Barbara Lewis was born in Salem, Michigan where she was writing and recording by her teens. Her first single was release in 1962. “My Heart Went Do Dat Da” was a local hit in the Detroit area. She wrote all the songs on her debut LP, including “Hello Stranger” which reached #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Lewis had follow-up hits with “Straighten Up Your Heart” and her original “Puppy Love” before Bert Berns produced her million-seller “Baby I’m Yours”, written by Van McCoy. Berns also produced the follow-up “Make Me Your Baby” which had originally been recorded by the Pixies Three, and Lewis’ final Top 40 hit “Make Me Belong to You” in 1966, written by Chip Taylor and Billy Vera. At the end of the decade, she released a grittier-sounding album on Stax Records.

Over the next decade, a number of other artists had success with Lewis’ songs. “Hello Stranger” had been remade in 1966 by the Capitols. in 1973 by Fire & Rain, in 1977 by Yvonne Elliman, in 1985 by Carrie Lucas and in 2004 by Queen Latifah.

“Baby I’m Yours” charted in versions by country singer Jody Miller and Debby Boone. In Canada, Suzanne Stevens had a hit in 1975 with a disco version of “Make Me Your Baby”. Cover versions of her songs continue into the new millennium with the Arctic Monkeys including a version of “Baby I’m yours” as a B-side to their 2006 single “Leave Before the Lights Come On”.

In 1995, Lewis’ “Baby I’m Yours” was featured on the soundtrack for the film The Bridges of Madison County. She received the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1999.

Bobby Rydell is an American Entertainment Legend!

With a career starting as a 1950’s teen idol, to the present where he pays homage to both jazz and The Great American Song Book, Bobby Rydell draws crowds across every age group nationally and internationally. Rydell first took the stage as a professional drummer at the age of 9. A polished performer by the age of 19, he was the youngest person ever to headline the famous Copacabana in New York. Bobby’s recording career earned him 34 Top 40 hits, placing him in the Top 5 artists of his era (Billboard Magazine). Bobby’s hits include million-selling singles Volare, Wild One, We Got Love, Kissin’ Time, Swingin’ School, Wildwood Days, and Forget Him, selling a combined total of over 25 million records.

In 1963, Bobby starred with Ann- Margret in the iconic movie “Bye Bye Birdie.” They appeared a few years ago together recently at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences premiere of the digital restoration of the movie.

Bobby Rydell’s influence on popular music has been profound. When the producers of “Grease” wanted to pay tribute to the era in which the popular musical was set, they named the high school where most of the action took place “Rydell High” in his honor.

But to peg the totality of his career as a teen idol would be similar to reading the first sentence of a book and trying to guess the ending. Long dedicated to the great standards Bobby Rydell tours the nation, backed by full orchestras for large venues or a trio for intimate gigs, enthralling audiences with selections from The Great American Song Book by such composers as Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Richard Rogers and more. Rydell has earned the reputation as someone who has a passion for this music and brings it to life each night on stage. His 2010, re-released album, Bobby Rydell Salutes the Great Ones/Rydell at the Copa was released to overwhelming critical praise for his artistic treatment of these great standards.

In 1995, his hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania named the street he was born “Bobby Rydell Boulevard.” The City of Philadelphia sponsored “block party” followed dedication ceremonies — Quite a tribute to a city’s favorite native son! Wildwood, New Jersey also has a street named for Bobby in appreciation for Bobby’s massive hit, “Wildwood Days.”

On July 9, 2012, Bobby underwent a double organ transplant. He received 75% of a liver and one kidney. His life was about to end when the generous family of a dying child saved 8 lives by organ donation. Bobby returned to the stage in Las Vegas in just 6 months, turning near tragedy to triumph. He is dedicated to public awareness; spreading the word to the world in his travels about the Gift of Life through organ donation.

Today Bobby enjoys a career that is full. He has a busy schedule throughout the world as a headline solo act. Australia has welcomed him for 20 tours down under, where he continues to be a favorite performer. Bobby also performs regularly in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. For over 30 years, Bobby has also performed in over 700 shows in the must-see production called “The Golden Boys.” This is a happy, fun-filled look back at a simpler time in music history with his childhood pals, Frankie Avalon and Fabian.

As a reviewer of a recent performance simply stated, “Bobby Rydell is a true American music treasure.”

“Mr. Entertainment” & Son of Legendary Jackie Wilson

Plateau Music Artist, Bobby Brooks Wilson, is the son of Legendary R&B/Soul Singer, Jackie Wilson. Bobby has the same amazing traits and talents of his father, that many say Jackie Wilson’s legacy lives on through him. His adoring fans have dubbed him as ‘Mr. Entertainment’ from his natural ability to entertain and bring crowds to life.

Bobby is a three-time Grammy Balloted Artist with his latest CD, “It’s About Time,” and four Top 10 hits that peaked #10 on the Adult Contemporary Charts.

Bobby’s musical journey began after leaving the US Navy and residing in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was invited to join the world-famous Doo Wop Group “The Love Notes” by Papa Mars (Peter Hernandez Sr.) and son, Little Bruno known as “The World’s Youngest Elvis Impersonator,” who is now Pop Star Bruno Mars.

While Bobby was emerging as a talented entertainer, he came across many opportunities to recreate the persona of Jackie Wilson because of his uncanny resemblance, voice, and moves that were almost identical to Jackie. It was during this time in his career he learned where his musical skills originated; he really was Jackie Wilson’s biological son!

Since that time, Bobby has emerged into a Global Entertainer with his own shows including: “Jackie Wilson, The Legacy Continues”, “Bobby Brooks Wilson, The Motown Years,” and his latest show “Bobby Brooks Wilson’s Red Tie Tour,” due to the success of his latest CD recorded by Plateau Music. Bobby has opened for his friend Bruno Mars, and now stars in Clubs, Theaters, Casinos, and Cruise Ships around the world.

His latest radio releases, “I Can’t Love You Anymore” and “I Get The Sweetest Feeling” are currently airing in the UK and soaring up the charts. Because of popular demand, has scheduled an upcoming tour in the UK. Another single is set to release in South Africa beginning June 1st. He is currently recording a new CD that will be released world-wide this fall with a special attachment which will disclose in the very near future.

Many watch with anticipation as Bobby Brooks Wilson’s success continues to soar through the “Grace of God”, he says as the singer, the entertainer and the artist!

Brian was born in Brooklyn/Queens, New York City, where his first musical experience ranged from church choir at nine to clarinet and guitar, to his first local harmony group, the Delfis. In 1959, they cut a demo record and made the rounds of New York City record labels. Finally, with much persistence, after many closed doors, Brian was signed as a solo artist to a management contract, where he cut demos for bandleader Sammy Kaye’s publishing company. Kapp Records heard a demo and signed Brian at age 16. That became his first record “Rosemary” and was followed that summer of 1960 by the now-infamous “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini,” which got a shout out from Brian’s cousin by marriage, Larry, of The Three Stooges, on their local New York TV Show, Three Stooges Fun House, although they wouldn’t meet till eight years later in Hollywood.

In 1961, the song was used as a successful brainwashing technique in the classic Billy Wilder movie comedy, “One, Two, Three” starring James Cagney. It was Brian’s first Gold Record, selling millions worldwide and racing to #1 in the U.S. briefly edging ahead of Elvis’ all-time biggest hit, “It’s Now Or Never,” as well as reaching the top of the charts in Japan, where he toured and performed in a TV special.

Not to be deterred, by this simple twist of fate, Brian quickly moved on to ABC Records, in 1961, sharing their short pop roster with The Impressions and Ray Charles, where he cut a string of chart records with the NY writing/production team of Gary Geld and Peter Udell. In 1961, the top twenty “Let Me Belong To You” and “I’ll Never Stop Wanting You.” Then in 1962, “Ginny Come Lately,” went to #21 in the U.S. while reaching #5 in England and top ten all over Europe. This was followed that same year by “Sealed With A Kiss,” reaching #3 in the U.S. and England, top ten in Germany, and another worldwide hit. He also recorded German versions of both songs.

Brian was constantly on the road, appearing on American Bandstand often, once hosting the show, as well as the Saturday Night Show, and many popular local TV music shows around the country, as he put on endless miles doing bus tours, including The Caravan of Stars (“as many miles as anyone” says Dick Clark) and one-nighters. In 1963, he headlined a tour in England with Little Eva, appearing on TV shows Thank Your Lucky Stars and Jukebox Jury as well as the live BBC radio show Saturday Club, where he heard and became an early Beatles fan. And while doing several annual tours in South America with Neil Sedaka during Carnaval, he heard the early Bossa Nova artists. He was never without his acoustic Martin guitar and was always open to, and absorbing new musical influences and changes.

His following early “Country-Rock” chart singles (which John Fogerty told him were “ahead of their time”) included in 1962, the #25 single “Warmed Over Kisses (Left Over Love),” “I May Not Live To See Tomorrow” and in 1963, “I’m Afraid To Go Home.” About this time, Brian performed in Greenwich Village at the Cafe Wha? with a young comedian named Richard Pryor.

He then moved on to Philips Records, where in 1966 he recorded an album produced by Snuff Garrett with the musical assistance of now-legendary musicians Leon Russell and JJ Cale, which included the top twenty singles, “The Joker Went Wild” and “Run, Run, Look And See.” He went on to record two albums and chart singles for DOT Records, including his 1969 hit remake of the Thomas Wayne song “Tragedy.”

In 1970, Brian cut his third Gold Record with the Curtis Mayfield/Impressions song “Gypsy Woman,” which went to #3 in the U.S. and sold well over 3 million internationally, followed by his tenth album with six original songs and another hit single, a version of Jackie Wilson’s classic “Lonely Teardrops,” which he co-wrote and co-produced with Del Shannon on UNI Records.

Vocally & artistically Brian is called “chameleonesque” for all his musical changes, having produced Hits for five different labels & successfully recorded everything from Novelty to Pop Ballads; to Folk Rock and Country Rock; to Pop Rock and Pop Soul, over more than a decade, but quite modestly having spent more than half of his life on the road and in the studio both writing and living his music, Brian feels he has just begun to Rock!
In 1975, while on a tour of Indian Country in the Southwest with the Native American rock group XIT, he learned that ABC/Anchor Records in England had reissued his original recording of “Sealed With A Kiss” b/w “Ginny Come Lately,” due to popular demand, and it surprised everyone by becoming a hit again, thirteen years later, the second time around!..going to #7 in England as well as charting again in Europe.

In the late seventies, with songwriting partner Rosmari, he turned his focus to writing and they spent a couple of years in New Orleans working with legendary writer/producer/artist, Allen Toussaint, which resulted in the album “In A State Of Bayou” on Private Stock Records, including three original songs.
He later recorded a couple of original songs with help from members of The Band, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson at their Malibu studio, Shangri-La, and then joined Rick on one of his solo shows.
In the early 1980’s Brian’s recording of “Ginny Come Lately” was included on the soundtrack album Lemon Popsicle 5 from the British movie Baby Love. The release in Germany of “Brian Hyland, Original Favorites” LP/CSS, was a partial collection of his Hit singles, however, after twenty-seven years Rhino Records released the first Brian Hyland Greatest Hits on LP/CSS in March of 1987. It includes fourteen of the twenty-two hot 100 chart singles Brian scored over an eleven year period from 1960 to 1971. Other releases include: an LP of Brian’s German-language recordings on Bear Family Records in Germany; a 16 track CD on Warners in Germany, “The Golden Gate Collection;” a CD3 on Old Gold Records in England; a CD3 on MCA Records in the U.S.; a 20 track CD “Let Me Belong To You,” MCA Germany; a 27 track CD on Euro; “the Bashful Blond” in England; another English CD on Music Club; And available on CD in the U.S. and Canada,
A release in May 1994 on MCA, “Brian Hyland, Greatest Hits” an 18 track CD including hits from all five labels!
While recording three duets for the album “Albert West and Friends” on Cherry Records & the Dutch charts, Brian performed on TV shows in Germany, Belgium and a Dutch TV special in Aruba. He also made two separate appearances on the U.S. TV show “Rock & Roll Palace” with Wolfman Jack; on Nashville Now, including a special from the Cayman Islands; and “The Daniel O’Donnel Show” in Dublin. He continues to tour around the U.S. and the world with songwriting/stage partner Rosmari and their favorite rock drummer, son Bodi, performing classic Rock & Roll. . new & Gold!

While continuing to write new music and record, they are also compiling material for a book about the long and winding Rock & Roll road . . Among others, Brian has contributed original pen & ink art to the Rock Art Auction for AmFar; to the Rock & Roll Cookbook for the National Music Foundation; performed for the Special Olympics; recorded on annual Christmas Albums for Children’s Hospitals nationwide and a song for “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer; The Movie.”

In his Mac Music Studio, STONE BUFFALO TRAX Brian plays an acoustic Taylor guitar, a custom ’68 Fender Telecaster, a custom “Vintage” ’57 Fender Stratocaster, a custom Cort Bass, a Roland U20 keyboard/Synth, and Harmonica. They are currently writing and recording at home in California, continually adding to an archive of Classic R&R, as well as a trilogy of CD’s beginning with “Turquoise Moon” for independent release.

In The Beginning

Actor and artistic director Charles Weldon was born in Wetumka, Oklahoma on June 1, 1940 to Beatrice Jennings. At the age of seven, his family moved to Bakersfield, California. Here he worked in nearby cotton fields until seventeen, when he joined the local doo-wop group, The Paradons.

Singing & Acting

After the success of their 1960 hit single, “Diamonds and Pearls,” The Paradons eventually dissolved. This left Charles Weldon to work a series of odd jobs and performing with the soul group, Blues For Sale. Then he discovered his love of acting. His sister & actress Ann Weldon introduced him to the theater group Dialogue Black/White, which was producing Oscar Brown, Jr.’s Big Time Buck White. After appearing in the musical Hair at Geary Theater in San Francisco, Charles Weldon accepted Brown’s offer to go to New York City. Here he performed in the renamed Buck White, starring Muhammad Ali in his only Broadway appearance. In 1970, Weldon joined the three-year-old Negro Ensemble Company and performed in Joseph Walker’s Ododo. In 1973, he starred in Paul Carter Harrison’s The Great MacDaddy and played “Skeeter” in Joseph Walker’s The River Niger.

Movies & Television

The 1976 film version of this play had him appearing alongside stars James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson. Weldon also appeared in several other Hollywood movies including the caper Who’s Minding the Mint? His film credits include Serpico (1975), Stir Crazy (1980), Fast Walking (1982), Spike Lee’s Malcolm X(1992), and The Wishing Tree (1999). Throughout his film career, Weldon continued to perform with the Negro Ensemble Company, acting in Charles Fuller’s A Soldier’s Play in 1981. He appeared in several television mini-series, including A Woman Called Moses(1978) and Roots: The Next Generation (1979). His television credits also include Sanford and Son, Hill Street Blues, Kojak, St. Elsewhere, L.A. Law, and Law & Order.

In 2004, Weldon was named the artistic director of the Negro Ensemble Company. Under his guidance, the company averted bankruptcy, eliminated its debt, and expanded its educational mission. Additionally, Weldon directed Leslie Lee’s Blues in a Broken Tongue, Jimmy Barden’s Offspring, Samm Art-Williams’ The Waiting Room, and Layon Gray’s WEBEIME. Weldon also produced the Negro Ensemble Company’s Sundown Names and Night-Gone Things.

Co-founder of the Negro Ensemble Company, Inc.’s Alumni Organization, Weldon received the Audelco Award for best supporting actor. He also received the Remy award for best leading actor, and the 2006 Henry Award for the Best Supporting Actor in August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean.

Charles Weldon lives in New York, New York.

ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAMER Charlie Thomas was a member of a group known as the Five Crowns in 1958 along with Ben Earl Nelson (later known as Ben E. King). The Five Crowns enjoyed local popularity and that is why they were on the bill at the Apollo Theater in New York City in 1958 when George Treadwell fired his famous group, The Drifters. It was Charlie Thomas’ voice that Treadwell heard and hastily recruited the Crowns to become the “new” Drifters.

The new Drifters first release in 1959 was a song called “There Goes My Baby”. This was the beginning of what is generally acknowledged as the Golden Years of the Drifters. In 1988, Charlie Thomas, along with other original members were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York City. You can hear Charlie Thomas as a lead singer or a strong tenor background on Drifter classics such as When My Little Girl Is Smiling, Save The Last Dance For Me, Under The Boardwalk & more.

Chris Montez, born in Los Angeles, grew up in the middle-class area of Hawthorne influenced by his Hispanic culture and the rock ‘n roll success of Ritchie Valens. Music was an integral part of his family life and Chris began singing rancheras with his older brothers when he was a kid. They taught him to play the guitar and he sang the high parts. In his junior year at Hawthorne High ignited by the spark of musical ambition, Chris formed a band and recorded his own original songs that gained the interest of Monogram Records.  “All You Had To Do Was Tell Me” became a local hit.

Chris’ single, “Let’s Dance,” hit the top l0 and he was on his way. In 1963, he toured the UK with Tommy Roe, his opening act was a new English group, The Beatles!  In l965, with 3 years on the road behind him, Chris came home to complete his education and join a new label, A & M. Herb Alpert dropped in on one of Chris’ first sessions and suggested that he try a soft ballad sound. It was a more conservative style than Chris would have preferred, but Alpert’s instincts were good and the hits “The More I See You,” “There Will Never Be Another You,” “Call Me” and “Time After Time” followed in quick succession.

While the British and psychedelic rock were invading the U.S., Chris left A & M, signed with CBS International and amassed a string of hits outside the U.S. that has firmly established him as an international recording star. He has recorded songs in both English and in Spanish that have become hits in such countries as Japan, Austria, Germany, Holland, France, Mexico and the U.S.

Through the years, in between tours to Britain and South America, Chris has continued to grow as an artist and to concentrate on his own compositions. His confidence in his music gives him the freedom to integrate the unique influence of his Hispanic culture and rich rhythm and blues style into his own personal hit making musical interpretations.

He tours internationally and recently starred in “The Original Stars of American Bandstand” at the new Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theatre in Branson, MO. A documentary feature film, “The Chris Montez Story” was released in 2010. He lives in Simi Valley, California with his wife, Chaz, a prominent local D.J. and their daughter, Ryan.

 Chart Topper of the 60’s

Dennis, a native of Chicago, is the original “voice” of “The Buckinghams”. The Chicago-based group scored with a string of five Top Ten hits in the late-sixties including, the No#1 “Kind of A Drag”, “Don’t You Care”, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”, “Hey Baby, They’re Playing Our Song”, “Susan” and “Back In Love Again”. Following his success in the Buckinghams, Dennis was part of the song-writing duo “Tufano and Giammarese” and recorded three albums with Lou Adler’s custom label, Ode Records. Appearing as a guest vocalist he went on to co-write with renowned composer and musician Tom Scott. With Scott as a composer, Dennis performed the “original title/theme song” for the long-running “Family Ties” television show. (First 13episodes)

    Dennis also wrote the music and performed with Bernie Taupin, Elton John’s lyricist, on Taupin’s album, ” He Who Rides The Tiger “. Subsequently, he teamed again with Taupin to co-write, co-produce and perform the Farm Dogs album “Last Stand In Open Country”.

    Back on the road, Dennis joined Olivia Newton-John on her hugely successful tour and was featured, with her on the HBO Special in two dramatically inspired duets.

    As an actor, Dennis has appeared in theater productions in

Los Angeles and has worked in film, television, radio, and commercials.

    He was also one of the founding members of an improvisational voice-ensemble called the “LA.MadDogs”. This group of actors performs on hundreds of movies and numerous television shows and have produced and performed seven “live” radio dramas, three of which Dennis directed, for KMPC RADIO THEATER in Los Angeles.

    Dennis produced, directed and shot a documentary in Chicago, “Major Hall: Therapy Tuesday” and is currently preparing it for release. He has been praised for his performance on the, “PBS Music Series the ‘60s”, and will be included in the award-winning PBS-DVD series.

Vocalist extraordinaire Eddie Holman is among the most listened-to artists in the field of popular and classic R&B music. His unforgettable falsetto voice and the tune that he popularized is perhaps the most recognizable urban love-song in much of the English speaking world. “Hey There Lonely Girl” is the beautiful tune that’s seems to touch every ones soul as it emanates from airwaves or churns from the turntables of fans. It is the composition that distinctly defines now it feels when the young gent helplessly yearns for his lady, the object of his affection, who has been spurned by her ex! The song concludes: “Don’t you know this lonely boy loves you!” No other classic love song in modern recorded history has had as much an impact on the lovelorn, or said it better than this 1970 mega hit.

Although he started singing at the age of two, Eddie Holman’s venture into show business began after his family relocated to New York City for Norfolk, Virginia in 1954, when he was eight years of age. It was there that his strikingly beautiful mother exposed her child prodigy to the piano, guitar, singing, and the performing arts in and around the bustling city. As Eddie’s musical talents blossomed, his unique gifts let him to victory on the most challenging stage in the Metropolis, The Apollo Theater Amateur Night. With a choirboy image, Little Eddie Holman – as he was the called – became so proficient as a performer that, in time, his vocal prowess as an adolescent was even showcased before crowd at the elegant Carnegie Hall and popular Off Broadway Theaters. In search of creative freedom, and in order to expand his artistic boundaries, Eddie was enrolled in Harlem’s prestigious Victoria School Of Music to study along with other gifted youngsters while he appeared regularly on NBC’s “The Children’s Hour”.

Eddie’s star shone even brighter when, during his teen years, he moved to the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, Pa., where he attended Overbrook High School, and further advanced his secular education by joining the proud alumni of Cheney State University. While attending the university, Eddie’s ultimate dream materialized with the release of the first of a caravan of charted hit songs: “This Can’t Be True, Girl”. This musical selection signaled the beginning of a collection of prolific love ballads that would provide a rock solid foundation for the launching of the illustrious career of one of the recording industries pioneers of romance.

While on the edge of major international acclaim, Eddie Holman continued to release a number of successful albums, some under his own gospel label, Agape, and on which label he plans to record additional longed for projects in the near future. Schoochiebug Music Publishing and Agape Records (Eddie’s companies) are the exclusive sources that Eddie continues to use to glorify his maker in his own way.

Eddie’s lyrical masterpieces are so timeless that in 1998, Hollywood got in on the act by adopting “Hey There Lonely Girl” as one of its theme songs in the Martin Lawrence/Tim Robbins film titled, Nothing to Lose. Also, in 1999 Toyota featured the song in a worldwide television commercial, advertising the Camry automobile. Eddie’s repertoire has secured unending accolades over the years and his admirers include industry artist such as Isaac Hayes, Dionne Warwick, and super rapper NAS. In fact, NAS was so impressed by Eddie’s syle that he sample his song, “I Love You” – which was co-written by Eddie’s creative wife Sheila – on his platinum mega hit CD titled God’s Son. It was at Sheila’s insistence, by the way, that Eddie reluctantly committed to record his greatest R&B classic.

Eddie’s smooth flowing style is a reflection of the primary musical influences in his life: Jackie Wilson, who is arguably the greatest stage talent ever, and the velvet crooner himself, Nat King Cole. These two industry giants are the creative example for the younger Eddie by their boundless exhibition of class and style. Jackie’s undulating vocal gymnastics and Nat’s soothing voice served s the backdrop for the sensational vocal orchestrations synonymous with Eddie Holman. As a frequent touring roommate of Jackie’s, and although influenced by Jackie more than anyone else, Eddie tirelessly shaped his own unique style by molding his delivery into an electrifying display of raw vocal prowess, as witnessed by the fever pitched eruption of applause from the congregants of T.J. Lubinsky’s PBS tribute to “Doo Wop, R&B 40” which aired in the year 2002.

Eddie Holman works year round, performing at concert halls around the country and throughout the world, mesmerizing throngs with his rich tenor voice and the original Philly sounds (which Eddie helped define). Eddie can even be located performing on some of the more popular cruise ships perusing the Atlantic, and he can also be witnessed serving up a heaping dose of pop and soul where his popularity is at an all-time high, English clubs and the pride of the UK, Wembley Stadium. Touring with the Eddie Holman Band is something that he enjoys immensely because of the fan appreciation, the spontaneous adulation, and the opportunity to share his golden classics with a new generation of fans. Daily, new music enthusiasts are turned on to the Philly sound, and prominent among the ambassadors of sould is the pride of Philadelphia, Eddie “Smooth as Silk” Holman.

A loving father of three, Eddie Holman is an ordained Baptist minister that uses his music as a tool to encourage togetherness in families. He recognizes his talent as a gift from his creator and feels an obligation and an indebtedness to use his abilities, music and otherwise, to spread good will everywhere his is blessed to perform. As for today’s music, he thinks that much of it is positive and some of it is noxious. He believes that those who are blessed with creative talent have a responsibility to encourage personal accountability and to set the best example possible because of the powerful influence that they have on the lives of so many young ones. He says: “lyrics send powerful messages that impact the listener of songs in ways that the artist will never know.” Eddie insist, “no genre of music is flawless and no music culture is completely bad.”

Eddie Holman is to this day a model Pennsylvania resident who works closely with community leaders, generously caring for the needs of those less fortunate. In line with this, Eddie plans to pen some of his noteworthy personal and public experiences by writing his autobiography. His interest in the arts extends far beyond the recording industry; it takes in the countless educational systems that prepare our children to appreciate all of the performing arts.

Once in a lifetime a talent in the mold of the fabulous Eddie Holman happens into our lives with a sound and an aura that is so incomparable that the public embraces it with heartfelt affection. Like a Nightingale in springtime in one fell swoop, Eddie Holman delivers a melodic phrase with passion, and then woos the awestruck audience with bursts of tantalizing musical gift to the world. Eddie Holman’s exemplary career has certainly stood the test of time, and his dignified musical legacy is one that will continue to flourish for as long as there is a song to sing.

The group formed in Brooklyn, New York in 1958, with Eugene Pitt, Jerome Hanna, Richard Harris, Thurmon “Billy” Prophet and Norman Johnson.  The group found success in 1961 with ‘My True Story’, which reached No. 3 on the U.S. Pop Singles Chart

The group re-organized in 1962, with Pitt, Johnson, Hanna’s replacement Andre Coles, Casey Spencer and Beatrice Best.  They recorded ‘What Time Is It’ and ‘These Golden Rings’ for Beltone, before switching to United Artists Records, where they had a hit with ‘I’m A Happy Man’.  In 1970, the group recorded as “The Jyve Fyve”, and had a minor hit with ‘I Want You To Be My Baby’.  They changed back to The Jive Five in 1978.  At this time, the lineup was Pitt, Spencer, and the returning Beatrice Best and Richard Harris.  The group was re-organized in 1982, with Pitt, Best, Charles Mitchell, and Pitt’s brothers Herbert and Frank.

In 2010, Pitt released his first solo album called ‘Eugene Pitt’s Steppin’ Out In Front I Love Beach Music’.  In 2012, Pitt worked on Aaron Neville’s album ‘My True Story’, titled in honor of Pitt’s signature song.  The album was co-produced by Don Was and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones.  Pitt sang background vocals on the entire album, and brought  Bobby Jay, Dickie Harmon and Joel Katz to sing background with him.  It was Neville’s biggest selling album to date, and a PBS Special resulted in the collaboration.

Eugene Pitt & The Jive Five continue to perform and record today.  The current lineup is, Eugene Pitt, Richard Harris, Casey Spencer, Herbert Pitt and Dickie Harmon.  They are working on a combination gospel/Christmas album, to be released in the coming year.  Eugene Pitt wrote the songs for the album, and the gospel side takes the group back to their roots.

From 1962 to 1970

Gene Chandler put nineteen songs in the top forty, but he will always be known all over the world as the Duke of Earl, his first hit that topped the pop and R&B charts in 1962 and launched his career.

In 1957

Gene Chandler became a member of the Du-Kays, a rhythm & blues group with a strong rock and roll sound. After a stint in the Army and singing solo in the Army he returned to Chicago.

In 1960 

Gene rejoined the Du-Kays. Bernice Williams, young music business manager heard the group perform and quickly agreed to manage the young group. She arranged an audition with Nat Records in Chicago and the Du-Kays were offered a recording

contract. Their first professional recording session was late in 1960, at which time they recorded “The Girl is Evil “.

In 1961

They recorded ” Nite Owl ” and ” Duke of Earl “. “Nite Owl” was recorded first, but the creation of the Duke of Earl was a bit more unusual.

The Du-Kays would warm up by singing do-do-do-do- in various tones and pitches. Gene started singing duke–duke–duke and from there added fellow member “Earl” Edward’s first name to complete the phrase. He then began composing the lyrics on the spot. It worked so well and they were excited that this was a potential hit. They immediately sang the lyrics to Bernie who in turn added more lyrics. They recorded the Duke of Earl. But getting the “Duke of Earl” released, however, was the hardest part. Nat Records released “Nite Owl”, but was unable to get the distribution rights for “Duke of Earl”.

Calvin Carter, A&R man with VeeJay Records absolutely loved the tune and especially liked Gene’s singing style. Carter was more interested in Gene alone than in the whole group sound and felt Gene could top the charts easier as a solo artist. While “Nite Owl” by the Du-Kays was shooting up the charts, VeeJay was holding back the release of the “Duke of Earl “, because Gene couldn’t decide to go solo or stay with the group that had a hit 45 on the charts.

In January 1962

Eugene Dixon became Gene Chandler, taking his last name from actor Jeff Chandler because he thought it had a romantic ring. Under Gene Chandler, he released solo records while still under contract with the Du-Kays as Gene Dixon. The ” Duke of Earl ” was finally released and it sold a million copies in little over one month. It was a huge hit, Number 1 for three weeks in 1962. It dethroned the ” Twist ” from its Number 1 position.

Gene Chandler began to dress like the “Duke of Earl”. He wore a monocle, cape, top hat and cane. Gene usually ended his concerts with the Duke in full dress, leaving the audience totally wanting more and for the most part he would go back and sing “Rainbow”, a very successful R&B tune that was again his signature style. “Rainbow” is the only tune Gene recorded three times, once in 1963 again in “Rainbow Live 1965” with Constellation Records and then finally, “Rainbow 80” with ChiSound Records. “Rainbow” was one of the songs that Curtis Mayfield of the Impressions wrote for Gene. In addition to “Rainbow”, Curtis wrote “A Man’s Temptation”, which Gene recorded around the same time while under contract with VeeJay. Gene’s collaboration with Curtis Mayfield proved to be a match made in heaven. Mayfield’s songs made Gene a first-rate ballad singer. These soft, tender sexy love songs went over well in concert with Gene’s falsetto slides sent ripples of excitement through the ladies in his audience.

In 1964

Gene then signed with Constellation Records and ended his tenure at Constellation when they closed in 1966 and Chess Records purchased Gene’s songs. Gene’s manager, Carl Davis signed him with Brunswick Records at the same time. The two record companies ended up altering Gene’s record releases, one new single then a re-release of an older recording.

Finally, tired of the road and no viable new hits, Gene turned his attention to the business end of the industry. After all his successes, Gene decided to put his energy into producing, arranging and hyping other acts. Gene formed two music-publishing companies, a production company and was President of Bamboo Records. Gene’s biggest hit at Bamboo was ” Backfield in Motion” by Mel and Tim in 1969. Gene selected this song, cut it and sold a million copies.

In 1970

Gene signed with Mercury Records and recorded “Groovy Situation”. The strength of both of these tunes got him nominated for “Producer of The Year” Award. Gene won the NATRA award in Houston, Texas in August of 1970. He beat Norman Whitfield, producer of the Temptations and Gamble and Huff of the Philadelphia sound for the award, an astounding accomplishment considering the popularity of the Detroit and Philly revolution in that time period.

” Groovy Situation ” was a top hit that summer, selling another million. Gene’s disco hits were extremely popular in the UK in the 70s and 80s and Gene collaborated with Reggae star ” Johnny Nash ” in London. “Get Down”, another million-seller absolutely rocked the disco revolution. Gene was with Chi-Sound Records, as Executive vice-president under the direction of Carl Davis at the same time “Get Down” was recorded. Back in high demand, Gene ended up back on the road to perform on the concert circuit, with notable ” Wolfman Jack’s ” Oldies Tour and extensively performing solo in the Northeast, Las Vegas and in California, and of course in Chicago.

Today, Gene still lives in Chicago and attributes his success to his faith in God. His romantic performance style along with his superbly rich voice still makes him a hot number and fabulous performer to contend with. He still packs them in decades later—– Nothing can stop the Duke of Earl. Nothing.. and he’s doing just fine.

The Clovers were one of the most successful music groups of the 1950’s with a chart career that spanned the decade. Between 1950 and 1959. The Clovers had more hits than ANY OTHER SINGING GROUP, (including The Flamingos, The Drifters, The Orioles, The Coasters, Little Anthony and the Imperials, The Five Royales and other groups – all of which are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, except The Clovers). They had three #1 hits on the R&B charts, four #2 hits and 11 other top ten hits. Their influential combination of vocal group styling with jump blues, gospel and swing made them one of the earliest and most important R&B singing groups, and gives them a claim to be one of the earliest rock ‘n’ roll singing groups.

The group formed in 1946 in the halls of Washington, D.C.’s Armstrong High School, a long-gone institution in the Shaw neighborhood where Duke Ellington once studied design and art. The group was formed by Harold “Hal” Lucas with Lucas on lead, tenor Thomas Woods, and bass Billy Shelton. When John “Buddy” Bailey came on board as lead, Lucas moved to baritone. Lucas, hoping for good luck, called his group the Four Clovers and they began playing the local club scene, singing songs by the Ink Spots, the Ravens, the Charioteers and local heroes the Orioles. By 1949, second tenor Matthew McQuarter had replaced Thomas Woods, and HAROLD WINLEY replaced Billy Shelton.

The Clovers were discovered while playing a club in Washington by Baltimore-based entrepreneur Lou Krefetz, who contracted them to Rainbow Records, a small label. It was there they made their debut with “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby.” Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of a new label, Atlantic Records wrote his first song in 1950 which would become their first hit, “Don’t You Know I Love You.” According to Nick Tosches, that single was also the first record by an R&B quartet to incorporate a saxophone solo (by Frank Culley) into its structure. The record became a number one R&B hit during the summer of 1951 and heralded a new era in popular music, serving as the template for a decade of R&B hits. Indeed, there are those who identify that record as the very first identifiable Rock & Roll single.

Harold Winley AND The CLOVERS recently appeared on Broadway at the Beacon Theatre. The current line-up includes the last surviving, original Clover member, Harold Jerome Winley, King Raymond Green, Tyrone Burwell, Carlos Wilson and Franklen Poole.

In 2015, Mr. Harold Winley is a national treasure and at the tender young age of 80+says he “only wants to sing”.

The Clovers’ music has survived the test of time spanning over 6 decades. It has retained its relevance in the history of the Doo Wop genre. The music lives on through fans, media outlets and has been selected as an answer for Jeopardy!

George Lucas selected Love Potion No. 9 to include in the soundtrack for American Graffiti in 1973 about teenagers coming of age. The movie, Love Potion #9, starring Sandra Bullock in 1992 tells the story of a biochemist unlucky with women who gets a hold of Love Potion 9.

Love Potion No. 9 became their biggest hit and was written by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller in 1959 on the United Artist label. It was covered by The Coasters in 1971 and Neil Diamond in 1963 but the British group, The Searchers had more success in 1963.

Their first hit “Don’t You Know I Love You” was released in 1951 reached #1. In 1952, the smash hit “One Mint Julep” reached the top ten and was covered by Ray Charles in 1960 and Bob James in1976. “Lovey Dovey” was released in 1953 and reached # 2; it was covered by both Otis Redding and Carla Thomas in 1967. “Blue Velvet” was released in 1955 and reached # 14, “Devil or Angel” was released in 1956 and reached # 3 and Bobby Vee covered this hit in 1960.

The 1952 hit, “Ting-A-Ling” was covered by Buddy Holly in 1958, and by Aaron Neville in 2013.

Last, but certainly, not least, in 1957, the great Quincy Jones was the arranger who worked with the group and arranged the song, “So Young”.

Their music continues to remain in the realm of great musical contributions as Lady Ga Ga mentored American Idol contestant James Durbin in 2011 for his ‘rock-style’ rendition of “Love Potion #9”, a song choice from the Leiber and Stoller songbook of the Clovers.

The group’s new, upcoming album is titled, Harold Winley AND The CLOVERS of The New Millennium.

List of Awards

1989 Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award

1991 United in Group Harmony (UGHA) Hall of Fame

2002 Vocal Group Hall of Fame

2003 Doo Wop Hall of Fame

2011 Beach Music Hall of Fame

On August 17, 2013 Harold Winley AND The CLOVERS, the world famous Doo Wop group was inducted into the inaugural class of the R&B Hall Of Fame in Cleveland Ohio. Among the industry monarchs in the entertainment universe, they were the first Doo Wop Group recognized with the likes of Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson and a few vocal groups inducted included The O’Jays and The Temptations and many more extremely talented artists.

JAY AND THE AMERICANS, started by four teenage boys in Sandy Yaguda’s Brooklyn basement fifty years ago, is one of the lasting success stories in Rock ‘n Roll history. Few bands have ever reached the musical heights of JAY AND THE AMERICANS.  From 1962 to 1971, this group charted an amazing twelve Top Ten records.  With three original band members, founding member Sandy Yaguda (aka Deanne); original member Howie Kirschenbaum (aka Kane); and original member Marty Kupersmith (aka Sanders), plus the addition of Jay Reincke, the third and likely the best “Jay” yet, they have recreated the authentic sound of their greatest hits. 

     JAY AND THE AMERICANS’ first recording was Tonight (from the musical West Side Story); but their breakout hit song was She Cried.  The group’s next chart hit was Only In America, followed by top-ten hits Come A Little Bit Closer, Cara Mia, and This Magic Moment. These songs and many others are featured in JAY AND THE AMERICANS show, along with stories of the artists and writers who influenced this 1960s super-group. 

JAY AND THE AMERICANS’ recording of Some Enchanted Evening holds the record for most copies sold of this legendary musical masterpiece. The group also holds the distinct honor of recording the great Neil Diamond’s first hit song, Sunday and Me. Their recording of Crying pays tribute to the legendary Roy Orbison, with whom they toured, along with many other acts including The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

In 2002, JAY AND THE AMERICANS were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, placing them among the greatest vocal groups in Rock ‘n Roll history. 

In 1958, Jimmy, Wally Lester and Jack Taylor from The Cresents combined with Joe Versharen & Janet Vogel from The El Rios to form the Skyliners.
True to the groups vision of combining two musical styles, The Skyliners’ blue eyed soul delivery is balanced by a full orchestra arrangement. The same concept would later prove successful for the Drifters, The Duprees and Phil Spector.

Dick Clark was an early believer in the group and featured them on American Bandstand 1959. They also made 8 appearances to the Apollo Theatre and many more visits to Bandstand.
Some of their greatest hits include Since I don’t Have You, This I Swear, I’ll Be Seeing You, Stardust, If I Loved You, Warm, Blossoms In The Snow, Believe Me, Lonely Way, How Much, It Happened Today, Pennies From Heaven, Zing Went The Strings, Happy Time, Tomorrow & Lorraine From Spain
Their music has appeared in many motion pictures including “Lethal Weapon II”, “La Bamba”, “American Graffiti”, more than a dozen others & continually appear in TV shows and commercials.

In 1958, Jimmy, Wally Lester and Jack Taylor from The Cresents combined with Joe Versharen & Janet Vogel from The El Rios to form the Skyliners.
True to the group’s vision of combining two musical styles, The Skyliners’ blue-eyed soul delivery is balanced by a full orchestra arrangement. The same concept would later prove successful for the Drifters, The Duprees and Phil Spector.

Dick Clark was an early believer in the group and featured them on American Bandstand 1959. They also made 8 appearances to the Apollo Theatre and many more visits to Bandstand.
Some of their greatest hits include Since I don’t Have You, This I Swear, I’ll Be Seeing You, Stardust, If I Loved You, Warm, Blossoms In The Snow, Believe Me, Lonely Way, How Much, It Happened Today, Pennies From Heaven, Zing Went The Strings, Happy Time, Tomorrow & Lorraine From Spain
Their music has appeared in many motion pictures including “Lethal Weapon II”, “La Bamba”, “American Graffiti”, more than a dozen others & continually appear in TV shows and commercials.

Jimmy’s music takes us back to a special time and place in our memories and in our hearts. Who can forget 1958 and the first time they heard “Just a Dream”? The good-looking young man singing would have been quite enough for the teenage girls, but the wonderful and very unique voice of that young man was what won us over. Being raised in Louisiana culture with the rhythm & blues influence and his extraordinary soulful vocals, Jimmy became known as the “swamp pop R&B teenage idol.” He was one of the biggest recording stars of the day, hitting his stride with seven charted hits between 1958 & 1962. Three of those being in the Top 10. He was one of the most popular teen idols of the ’50s & ’60s.

Jimmy continues to write and record and successfully entertain fans all over the U.S. He is a classic entertainer with loyal fans who are never disappointed. With the same wonderful voice, just as strong as it was in 1958, and that beautiful”killer smile,” Jimmy rocks and croons and gives the best of himself in each and every show. He loves his music and he loves performing for his fans.

Jimmy Clanton is best known for his performance in Go Johnny Go, the 1959 Alan Freed-produced jukebox movie. Clanton was a dedicated R&B enthusiast and singer with a great voice and a genuine feel for New Orleans music. What’s more, he also wrote many of the songs that he recorded.

Clanton is known for Doo-wop hits such as Just a Dream, Ship on a Stormy Sea, My Love Is Strong, Letter to an Angel, A Part of Me, My Own True Love, Venus in Blue Jeans, Darkest Street in Town, Go Jimmy Go and Don’t Look at Me. Clanton had appearances on American Bandstand and reached Billboard Pop Chart Top 10 multiple times in his career.

Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Johnny Tillotson decided at age 9 to be a singer and by high school became a singing sensation known throughout Florida. His first TV appearance on the ”Toby Dowdy Show” had so much fan mail they decided to make him a regular on the show. Johnny then starred in his own show ”The Velda Show” which he did while attending the University of Florida. Johnny also wrote songs and in 1957 got his big break. A local D.J. submitted a tape of him singing to a national contest which lead to a music publisher taking his tape to Archie Bleyer, owner of Cadence Records (Everly Brothers, Andy Williams, The Chordettes & more). Archie was so impressed he signed Johnny to Cadence Records.

Johnny moved to New York City straight out of college & started a string of chart records like “Poetry In Motion”, “Without You”& more. “It Keeps Right On Hurtin’” brought Johnny his first Grammy nomination & the distinction of becoming one of the first country/pop cross-over artists. The song went on to be recorded by over 110 artists including Elvis and it became a #1 country hit by Billy Joe Royal in the ‘80’s. “Heartaches by The Number” gave Johnny his second Grammy nomination.

With 18 chart records in the USA, Johnny moved on to MGM Records, where his first release “Talk Back Trembling Lips” was a huge success followed over the years by another 16 chart records in the U.S. His recordings charted 48 times on the Billboard, Pop, Country, Adult Contemporary and Album charts, making Johnny one of the top 100 recording artists of the era.

He also recorded the popular hit theme song for the TV show Gidget (Sally Fields) and has had many recordings in motion pictures TV and commercials. In addition to his US hits he has over 100 international chart entries. Johnny is a 2008 inductee into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

The Crests were an American Doo Wop group formed by bass vocalist J. T. Carter in the mid 50’s. Their most popular song, “16 Candles”, rose to #2 on the Billboard hot 100 chart in 1959, selling over one million copies, earning a Gold Disc.

The group included Talmadge Gough, Harold Torres and Patricia Vandross (sister of R&B singer Luther Vandross). Carter selected vocalist Johnny Mastrangelo (shortened to Johnny Maestro) as lead vocalist for the group. Maestro’s vocal quality & style along with J.T.’s application of the group’s vocal harmonies & choreography gave “The Crests” their unique look and sound which became instantly recognizable and they became a jukebox favorite of national teen audiences. This magical combination plus great song selections and recordings with dance-easy beats, made for charted hits.

The group had several Top 40 Hits including the #2 hit, “16 Candles”, “Six Nights a Week”, “The Angels Listened In”, “A Year Ago Tonight”, “Step By Step” and “Trouble in Paradise”, “Sweetest One”, “Little Miracles” and “Guilty” to name a few .  The group performed on several national TV shows, including American Bandstand and The Dick Clark Show.  J.T. Carter wrote and recorded “Closer to Your Heart” and “The Wild Ones” originally written for Jordan Christopher’s’ Group “The Wild Ones”.  J.T. Carter has appeared on multiple TV and Radio Shows. In March of 2015 Carter was accepted as a member in The Record Academy aka the Grammys.

At age 14 KATHY YOUNG caught the eye of a producer at a Wink Martindale TV show and within weeks she recorded what quickly became a #1 HIT with “A THOUSAND STARS” and became nicknamed “THE CINDERELLA OF SHOW BUSINESS “. She traveled the U.S., Hawaii and Canada with Roy Orbison, The Everly Brothers, The Shirrells, Bo Diddly, Connie Francis, Brenda Lee, Ray Charles and Neil Sedaka just to name a few and appeared on American Bandstand four times where she received her gold record for “A THOUSAND STARS”. She followed up with singles “Happy Birthday Blues”, “Magic Is The Night” and recorded a series of hit songs with Chris Montez as “Chris & Kathy”. As she did in 1960, KATHY YOUNG will “capture you in her charms” for she remains one of the brightest stars of her generation.

Larry Chance

From the late 1950’s into the new millennium, the Earls have continuously pleased audiences with their flawless harmonies and ceaseless vitality. Larry Chance and the Earls represent the music that helped define Rock N Roll in the original Doo-wop era. An era that put the street corner society onto the national charts. Larry Chance grew up in a neighborhood noted for its show business roots. Such talents as Fabian, Frankie Avalon, Chubby Checker, Mario Lanza, Danny & the Juniors, Joey Bishop, David Brenner, and more. It was here Larry Chance began his love affair with show business.

It was 1955 when Larry’s family moved to the Bronx. NY. Here is where he formed the Earls in 1957. Since then, the Earls have gone on to achieve numerous accolades including nominations to the vocal group Hall Of Fame,  the Atlantic City entertainer oF the year awards, the Doo-wop Hall Of Fame and the Bronx Walk Of Fame. Larry is the quintessential performer, Mr. Entertainment!

Leon Hughes was born May 6, 1930 in Los Angeles County, CA. and started acting with his parents as a child and toured with early lineups of the Hollywood Flames (with which he also recently acted in a 1998 revival show). He was an original member of the Lamplighters during 1952-53 (together with Mathew Nelson and Willie Ray Rockwell). Hughes left the Lamplighters before they recorded with new lead Al Frazier. Leon was recommended by Bobby Nunn (who knew him from Watts, L.A.) for The Coasters´ original line-up. Around this time (or possibly in early 1957) Leon recorded with The Celibritys (which included his brother Elder O’Neal) on Caroline and also recorded on his own label Leoneal Records with The Signeals (a group including both his brother and his sister Shirley Hughes). Leon stayed in California when the Coasters moved to New York (recorded the two Flip singles as The Dukes with Bobby Nunn in 1959) and later launched a non-original, occasionally acting, Coasters group originally featuring Young Jessie (one record on Chelan was issued as The Coasters Two Plus Two featuring him and Nunn in 1975 – and two other singles were issued as The World Famous Coasters). Hughes’ group didn´t reach the same status as Nunn´s and other Coasters´ off-shoot groups and was later called “Leon Hughes Sr and the Fabulous Coasters” often also named “Leon Hughes and his Original Coasters” or “Leon Hughes – the Original & His Coasters” and nowadays “Leon Hughes – one of the first original Coasters”.

Little Anthony and the Imperials is a rhythm and blues/soul/doo-wop vocal group from New York, first active in the 1950s. Lead singer Jerome Anthony “Little Anthony” Gourdine was noted for his high-pitched falsetto voice, influenced by Jimmy Scott. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 4, 2009, 23 years after the group’s first year of eligibility for induction, waiting longer than any other artist for the honor.

Career

In 1957, a doo-wop group known as the Chesters existed with members Clarence Collins, Tracy Lord, Nathaniel Rodgers, and Ronald Ross. Anthony Gourdine, a former member of the Duponts, joined as lead vocalist. Ernest Wright took over from Ross, and the group recorded briefly for Apollo Records.

Changing their name to the Imperials, they signed with End Records in 1958. Their first single was “Tears on My Pillow”, which was an instant hit. (While playing this song, D.J. Alan Freed came up with the name “Little Anthony”.) The B-side, “Two People in the World”, was also a hit. The group followed up with “Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko Ko Bop” in 1960. When their success dwindled in 1961, Little Anthony left to attempt a solo career. Some members left, and the line-up then became Collins, Wright, Sammy Strain, and George Kerr. Kerr was replaced by Kenny Seymour after a short time. This line-up had little success.

Little Anthony returned in 1963, replacing Seymour. The group’s classic line-up – Gourdine, Ernest Wright, Clarence Collins, and Sammy Strain – was now complete. With the help of record producer/songwriter Teddy Randazzo (a childhood friend of the group), the Imperials found success on the new DCP (Don Costa Productions) label with the dramatic pop-soul records “I’m On The Outside (Looking In)” (1964), “Goin’ Out Of My Head” (1964), “Hurt So Bad” (1965), “I Miss You So” (1965), “Take Me Back” (1965), “Hurt” (1966), and “Out of Sight, Out Of Mind” (1969). In 1965, the Imperials appeared on the CBS-TV special Murray The K – It’s What’s Happening, Baby, where they performed “I’m Alright” before a live audience in New York. At the height of their career, the group made two appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, at the time television’s top talent showcase, on March 28th, 1965, and again on January 25th, 1970. They also performed on many other popular television variety shows during the sixties, including Shindig!, Hullabaloo, Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall, Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, and The Tonight Show.

The Imperials then joined United Artists Records and were assigned to its Veep Records subsidiary, and then to the parent label itself, where they recorded “World Of Darkness”, “Better Use Your Head”, “If I Remember To Forget”, “Yesterday Has Gone”, and the Thom Bell-produced “Help Me Find A Way (To Say I Love You)”.

Albums from this era include: Reflections, Payin’ Our Dues, Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind (named after their hit cover of The Five Keys song), and Movie Grabbers, which included a rendition of “You Only Live Twice”, the James Bond motion picture theme.

They recorded the one-off single “Father Father” for Janus Records, which they later performed on the Merv Griffin Show. Then they went to Avco Records in the early 1970s and recorded “On A New Street”, and charted with the songs “La La La (At the End)”, and “I’m Falling In Love With You”. This album was produced by both Bell and Randazzo. A second LP for Avco Records entitled Hold On was withdrawn from sale in the USA after the failure of the title track to sell and AVCO’s subsequent financial difficulties. The group appeared on Soul Train on May 26, 1973. By this time, Sammy Strain and Ernest Wright had left the group, although both would eventually return.

Ernest Wright left in 1971 to join Tony Williams’ Platters. He was replaced by the returning Kenny Seymour, who was again replaced after a short time by Bobby Wade. Strain left in 1972 to join the O’Jays, and was replaced by Harold Jenkins (who had already been functioning as the group’s choreographer). Jenkins and Seymour had previously performed together in the Impacts. Little Anthony left for a second (more successful) attempt at a solo career. The trio of Collins, Wade, and Jenkins continued as “the Imperials”. Clarence Collins left in 1988, and was replaced by Sherman James. They then toured as “Bobby Wade’s Imperials”. James left in 1992, and was replaced by Ron Stevenson.

Reunion

That same year, Collins, Wright, Strain, and Little Anthony reunited for a concert at Madison Square Garden. This reunion proved to be a success. When the decision was made for the foursome to tour together again, Wade relinquished the Imperials name, with his group becoming “Bobby Wade’s Emperors”. They became the house band at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. At this point Sammy Strain left the O’Jays, and permanently returned to the Imperials. 1992, the year of the group’s reformation, just happened to also be the 40th anniversary of Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, and he invited the Imperials to appear as part of the televised special celebration.

On August 30, 1997, the group was featured on NBC’s Today show as part of that show’s “Summer Concert Series”, and appeared on two popular PBS specials; Rock, Rhythm, and Doo-Wop, and Soul Spectacular: 40 Years Of R&B in 2002 and 2003, respectively. Also, during this period, they recorded two new CDs: Little Anthony & the Imperials – Live: Up Close & Personal (the group’s first ever live album), and Pure Acapella, an all a capella CD showcasing the group’s vocal talents on several classic 50’s doo-wop songs, including their own hit, “Two People In The World”, which was written by Imperials member Ernest Wright. These two recordings marked the first time that the classic line-up had recorded together in over 30 years.

Anthony, Collins, Wright, and Strain continued touring as “Little Anthony and the Imperials”, until Strain retired in 2004, and Harold Jenkins returned to take his place.In 2010, Jenkins also retired,and was replaced by Robert DeBlanc. As of 2011, the Imperials are (along with the Dells), one of few 1950s-era R&B groups still touring with the great majority of their original members (Gourdine, Collins and Wright). They are also one of the very few late 1950s-based groups to successfully re-invent themselves and go on to maintain consistent recording success well into the 1960s/1970s.

Little Anthony and the Imperials released their first new LP in several years in October 2008, entitled “You’ll Never Know”, and they performed on the Late Show With David Letterman on August 26, 2008. On their Discovery album, the electronic music duo Daft Punk sampled Little Anthony and the Imperials’ 1977 recording of “Can You Imagine” for the track “Crescendolls”.

Their Top 20 Pop hit, “Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop” was sung by young actors Jared Rushton and David Moscow in a scene in the 1988 Tom Hanks hit movie Big.

As of January 2012, Little Anthony and the Imperials continue to tour and attract large audiences throughout the United States and abroad after 54 years in the music business. January 2013 will mark the 55th year of Little Anthony and the Imperials. The group will embark on their 55th Anniversary and Farewell Tour to show their appreciation to the loyal fans that have enjoyed their music. Although this marks the end of the iconic group’s historic run together; Little Anthony will continue to perform to the delight of his adoring fans for years to come.

Awards

Little Anthony and the Imperials received the Rhythm and Blues Foundation’s Pioneer Award in 1993. They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Long Island Music Hall of Fame on October 15, 2006. On January 14, 2009, it was announced that Little Anthony and the Imperials had been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to Anthony, Wright, Collins, and Strain, Original Imperials member Nathaniel “Nate” Rogers was also present to be honored. The group was inducted by longtime friend, Miracles member Smokey Robinson. In October 2009, the group performed “Two People in the World” at the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert.

Imperials member Sammy Strain is one of the few artists in popular music history who is a double Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, having been inducted with The O’Jays in 2005 and the Imperials in 2009.

Anthony and the Imperials were inducted into Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Hall of Fame on January 8, 2011, Anthony’s 70th birthday.

Lou Christie’s chart topping, multi-million selling career as a songwriter, recording artist, and performer started in a two-track studio in Glenwillard Pennsylvania, his rural hometown near Pittsburgh. Lou’s first million selling song, THE GYPSY CRIED, transformed a local choirboy, Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco, into LOU CHRISTIE – national teen idol, while still a teenager himself.

Over the decade of the 1960’s Lou followed success with greater success. TWO FACES HAVE I was his next big hit featuring his stratospheric falsetto. LOU forever embedded himself and his uniquely talented voice into America’s consciousness with his number 1 multi-million selling success LIGHTNING STRIKES. LOU’S chart topping success continued with two more million selling hits, RHAPSODY IN THE RAIN and I’M GONNA MAKE YOU MINE. RHAPSODY’S success was fueled by the fact that it was the first song banned on the radio due to its suggestive lyrics.

Lou was more than just your average teen idol. He was one of the decades first singer-songwriters. Together with his eccentric collaborator, Twyla Herbert, LOU co-wrote nearly all of his songs. Twyla, nearly 30 years LOU’S senior, was a classically trained musician. It was the perfect partnership since LOU had no formal musical training.

Highlights from LOU’S performing career include appearances on “Dick Clark’s Caravan Of Stars”, sharing 72 consecutive one-nighters with Diana Ross and the Supremes, and a command performance for Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family. Lou has shared the stage with many of the greats of Rock ‘n’ Roll including The Rolling Stones, The Who, Neil Diamond, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Little Richard.

Elton John, John Lennon, Madonna are among the music legends upon whom Lou has had an effect. Elton John played piano for LOU during LOU’S ‘London Period’ in the early 70’s and recorded LOU’S song, SHE SOLD ME MAGIC. John Lennon repeatedly pointed out in his interviews that “LOU CHRISTIE was one of my influences”. And, Madonna thanked LOU in the liner notes of her ten million selling Immaculate Collection LP.

Over the past decade, Lou has led the resurgence of Rock ‘n’ Roll heroes performing through-out the world. LOU’S fans recognize his distinctive vocal and writing performances in major motion pictures. Many distinguished directors are also fans. Films that feature Lou’s songs include Barry Levinson’s -RAINMAN, Whit Stillman’s – BARCELONA and THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO, Tony Bill’s – A HOME OF OUR OWN, Richard Linklatter’s – BEFORE SUNRISE, John Hughes – DUTCH, Michael de Avila’s – BURNZY’S LAST CALL, and Oliver Stone’s TV mini-series WILD PALMS.

It was a vision of musical stardom as a Detroit teen that inspired Mary Wilson, along with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, to found one of the most successful female singing groups in recording history – The Supremes.  Since then, Wilson has gone on to be a part of dozens of hit records, has written a best-selling autobiography, performed on stage and screen, lectured and toured the world, and continues to be looked up to as a singer who set the standard for females in the recording industry.

This past summer, Wilson performed a number of consecutive shows at Feinstein’s at the Regency, New York’s premiere supper club.  In her “Mary Wilson: Up Close” show, she wowed audiences with an intimate selection of standards and easy-listening tunes that showcased her smoky voice and vocal prowess.  Wilson closed the season at the prestigious nightclub, which The New York Post called “an invaluable New York institution,” and will continue another in-demand series of performances at the Empire Plush Room at the York Hotel in San Francisco from December 4^th-16^th.

As an original Supreme, Wilson was a much sought-after interview regarding the award-winning film DREAMGIRLS, currently on DVD.  After covering the red carpet premiere for “Extra,” she endeared herself to a whole new generation of Hollywood stars and fans alike, including Golden Globe winners Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson, as well as Jamie Foxx and Snoop Dogg!  The success of DREAMGIRLS has also rekindled interest in Wilson’s best-selling autobiography, Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme.

In addition to her tireless performing and trips to the studio to record her new album, Wilson, along with The Vocal Group Hall of Fame and Friends Against Musical Exploitation, is lobbying state governments to pass a bill prohibiting bogus musical groups from cashing in on the names and likeness of such famous acts as The Supremes, The Platters and The Four Tops.  Wilson and company have proposed an amendment to the Truth in Advertising Act (1968) that would prevent such groups from performing under such classic bands’ names unless they contained an original member or had specific licenses to do so.  To date, Pennsylvania, the Carolinas, the Dakotas, Illinois, Nevada, and Texas have passed the bill in landslide majorities.  Wilson’s goal is to garner enough state support (10 need to adopt the bill) to lobby Congress to pass a federal law.  “We have given America and the world happiness with our music; it’s time that we have a law that protects us and our legacy,” Wilson states.

Tireless in her contributions to charity and society at large, Wilson was recently named as a spokesperson for The Humpty Dumpty Institute’s initiative to raise public awareness about the worldwide scourge of landmines.  As HDI’s Mine Action Spokesperson, Wilson traveled to Sri Lanka and then Laos this past fall, visiting schools impacted by unexploded ordinance left over from the Vietnam War.  After helping to detonate 58 bombs and declaring safe zones, she held a charity concert in Colombo, Sri Lanka.  In addition, Wilson will adress the annual conference of the US Department of Agriculture on Food Security and in May will do another concert to kick off HDI’s Farmer Markets Program.  In early summer, she will travel to Vietnam and visit the mine action program.

Additionally, in 2003, Wilson was named a US Cultural Ambassador by US Secretary of State Colin Powell as part of the “Culture Connect” program, whose goal is to improve cross-cultural understanding internationally.  As such, she undertook missions to Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Asia and South America on behalf of the US Department of State.  Wilson was also recently awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Paine College in Augusta, GA.

While growing up in Detroit’s Brewster Projects, a young Mary Wilson had long fantasized about being a performer, her love for singing having blossomed when she befriended Florence Ballard, Betty McGlown and Diane Ross at age 13. Fueled by their mutual love of music and their ambition for stardom, the quartet formed a singing group, The Primettes, and became the sister group of The Primes, who saw two members go on to form The Tempations. When Betty left the group to get married, the girls recruited Barbara Martin. Together they auditioned for then fledgling Motown label and were eventually signed. Barbara dropped out of the group, and the remaining trio of Mary, Flo and Diane became known as The Supremes.

At first, success eluded the girls, who recorded several albums before getting their first hit. In fact, they were dubbed the “No-Hit Supremes” until Motown founder Berry Gordy put them in touch with his top writing and producing team, Holland-Dozier-Holland. Four decades and 40 albums later, what once started as a dream has exceeded beyond Wilson’s wildest imagination. With an unprecedented 12 number-one hits, including five in a row – “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Stop, In The Name Of Love,” and “Back in My Arms Again” – The Supremes set the precedent for super group success.

Wilson worked hard to keep the dream alive even after Florence and Diana left the group. In 1970, Berry Gordy brought in Jean Terrell to replace Ross, with Cindy Birdsong having replaced Florence Ballard.  Together, they formed The New Supremes, racking up three top 10 hits [“Up The Ladder To The Roof”, “Stoned Love”, and “River Deep, Mountain High” (with the Four Tops)].

In 1977, Mary knew it was time for her to pursue her own dream; Motown released Mary’s first solo album, “Mary Wilson,” which yielded the dance hit, “Red Hot,” in 1979.  In 1992, Wilson released her first album in thirteen years, “Walk the Line,” which produced the single “One Night With You.” To this day Wilson continues to tour under the moniker of Mary Wilson of The Original Supremes, and has performed for handfuls of celebrities and politicians all over the world, including The Clintons at The White House.

Fans of Wilson can hear her smoky voice in the latest Supremes collection, Diana Ross & The Supremes:  The No.1s, re-mastered original recordings of their chart-topping hits.  With 24 tracks spanning 18 years of The Supremes sound, the album includes hits from the many reincarnations of the group including the original Supremes, Diana Ross & The Supremes and The Supremes post-Ross.

Throughout the late 70s and 80s, Mary hit the lecture circuit to tell her amazing story. She still lectures to this day, her “Dare To Dream” circuit including such organizations at American Cancer Society, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, UNICEF and many more.  Wilson eventually put her story to print, becoming a best-selling author with her autobiography, Dreamgirl…My Life As A Supreme. Dreamgirl went on to sell over 250,000 copies in hardback, becoming one of the most successful rock and roll autobiographies of all time.

The overwhelming success of that first book prompted Wilson to pen its sequel, Supreme Faith…Someday We’ll Be Together. Currently, The Complete Works by Mary Wilson combines the first two books with additional chapters added.

Throughout her career, Mary has enjoyed spreading her creative wings in other areas, although music remains her primary focus. Mary is the only original Supreme to undertake the challenge of legitimate theatre, making her stage debut in 1988 with “Beehive,” a musical tribute to the female groups of the 60s. Most recently, Wilson starred in a national tour of “Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies,” the celebrated tribute to the music of the legendary jazz great. Her other theatre credits include “Leader of the Pack,” about the life of the songwriter Elly Greenwich, and numerous off-Broadway shows including “Mother’s Hubbard,” “Idealla’s Soul Shack,” “The Vagina Monologues” at the Detroit Opera House and “Grandma Sylvia’s Funeral,” where respected columnist Liz Smith proclaimed: “Mary Wilson, the sexiest and most attractive of the three original Supremes, a true survivor, makes her off-Broadway debut!” Wilson’s film credits include Disney’s TIGERTOWN, the documentaries BROWN SUGAR and THE GIRL GROUPS, and Lifetime Networks’ made for television movie, JACKIE’S BACK.

In addition to a stint as a guest judge on the FOX hit “American Juniors” and performing for ABC’s “Motown 45^th Anniversary Special,” Wilson was last seen in Miramax’s ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE, a documentary that catches up with the soul music stars of the 60s and 70s. Of Wilson in ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE, the Los Angeles Times said “Mary Wilson remains strikingly attractive and a vibrant singer of much style and authority; Wilson may have been a backup singer with the Supremes but is in truth a lead singer with a star quality never fully recognized.”

Throughout her career, Mary Wilson has had the privilege and pleasure of performing all over the world. Many of her performances with The Supremes were requested by royalty, such as for Britain’s Queen Mother as well as for the King of Sweden.  In 2000, Wilson had the prestigious honor of performing at the White House for the Millennium Celebration as well as two inaugural dinners held in President Bush’s honor.

A tireless humanitarian, Mary was awarded the Lifetime Achievement award by the National Foundation of Women Legislators and asked to join the Delegation of Woman Legislators. Wilson also participated in a Trade and Civil Life Conference in Bahrain with many of the kingdom’s highest officials, hosted by the Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain. The Free Trade Bill between the US and Bahrain remains a project that Wilson is very proud to have been a part of. Wilson has also visited the African nations of Mozambique and Botswana, where she spoke with thousands of children on the dangers of HIV and AIDS.

In 1988, The Supremes were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, receiving the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, which Wilson personally accepted. Seven years later, the Hall launched an exhibit of the “Supremes” gowns for the museum’s opening in Cleveland, Ohio called The Supremes Reflections: The Mary Wilson Supreme Legacy Collection. Wilson had been personally archiving the gowns for years before the exhibit, and was the natural choice for curator.  The Mary Wilson Supreme Legacy Collection, including the Butterfly dresses worn on their 1968 television special, is currently on tour, opening at the following museums:  the Grand Rapids Public Museum in Michigan (Nov 4th, 2007) and The Theatre Museum in London (May 12^th, 2008).  The collection has appeared at the New York State Museum in Albany, The LBJ Museum in Austin, The Museum of Metropolitan Art in New York, and The Detroit Historical Museum to name a few.

With a successful solo career – and new CD out later this year – an equally successful literary career and her tireless humanitarian efforts, Mary’s future couldn’t look brighter. She is living proof that dreams really do come true!

In the late 50’s and early 60’s Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs were an American Doo-Wop/R&B vocal group originally known as The Royal Charms and the Gladiolas.

The song “Little Darlin’” was a #11 hit on the R&B chart in 1957. In the spring of 1959, Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs performed at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. Around that time, the group split and reformed. The members were Williams, Gatson, Wiley Bennett, and Charles Thomas. Later, Little Willie Morrow and Albert Hill were added. In the early summer of 1959, the band recorded in a Quonset Hut on Shakespeare Road in Columbia.  One of the last tracks that they recorded that day was “Stay”. After taking the demo of “Stay” to Herald Records in New York City, the song was pressed and released in early 1960. “Stay” is the shortest recording ever to reach number one on Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

Later versions of “Stay”, by the Four Seasons (1964) and Jackson Browne (1978), reached the Top 20 in the U.S., each selling over one million copies in the United States alone. The inclusion of the Zodiacs’ “Stay” on the soundtrack to the film Dirty Dancing in 1987 led to the song selling more records than it had during its original release. After the unforgettable ‘Stay’ the group did songs such as ‘I Remember’ (1961), ‘Come Along’ (1961), and ‘May I’ (1966).  “May I”, became, over the years, another million-selling record.

In The Beginning

 Norman Fox & The Rob-Roys were one of the earliest interracial quintets & one of the most underrated & overlooked groups. With his distinctive lead voice, Norman Fox ,16, of the Bronx hooked up with DeWitt Clinton High School friends Robert Thierer (17, baritone), Marshall “Buzzy” Helfand (17, bass), Bob Trotman (16, first tenor) and Andre Lilly (16, second tenor) in 1956 to form a dynamic vocal mix with their Jewish/black coalition (Trotman and Lilly were originally members of the Harmonaires on Holiday.) They practiced in the school’s bathroom, at Norman’s house on Henry Hudson Parkway, and at Robert’s Knolls Crescent address, sharpening their sound on songs like THE HEARTBEATS’ “Rockin’ and Rollin'” and their own “Tell Me Why”. Influenced by other groups like THE HARPTONES, THE EL DORADOS, THE CLEFTONES, THE TEENAGERS, and the Heartbeats, the Bronx quintet developed their own unique sound at the same time the racially mixed DEL-VIKINGS were getting it all together in Pittsburgh. Early in 1957 Bob Trotman met Don Carter, New York agent for the Duke/Peacock organization, at Buddy’s Record Shop on 167th Street in the Bronx, and told him of their group. After a live audition in that very same record store, the Bronx boys found themselves contracted to the Texas-based record label.

Name & Hits

In late 1958

In the late ’80s

In late 1991

In May 1992 

Charles Eugene “Pat” Boone, born June 1, 1934, is a singer, composer, actor, writer, TV personality, motivational speaker, and spokesman. He was a successful pop singer in the US during the 50’s and 60’s. He sold over 45 million albums, had 38 Top 40 hits and appeared in more than 12 Hollywood films.

According to Billboard, Boone was the 2nd biggest charting artist of the late 50’s, behind only Elvis Presley and was ranked 9th behind the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney but ahead of artists such as Aretha Franklin and the Beach Boys in its listing of the Top 100 (Top 40 Artists 1955–1995). Boone still holds the Billboard record for 220 consecutive weeks on the charts with one or more songs each week.

At 23, he began hosting a half-hour ABC variety TV series, The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, which aired from 1957–1960. Many musical performers including Edie Adams, Andy Williams, Pearl Bailey and Johnny Mathis made appearances on the show. His cover versions of rhythm and blues hits had a noticeable effect on the development of the broad popularity of rock and roll. In 1955 Elvis Presley was the opening act for a show in Cleveland starring Pat Boone.
As an author, Boone had a #1 bestseller in the 50’s (Twixt Twelve and Twenty, Prentice-Hall). In the 60’s, he focused on gospel music and is a member of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. He continues to perform and speak as a motivational speaker, a TV personality, and a conservative political commentator.

Ray Hildebrand was born in Joshua, Texas, and Jill Jackson in McCamey, Texas. Both were attending Howard Payne College (now called Howard Payne University) in Brownwood, Texas in 1962 when a local disc jockey, Riney Jordan, asked listeners to come to the studio and sing their songs to help the American Cancer Society. The duo sang a song called “Hey Paula,” which Hildebrand wrote, and was encouraged to make a record of it.

Shelby Singleton of Philips Records eventually signed them, but not before changing their professional name (Singleton reasoned that a pair named Ray and Jill singing about “Hey, hey Paula” and “Hey, hey Paul” did not make sense). “Hey Paula” sold over two million copies globally, and was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America (R.I.A.A.) in 1963.^[1] The pairing of Paul & Paula was credited^{[citation needed]} with inspiring other famous male/female pairings down the line, mostly from record companies that had originally turned the duo down in 1962. In November 1963 Nino Tempo & April Stevens and Dale and Grace had back-to-back Hot 100 #1s. Jerry Butler was quickly paired with Betty Everett, and Marvin Gaye was paired with a number of female partners before Motown finally settled on Tammi Terrell. A revival of this duet craze started in 1977, when country music stars Kenny Rogers and Dottie West teamed up and recorded a series of big hit duets, such as “Everytime Two Fools Collide” and “Anyone Who Isn’t Me Tonight.” Rogers would also pair up successfully with Kim Carnes, Sheena Easton and (later) Dolly Parton.

The duo released two regular albums and a Christmas-themed album after the success of “Hey Paula”, which charted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the entire month of February 1963. Their follow-up, “Young Lovers“, reached #6 on the Billboard chart later in the same year.

In 1963, American Bandstand signed Paul & Paula to Dick Clark‘s Caravan of Stars national U.S. tour which was scheduled to perform its 15th show on the night of November 22, 1963 at the Memorial Auditorium in Dallas, Texas until suddenly the Friday evening event had to be canceled moments after U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated that afternoon while touring Dallas in an open car caravan. ^[2] [3]

In 1965, Hildebrand left the act to complete his college education, having decided that a future in show business was not for him. He made this decision in the middle of another Dick Clark Caravan of Stars road trip, and Clark had to fill in at the last minute. Hildebrand recorded a Christian music album in 1967 called He’s Everything to Me.

Jackson went on with a solo career and Hildebrand returned to singing in the 1980s in the Christian duo Land & Hildebrand. Today^[when?], the twosome get together from time to time to sing as Paul & Paula for special events.

In 2002, Hildebrand and Jackson returned to Howard Payne University to be the homecoming guests of honor and Grand Marshals.

The Lovin’ Feelin’ is Back- The Righteous Brothers Live! Blue-eyed soul pioneers The Righteous Brothers are back! With a string of #1 classics, including the most played song in radio history, You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield topped the charts in four decades. After Bobby’s death in 2003, Bill Medley continued to perform to sold-out crowds around the world, but fans and friends pleaded with him to keep The Righteous Brothers alive. Says Medley… No one could ever take Bobby’s place, but when I caught Bucky Heard’s show it all came together- I found the right guy to help me recreate the magic. The concert experience features their biggest hits– Lovin’ Feelin’, Soul & Inspiration, Unchained Melody, Rock and Roll Heaven, Medley’s Grammy-winning Dirty Dancing Theme The Time of My Life, and much, much more!

The Bill Medley/Bucky Heard pairing came as something of a happy accident. Medley says it just seemed right… I’d been friends with Bucky for years, but when I caught his show he just killed me! The next day it hit me- that’s the guy, someone I could sing hard with, laugh hard with, love and respect- on and off stage. He fits The Righteous Brothers live performance show perfectly. And, we’ve even recorded some new material together. I’m really excited!

Bill Medley is truly one of the iconic figures in American music history. His instantly recognizable baritone voice has anchored some of the biggest recordings of all time. He’s won a Grammy, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and an American Music Award.

The Orange County, Ca native began writing songs as a boy and had his breakout as a songwriter and a singer when, in 1963, the Medley-penned Little Latin Lupe Lu became a regional hit for Bill and Bobby Hatfield, as their first release as The Righteous Brothers. Other regional hits followed, Justine, Koko Joe, and My Babe, which led to a regular spot on ABC-TV’s national Shindig! broadcast. The show, featuring a cast of regulars, along with guest stars every week, catered to the teen audience, something new for TV at that time. Shindig’s smash success coincided with The Righteous Brothers opening for both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones on their first US tours.

Soon, The Righteous Brothers caught producer Phil Spector’s attention and he signed them to record what would become, according to BMI, the most played song in the history of American radio- the Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil classic, You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’. A string of top hits followed until 1968 when Medley and Hatfield agreed to part ways to pursue solo efforts. Medley soon scored with top ten hits Peace, Brother, Peace and Brown-eyed Woman. In 1974, Bill and Bobby re-united and within a few weeks had yet another monster hit with Rock and Roll Heaven.

From then, until Bobby’s passing in 2003, The Righteous Brothers never stopped performing to packed crowds. During that period Bill also recorded the chart-topping duet with Jennifer Warnes, The Time of My Life, for the movie Dirty Dancing. It went on to sell over 32 million copies worldwide. Then, shortly before Bobby passed away, in 2003 Righteous Brothers fan Billy Joel inducted the pair into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a glowing 7-minute speech.

Always active and stretching his creative talents, Medley has also sung on the soundtracks or performed the theme songs for 33 movies and TV shows and, in 2014, released his memoir, The Time of My Life, published by Da Capo Press.

Bucky Heard is an Alabama native and Auburn University alum. He’s been one of the most popular and versatile performers in America for several years, headlining countless shows in major venues. His reputation as a gutsy rock and roll singer, with an incredible vocal range, has garnered much critical praise and a legion of fans.

He’s been hand-selected to share the concert stage with legends like Andy Williams and Glen Campbell, and honored as “Male Vocalist of the Year” by entertainment publications. Credited with being one of the hardest working and in-demand performers, Bucky has rocked his way across America with his 10-piece horn band, and also starred in numerous national production shows.

Multi-talented, and always seeking to expand his musical horizons, he recently created, wrote, and produced an original children’s musical variety show called, Rock U Mentally, which headlined the American Bandstand Theatre for two consecutive Summers!

Heard says teaming up with Bill Medley in The Righteous Brothers has been a wonderful gift…Performing with Bill Medley is like getting your PhD in show business! He is more than a legend; he puts everything into every performance, and really understands how to connect with an audience. He motivates me to be my best and I’m grateful for this opportunity.

Scott Wood aka: “Mr. Punchline” has been hailed as one of the funniest Stand-up comics working today. Scott’s act garners more laughs per minute than any other comedian, and he’s being called the new Rodney Dangerfield. Scott has performed all across the United States and abroad and has appeared on ABC, NBC, FOX, the Family Channel and Comedy Central. Scott has opened for such artists as Donna Summer, Frankie Avalon, Chubby Checker, Brooks and Dunn Debbie Reynolds (Pictured) and the list goes on and on. Scott is the creator and star of the upcoming sitcom “My Life in Punchlines,” based on the life and Stand-up of this gifted comic. Scott’s clean comedy and voice impressions can currently be heard on XM Radio and he’s currently traveling throughout California opening for the “Best Of Doo Wop” with such music icons as the Platters, Drifters, Coasters and many more. Scott Wood. Stand-up comedy – Fall down funny!

This veteran performer has had some incredible career highlights over the past twenty years doing Stand-up on the stage and on television. Scott has won every comedy contest he’s entered, and was named Stand-up comedy champion after winning the Improv comedy clubs talent search for funniest comedian. Scott has studied and performed with top Improv troupes such as the Groundings, Comedy Sportz and Second City. Scott’s list of corporate credits include Toys R Us, Disney, Home Depot, Toyota, McDonald’s, Pepsi and hundreds more. Scott has appeared on several television programs and was featured on World News Tonight with Peter Jennings spotlighting his “Clean” comedy.

In 1959, Sonny Turner replaced Tony Williams as the lead singer of the original Platters. At 19, Sonny was chosen from 100 singers & started touring the world with The Platters. Sonny brought The Platters back to the pop charts in the 60’s with such hits as “I Love You 1000 Times”, “With This Ring”, “Washed Ashore” as well as re-recording major Platters hits like “Only You”, “The Great Pretender” and “The Magic Touch.” You can hear Sonny’s voice in various movies such as “The Nutty Professor II” (Eddie Murphy), “Hearts in Atlantis”(Anthony Hopkins), and “Prince of the City” (Robert DeNiro).
Sonny is the only surviving member of The Platters that can be heard on the hundreds of recordings and hit records that made The Platters one of the most successful vocal groups of all time. Sonny remained with The Platters from 1959- 1970 when he left to pursue a solo career.

In 2005, Mr. Turner received The Lifetime Excellence in Entertainment presented to him by consumer’s entertainment exchange and Doo Wop Hall of Fame.

In 2009 at Wildwood New Jersey, Sonny Turner was inducted to the Pacific Avenue of the Stars & in 2008 received The Gateway Classic Lifetime Achievement Award. He received the Black Music Award in 2007 & was inducted into the Beach Music Hall of Fame and Vocal Group Hall of Fame. He is recognized by the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in his home town Cleveland, Ohio. In 2013, Sonny was honored with a plaque, and inducted into the Hall of Fame. Today Sonny continues to perform all over the world.

Sonny Turner

In late 1959, replaced Tony Williams as the lead singer of the original Platters. At the age of 19, Sonny Turner was chosen out of 100 singers who auditioned. Soon after, he toured the world with “The Platters” bringing their music to people of all nations. Sonny brought The Platters back to the pop charts in the 1960’s. Chart-toppers like “I Love You 1000 Times”, “With This Ring” and “Washed Ashore”. Also re-recording major Platters hits like “Only You”, “The Great Pretender” and “The Magic Touch.” You can hear Sonny’s voice in various movies such as “The Nutty Professor II” starring Eddie Murphy, “Hearts in Atlantis” starring Anthony Hopkins, and “Prince of the City” starring Robert DeNiro.

In 2005, Mr. Turner received The Lifetime Excellence in Entertainment presented to him by consumer’s entertainment exchange and Doo Wop Hall of Fame.

In 2009 Sonny Turner was inducted into the Pacific Avenue of the Stars in Wildwood New Jersey.  In 2008 he received The Gateway Classic Lifetime Achievement Award. He received the Black Music Award in 2007. Sonny has been inducted into the Beach Music Hall of Fame and Vocal Group Hall of Fame. He is recognized by the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in his hometown Cleveland, Ohio. Sonny was instrumental in getting the truth in music laws passed in the state of Nevada and North Dakota.

Sonny Now

In 2013, Sonny’s home state, The State of West Virginia and Senator A James Manchin, honored Sonny Turner with a plaque and inducted him into the Hall of Fame.

There is only one surviving member of The Platters still alive today that can be heard on the hundreds of recordings and hit records that made The Platters one of the most successful vocal groups of all time, and that is Sonny Turner. Sonny remained with The Platters from late 1959 until 1970 when he left to pursue a solo career.

Today Sonny continues to perform all over the world.

Whether it was listening to “Stella Dallas” and other soaps with his Mom after school, pretending to be Gene Autry’s Sunday sidekick on “Melody Ranch”, or getting lost in the prosecutions of “Mr. District Attorney” on Wednesday nights, Wink Martindale’s fascination with radio began during childhood. Playmates may have aspired to be doctors, firemen or policemen. Wink just wanted to be a radio announcer. His journey from Jackson Sun paper carrier to soda jerk at Baker’s Drug Store to legendary status in radio and television began in his small hometown, Jackson, Tennessee – then, population 25,000.

Following graduation from high school in 1951 Wink’s former Sunday school teacher managed a 250 Watt radio station. He gave Wink his first on-air job at $25 a week. With persistence, he advanced to the town’s two larger stations and in short order, he found himself on Memphis’ number one station WHBQ where Wink soon became one of the Bluff City’s most popular radio and television personalities. Work never hindered Wink. While hosting the morning show on radio, a TV show in the afternoon and beginning to raise a family, he still found time to complete his college education at the University of Memphis – majoring in Speech and English, minoring in Journalism. A shining example of what happens when one envisions a goal and acts upon it.

In 1959 Wink ventured west to Los Angeles where he was alternately featured on KHJ, KRLA, KFWB and KGIL. His radio dream was fully realized in 1971 when he began a 12 year run as the midday personality on Gene Autry’s flagship “Station of the Stars”, KMPC. Along the way there was his teen oriented “Dance Party” from Pacific Ocean Park, a gold record, the narrative “Deck of Cards”, an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, and 21 game shows that Wink either hosted or produced including “Trivial Pursuit”, “Can You Top This”, “High Rollers”, “Debt”, “Gambit”, and the long-running “Tic-Tac-Dough”.

To whom much is given, much is expected. Wink has always followed his Mom’s admonition to “give back”. Among his fondest memories are the 12 years he co-hosted and helped produce the local Cerebral Palsy Telethon in his hometown. In recognition of this he was given the 2009 Tigrett Award by the West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation.

For years Wink and his wife Sandy were on the Los Angeles Board of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Currently, Wink is a spokesperson for Dream Factory, a volunteer organization which grants dreams to children diagnosed with critical or chronic illnesses – 3 to 18 years of age. He has also been affiliated with Ted Baher’s Movie Guide Awards both as host and contributor.

When fortitude is evident fame and fortune are sure to follow. In 2006, Wink received his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2012, he was a career inductee into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame. In 2015, the University of Memphis presented him with the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Every holiday season Wink co-produces and narrates for radio syndication the “100 Greatest Christmas Hits of All Time”.

Wink even has his name and likeness on a soda pop bottled by Rocket Fizz Soda Pop & Candy Shops!

Social media is a part of Wink’s daily agenda as well – Twitter and Facebook.

Wink is the father of 4 children, Lisa, Lyn, Laura and Wink Jr., 7 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

He and Sandy, his wife of 41 years live in Calabasas, CA.

When asked about retirement, his answer never wavers, “Why retire? I’m not tired!”

The Chantels are singing on the Pop and Rhythm & Blues circuit capturing audiences across the nation with their unique sound. Hear them on their new CD Eternally.

The Chantels began their journey to stardom in 1956 by a chance meeting with Richard Barrett; lead singer of the Valentines, on New York’s famed Broadway. The five girls, Arlene Smith, Renee Minus, Jacqulyn Landry, Sonia Goring and Lois Harris had attended St. Anthony of Padua Elementary School in the Bronx, New York, and were members of St. Anthony’s church choir. Their unique sound was rooted in the liturgical music of that church, and the sounds of the boy groups that sang on the street corners of the Bronx. Barrett recorded the Chantels on George Goldner’s End Record label. “He’s Gone” backed by the “Plea” were released in 1957. The next release “Maybe” became a major national hit and made the Chantels stars overnight. The Chantels are also credited with recording the first Extended Play 45 rpm record. The Chantels then began a series of nationwide tours with Alan Freed and “Murray the K” Kaufman. They also appeared on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand.

In 1959 after George Goldner’s record company folded, original lead singer Arlene Smith struck out on her own. The Chantels didn’t miss a beat and in 1962, released what was to become the group’s highest charted record, “Look in My Eyes” on the Carlton label and Annette Smith on lead, under the direction of Richard Barrett. This was followed by the up-tempo “Well I told you” which was a top 20 hit, with Barrett on lead, and was the answer to Ray Charles’ “Hit the Road Jack.”

In December 1997, Original group member Jackie Landry Jackson succumbed to breast cancer. Although this was a major loss The Chantels decided not to replace her. Jackie was the heart of the group and was the glue that held The Chantels together. She is sorely missed.

Today, The Chantels, Sonia Goring Wilson, Lois Harris Powell, Renee Minus White and Ami Ortiz who joined the group in 1996, are among the most popular and requested singing groups, performing their numerous great hits. They are among the nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2010 induction. The group’s live performance in 1999 for the PBS TV special, “Doo Wop ’50,” which featured the best vocal group stars of the 1950’s and 60’s received rave reviews nationwide.

The Chantels have in recent years appeared at the world famous Apollo Theater, Radio City Music Hall, The Beacon Theater, The Tarrytown Music Hall, Symphony Space and the Norfolk Music Center, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, all in New York; Three Rivers Stadium, White Oak American Legion and the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh, PA and numerous other venues on the East and West Coast. The Chantels had the privilege of appearing in concert at the World Trade Center in July 2001, and also appearing in front of an audience of 125,000 Girl Scouts of America at the Washington Monument in 2002 and again in 2007 in celebration of their 90th and 95^th anniversaries.

Most recently, The Chantels have appeared at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, NJ, The State Theater in Easton, PA, The American Music Theater in Lancaster, PA, The Cannery Casino in Las Vegas, NV, Prairie Meadows Casino in Des Moines, IA, The DuPont Theatre in Wilmington, DE; and the White Oak American Legion in Pittsburgh, PA for a repeat performance of their solo show.

In January of 2011 The Chantels returned to their native Bronx, NY for a performance at the Lehman College Concert Hall. This appearance was a thrill for both the Chantels and the audience.

The Chantels are honored to have received recognition and several awards for their contribution to music.

The Chantels were nominated for induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and again in 2010.

In 1995, The Chantels were inducted into the United IN Group Harmony Association’s Hall of Fame at Symphony Space, in New York City.

In 1996, The Rhythm & Blues Foundation awarded The Chantels its “Pioneer Award” at The Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, CA.

In 2002 The Chantels were inducted into The Bronx, NY “Walk of Fame” where their name was officially posted on the Street Sign at the Bronx County Court House. That same year The Chantels were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in Sharon, PA.

In 2004 The Atlanta Doo-Wop Association awarded The Chantels “The Pioneer Image Award” for their contribution to Rhythm and Blues and Vocal Group Harmony.

In 2007 The City of Wildwood, NJ honored The Chantels with a Plaque and a Star on Wildwood’s Pacific Avenue of the Stars, celebrating those who have performed in that city.

These extremely talented ladies are also featured in the celebrated “Doo Wop is Alive” photo unveiled on February 3, 2000 at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC as a salute to the pioneers of the Rhythm & Blues and Doo Wop. They were greeted as the “sweethearts of the era!”

When Phil Spector discovered The Crystals, not one was yet out of high school. Their first recording, There’s No Other (Like My Baby)  was also their first hit which catapulted them straight to the Apollo Theatre. They continued their successful recordings with five more TOP TEN records: Uptown, He’s A Rebel, He’s Sure The Boy I Love, Da Doo Ron Ron,  and Then He Kissed Me. Two of the TOP 50 most popular records in the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame belongs to The Crystals. The Crystals now consist of Dee Dee Kenniebrew, who was there from the very first recording, Patricia Pritchett-Lewis, and MelSoulTree.

The Crystals performed for TV Producer Roger King at his birthday party and in attendance were Danny Aiello, Kirk Douglas, Gladys Knight and many other celebrities. Roger came on stage to perform and dance along to our singing of “Da Doo Ron Ron, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, I’ll Be There, Hold On I’m Coming, Rescue Me, Dedicated To The One I Love, Be My Baby, Why do Fools Fall In Love, He’s A Rebel” and other hits. A good time was had by all.

The Crystals have a high energy show and have audiences asking for more. To visit The Crystals official website go here. http://www.thecrystals.net/

Southern California’s Premier Acapella Group

These soulful voices originated on the streets of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New Jersey. The Dukes of Doo-Wop’s streetcorner style comes from a rich history of present group members being a part of past legendary groups such as The Five Sharks – pioneers of this genre, The Encounters, and Deke and The Blazers. Their style comes from a time when vocal quality and harmony was most important. They sang on street corners, subways, and in building lobbies, where individual voices took on the life of instruments that created melodies and vocal arrangements that filled your heart and nourished your soul. Formed in the late summer of 2011 The Dukes of Doo-Wop have come a long way in a short time. They have shared the stage with Doo Wop and Rock N Roll legends such as: The Tokens (Lion Sleeps Tonight),  Norman Fox and The Rob Roys (Pizza Pie), Diamond David Somerville (Little Darlin), The Coasters, The Duprees, Kathy Young, Randy Safuto (Randy & The Rainbows), The Legendary Teenagers, The Drifters, Cleveland Stills & The Dubs, John Kuse (The Excellents), Jimmy Gallagher & The Passions, The Fleetwoods, Jimmy Charles, Brian Hyland, The Olympics, Chris Montez, Tony Middleton (The Willows), Freddie “Boom Boom” Cannon, Jimmy Clanton, and Johnny Farina (Santo & Johnny) . They opened the CBS Studio Centers July 4th celebration singing live on KCAL Channel 9 and CBS Channel 2 as well as a full performance on the back lot. They have brought their talents to the Doo Wop Music Hall Of Fame headlining at the Walley Roker and The Heartbeats induction. Mr. Rock n Roll himself, Mr. Brianne Bierne, K-Earth 101 Radio personality has had The Dukes of Doo-Wop open his annual Glendale Cruise Night.

The Love Songs That Never Die

The group was founded in the early 1960s in Jersey City, New Jersey, by William L. Dickinson High School students Michael Arnone, Joe Santollo, John Salvato, Tom Bialoglow, and lead singer Joey Canzano (later known as Joey Vann). George Paxton, a former big band leader was impressed by the group’s style and signed them to his Coed Records label. Their first single, “You Belong to Me”, had been a hit for Jo Stafford in 1952. The Duprees’ version was given a big band backing by Paxton and reached the US top ten in 1962.

The group had more top 40 hits in the next few years. “My Own True Love” was a vocal adaptation of “Tara’s Theme” from the soundtrack of Gone with the Wind and became the group’s second hit. “Have You Heard” and “Why Don’t You Believe Me” also reached the Top 40 charts and, like “You Belong to Me,” were originally early 1950s female vocal hits (Joni James, in this case). The group became known for mixing doo-wop vocals with big band arrangements. Tom Bialoglow left in 1963. Mike Kelly, who had recorded on the group’s original demos for George Paxton, replaced Joey Vann as lead vocalist in 1964, and formally left the group in 1977. In the late 1960s and early 1970s they released an album under the name The Italian Asphalt & Pavement Company (or I. A. P. CO.), and had a minor hit called “Check Yourself.” Mike Arnone kept the group going into the 1980s with Richie Rosato on lead, Al Latta on baritone, Bob Leszczak on first tenor, Bobby Wells on keyboards, and Duane O’Hara on drums. This group lasted from 1981-83.

Joe Santollo died in 1981, Joey Vann died in 1984, and Mike Arnone died in 2005. John Salvato is a booking agent. Mike Kelly, who sang briefly with The Chaperones in 2006, died of cancer on August 7, 2012. Tommy Bialoglow had his own group called Twilight Time and currently performs with Joe Zisa & Friends “Jersey Tribute”.

The Original Duprees (Joey Vann Canzano, Mike Kelly, John Salvato, Tom Bialoglow, Joe Santollo, and Mike Arnone) were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2006.

In 1990, Mike Arnone took a back seat to performing so he could manage the group full-time. He died in 2005. The current edition of the Duprees are led by Tony Testa. He was one of the original guitarists for the Duprees during the early years. In 1989 Mike Arnone asked him to return to The Duprees as its Musical Director. Testa also sings bass, baritone and top falsetto parts for the group. Phil Granito has been with the Duprees since 1987. Jimmy Spinelli joined the group in 1989. Tommy Petillo is the group’s fourth member who was the last lead singer to perform with the original Duprees

2012 marked the 50th anniversary of “You Belong to Me” becoming a national hit.

The legend and the legacy of the Duprees continue today…

The Duprees are known the world over for their romantic interpretations of the most beautiful love songs ever written. They have made a career out of giving new life to old hits. Starting out in the early sixties, in Jersey City, New Jersey, The Duprees were discovered by George Paxton of Coed Records and former big band leader. Impressed with their smooth vocal quality, he had them record Jo Stafford’s 1950’s ballad “You Belong To Me” with Big Band arrangements. It was an instant national hit and the group’s first Million Seller.  The unmistakable sound was born and the hits kept coming:

1962 You Belong To Me · 1962 My Own True Love · 1963 Gone With The Wind · 1963 Take Me As I Am · 1963 Why Don’t You Believe Me · 1963 Have You Heard · 1963 Love Eyes · 1963 It’s No Sin · 1963 The Sand And The Sea · 1964 It Isn’t Fair · 1966 Let Them Talk · 1966 Exodus

Along with their unique sound and outstanding vocal harmonies, The Duprees perform with showmanship that is individually and collectively, second to none.  Thousands of fans around the globe are captivated with their wonderful mixture of romance, energy, and fun.  When The Duprees take the stage, be prepared to be thoroughly entertained.

The Flamingos – loved by fans, revered by fellow singers and enshrined forever into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as eternal proof of it all.  From the time he wrote and sang lead on “Lovers Never Say Goodbye”, Terry Johnson, knew he had created something transcendent.  With the release of Terry’s arrangement of “I Only Have Eyes for You” a year later, The Flamingos’ reputation was cemented as the pre-eminent vocal group of their era.  Rolling Stone Magazine even called them, “one of the, if not the, best” of the time.  Billboard Magazine states “The Flamingos are hailed as one of the finest and most influential vocal groups in music history.”  The singles and the albums – totaling 9 national smash hits – all musically and vocally produced and some authored by Terry Johnson, just kept on coming, and even though the original group splintered when Terry left in 1962, The Flamingos live on today with Johnson’s new spotlight companions, Starling Newsome, Stan Prinston and Theresa Trigg.  “Nobody Loves Me Like You”, “Besame Mucho”, “I’ll Be Home”, “Mio Amore”, “Begin The Beguine”, and songs like”Ebb Tide” and “I Who Have Nothing” from their Diamond Anniversary CD are on the menu for this feast of timeless music and style.  But the variety of their show is what is most outstanding.  Songs from Barry White, contemporary songs like “Happy”, tribute to our troops and latin numbers that leave them dancing in the isles is what the following review reflects.  ” This has been viewed as one of the best shows we have ever offered our guests.”  by Tom Ducey, Asst. Director of Marketing, Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, Reno, NV.

Class personified, voices of champagne, ambassadors for romance – welcome The Flamingos to the Highlander Auditorium on Saturday August 5th.

The sound of any great vocal group is ultimately defined by the voice of its Lead Singer. In the case of THE FOUR PREPS, that voice belongs to BRUCE BELLAND who Co-founded the Preps in 1954 while still in high school and has been their frontman ever since. Bruce is the only original member heard on every Four Preps track ever recorded.

Over five decades he’s become what one critic called “that rare creature – an Original Lead Singer from the Fab. 50’s who can still bring audiences to their feet.”

It all began in the Fall of 1954 when 35 girls and not one boy showed up to audition for the annual Hollywood High student talent show. The next day the school bulletin pleaded for “any guys out there who can do anything” and a show business tale of triumph began.

Unable to resist such amorously appealing odds, four talented and highly motivated boys in the school choir, Lead Singer Bruce Belland, baritone Glen Larson, bass Ed Cobb and high tenor Marvin Ingram, literally formed a quartet overnight and stepped into the crinoline void as THE FOUR PREPS.

After stealing the show with choice hits by their idols, The Crew Cuts, and The Four Lads, they quickly found themselves in demand for every kind of event imaginable.

“We didn’t turn anything down”, Bruce remembers. “We once performed on the back of a flatbed truck for the opening of a parking lot. They paid us $75.00; enough to buy gas and our first matching sports coats. We were totally stoked.”

In 1956 legendary Capitol Records Producer Voyle Gilmore, who recorded stars like Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, and Louie Prima & Keely Smith, heard a tape of a live performance by the Preps and signed them to a long-term recording contract. At the time the Preps were the youngest act ever to sign with a major record label. (In an article about their signing, Variety dubbed them “Capitol’s jolly juveniles”.)

They quickly became a favorite of the nation’s disc jockeys and soon their voices blanketed the airwaves. As 1957 began, Cashbox honored them as “the most promising Newcomer of the Year.” and critics began to praise their distinctive sound – and Bruce’s Lead – as “fresh”, “clean”, “bracing”, “warm” and “rich” which inspired Capitol to renew their contract for a second year while searching for that elusive hit record.

Their first national television exposure came on “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriett” playing singing fraternity brothers of their former HHS classmate Ricky Nelson. That led to their first national tour with Nelson which began the same week LIFE magazine coined the term “Teen Idol” under Rick’s picture on its cover. That SOLD OUT tour created a publicity tsunami for the four talented newcomers.

Shortly after the boys returned to Hollywood, “26 Miles” (written by Bruce and Glen) hit the airwaves and their young lives were changed forever. That million-selling song (9 million at last count) about the “island of romance” became what Dick Clark called “the first surfer hit” and took the Pop world by storm. (In their recent biographies, both Jimmy Buffett and Brian Wilson cite that Preps classic as their enduring teenage influence).

Bruce and the Preps were soon featured in LIFE magazine, on countless Ed Sullivan and American Bandstand Shows and capped it off by being honored as “Newcomer of the Year” in Billboard Magazine and signing for an engagement at the world-famous Coconut Grove a scant 24 months after attending there as high school prom-goers.

Their superstar status was confirmed when they Co-Starred in an Award-winning TV Special with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Rosemary Clooney and Louie Armstrong and then in the first surfer film, “Gidget” opposite Sandra Dee, James Darren and Academy Award winner Cliff Robertson.

In 1962 The Preps’ career took another quantum leap with their first LIVE concert album, “The Four Preps on Campus” which soared to the top of the charts. One track, “More Money for You and Me”, highlighted the Preps’ uncanny vocal parodies of other groups and became a Top Ten single that the nation’s DJs voted “the novelty record of the year”.

That first LIVE album was followed by two more in their legendary “On Campus Series, “Four Preps – Campus Encore” and “Four Preps – Campus Confidential” making them the only group of their genre to ever record three consecutive “LIVE IN PERSON” albums.

For three straight years in the mid 60’s, The Four Preps were the country’s Number One College Concert Attraction, touring in their own 13 passenger plane and averaging 150 campus concerts a year. They went on to headline in Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe, Atlantic City, the Hollywood Bowl and Greek Theater and other prestigious venues across North America, and throughout Europe and Asia, prompting Variety to describe their sold-out live performances as “all the rage these days!”.

In 1969 after a successful 15-year collaboration, the original Four Preps: Belland, Ingram, Larson, and Cobb, disbanded to pursue other highly successful individual careers in the entertainment industry.

BRUCE BELLAND – who co-wrote the Preps’ hits, has created songs for Willie Nelson, Johnny Mathis, Roy Clark, T.G. Shepherd, Sammy Davis, Lena Horne, Donny Osmond, Della Reese, Herman’s Hermits, The Mouseketeers and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and written special material for Johnny Carson, Chevy Chase, Bob Newhart, Tim Conway, Steve Allen and the Smothers Brothers as well as feature films, numerous TV screenplays and theatrical productions including two on Broadway. As Producer of over 1,000 hours of TV, including “Name That Tune” and “Truth or Consequences”, he’s been a three-time Emmy nominee, senior NBC programming executive and done voices for many animated features including the Disney classic, “Jungle Book”. As Co-Author of the Official Anthem of the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, he was awarded the Freedom Foundation’s Presidential Medal of the Arts and cited in the Congressional Record.

In 1989, at Dick Clark’s suggestion, Bruce, and Ed Cobb re-formed The Four Preps with David Somerville of The Diamonds and Jim Pike of the Lettermen (who was subsequently replaced by Jim Yester of The Association.) That foursome toured and recorded until Cobb retired in 1997. (Ed Cobb died in 1999 as did original high tenor Marv Ingram.)

Recently PBS asked Bruce to re-assemble a version of The Four Preps for the star-studded musical special “Magic Moments” featuring legendary hitmakers: Pat Boone, Patti Page, Debbie Reynolds, The McGuire Sisters, The Chordettes, The Platters, The Four Preps and their high school idols… The Crew Cuts and The Four Lads. Over 100 million viewers have watched that history-making Special which started a groundswell of demand for a full-blown Four Preps concert tour.

It became clear that, despite occasional personnel changes in the other three voices, Bruce’s distinctive style and sound – which once inspired Ed Sullivan to introduce The Preps as “the greatest recording group in the country” – has garnered a legion of fans that still remain loyal many decades later.

As the only original member of The Four Preps still actively performing, Bruce loved the idea of going back on tour and once again singing Lead in a great harmony ensemble. So now there’s a new touring version of The Four Preps strolling millions of Oldies lovers back down memory lane with the distinctive song stylings of the voice that has defined their music from the start.

Meet today’s other Preps:

BOB DUNCAN high tenor, is one of the harmony world’s most successful and seasoned performers. He first launched his vocal career with The Safaris’ hit “Image of a Girl” then sang with The Ray Coniff Singers, The Jubillaires gospel quartet and the Blenders on Lawrence Welk’s television show for many seasons. He went on to star with The Diamonds for twenty years and with The Crew Cuts for almost a decade before joining Bruce in The Four Preps.

MICHAEL REDMAN baritone has over five decades, performed and recorded with Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley, Henry Mancini, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers and on TV classics The Smothers Brothers, Donnie and Marie and Lawrence Welk. He’s on movie soundtracks for “Annie”, Blues Brothers”, “Big”, “Lonesome Dove”, “Apocalypse: Now”, and “Oh God, Books I, II And III”. Until joining The Four Preps, he was a key member of The Crew Cuts.

JIM ARMSTRONG The newest member of THE FOUR PREPS brings with him a colorful and well-rounded background of show business experience and diverse musical talents. As a gifted pianist, vocalist, arranger, and actor he has performed with Debbie Reynolds, Juliet Prowse, Vickie Carr and Henry Mancini at prestigious venues around the world. With his rich bass voice and unerring musical instincts, Jim provides a solid musical foundation for the Preps legendary harmonies.

The Lettermen are: Tony Butala, Donovan Tea, and Bobby Poynton

The one change Tony Butala, original and founding member of The Lettermen, would have made in the 50 plus year career of one of the most popular vocal groups in history is a surprising one. “We chose the wrong name!” he exclaims. “In the late ’50s, when you started a vocal group and wanted to stand out from the crowd, all you had to do was use a novel new name that would give your group a unique look and image.” “If you are a new group in today’s world and you want to get noticed, you have to dye your hair purple or pink, multi-pierce your face, ears and tongue, and even then you may not be different enough to get any notoriety.”

In the late ’50s, most vocal groups had school type names such as Danny & the Juniors, The Four Freshmen and The Four Preps. The Lettermen chose the name The Lettermen and wore letter sweaters. By the time those names became passé in the early sixties, The Lettermen had already had a few hit singles and albums and were a tremendous success in colleges and nightclubs. Capitol Records, The Lettermen’s record label, was reluctant to try to market a new name as The Lettermen wanted, due to the fact that it was already an established worldwide name.

They did pack away the sweaters in mothballs, and fortunately, their fans and the general public have gotten past the sweaters, and the name and image for the last five decades definitely mean The Lettermen.

The Lettermen name first appeared in February 1958 on the marquee of the Desert Inn Hotel Resort Showroom in Las Vegas, Nevada, where Butala, Mike Barnett, and Talmadge Russell performed in the record-shattering revue, “Newcomers of 1928,” which starred big band leader Paul Whiteman, silent film comic Buster Keaton, singers Rudy Vallee and Harry Richmond, film star Fifi D’Orsay and the sneezing comedian Billy Gilbert.

Butala played the part of Bing Crosby, who sang lead in the “Rhythm Boys” the vocal group that had hits and toured in the 1920s with Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra.

The vision of The Lettermen was of three very strong soloists who had the ability and showmanship to perform and entertain an audience, but who also had the discipline needed to be group singers. The sound they came up with was a sound between the big band vocal groups such as the Modernaires, Pied Pipers, Mills Brothers, Four Freshmen and the early R&B rock groups such as the Ink Spots, Flamingos and the Platters.

Butala began singing professionally at age seven in Sharon, Pennsylvania and by the age of eight was singing on KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Within a few years, he moved to Hollywood, California to become a member of the famous Mitchell Boys Choir, who since 1932 had appeared in over one hundred motion pictures, scores of television and radio shows, radio & television commercials, and world-wide concert tours. While in the choir, he appeared in such classic films as “White Christmas”, “War of the Worlds”, “On Moonlight Bay”, was the voice of one of the Lost Boys in the classic Walt Disney animated film “Peter Pan”. He was the singing voice of child actor Tommy Rettig in the Doctor Seuss script, Stanley Kramer production, “5000 Fingers of Doctor T”, released by Columbia Pictures.

In the mid-fifties, while attending Hollywood Professional High School, Butala formed The Fourmost, a vocal group of three ex-Mitchell Boy Choir friends and a female classmate, Concetta Ingolia. In a few years, after moderate local success, Concetta exited the group to be cast in a new TV series, “Hawaiian Eye,” and used her stage name, Connie Stevens.

By 1960, The Lettermen – now Butala, Jim Pike, and Bob Engemann – were signed to Warner Brothers Records and released their first singles: “Their Hearts Were Full of Spring” together with “When” and “The Magic Sound” together with “Two Hearts.” In 1961, Nic Venet, a new, young, creative A&R man with Capitol Records who years earlier had written a few songs with Butala, was played these first recordings. Venet was impressed by their unique natural close harmonic blend and, convinced that he could produce a hit record with them, signed them to what turned out to be an over twenty-five-year contract with Capitol Records.

For their debut Capitol single record in the summer of 1961, Capitol Records decided to put a ballad on the B-side of “That’s My Desire,” their doo-wop single, figuring disc jockeys would have to play the A-side because the B-side was so sweet, and slow, and did not necessarily encompass the commercial sound of the day.

That B-side was “The Way You Look Tonight”. Soft, melodic and romantic, it was a departure from the rock ‘n’ roll music of the day and listener requests made it a must for disc jockey playlists nationwide. The song shot to No.13, on the Billboard chart. The group’s second single that year did even better, “When I Fall In Love,” another soft, slow ballad hit No.7, establishing The Lettermen as the most romantic singing group of the sixties.

The next year, “Come Back Silly Girl” reached No.17 and The Lettermen’s debut album, “A Song for Young Love”, hit the Top 10, their first of 32 straight Top 40 Albums.

Butala’s breathy vocals were the lead on most of The Lettermen many hit records. In almost every poll, The Lettermen were named Best New Group or Best Vocal Group as two more albums followed in 1962 – “Once Upon A Time” and” Jim, Tony, and Bob”, the latter an effort to segue away from The Lettermen name.

The ’60’s and early ’70’s saw The Lettermen score over 25 chart hit singles, including “Theme From A Summer Place” (No.16, 1965, from the Sandra Dee/Troy Donahue film), “Goin’ Out of My Head/Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” No.7, 1968, the first hit record ever to completely integrate two songs as one and also “Hurt So Bad” No.12, 1969.

Their signature sound made romantic standards of songs such as “Smile,” “Put Your Head On My Shoulder,” “Shangri-La,” “Love,” “Traces/Memories” and many more.

Among those 32 consecutive albums, which charted in Billboard magazine’s Top 40, four were certified gold: “The Lettermen!!!… And “Live” (1967) “Goin’ Out of My Head” (1968), “Best of The Lettermen” (1969) and “Hurt So Bad”(1970).

At the same time, The Lettermen toured with George Burns, Jack Benny, Bob Hope and Bill Cosby; performed on bills with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Jimmy Durante, Debbie Reynolds, Sam Cooke, and Sammy Davis, Jr.; appeared several times on television’s “The Ed Sullivan Show,” and were regulars on “The Red Skelton Show” and “The Hollywood Palace.”

Butala estimates that the group made some 200 appearances on television shows including shows such as Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand” series, “Shindig”, and “Hullabaloo”. They were interviewed and performed on talk shows and variety shows with Johnny Carson, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, Jack Paar, Milton Berle, Steve Allen, Dinah Shore, and many others throughout the ’60s and ’70s, cultivating new crops of fans.

The Lettermen have also enjoyed international success touring Japan, The Philippines, China, Thailand, Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, Germany, France, South America, Canada, Mexico and even Saudi Arabia.

They have sung and recorded in over fourteen languages and have received eighteen (18) gold records internationally. Their All-American, clean-cut, no-drugs image may have been a drawback in the hard rock era of the sixties and seventies, but The Lettermen stood by it. Says Butala, “I never thought people who did drugs were hip.” Even as the British Invasion dimmed other American artist record sales in the ’60s, television and concert appearances sustained The Lettermen career. The group has been a rarity that can perform from small college campuses to the posh Empire Room at The Waldorf Astoria in New York City; from the Iowa State Fair to main showrooms in Las Vegas, Nevada; from U.S.O. shows in the jungles of Thailand and Cambodia to elegant concert halls with the world’s most renowned symphony orchestras.

“One of our rules”, says Butala, “is to never dress below the level of your audience”. The Lettermen stage wardrobe is comprised of denim and jeans for outdoor festivals and fairs, casual dress for colleges, tuxedos for hotel showrooms and glitzier garb for the casino showrooms.

The Lettermen have also appeared in most of the major sports arenas in the U.S. with their touching a cappella rendition of the “National Anthem”. People Magazine honored their version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by voting the group “one of the best ‘anthem-singing’ groups in sports”.

They have continually recorded, averaging at least one album a year. They formed their own Alpha Omega Records in 1979. Some of their newer CD/ albums, now numbering over 75, are: “The Lettermen – Favorites”, “The Lettermen – Best Of Broadway”, “The Lettermen – Live In The Philippines”, their holiday CD “The Lettermen – The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, and one of their latest releases “The Lettermen – New Directions 2010”.

Over its 50 years, the trio has gone through a few personnel changes. Engemann left in 1967, replaced by Gary Pike, Jim Pike’s younger brother. A few years later, due to vocal problems, Jim left the group and was replaced by his even younger brother, Donny Pike. The group stayed stable, with this combination all through the seventies and early eighties led by the constant member Tony Butala. Since then, Darren Dowler, Ernie Pontiere, Don Campeau, Chad Nichols, and Mark Preston have each had stints as a member of The Lettermen.

Donovan Tea was born in Houston, Texas and started singing professionally at 17 when he won an international vocal competition in Guilford, England. After touring Europe, he returned home to sing at the Hollywood Bowl with the L.A. Master Chorale. At eighteen, he became a lead singer for The Young Americans, appearing in Las Vegas for the first time in 1973 opening for the likes of Sammy Davis, Jr., Rich Little, and Tony Bennett, and also performed for then-President Gerald Ford in Washington, D.C. While with The Young Americans, he guest-starred on NBC’s holiday special “Merry Christmas, Fred, From The Crosbys,” performing a tap dance number with Fred Astaire and singing backup for Bing Crosby on the song “White Christmas.” In 1977 Donovan began performing as a soloist at the prestigious nightclub “The Horn” in Los Angeles, opening his career to nightclubs around the country and to performing in the cruise ship industry.

In late 1978, early 1979, Donovan eventually became a solo production singer at The Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas, NV in the revue “Casino De Paris”. It was during his time there that he first met The Lettermen when they attended one of the Dunes shows. He then moved over to The Stardust Hotel as lead production singer in the revue “Lido De Paris” for about four years until 1984, when he heard of the vacancy he now fills in The Lettermen.

Donovan Tea has remained a continuous member of The Lettermen since he joined the group in September of 1984, making him the longest-tenured Letterman next to Butala. Donovan’s most favorite things in life are his wife Darla, his children Landry and Lawson, and working his cattle ranch in North Central Tennessee. Shortly after graduating from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1980, Bobby Poynton decided to leave the security of his suburban Chicago home and head to Hollywood, California to become an actor. With $500, a beat-up sports car and his Dad’s gas credit card in hand, he began his journey to pursue his dream. Over the years the acting roles were there for the taking but the “fame and fortune” Bobby had sought proved to be elusive. Work on such shows as “Days of Our Lives”, “Jake and the Fatman”, “Life Goes On”, “Scarecrow and Mrs. King”, “The Sentinel”, “Touched by an Angel”, “Viper”, “Promised Land” and “Walker: Texas Ranger”, as well as numerous theatrical credits all served to keep the dream alive, but were never enough.

In 1988, an opportunity came to him to audition for an “internationally known” recording group seeking an attractive male vocalist with a tenor voice, falsetto, and at least 6 feet tall. The tenor voice used to be there when he was in college, so he figured he would wear boots for the height and hope the room was dark enough for the rest. The result was an invitation to become the newest member of The Lettermen.

Bobby recorded six albums with The Lettermen and performed in excess of one thousand (1000) concerts, Television and Radio shows around the world. In 1995 Bobby decided to leave the road for a while and put all his efforts into raising his family. In 2001, he once again began touring the country, this time as a member of the legends of doo-wop, The Diamonds, the group who originated the hit “Little Darlin”.

In 2002, the soundtrack for “The Adventures Of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina,” an animated film, included Bobby’s duet with Jennifer Love Hewitt. In 2010, Bobby was delighted to be invited to take the stage for a night with the legendary group, The Vogues. After more than thirty years in show business, Bobby has finally come to the realization that the “fame and fortune” he had so fervently sought was nowhere near as important or rewarding as the “fame” he had in his own family as a big brother or the “fortune of the heart” he receives daily from his wife Beth, son Robert V, and daughter Callie at their home in Illinois. Bobby considers his return to The Lettermen a true honor and looks forward to recreating the magic on stage and in the recording studio once again with Tony Butala and Donovan Tea.

The Lettermen are: Tony Butala, Donovan Tea, and Bobby Poynton

In 1998, after decades of acting as an unofficial clearinghouse for information about vocal groups, Butala fulfilled a long-held dream with the opening of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and Museum, in his hometown of Sharon, Pennsylvania.

The non-profit organization honors the greatest vocal groups of the world in all genres of music: Rock, Doo-Wop, R & B, Blues, Gospel, Country, Folk, Big Band, Jazz and Pop. There are now over one hundred vocal groups inducted into the Hall of Fame, some of which are the Eagles, Beach Boys, Four Seasons, Simon and Garfunkel, Peter, Paul & Mary, Alabama, Crosby, Stills & Nash, 5th Dimension, The Righteous Brothers, Association, Oak Ridge Boys, Supremes, Three Dog Night, Earth, Wind & Fire and many more. There are over one hundred and fifty vocal group memorabilia displays in the Hall of Fame and Museum.

For more information on the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame and Museum see: (vocalgroup.org)

Tony Butala is proud of the fact that his group, The Lettermen, has been part of Americana for over fifty-five years and that as long as there is a Lettermen group, they will be singing good, quality, and positive harmony music that the whole family can enjoy.

The Marcels are the guys who put the “Bomp” in the “Bomp-A-Bomp” back in 1961 when their first recording, “Blue Moon” sold over two and a half million copies. The Marcels can boast of three record albums, numerous hit singles like Goodbye To Love, Summertime, Teeter Totter Love, Sweet Was the Wine, Peace of Mind, A Fallen Tear, Over the Rainbow with sales in the millions. They also recorded “The Greatest Love” for the motion picture, “The Interns” and appeared with Chubby Checker in the film “Twist Around The Clock.” Their signature song, “Blue Moon” has been used in at least four major motion pictures and various TV shows, such as Sha Na Na, Cheers, Moonlighting, Laverne & Shirley, Happy Days, etc.

The Marcels, featuring Jules Hopson, Kenny Mitchell, Richard Harris and Ted “Reno” Smith bring dynamic energy to the stage with their hits as well as their “Salute To The Jukebox Giants.” The Marcels are audience favorites for both young & old & whenever they perform they define the term “Class Act.”

The MYSTICS have withstood the test of time & continue to bring to their music to their fans …To be part of the audience is an experience within itself … a trip down memory lane for all ages! …
Let us go back in time to 1959. The key words here are doo-wop and harmony – light, simple & ever so beautiful. It was the late 50’s & the words were heard on the airwaves and fans sung along “ Hushabye, hushabye – oh my darling don’t you cry, Guardian angel from above – take care of the one I love”.
Today 2 Original members & Doo Wop Music Hall of Famers – George Galfo & Phil Cracolici look back with pride &  a new day has begun in keeping those harmonies coming. Joining Phil & George are Rocky Marsicano (formerly of Lenny Cocco & The Chimes, Jay Siegal & The Tokens, & Manhattan Skyline), John Schena (formerly of the Dons of Doo Wop). The sound of “The  MYSTICS ” still harbor the soft breezes of harmony perfection & the audience’s embrace &  applause continue to shine a glow and as “The  MYSTICS” continue in their quest of keeping the sounds of harmony doo-wop alive in our hearts!
Audiences are falling in love with The MYSTICS all over again and you won’t have to look far to find out why. The excitement of their live show, the tight harmonies that Brian Wilson of Beach Boys heralded as a major influence on his own group’s sound, the songs you remember – the soundtrack of our lives. The MYSTICS breathe new life into rock and roll classics and audiences can’t get enough. The MYSTICS’ legacy stretches back decades to the dawn of rock & roll but their future has never been brighter. With two original founding members and two younger additions, this quartet knows just how to bring back memories as well as create new ones.

What is The “MYSTICS  Magic”?

Laurie Records were the first to recognize that magical sound when they signed the group to their first recording contract in 1959. The MYSTICS were not only recording stars in their own right, but they were asked to sing on Laurie’s  recordings of almost all of their  solo artists.
Legendary songwriters Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman heard it when they wrote “HUSHABYE” especially for The MYSTICS
The American public heard it when they bought “HUSHABYE” in staggering numbers, driving it up the charts where it stayed for almost 6 months!
Dick Clark heard it when he asked The MYSTICS to appear on American Bandstand…not once but twice!
Alan Freed heard it when he asked the group to appear as one of the headliners on his final tour concert,  had them appear on his Fox Gala Christmas show and numerous appearances on his TV show.  Freed loved The MYSTICS’  sound so much he even started using “HUSHABYE” as the closing theme of his  TV show on a regular basis.
Jay Traynor heard it when he was asked to join The MYSTICS  and do leads on 3 of their songs.
Paul Simon heard it when he teamed up with The MYSTICS for 2 recordings.
Connie Francis heard it when she asked The MYSTICS to sing with her on  her recording “Tommy”.
Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys were inspired by it, naming The MYSTICS as a major influence on their harmony and recording “HUSHAYE” – twice.
Jay & The Americans were inspired by it and also recorded “HUSHABYE” also twice.
“The MYSTICS  Magic”  has withstood the test of time !!   The MYSTICS were inducted into The Doo Wop Music Hall of Fame in 2015

The MYSTICS recreate their many appearances on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand and sing their own hit records like “Hushabye”, “The White Cliffs of Dover” and “Don’t Take the Stars.” Those who missed “Hushabye”’s  6-month reign on the charts may also know the song from The Beach Boys or Jay & The Americans who recorded the song in tribute to The MYSTICS and still perform it in their live concerts.

Younger fans also came to know and love The MYSTICS’ recording of “Over the Rainbow” from its prominent use in the hit TV show The Sopranos.  “Hushabye” was featured in the movies “Stand By Me” and “Mr. Rock n Roll — The Alan Freed Story”.

…and

The show-stoppers of today are a combination of cover songs  the  MYSTICS  have performed through the years and new additions of old standards from the “Top 40” history of rock and roll.

For concert events…

The  MYSTICS  today can open a show with house-rockers like, “Twistin’ the Night   Away” and “Goodbye Mr. Blues”  and  the “Imperial Medley”.” For  a solid closer, song like”, “Zing:  and, of course, “Hushabye” never fail to bring crowds to their feet.

The  MYSTICS today take audiences on an All-American musical road-trip with the New York street sounds of the 50’s, the Motown classics and California beach sounds of the 60’s, the blues-rock of Chicago, the Philadelphia soul of the 70’s and a splash of southern rock to round it out. The group’s tribute to our troops and veterans has become a crowd favorite and includes their rendition of the classic “God Bless the USA”

There are those who say that “So Much In Love” is the greatest pop ballad of all time. Practically anyone could tell you where they were the first time they heard that immortal “As we stroll along together…” opening. This was the hit recording that The Tymes created their first time out, the classic that was the first record to replace the Beatles in the number one slot on the British charts. “So Much In Love” went to number one on Billboard in June of 1963 and is one…” Their other most requested chart toppers include “Wonderful Wonderful”, “Somewhere”, and “Trustmaker”.

This is a group whose hits spanned the most exciting period in pop music, the mid 60’s through the mid 70’s. In addition to having hit records throughout the world The Tymes first two tours of England were smashing triumphs and a third tour set attendance records. Other European tours and television appearances took them to Holland, England, France, Germany, and Italy. Most recently The Tymes just finished a tour that included Australia and Alaska, major hotels in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, the 12,000 seat arena at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut and many Corporate affairs and cruises.

Today The Tymes are still going strong. They have made many television appearances and they are still performing all over the world. Two of the four members of The Tymes are original members: Albert ‘Ceasar’ Berry and Norman Burnett (over 45 years of experience and friendship together!) Lafayette Gamble joined the The Tymes over 15 years ago. Jimmy Wells recently joined the group. You can add The Tymes to your list. Their memorable melodies, close been brought to fans throughout the country in countless concert appearances. The Philadelphia Kimmel Center and most recently to 120,000 fans who saw them perform at Radio City Music Hall and discovered they are still “So Much In Love” with The Tymes.

The Tymes, now called “The Original Tymes”, were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005.

It all just fell together in 1963 when the group recorded a little piece of magic called “So Much In Love” that screamed to the top of the charts to…you guessed it…”number one” and remained on the charts for 12 incredible weeks. This record is considered the absolute king of the summer love songs among experts in popular music. The group then spread it wings and continued to score memorable hits with the gorgeous “Wonderful Wonderful” in 1963 “Somewhere” in 1964 and the ‘Top Ten’ with “Trustmaker” in 1974. The beauty of their recording material is only matched by their reputation as one of the most professional and smoothest live acts in the business. There is a reason that their peers refer to them simply as “Silk”.

Inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001, The Vogues remain one of the top vocal groups on the oldies scene today with such hits as “You’re the One”.  The 2008 return of original lead vocalist Bill Burkette serves to enhance that authentic Vogues sound. The Vogues continue to sell out shows everywhere. To visit The Vogues official website go here. http://www.vogues.com/

On My Mind For 50 Years…and Counting!

I don’t know what were you doing 50 years ago, but August and September of 1965 were pretty big months in the life of this former 20-year-old from Pomona who was then living his dream from a houseboat tied up near Sausalito on the San Francisco Bay.

We Five’s hit single, “You Were On My Mind” was climbing the charts all across America and the ascent dropped us onto a merry-go-round spinning faster than a record played at 78 RPMs. In a period of about 8 weeks, We Five played concerts in Santa Clara with the Beach Boys, and in San Francisco with Herman’s Hermits and the Turtles. We flew south to tape several installments of “Where The Action Is” on the beach in Malibu, then appeared on Shindig, Shivaree, and Shebang further down Sunset Blvd in Hollywood. A PSA Electra Jet (remember those?) took us back to San Francisco to play a concert with Bill Cosby and to finish recording “Love Me Not Tomorrow.” It was the last song completed and the first track heard on our new album, We Five – You Were On My Mind. The album was released in September of 1965 with a reception at the Continental Hotel—while in Hollywood again for appearances at It’s Boss on the Sunset Strip. Since it was just down the street, we stopped into Capitol Records to put the finishing touches on our 2^nd single, “(Let’s) Get Together,” in Studio B.

Exhilarating at the time, but 50 years later, I’m exhausted just thinking about it!

As the month ended, we were taping a live performance on the Hollywood Palace in a segment later memorialized with Fred Astaire’s introduction of us on YouTube: “A few weeks ago, five youngsters from San Francisco made a recording and just like that (Snap!), it became one of the top musical hits in the country.”