The Happenings

The Happenings
Bob Miranda in concert on May 17, 2008.
Background information
Origin	Paterson, New Jersey, United States
Genres	Pop, cover band
Years active	1961 (1961)–1970 (1970)
Website	www.thehappenings.com
Members	Bob Miranda George Rizzi Bob Kulik Bob Payne
Past members	David Libert Tom Giuliano Ralph DiVito Bernie LaPorta Lenny Conforti

The Happenings are a pop music group that originated in the 1960s. Members of the original group, created in the spring of 1961 and initially called "The Four Grads" because all had just graduated from high school in Paterson, New Jersey, and consisted of Bob Miranda, David Libert, Tom Giuliano, and Ralph DiVito. In 1968 DiVito was replaced by Bernie LaPorta and Lenny Conforti also joined to play drums in the touring band. Both LaPorta and Conforti took a hiatus from the northern New Jersey band, The Emerald Experience, to play and tour with The Happenings. That lineup performed mostly at colleges and universities until 1970, when Libert left the band to manage other groups, including George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Living Colour, Brian Auger, Vanilla Fudge, The Runaways (Cherie Currie, Joan Jett, Lita Ford), Mother's Finest, Alice Cooper and Evelyn "Champagne" King.

The band's original concept and much of its commercial success came as a cover band playing classic songs in a unique style. Said Miranda, the group's concept was to "take a song that's already proven it could be a hit and put our spin on it". That "spin" consisted of a combination of rich harmonies on vocals and upbeat tempos marked by prominent percussion and sometimes elaborate orchestration. The group later composed its own songs.