Sonny

“Don’t you know about the bird? Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word!”
— "Sonny"

With every photo shoot I do for a Passions Project, I also interview each person. For Sonny, I did not spend too much time officially interviewing him. Between getting to the theater, getting him changed, getting the lighting right and coordinating the music, we just ran out of time. In some ways, seeing him on stage performing was all the story I needed. Later, I discovered more about this very important part of his life, that is virtually unknown by the community he lives. He was the baritone singer for the 1960’s doo-wop group the Rivingtons. The group enjoyed several hit singles. "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow", was their biggest hit. They were also known for another chart topper, "The Bird's the Word”. Sonny lived most of his life in LA and traveled all over the world singing. The group played the “oldies” circuit through the 1980’s and made several tv appearances in the early 1990’s. I didn’t know any of this when we arrived at the theater and Sonny went backstage to change.

When he stepped out from behind the curtain dressed in his beautiful red tuxedo (unbeknownst to me, this was the exact tuxedo he performed in as a member of the Rivington’s) I knew something special was about to happen. The music cued up and Sonny started singing and doing his dance moves for the songs he hadn’t performed in decades. As I photographed him, I could see him as he was then, a young man performing, singing, dancing, to a packed house. As Sonny sang I took pictures; thousands of pictures.  Seeing him light up when he heard the songs, brought my emotions to the surface. This photo shoot, infused life into a part of him that Sonny had disconnected from, but will now be able to share with his community. That is what the Passions Project is all about; celebrating people and their passions and creating connections. I loved doing pictures with Sonny. His photos are some my favorite memories. He is such a beautiful light and seeing him shine on stage is a moment that brought tears to my eyes. It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of celebrating people and their passions. I really do have the coolest job!

Heidi Wagner