The Girlfriends were an American

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...

from Los Angeles who scored one hit in the United States in 1964, "My One and Only Jimmy Boy".

Joel Whitburn Joel Carver Whitburn (November 29, 1939 – June 14, 2022) was an American author and music historian, responsible for setting up the Record Research, Inc. series of books on record chart placings. Early life Joel Carver Whitburn was born in Wau ...

, ''Top Pop Singles''. 12th edition. Billboard, 2009, p. 395. The group was founded as a result of the splintering of the studio group

The Blossoms The Blossoms are an American girl group that originated from California. During their height of success in the 1960s, the group's lineup most famously consisted of Darlene Love, Fanita James, and Jean King. Although the group had a recording ...

. The four members of the Blossoms — Gloria Jones, Nanette Williams, Fanita James, and Darlene Wright — first sang together in 1957. In 1962,

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...

created the group

Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans was an early 1960s vocal group produced by Phil Spector, and was initially conceived as a vehicle for the lead vocals of Bobby Sheen, who took the stage name Bob B. Soxx. The Blue Jeans were backing vocalists Darlene ...

with James and Wright; Jones and Williams then formed their own group, The Girlfriends, with Carolyn Willis (formerly of

The Ikettes The Ikettes, originally The Artettes, were a trio (sometimes quartet) of female backing vocalists for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Despite their origins, the Ikettes became successful artists in their own right. In the 1960s they had hits such as ...

).Jason Ankeny,

The Girlfriends The Girlfriends were an American girl group from Los Angeles who scored one hit in the United States in 1964, "My One and Only Jimmy Boy".Joel Whitburn, ''Top Pop Singles''. 12th edition. Billboard, 2009, p. 395. The group was founded as a result ...

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

They released one single, "My One and Only Jimmy Boy", on

Colpix Records Colpix Records was the first recording company for Columbia Pictures–Screen Gems. Colpix got its name from combining Columbia (Col) and Pictures (Pix). CBS, which owned Columbia Records, then sued Columbia Pictures for trademark infringement ov ...

in 1963, written and produced by

David Gates David Ashworth Gates (December 11, 1940 – January 5, 2023) was a American singer-songwriter, guitarist, musician and producer, frontman and co-lead singer (with Jimmy Griffin) of the group Bread, which reached the top of the musical charts ...

.Mark A. Moore,
The Jan & Dean Record: A Chronology of Studio Sessions, Live Performances and Chart Positions
', 2016, p. 145. "My One and Only Jimmy Boy" used production techniques similar to Phil Spector's. The session for "My One and Only Jimmy Boy" was arranged and paid for by

Jan & Dean Jan and Dean was an American rock duo consisting of William Jan Berry (April 3, 1941 – March 26, 2004) and Dean Ormsby Torrence (born March 10, 1940). In the early 1960s, they were pioneers of the California Sound and vocal surf music styles ...

member

Jan Berry Jan and Dean was an American rock duo consisting of William Jan Berry (April 3, 1941 – March 26, 2004) and Dean Ormsby Torrence (born March 10, 1940). In the early 1960s, they were pioneers of the California Sound and vocal surf music styles ...

. The record peaked at #49 on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

in 1964 and #77 on the Cashbox charts. The Girlfriends never released another record; however, they recorded two more songs for a second single, "Baby Don't Cry" and "I Don't Believe in You", which were never released.John Clemente,
Girl Groups: The Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World''
', 2013, p. 265. Colpix had slated them for issue in early 1964, but according to the group members, the

assassination of John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated on Friday, November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. CST in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza. Kennedy was in the vehicle with ...

put a damper on record sales and releases, and their second single was shelved in the event's wake. Following the Girlfrields, Willis worked as a session singer for musicians such as

Lou Rawls Louis Allen Rawls (December 1, 1933 – January 6, 2006) was an American record producer, singer, composer and actor. Rawls released more than 60 albums, sold more than 40 million records, and had numerous charting singles, most notably his s ...

and O.C. Smith, and later joined

Honey Cone Honey Cone was an American R&B and soul girl group formed by lead singer Edna Wright (sister of Darlene Love) with Carolyn Willis and Shelly Clark in 1968. They are best remembered for their number-one ''Billboard'' Hot 100 single, "Want Ads" ...

;Jay Warner,
American Singing Groups: A History from 1940s to Today
', 2006, p. 491. both she and Jones sang in one of the nostalgia-circuit groups performing as

The Shirelles The Shirelles were an American girl group formed in Passaic, New Jersey in 1957. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston Reeves), Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie "Micki" Harris (later Addie Harris McFadd ...

in the 1990s.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Girlfriends, The American pop music groups American girl groups