FRANKLIN— The Sock Hops, a Marietta, Ga.-based doo-wop and oldies male vocal quartet specializing in four-part harmony, brought back the hits of yester-year during a July 27 concert at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts.

The group, which has opened concert for the Temptations, Frankie Avalon, The Rascals and other top artists, performed for the sixth time at the SMCPA — and was greeted (as usual) by a crowd that filled the 1,500-seat auditorium.

The group’s website billed the Sock Hops as “Atlanta’s premier oldies entertainment group since 1989! Music from the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, with a smattering of ‘80s thrown in for good measure.”

Arguably, the most popular vocal rendition of the night at the SMCPA was The Tokens’ 1967 hit, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” featuring Sock Hops’ vocal powerhouse Scott Cruce, who happens to be blind but makes tasteful — and funny — gags about his visual impairment with his fellow vocalists throughout the show. Cruce, by far the youngest group member, also was obviously a crowd favorite.

The other lead singer, Courtney Oliver, who organized the group 29 years ago, noted that Cruce joined the group about 21 years ago. “When we met him, he was in diapers,” Oliver quipped about Cruce. “Now, I am.” The crowd roared with laughter, as Cruce nodded and smiled.

Besides showing terrific vocal talent, especially on the semi-operatic Jay & the Americans’ hit “Cara Mia,” Oliver served as a stellar emcee of the show, keeping the crowd and the group engaged.

The other two singers are Jim Mitchell and Ward Hiss.

The Sock Hops concluded the two-hour, two-set show on a patriotic note with Lee Greenwood’s “I’m Proud to Be an American,” during which the crowd arose and hands were placed on hearts. Afterward, the group received a sustained and thundering ovation from its appreciative fans.

The Sock Hops’ four-part harmonies were truly dazzling — and the choreography proved to be a visual delight, often with an accent on humor.

Besides the aforementioned standout “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” among the most memorable first-set songs were renditions of Del Shannon’s “My Little Runaway,” Roy Orbison’s “Only the Lonely,” the Eagles’ “Best of My Love,” Keith’s “98.6” and the BeeGees “How Deep Is Your Love?”

Second-set highlights included Ringo Starr’s “You’re 16 (You’re Beautiful, You’re Mine),” the Temptations’ “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” and “My Girl,” the Drifters’ “Under the Boardwalk,” Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman” and the Little River Band’s “Time for a Cool Change.”