The Poni-Tails were an American musical trio formed in

Lyndhurst, Ohio Lyndhurst is a small city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and an eastern suburb of Cleveland. The population was 14,050 at the 2020 census. A small part of Lyndhurst was originally part of Mayfield Township. History The land currently c ...

. They are known for their 1958 major hit " Born Too Late".

History

Formed in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, the Poni-Tails – Toni Cistone, Karen Topinka and Patti McCabe (Patricia Ann McCabe, 1939–1989) – started singing at Brush High School, which they all attended. Tom Ilius, a music publisher, had them signed to a local record label, Point Records, which released their first single, "Your Wild Heart" b/w "Que la Bozena" (the latter of which was written by the group). "Heart" was covered by the then-15-year-old Joy Layne and became a nationwide hit. The Poni-Tailsat

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 databa ...

The next release was "Can I Be Sure" on Marc Records, which was not a success; following this release Topinka left the group and was replaced by LaVerne Novak. Soon after this, the group signed to

ABC-Paramount ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels bef ...

and released "Just My Luck to Be Fifteen", a flop. Following this was "Come on Joey, Dance With Me" b/w " Born Too Late". The B-side was the one that caught the attention of radio DJs and became the group's biggest hit, reaching #11 on the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

R&B singles chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

and #7 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1958. Follow-ups "Seven Minutes In Heaven" (#85 Pop) and " I'll Be Seeing You" (#87 Pop) fared less well, and the group's last single, 1960's "Who, When And Why", did not chart. ABC-Paramount attempted to sign the group to a further five-year contract, but they turned it down. The members left the music industry and pursued careers in other fields in Ohio. They reunited to play a Cleveland festival, Moon Dog Coronation ball, in 1997. A CD released by Poni Records with 12 tracks credited to the Poni-Tails contains only one Poni-Tails song (" Born Too Late") and 11 tracks recorded by other groups. In 1991, LaVerne (Novak) Glavac was working for a real estate agent in Mentor, Ohio, and had five grandchildren. Toni (Cistone) Costabile was working at a high school in

Shaker Heights, Ohio Shaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the city population was 29,439. Shaker Heights is an inner-ring streetcar suburb of Cleveland, abutting the eastern edge of the city's limits. In July 1911, a ...

. Patti (McCabe) Barnes died of cancer on January 17, 1989. Tom Illius subsequently became a top executive with the

William Morris Agency The William Morris Agency (WMA) was a Hollywood-based talent agency. It represented some of the best known 20th-century entertainers in film, television, and music. During its 109-year tenure it came to be regarded as the "first great talent ag ...

in Los Angeles. He died on September 7, 2011, in Los Angeles.

Singles

Members

*Toni Cistone *Karin Topinka (to 1958) *LaVerne Novak (1958–1960) *Patti McCabe

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poni-Tails American girl groups Musical groups from Cleveland Musical groups with year of establishment missing