Three Delaware County guys with dreams of rocker fame instead found their celebrity in a song for the Philadelphia 76ers, writes Mat Breen for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“Here Come the Sixers,” comes from their band Fresh Aire. It’s still played after every 76ers win nearly 50 years after it was written.
Randy Childress, an Interboro High graduate, was doing odd jobs in the ‘70s for the Sixers while pursuing communications at Temple University.
Sixers general manager Pat Williams asked if Childress’ band could create a theme song for the team.
Fresh Aire, with band members Childress, Terry Rocap a Springfield High grad, and Joe Sherwood, who went to Bonner, were had a New York record deal and were doing OK.
But they’d get paid.
The song languished until five years ago when Fresh Aire played it at a game. It caught a second wind.
The song’s been covered in an opera, in a viral piano rendition, and by a pop-punk band. It shows up on Anthony Gargano’s 97.5 FM sports talk show.
Now it’s a victory anthem as the Sixers eye a possible title for the first time in 40 years.
“It’s kind of ironic but the most popularity we ever got was the Sixers song,” Childress said.
Read more about “Here Come the Sixers” in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Here’s a live Fresh Aire cover of “Here Come the Sixers!”
