. Monday, July 13

Cost: $2

Who: Systems Go

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 15

Cost: Free

Who: Brian Culbertson and Mindi Abair

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 16

Cost: $25-$40

​The world has changed dramatically since Huey Lewis & The News released its self-titled debut in 1980. Yet the band’s brand of hook-filled, no-frills rock has never completely gone out of style.

Lewis and band will be performing at Fraze Pavilion in Kettering on Sunday. Richard Marx, a hitmaker in his own right, is also on the bill.

The show is sold out.

Here are several Newsy tidbits about Lewis and the group.

Origin story: Lewis was born Hugh Anthony Cregg III in New York City on July 5, 1950. His father was a radiologist by day and a jazz drummer by night. His mother, a commercial artist, fled Poland with family members in 1939 before the Nazi invasion.

Western migration: By the time Lewis was 4, the family, which included a younger son, had relocated to the San Francisco area.

Ohio connection: He didn't specify a time frame, but the singer says he spent time as a child in Marion, Ohio, where the family lived on Gerard Street.

Voice for hire: Lewis sang "Once Upon a Time in New York City," from the soundtrack of the 1988 animated Disney film "Oliver & Company," but he didn't play on it. The music was provided by session players in New York rather than members of The News.

Active life: In his free time, Lewis enjoys fly fishing and horseback riding. While he's on tour, he and members of The News play golf as often as possible.

Big Sky Country: While he lived in San Francisco during the early days of the News, Lewis now resides on a ranch in the Bitter Root Valley in Montana.

Diverse tastes: Rock 'n' roll has paid Lewis' bills since the early 1980s, but he is a big fan of country music. He has an affinity for Merle Haggard, Alan Jackson, George Jones and Kenny Chesney.

Fresh tunes: It's been 14 years since The News released an album of new material, but the band is still writing. According to a March 9 post, the band has several new songs that Lewis is excited about.

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