Sha-Boom Bio

Street corner harmony at its best!

Sha-Boom is (from left to right):

Sal Giarraffa - Lead, Baritone,1st and 2nd Tenor
Augie Miuzzo - Lead, Baritone, 2nd Tenor and Bass

Frank Lillo - Lead, Baritone,1st and 2nd Tenor

Sha-Boom is a vocal trio who sing both acapella and with musical accompaniment. They perform Doo-wop standards and hits from the 50s to the 70s, but make no mistake, this is no mere nostalgia act. The joy, energy, and experience they bring to their music makes these songs as vital, powerful, and exciting as they were when you heard them for the first time. If this is history, then New York pizza is just bread with cheese and sauce.

Sal Giarraffa and Augie Miuzzo have been together for a long time. They met in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn in the 1950s, when they were in grade school. It was at a time when guys stood on street corners harmonizing and hoping to hit it big in the musical genre known as Doo-wop. They formed a group called The Arrogants and in 1962 they climbed on a bus for California to put some of their harmonies on wax. While there they recorded “Canadian Sunset" and "Mirror, Mirror" for Lute Records, 2 songs that have held a place in the canon of Doo-Wop for more than 40 Years: “Mirror, Mirror” is considered one of the top 1,000 Doo Wop songs of all time (2006 Encyclopedia of Oldies Doo Wop) and the single, later picked up and distributed by Candlelite Records, is one of the most sought after 45s by Doo-wop collectors.

Click the buttons above to hear the original Arrogants' songs

CLICK HERE to read a brief history of The Arrogants

Sal moved to Port Saint Lucie in 1999 and started Sha-Boom two years later. Augie followed in 2003, and after several personnel changes, Frank Lillo joined the group in 2009. Their sound is better than ever.

As Sha-Boom these 3 combine the heart and spirit of the street corner with a lifetime of musical knowledge to create a sound that is somehow both retrospective and new.

While the group rehearses the music, the show itself is ad-libbed, which adds to the fun.

"The singing is rehearsed, but in-between there are jokes and stories," says Giarraffa. "Oldies always tell a story, about the first date, first dance, first car... there's always a story behind the song."

Special thanks to Shelley Koppel, Entertainment Writer for Hometown News

Frank Lillo was born and raised in Providence , Rhode Island . He started playing the drums when he was 9 years old. By the age of 12 he was working around town in a local rock & roll band. He worked his way through college playing at weddings, clubs, private parties, charity and special events. He even met his wife, Debbie, while performing at a local lounge.

He and his wife moved to Florida in 1993 to escape the severe winter weather in New England , like so many New Yorkers and others have done. They landed in Port St. Lucie and quickly became part of the local tapestry. Debbie got busy singing in the church choir and teaching at the day care while Frank volunteered his time and musical talents to local charities and other events. You can also find him acting and singing in many productions in our local community theatres, such as the Pineapple Playhouse, Barn and Shiloh Productions. He is an experienced event organizer, Master of Ceremonies, producer and director. He has always been a fan of Doo Wop and when the opportunity came to audition for Sha-Boom, he jumped at it. He was thrilled to join Sal and Augie as they bring back those precious memories of days gone by, when life was a little simpler and music was fun to listen and dance to. Frank joined Sha-Boom in November of 2009.

Augie Miuzzo was also born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He attended P.S. 29 where he learned to play the saxophone. He then went on to graduate from John Jay High School. Augie sang 2nd tenor in The Arrogants. He also plays clarinet and drums. Augie has been part of Sha-Boom since 2003.

Sal Giarraffa was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Sal started his career at P.S. 29 in Red Hook, Brooklyn. He was 1st tenor for The Arrogants and is also an accomplished drummer and timbale player. Sal is the primary lead singer and founder of Sha-Boom.

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