The Tams, singers of hits like “What Kind of Fool,” got their start in land-locked Atlanta but are forever linked to the seaside of the Carolinas and an art form called beach music.

“Beach music is smooth music that gets you up dancing,” said Christy Nickles, special events director of nonprofit Heritage Sandy Springs. “It’s feel-good, summertime music.”

The nonprofit turns concert producer every summer, presenting its Concerts by the Springs series, which at 7 p.m. Sunday will feature the Tams’ return to Sandy Springs.

“We [booked] the Tams at the 2008 Sandy Springs Festival,” Ms. Nickles said. “They were our headliner on Saturday night. Lil’ Redd, the lead singer, was fantastic. He put on a great show.”

The singer’s mother, Dianne Pope, wife of original member Charles Pope, said the group eagerly anticipates their encore engagement.

“They loved the Tams,” Ms. Pope, who is also the group’s booking agent, said about the 2008 audience. “We saw lots of fans we hadn’t seen in years.”

While the group, named after the tam-o’shanter caps they wear, is known for 1960s recordings like “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy,” Ms. Pope said its singers and musicians continually polish their performances.

“We try to do a better show with each appearance and hope the fans love it more,” she said.

Ms. Nickles said there is no doubt fans from all generations will appreciate the effort.

“If you don’t know the Tams, you’ll enjoy it anyway. Once you hear, ‘Be Young, Be Foolish,’ you’ll remember it,” she said. “I know the Tams are going to play to a packed house. I have a waiting list for tables. People call every day.”

The five front men – Lil’ Redd, aka Albert Cottle, Pope, Robert Arnold, Reginald Preston and Greg Gallashaw — will inspire couples to dance the Shag — if they can find room.

Attendance at the free concert series has soared with the temperatures all summer, Ms. Nickles said, averaging about 1,500 patrons per show.

“It’s been great for us. We had a great variety of bands,” she said about jazz, big band and traditional music as well as 1970s hits. “We’ve had record-breaking attendance.”

The nonprofit staff members, volunteers, sponsors and vendors have been delighted by the turnout.

“Some people can’t believe it’s free, which is great,” Ms. Nickles said. “That’s one of the joys of all the fund-raising we do throughout the year. We can invite the community to celebrate the summer.”

If you go

n Who: The Tams
n What: Concerts by the Springs series
n When: 7 p.m. Sunday
n Where: Sandy Springs Society Entertainment Lawn at Heritage Green, 6110 Bluestone Road
n Admission: free
n Information: (404) 851-9111 ext. 203 or visit www.heritagesandysprings.org