The Singing Santas
I started the Singing Santa’s in 1981 when I was a freshman at Oneonta College. Back then we were a collection of students at the college and we called ourselves the “Wandering Winter Wondermen.” We started by performing Christmas Grams for other students. We’d sing two songs for $1 and the money we raised went to a sponsorship program to help foreign children overseas. After becoming a smash sensation in the greater central upstate, New York SUNY Oneonta campus area, we took our talents to the Big Apple and wound up on the cover of the December 24, 1985 New York Times.
Upon getting hired as a teacher at Rocky Point High School on Long Island, NY, I revived the group and changed the name to the Singing Santas. This time the group was composed of high school students. For over twenty years, the Rocky Point Singing Santas performed shows at nursing homes, VFW halls, soup kitchens, and put on a yearly 3 hour Christmas variety show that was composed of original Christmas themed skits, traditional Christmas music, and Christmas parody songs that I wrote. The shows involved kids of all ages and teachers of all grades in the Rocky Point community. Eventually we were able to create a full album, Meet the Santas, that incorporated several original Christmas song parodies written by myself and some students. All proceeds of the sales from the album and the shows went to support local charities.
After leaving Rocky Point High School, I continued to put on Singing Santa shows. The group is now composed of many prior alumni and new jolly, jiving, and jazzy Christmas loving musicians. We perform yearly shows around Christmas time at various places on Long Island. Our shows include, skits, our prior hits, new Christmas parodies, and surprise appearances from iconic Christmas characters.