|
The Mystics
The Mystics are an American rock and roll group that began in Brooklyn, New York, United States, in the late 1950s. The group was known as The Overons, a quintet that, when signed to Laurie Records, consisted of Phil Cracolici (born 1937, lead), Albee Cracolici (born 1936, baritone), George Galfo (born 1939, second tenor), Bob Ferrante (born 1936, first tenor), and Al Contrera (born 1940, bass). Under the direction of their manager, Jim Gribble, The Overons became The Mystics when each group member wrote a name they liked on a slip of paper and placed the papers in a hat; Contrera's choice was drawn. In March 2015, the five original Mystics—Al Contrera, Albee Cracolici, Phil Cracolici, Bob Ferrante, and George Galfo—were inducted into the Doo Wop Music Hall of Fame in Cerritos, California. Biography In late 1958, The Mystics recorded two songs for Laurie Records, "Adam and Eve", and the old Weavers tune "Wimoweh". Unhappy with the results, Laurie Records commissioned Doc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rock And Roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm and blues, boogie woogie, gospel music, gospel, as well as country music. While rock and roll's formative elements can be heard in blues records from the 1920s and in country records of the 1930s,Peterson, Richard A. ''Creating Country Music: Fabricating Authenticity'' (1999), p. 9, . the genre did not acquire its name until 1954. According to journalist Greg Kot, "rock and roll" refers to a style of popular music originating in the United States in the 1950s. By the mid-1960s, rock and roll had developed into "the more encompassing international style known as rock music, though the latter also continued to be known in many circles as rock and roll."Kot, Greg"Rock and roll", in the ''Encyclopædia Bri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alan Freed
Albert James "Alan" Freed (December 15, 1921 – January 20, 1965) was an American disc jockey. He also produced and promoted large traveling concerts with various acts, helping to spread the importance of rock and roll music throughout North America. In 1986, Freed was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His "role in breaking down racial barriers in U.S. pop culture in the 1950s, by leading white and black kids to listen to the same music, put the radio personality 'at the vanguard' and made him 'a really important figure'", according to the executive director. Freed was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991. The organization's website posted this note: "He became internationally known for promoting African-American rhythm and blues music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of rock and roll". In the early 1960s, Freed's career was destroyed by the payola scandal that hit the broadcasting industry, as well as by alleg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Doo-wop Groups
Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and 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, DC, 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 (such as "doo-wop") 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.Hoffmann, FRoots of Rock: Doo-Wop In ''Survey of American Popular Music'', modified for the web by Robert Birklin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alive N Kickin'
Alive N Kickin’ (known originally as Alive and Kicking, and sometimes spelled Alive 'N Kickin’) is a Brooklyn band (music), band, led by singing, singers Pepe Cardona and Sandy Toder, known mainly for their 1970 hit record, hit single (music), single "Tighter, Tighter", which reached number seven on the United States, US Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 record chart, chart. Formation The six original members formed the band when they were Adolescence, teenagers in 1968 in guitarist Dave Shearer's basement. The group included Sandy Toder and Pepe Cardona (vocals), Bruce Sudano (keyboards), Woody Wilson (bass guitar), Dave Shearer (guitar), and Jeff Miller (Drum kit, keyboards). They gained some popularity when they began sound recording and reproduction, recording for Tommy James on the record label, label he was signed to, Roulette Records. "Tighter, Tighter" In early 1970, the band began recording sessions. A song songwriter, written and record producer, produced by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Doo Wop 50
Doo Wop 50 was a PBS pledge drive special created and produced for PBS member station WQED-TV by TJ Lubinsky, grandson of Herman Lubinsky (founder of Savoy Records). The special was inspired by a 1994 CD box-set of doo wop music produced and sold by Rhino Records, which was also a development and production partner in the special. It aired on December 5, 1999. Doo Wop 50 was videotaped live at The Benedum Center For The Performing Arts, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on May 11 & 12, 1999. It showcased many doo-wop groups that had existed since the 1950s, and was hosted by former Impressions lead and soul soloist Jerry Butler. It was followed by Doo Wop 51 and the American Soundtrack series. Doo Wop 50 became the highest-producing pledge drive special in the history of PBS at that time, garnering more than $20 million for its member stations. The American Soundtrack series has become a mainstay for PBS and WQED. Groups on the program Part One Herb Reed's Platters *" Only You" *"The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Classics (group)
The Classics were an American vocal group formed in 1958 in Brooklyn. The Classics first sang together in high school; two of them had previously sung in a group called The Del-Rays. In 1959, under the auspices of manager Jim Gribble, they recorded their first single, "Cinderella"; the record Bubbled Under the US Hot 100 in early 1960. The follow-up, "Angel Angela", also narrowly missed the national charts, and the 1961 single "Life Is But a Dream" hit the lower regions of the R&B Singles chart when Mercury Records picked it up for national distribution, but it wasn't until they released the single " Blue Moon" with Herb Lance on lead vocals that they charted a hit. The song peaked at #50.Billboard Singles Allmusic.com The group signed with Musicnote Records in 1963 and released "Till Then", which became their biggest hit, peaking at #20 on the pop charts and #7 AC. The group was best remembered for its ballads, and frequently sang versions of pop standards Traditional pop ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brooklyn Dreams (group)
The Brooklyn Dreams were an American singing group (music), group of the late 1970s, mixing R&B harmonies with contemporary dance/disco music and best known for a number of collaborations with singer Donna Summer. The band consisted of Joe Esposito (singer), Joe "Bean" Esposito, Eddie Hokenson and Bruce Sudano. Esposito provided lead vocals for the band and played guitar, while Sudano played keyboards and Hokenson played drums and occasionally sang lead vocals. Biography The group formed in the 1970s in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Their biggest hit was the single "Heaven Knows (Donna Summer song), Heaven Knows", a single by Donna Summer, featuring Joe Esposito on second lead and the group singing backup. Released on Casablanca Records in January 1979, the single reached # 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. The band's version of the song appears on their 1979 album ''Sleepless Nights'', but, on this version, Esposito is singing lead vocal and Su ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bruce Sudano
Bruce Charles Sudano (born September 26, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, noted for creating songs for artists such as Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and his late wife, the Grammy Award-winning singer Donna Summer. Sudano is the founder of indie record label, Purple Heart Recording Company. Early life Sudano was born in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York City to Margaret Alessio (1924–2012) and Louis Sudano (1923–2008). At the age of four, Sudano learned to play his first instrument, the accordion. He later taught himself to play piano and guitar. He soon developed a reputation in his community as a talented musician and got his first paid gig at the age of twelve. By the mid-1960s, Sudano was playing bass guitar in his first band Silent Souls. He spent much of his time rehearsing and was soon playing live shows at popular New York City nightclubs. While playing at the Cheetah, Sudano met Tommy James of Tommy James and the Shondells. Sudano became the protégé ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joe Esposito (singer)
Joe "Bean" Esposito (born May 5, 1948) is an American singer/songwriter whose career spans from the 1970s to the present day. Esposito's songs have been recorded by Donna Summer, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Stephen Stills and others. Biography Esposito was a member of the band Brooklyn Dreams, best known for their collaboration with Donna Summer on the US top ten hit " Heaven Knows". Esposito collaborated with producer Giorgio Moroder on the 1982 ''Solitary Men'' project, which became Esposito's first solo album. In 1983, Esposito contributed the song " Lady, Lady, Lady" to the ''Flashdance'' soundtrack album; the song also appeared on the ''Solitary Men'' album. In 1984, his song " You're the Best" was included in ''The Karate Kid'' film and soundtrack. In 1984, the ''Flashdance'' soundtrack was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys; the soundtrack album contained one of Esposito's songs ("Lady, Lady, Lady") as well as songs from various other acts. In 1988, Brenda ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Del-Vikings
The Del-Vikings (also known as The Dell-Vikings) were an American doo-wop musical group that recorded several hit singles in the 1950s and continued to record and tour with various lineups in later decades. The group is notable for the hit songs "Come Go with Me" and " Whispering Bells", and for having been a successful racially mixed musical group during a period of time when such groups were rare. History Formation and early fame The Del-Vikings were formed in 1955 by members of the United States Air Force stationed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with Clarence Quick, Kripp Johnson, Don Jackson, Samuel Paterson, Bernard Robertson and guitarist Joe Lopes. Because all of the members were in the armed forces, the group constantly ran the risk of being disrupted by members being stationed in other places. This happened soon after the group's forming when Paterson and Robertson were sent to Germany. They were replaced by baritone David Lerchey, the group's first white member, and tenor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jay And The Americans
Jay and the Americans are an American rock group who formed in the late 1950s. Their initial line-up consisted of John "Jay" Traynor, Howard Kane (born Howard Kirschenbaum), Kenny Vance (born Kenneth Rosenberg) and Sandy Deanne (born Sandy Yaguda), though their greatest success on the charts came after Traynor had been replaced as lead singer by Jay Black. Biography Early years They were discovered while performing in student venues at New York University in the late 1950s. They auditioned for Leiber and Stoller, who gave the group its name. Career pinnacle Soon they signed with United Artists Records. With Jay Traynor singing lead, they first hit the Billboard charts in 1962 with the tune " She Cried", which reached #5 (later covered by The Shangri-Las, Aerosmith, and others). The next two singles did not fare as well, and Traynor left the group. Empires' guitarist Marty Sanders (né Kupersmith) joined the group. He brought David Black (né Blatt) of "The Empires" in to ta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John "Jay" Traynor
John "Jay" Traynor (March 30, 1943 – January 2, 2014) was an American singer. Traynor was the third lead vocalist of the Mystics, singing falsetto on "The White Cliffs of Dover", and lead on "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "Blue Star". Later, he started Jay and the Americans with Kenny Vance and Sandy Yaguda, and was the original lead singer. He sang lead on the group's first hit, "She Cried", which was followed up by the album ''She Cried''. All recordings were produced by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, who produced numerous artists and wrote many hits for Elvis Presley, the Drifters, the Coasters, and many more. Traynor left the Americans, releasing solo records, including "I Rise, I Fall" on the Coral label in 1964. His name on the label was denoted as "JAY ... formerly of Jay & the Americans". Later in the 1960s, he released "Up & Over", produced by Dennis Lambert for Don Costa Productions. The song became a big hit with the UK " Northern Soul" underground dance clubs. Trayn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
.jpg "Click for more on -> Alan Freed")
