Kid Kyle: A youngster learns from the oldies

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Kid Kyle is part of the Golden Oldies Spectacular at Proctors Saturday night.

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Kid Kyle says his musical tastes are evolving, but perhaps not in the direction you might think.

“Though I love listening to and performing ’50s music, now I’m also listening to the music from the ’30s and the ’40s,” said Kyle Flandrau, who as Kid Kyle gained national attention when he was a 10-year-old in November of 2005 after appearing on American Idol Junior. “Now I’m listening to the Ink Spots and that kind of stuff.”

Some of that earlier sound will be incorporated into his new act Saturday at 7 p.m. when Kyle joins a group of classic 1950s artists in the Golden Oldies Spectacular Show at Proctors. It will be his fifth time performing on the Proctors’ stage, and among the groups joining Kyle will be The Duprees, The Capris, The Marcels and Charlie Thomas’ Drifters.

Kyle, now 24, says he was heavily influenced by the doo-wop acts of the 1950s when he was just a young boy.

“It was really my aunt and uncle who were big fans of doo-wop and they were the ones that brought me to all the show,” said Kyle, who grew up in Dumont, New Jersey and now lives in Lindhurst.. “I was also pretty obsessed with Elvis (Presley) because we had the same birthday, and that’s what got me really interested in that time period.”

Kyle says performing with the classic groups from the 1950s has been a wonderful experience.

“Being around these guys so much and their groups from back in the day has given me a great education I couldn’t buy anyplace else,” said Kyle, who has been touring with different oldies shows for 14 years. “I learn from them, I try to emulate them and their act, and they’ve really helped me evolve, not just as a performer but also a person.”

Kyle developed a close friendship with Johnny Maestro, lead singer of the Brooklyn Bridge, before Maestro passed away in 2010.

“He was my closest friend in the business,” said Kyle, who performed with members of the Brooklyn Bridge for a PBS special after Maestro’s passing in 2010. “He really took me under his wing when I was at a young age. He was the best. Nobody did it better.”

Kyle, who performs with three background singers, said his voice hasn’t changed that much over the years.

“My voice changed a little when I was a teenager, like everybody else, but nothing has really changed,” he said. “My voice got a tiny bit deeper, but with training you can do things to prevent any major change from happening. There are things you can do, technique wise, and I’ve had a great vocal coach so it hasn’t been a real problem.”

Kyle has been touring all over the country for the past decade and in Europe since 2016.

“We used to perform 50 or 60 shows a year but we have slowed down a little bit,” said Kyle, who along with Maestro, counts The Platters and Frankie Lymon among his favorite musical acts. “Now I’m doing 20 to 25 shows a year and that’s fine. We’ve had multiple tours to Europe, and while I haven’t performed in Asia yet if that opportunity comes up I’ll take that trip. I’m young, I’m a single guy, I’m living it up, having a great time.”

.The Duprees are led by original guitarist Tony Testa. The group had a number of hits in the early 1960s, including “You Belong to Me,” “My Own True Love” and “Why Don’t you Believe Me.”

Charlie Thomas’ Drifters are led by Charlie Thomas, one of many members of the group who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. The Drifters originally formed back in 1953 and produced 14 top 30 hits, including “There Goes My Baby” and “Save the Last Dance for Me.”

The Marcels were a Pittsburgh-based group that had a monster hit in 1961, “Blue Moon,” while the Capris also struck gold with their No. 1 song from 1961, “There’s a Moon Out Tonight.”

Jimmy Gallagher, the original lead singer of the Passions, and Stan Zizka’s Del Satins will also be part of the program.