The Champs came about entirely by accident. Guitarist Dave Burgess worked as A&R man for Challenge Records which was owned by cowboy Gene Autry. He had recorded a song called “Train to Nowhere,” along with Danny Flores who played saxophone … Continue reading →
The Silhouettes were a doo-wop group out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They started in 1956, using the name The Thunderbirds, but soon changed that to The Silhouettes. The original group was four guys, Earl Beal (baritone), Raymond Edwards (bass), Richard Lewis … Continue reading →
The McGuire Sisters really were sisters. There was Christine, Dorothy and Phyllis. The were all born in Middletown, Ohio, but were raised in Miamisburg. They started singing very young. Like many performers, they first sang in church and by 1949, … Continue reading →
We start 1958 with one of the true classics of rock and roll. Danny and the Juniors started out singing together in high school, calling themselves the Juvenairs. They did the usual high school events, singing at dances, parties, and … Continue reading →
“April Love” is Pat Boone’s fifth number one and he would have one more in 1961. I have mentioned already that Pat was second only to Elvis Presley in record sales in the Fifties. The song was written by Sammy … Continue reading →
Samuel Cooke was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1931, the son of a preacher man. He had a relatively short career, but he did have a lasting impact on rock and roll and soul music. He is known as the … Continue reading →
Sometime in the mid-2000s, my wife and I went to Wendover, Nevada to see Johnny Mathis sing in person. He was getting up there in age. He was born in 1935, so he was pushing Seventy or in his Seventies, … Continue reading →
If you’re following this blog, you know that the last Elvis number one was “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear” which was from his first color movie, Loving You. His next movie was Jailhouse Rock and, of course, it was … Continue reading →
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FNEYOA “Wake Up Little Susie,” was only the second Everly Brothers song to hit the pop chart. Their first was “Bye, Bye Love” and it reached number two. One point higher and that song would be part of this project. … Continue reading →
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007AW69TM Buddy Holly was born, Charles Hardin Holley, in Lubbock, Texas in 1936. His mother just called him Buddy. During High School, he put together a band called “The Tunes.” They played various places wherever they could get work and … Continue reading →