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Doo-wop is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. It features vocal group harmony that carries an engaging melodic line to a simple beat with little or no instrumentation. Lyrics are simple, usually about love, sung by a lead vocal over background vocals, and often featuring, in the bridge, a melodramatically heartfelt recitative addressed to the beloved. Harmonic singing of nonsense syllables is a common characteristic of these songs. Gaining popularity in the 1950s, doo-wop was "artistically and commercially viable" until the early 1960s, but continued to influence performers in other genres.
Richard Berry, Jr. was an American singer, songwriter and musician, who performed with many Los Angeles doo-wop and close harmony groups in the 1950s, including The Flairs and The Robins.
The Crows were an American R&B singing group formed in 1951 who achieved commercial success in the 1950s. The group's first single and only hit, "Gee", released in June 1953, has been credited with being the first rock n’ roll hit by a rock and roll group. It peaked at position #14 and #2, respectively, on the Billboard magazine pop and rhythm-and-blues charts in 1954. Although Gee fell into the Doo Wop genre, and "was the first 1950s doo-wop record to sell over one million records" in that genre, some consider it as the first of the "rock n' roll records".
"Earth Angel", occasionally referred to as "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)", is a song by American doo-wop group the Penguins. Produced by Dootsie Williams, it was released as their debut single in October 1954 on Dootone Records. The Penguins had formed the year prior and recorded the song as a demo in a garage in South Central Los Angeles. The song's origins lie in multiple different sources, among them songs by Jesse Belvin, Patti Page, and the Hollywood Flames. Its authorship was the subject of a bitter legal dispute with Williams in the years following its release.
Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music.
Original Sound is a Los Angeles, California-based record label. It was founded in the early 1950s by KPOP deejay Art Laboe. It began as a small label that specialized in compiling and re-releasing "oldies" R&B and rock 'n' roll songs.
Collectables Records is an American reissue record label, founded in 1980 by Jerry Greene. Greene also formed the Lost Nite and Crimson record labels.
Terry James Lubinsky is an American television, radio and digital media host. He is also creator/executive producer/director of many Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) pledge-drive programs. He presents oldies-format music programs airing on PBS.
KRCD is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Inglewood, California, and broadcasting to Greater Los Angeles Area.
Little Walter DeVenne was an American radio personality who was for many years based in Boston, Massachusetts, and in New Hampshire and was the host of the syndicated retro oldies program Little Walter's Time Machine focusing on the pop, doo-wop, blues, R&B and early rock n' roll hits of the 1950s and early to mid-1960s, presented in the high-energy style of the Top 40 AM radio stations of that era.
"Gee" is a song by American R&B and Doo-wop group the Crows, released in June 1953. The song has been credited as the first rock and roll hit by a rock and roll group. It is a doo-wop song, written by William Davis and Viola Watkins, and recorded by the Crows on the independent label, Rama Records, at Beltone Studios in New York City in February 1953. It charted in April 1954, one year later. It took a year to get recognized on Your Hit Parade. It landed No.2 on the rhythm and blues chart and No. 14 on the pop chart. It was the first 1950s doo-wop record to sell over one million records. Recorded on an independent label, it was one of the first such R&B records to crossover to the wider pop market. In fact, some, including Jay Warner, consider it as the first of the "rock n' roll records".
Ulysses B. "Bobby" Nunn Sr. was an American R&B singer with the musical groups The Robins and original bass vocalist of The Coasters. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, and died of heart failure in Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Leon Hughes Sr. was an American rhythm and blues singer. He was the last surviving original member of The Coasters.
David Troy Somerville was a Canadian singer operating primarily in the United States, best known as the co-founder, and original lead singer, of The Diamonds, one of the most popular vocal groups of the 1950s.
Richard James "Dick" Hugg was a radio disc jockey in Los Angeles, California.
Kenny Vance is an American singer, songwriter, and music producer who was a founding member of Jay and the Americans. His career spans from the 1950s to today, with projects ranging from starting doo-wop groups to music supervising to creating solo albums.
Jim Dawson is an American author and self-proclaimed "fartologist", who has specialized in pop culture of early rock and roll and the history of flatulence, having written three books on the latter subject.
"Memories of El Monte" is a doo-wop metasong released in 1963 by the Penguins featuring Cleve Duncan. It was written by Frank Zappa and Ray Collins before they were in the Mothers of Invention. The song was first released as Original Sound 27.
Jim Pewter is an American radio DJ, songwriter, producer, liner notes author, and an authority about pop, rock, surf music/surf rock, rockabilly, doo wop, oldies, and jazz. Pewter was host of the daily radio program The Jim Pewter Show, heard worldwide on Armed Forces Radio and Television Service for thirty-plus years, and his show was the first music show to be broadcast to American troops serving in Desert Storm.
Gary "The Wagman" Wagner is an American disc jockey, radio personality and host of the radio show Nothin’ But The Blues on radio station KKJZ 88.1 in Long Beach, California. The show is broadcast every Saturday from 2:00 PM until 6:00 PM, and Sunday from 2:00 PM until 7:00 PM PST. KKJZ is a non-commercial public radio station in Southern California broadcasting from the campus of California State University, Long Beach.
References
- 1 2 Stephen C. Propes: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle, Amazon.com, is the source of this information on Propes' books, and of his real name.
- 1 2 3 Satin-Toned '50s Crooners Find a Home : Doo-Wop: The Southern California society will have a shindig Sunday in Lakewood, Steve Hochman, Los Angeles Times , July 20, 1990, accessed December 27, 2013.
- ↑ Harrington,Richard (1993) "Jingle Bells and Whistles", Washington Post , December 10, 1993, p. N07
- ↑ Grushkin, Paul (2006) Rockin' Down the Highway, Voyageur Press, ISBN 978-0-7603-2292-5, 'Author acknowledgements'
- ↑ "~Los Angeles Radio People, Template". Laradio.com. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
- 1 2 "~Los Angeles Radio People, Where Are They Now, P". Laradio.com. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
- ↑ The City Radio Left Behind, by Steve Propes, in Volume XXIII - Number 4, accessed March 1, 2015.
- ↑ "Rock-it Radio - Rockin Oldies from the 50s and 60s". Rockitradio.net. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
