On-stage line up

The original group consisted of Robert “Horace” Greeley, Rick “Farmer” Ford, brothers Ricky “the Doctor” Freeman, Billy “Bibby” Freeman, and off stage sound tech and narrator, Bob DiGiovanni.

DiGiovanni left the group and Jimmy Duchaney, also from Belmont, replaced him. Horace Greeley, Rick “Farmer” Ford, the Freeman brothers, and Jimmy Duchaney were the core members for most of the group’s performing years. Jimmy Duchaney was known as “the voice of The Great Pretenders” because in his off-stage role as sound technician, he was the only member to have a live mic. Jimmy would add “voice-overs” and narrations to the act. It was Jimmy’s voice you heard introducing the show each night with: “Greased and ready to Rock ‘n Roll, it’s The Great Pretenders!” In the very early days Jimmy joined in on-stage, doing a cameo song or two. Jimmy also supplied the dance music between the group’s sets.

Frank Pote was in the group for a short time, becoming the original “Mack the Knife”.

In around 1976 younger Freeman brother Bobby joined the group.

However, the first major change in the group’s overall appearance came in June of 1978 with the addition of two females: Dancers Jani Ricci and Trish, “the Dish” Papa. When Jani left the group within a year, Trish Papa became the only female in the group for the next two years. For many, she is the “girl in the group” they remember.

By the early 1980’s Ralphie Castiglione replaced Ricky Freeman, and Kathi Maroney replaced Trish Papa. Other on-stage members of the group in the 1980’s were Cindy LaFreniere, and Jacob Pitts.

After the group stopped actively performing, they continued to have Reunion shows periodically. In addition to the “core” members of Horace Greeley, Rick “Farmer” Ford, the Freeman brothers (Ricky, Billy and Bobby), and Jimmy Duchaney, others who have participated in the reunion shows are: Trish Papa, Kathi Maroney Zerkle, Jacob Pitts, former Miss New Hampshire and former member of the “Cheaters” female lip-sync act Belinda Bridgeman Freeman, former member of “The Fabulous Pharaohs” lip-sync act Mike Thomas, and replacing Jimmy Duchaney as “the voice of The Great Pretenders”, Joe Ward.