May 17, 2002 By Angie Santello For The 4 min read

For almost four decades, Charles “Chuck” Blasko has been the guiding force behind The Vogues, a popular Pittsburgh area band that achieved national recognition during the 1960s. The band originated about 40 years ago shortly after Blasko graduated from high school in Turtle Creek. He joined with original band members Bill Burkette, Don Miller and Hugh Geyer, and the four young men launched a singing career.

With its first top-selling single, “You’re the One” in May 1965, the Vogues soared to the top of the charts. The single paved the way for national recognition and led to the signing of a well-known record label.

And since that time, Blasko, who now lives in Greensburg with his wife, Patti, has been on a musical journey. The couple has two children and one granddaughter, Madison.

“We were signed with a local record label out of Pittsburgh in the beginning,” Chuck Blasko said. “We went to Warner after the single.”

Patti Blasko, who has been married to Chuck for the past 34 years, said it was really a fluke that the band made the top-selling record.

“It is a hard business to break into,” Patti Blasko said. “To go out and be national hits, it’s tough. They were really in the right place at the right time.”

The original band members never took vocal lessons, but Patti Blasko said they seemed to have a natural talent for singing and music.

“They just began singing,” Patti Blasko said. “It started in high school, and they began to sing everywhere. None of the four of the original Vogues took vocal lessons. Their parents were behind all four of them 100 percent. They were always encouraged to succeed.”

The original Vogues produced two gold records, “Turn Around, Look at Me” and “My Special Angel,” albums that Chuck Blasko marks as two of his finest career achievements.

And almost four decades after those hits soared to the top of the charts, the Vogues are expected to perform Saturday night at a benefit concert for the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown. It will mark the first time that the Vogues have played at the State Theatre during the past eight years.

The evening will kick off at 9 p.m. with desserts, refreshments and a silent auction with jewelry, beautiful pieces of art and gift certificates from many area restaurants. All proceeds will benefit the State Theatre’s opening fund.

The Vogues will take the stage at 9:30 p.m. for an evening of favorites, including “Five O’Clock World,” “Turn Around Look at Me,” “My Special Angel” and “What a Day for a Daydream.” Tickets are $20 and are on sale by calling 724-439-1360.

Blasko said the band is expecting a wide range of age groups from young children to elderly people to attend the State Theatre concert.

The band does not tour often, and Blasko said most of the time The Vogues perform within a 100-mile radius of Pittsburgh.

Even though the group has faced many setbacks during the years, Blasko said, “Quite frankly, the good outweighed the bad.”

The original Vogues stopped recording in 1971.

But Blasko decided to re-ignite the olds hits when he recreated the current Vogues.

Currently the band consists of eight members, including Blasko as lead vocals, Keith Dix and Bo Wagner as additional vocals, Dave Wingo on guitar, Ricky Guzik on drums, Burt Farkas on bass and Tom O’Hara on keyboard.

Although Chuck Blasko has pursued other business ventures, his wife said he receives the most satisfaction from his singing career.

Patti Blasko said her husband continued to follow his passion of singing with the band that he helped to create in 1961 because “it was the one thing that he did best.”

“I think that he just found his niche in life,” his wife said. “He devoted his time to entertaining for the last 37 years. He absolutely loves it.”