Ronald & Ruby were an American pop vocal duo, best known for their 1958 hit single, "Lollipop". [1]
The duo's members were the black Ronald Gumm [2] (or Gumps) and the white Beverly "Ruby" Ross; interracial pop groups were unusual at the time, and the group did not appear in public or in major press and television outlets. [3] They had previously worked together as songwriters; among their credits are "Young and Hungry for Love", "Frankenstein Rock", "Fat Pat", "Soul Mates", "Don't Come to My Party", and "The Ghost of Love". [1] In 1958, they released a single together entitled "Lollipop". It became a hit in the U.S., reaching No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. [4] The song was covered to greater chart success by both The Chordettes and The Mudlarks. [1]
They released several further singles, including "Love Birds", none of them hits. Ross continued as a songwriter, recording nearly 200 songs with BMI, including "Candy Man" (for Roy Orbison) and "Judy's Turn to Cry" (for Lesley Gore). [1]
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The Isley Brothers are an American musical group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of the brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decades, the group has enjoyed one of the "longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the pantheon of popular music".
Peter and Gordon were a British pop duo, composed of Peter Asher and Gordon Waller (1945–2009), who achieved international fame in 1964 with their first single, the million-selling single "A World Without Love". The duo had several subsequent hits in America in the British Invasion era including "I Go to Pieces", "Lady Godiva", "Woman", "True Love Ways" and "Nobody I Know".
Eurythmics were a British pop duo formed in 1980, consisting of Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart. They were both previously in the Tourists, a band that broke up in 1980. They released their first studio album, In the Garden, in 1981 to little success, but achieved global acclaim with their second album, Sweet Dreams (1983). The title track became a worldwide hit, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart, and number one in Canada and the US Billboard Hot 100. Eurythmics went on to release a string of hit singles and albums, including "Love Is a Stranger", "There Must Be an Angel " and "Here Comes the Rain Again", before splitting in 1990.
Leiber and Stoller were an American Grammy award-winning songwriting and record production duo, consisting of lyricist Jerome Leiber and composer Michael Stoller. As well as many R&B and pop hits, they wrote numerous standards for Broadway.
Dubstar are an English indie-dance duo, performing songs with hints of Britpop, dream pop and synth, as well as the occasional pop ballad and guitar-laden rock with industrial twists. The group was formed in 1992 by Steve Hillier and Chris Wilkie in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Sarah Blackwood joined in 1993 as vocalist.
Robert John Gaudio is an American songwriter, singer, musician, and record producer, and the keyboardist and backing vocalist of the pop/rock band the Four Seasons. Gaudio wrote or co-wrote and produced the vast majority of the band's music, including hits like "Sherry" and "December, 1963 ", as well as "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" for Valli. Though he no longer performs with the group, Gaudio and lead singer Frankie Valli remain co-owners of the Four Seasons brand.
Kenneth Gamble and Leon A. Huff are an American songwriting and production duo credited for developing the Philadelphia soul music genre of the 1970s. In addition to forming their own label, Philadelphia International Records, Gamble and Huff have written and produced 175 gold and platinum records, earning them an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the non-performer category in March 2008.
The Impressions were an American music group originally formed in 1958. Their repertoire includes gospel, R&B, doo-wop, and soul.
The Intruders were an American soul music vocal group most popular in the 1960s and 1970s. As one of the first groups to have hit songs under the direction of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, they were a major influence on the development of Philadelphia soul.
Millicent Dolly May Small CD was a Jamaican singer who is best known for her international hit "My Boy Lollipop" (1964). The song reached number two in both the UK and US charts and sold over seven million copies worldwide. It was also the first major hit for Island Records and helped to achieve the label its mainstream success. She was the Caribbean's first international recording star and its most successful female performer.
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"Lollipop" is a pop song written by Julius Dixson and Beverly Ross in 1958. It was first recorded by the duo Ronald & Ruby, with Ross performing as "Ruby." It was covered more successfully by The Chordettes whose version reached No. 2 in the US, and The Mudlarks in the UK.
Julius Edward Dixson was an American songwriter and record company executive.
The Mudlarks were an English pop vocal group of the late 1950s and early 1960s. They had two Top 10 UK hit singles in 1958.
Tracey Dey is an American former pop singer in the girl group genre of the early and mid-1960s.
The Raindrops were an American pop group from New York, United States, associated with the Brill Building style of 1960s pop. The group existed from 1963 to 1965 and consisted of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, both of whom worked as writer/producers for numerous other acts before, during and after their tenure as The Raindrops.
"Lollipop" is a song by Big Bang and 2NE1, created to promote a cellphone by LG Cyon. It interpolates the 1958 hit "Lollipop" written by Julius Dixson and Beverly Ross. The song achieved the top spot on various online charts, including a four week run at number one on music portal Mnet. "Lollipop" was used to debut 2NE1 unofficially, as it does not serve as their debut single. 2NE1 followed up with their official debut single "Fire".
Beverly Ross was an American singer-songwriter and musician who co-wrote several successful pop songs in the 1950s and 1960s, including "Dim, Dim The Lights", "Lollipop", "The Girl of My Best Friend", "Remember Then", and "Judy's Turn to Cry".