The Ron Hicklin Singers were a group of Los Angeles studio singers contracted and organized by Ron Hicklin. They are mostly known as the real singers behind the background vocals on

The Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy. Jones plays a widowed mother, and Cassidy plays the oldest of her five children, in a family who embarks on a music career. It ran from Se ...

recordings. In Los Angeles studio circles in the 1960s through 1980s, they were the vocal equivalent of (and often worked with) The Wrecking Crew, performing backup vocals on thousands of songs, TV and movie themes, and as lead (while remaining anonymous) singers on thousands of radio and television commercials.

Cast

The core group usually consisted of (by

Voice Type A voice type is a group of voices with similar vocal ranges, capable of singing in a similar tessitura, and with similar vocal transition points ('' passaggi''). Voice classification is most strongly associated with European classical music, t ...

): * Ron Hicklin - lead tenor * Tom Bähler - tenor * John Bähler - tenor * Stan Farber - tenor *

Jim Gilstrap James Earl Gilstrap (born November 10, 1946)''U.S. Public Records Index'' Vol 1 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010. is an American singer, considered one of the most prolific session musicians in the industry. He is best known for ...

- tenor * Gene Morford - bass *

Al Capps Allan Alfonzo Capps (April 26, 1939 – June 7, 2018) was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist. Beginning in the 1960s and 1970s, he produced and arranged albums for popular artists such as Cher, ...

- bass *

Sally Stevens Sally Stevens (born November 24, 1939) is an American actress, singer and a vocal contractor. She has sung on hundreds of ''The Simpsons'' episodes, and sings the main title, which has been in use since the inception of the show. She also sing ...

- soprano * Sandie Hall - soprano * Carolyn Willis - soprano *

Jackie Ward Jackie Ward (born Jacqueline McDonnell, 1941), better known as Robin Ward, is an American singer, regarded as a "one-hit wonder" of 1963 million-selling song "Wonderful Summer". However, using her real name she was highly accomplished and s ...

- alto * Debbie Hall - alto * Myrna Matthews - alto However, this core group was often augmented with other specialist vocalists such as: *

Jim Haas James Edwin Haas was an American singer who performed vocals for many artists including Andy Williams, Neil Diamond, Jackson Browne, David Cassidy, Leif Garrett, Pink Floyd, and Barry Manilow. Leif Garrett, after Haas' death, explained that in ...

- tenor * Jerry Whitman - tenor *

Thurl Ravenscroft Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft (; February 6, 1914May 22, 2005) was an American actor and bass singer. He was known as one of the booming voices behind Kellogg's Frosted Flakes animated spokesman Tony the Tiger for more than five decades. He was al ...

- bass (voice of Kellogg's

Tony the Tiger Tony the Tiger is the advertising cartoon mascot for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes (also known as Frosties) breakfast cereal, appearing on its packaging and advertising. Tony has also been the mascot for related cereals such as Tony's Cinnamon K ...

Frosted Flakes Frosted Flakes or Frosties is a breakfast cereal, produced by the Kellogg Company and consisting of sugar-coated corn flakes. It was introduced in the United States, in 1952, as "Sugar Frosted Flakes". The word "sugar" was dropped from the name ...

cereal for 50 years, and the vocalist for "

You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" is a Christmas song that was originally written and composed for the 1966 animated special '' Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!''. History The lyrics were written by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel, the music ...

") * Mitch Gordon - bass * Bob Tebow - bass *

Andra Willis Andra Willis (born August 27, 1943) is an American singer best known from television's ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1967 to 1969. Born and raised in Danville, Virginia. Andra began singing professionally with her sisters Toneda and Sheryl. Bi ...

- soprano *

Linda Dangcil Linda Dangcil (June 19, 1941 – May 7, 2009) was an American actress and dancer best known for her roles as Sister Ana in the ABC television series ''The Flying Nun'' and Carmen 'Raya' Alonso in the animated series '' Jem''. Dangcil was a n ...

- soprano * Bob Zwirn - baritone *

Gene Merlino Mario Gino Merlino (born April 5, 1928) is a retired singer and musician, known for providing the singing voice of Lancelot in the musical film ''Camelot'', and for being part of the Grammy Award winning quartet, The Anita Kerr Singers. Early ...

- baritone Often they were not credited, or else were credited under other names. For example, when singing the TV theme of ''

Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a part of ABC's Friday primetime lineup ...

'', they were credited as The Charles Fox Singers.

Motion pictures, television and radio work

The group performed themes for major motion pictures in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. *

M*A*S*H (film) ''M*A*S*H'' (stylized on-screen as ''MASH'') is a 1970 American black comedy war film directed by Robert Altman and written by Ring Lardner Jr., based on Richard Hooker (author), Richard Hooker's 1968 novel ''MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctor ...

*''

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' is a 1969 American Western buddy film directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman. Based loosely on fact, the film tells the story of Wild West outlaws Robert LeRoy Parker, known as Butch C ...

'', "South American Getaway" written by

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; born May 12, 1928) is an American composer, songwriter, record producer and pianist who composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. A six-time Gra ...

The Hunt For Red October ''The Hunt for Red October'' is the debut novel by American author Tom Clancy, first published on October 1, 1984, by the Naval Institute Press. It depicts Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius as he seemingly goes rogue with his country's cutt ...

, written by

Basil Poledouris Basil Konstantine Poledouris (; August 21, 1945 – November 8, 2006) was an American composer, conductor, and orchestrator of film and television scores, best known for his long-running collaborations with directors John Milius and Paul Verhoe ...

Dances With Wolves ''Dances with Wolves'' is a 1990 American epic western film starring, directed, and produced by Kevin Costner in his feature directorial debut. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 novel ''Dances with Wolves'' by Michael Blake that tells the s ...

, written by John Barry *

Apollo 13 Apollo 13 (April 1117, 1970) was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program and the third meant to land on the Moon. The craft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, but the lunar landing was aborted aft ...

, written by

James Horner James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953 – June 22, 2015) was an American composer. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements, and for his frequent use of motifs associated with Celtic music. Horner's first film score was in ...

* Glory, written by James Horner *

Hook A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...

, written by

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...

Dirty Harry ''Dirty Harry'' is a 1971 American neo-noir Neo-noir is a revival of film noir, a genre that had originally flourished during the post-World War II era in the United Statesroughly from 1940 to 1960. The French term, ''film noir'', translates ...

, and

Magnum Force ''Magnum Force'' is a 1973 American neo-noir vigilante action thriller film and the second to feature Clint Eastwood as maverick cop Harry Callahan after the 1971 film ''Dirty Harry''. Ted Post, who had previously worked with Eastwood on '' Ra ...

, written by

Lalo Schifrin Boris Claudio "Lalo" Schifrin (born June 21, 1932) is an Argentine-American pianist, composer, arranger and conductor. He is best known for his large body of film and TV scores since the 1950s, incorporating jazz and Latin American musical elemen ...

Out of Africa ''Out of Africa'' is a memoir by the Danish people, Danish author Karen Blixen. The book, first published in 1937, recounts events of the seventeen years when Blixen made her home in Kenya, then called East Africa Protectorate, British East Afr ...

, written by John Barry *''

Death Game ''Death Game'' (also known as ''The Seducers'') is a 1977 American psychological thriller film directed by Peter S. Traynor, and starring Sondra Locke, Seymour Cassel, and Colleen Camp. The film follows an affluent San Francisco businessman who ...

'', "Dear Old Dad" written by

Jimmie Haskell Jimmie Haskell (born Sheridan Pearlman, November 7, 1926 – February 4, 2016) was an American composer and arranger for motion pictures and a wide variety of popular artists, including Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Steely Da ...

with lyrics by

Iris Rainer Dart Iris Rainer Dart ( Rainer; born March 3, 1944) is an American author and playwright for television and the stage. Her most notable novel is ''Beaches'', which was made into a 1988 film of the same name. She has also written several stage musical ...

*'' The Mosquito Coast'', "Saviour, Like a Shepherd Lead Us" written by

William Batchelder Bradbury William Batchelder Bradbury (October 6, 1816 – January 7, 1868) was a musician who composed the tune to " Jesus Loves Me" and many other popular hymns. Biography He was born on October 6, 1816, in York, Maine, where his father was the leader o ...

* '' Rosemary's Baby'' The group also sang the themes for major hit-TV shows of the period: * ''

'', with lead vocalist John Bähler (opening theme) * ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

,'' (

opening theme A title sequence (also called an opening sequence or intro) is the method by which films or television programmes present their title and key production and cast members, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound (often a opening theme song with vis ...

) *

Alvin & The Chipmunks Alvin and the Chipmunks, originally David Seville and the Chipmunks or simply The Chipmunks, are an American animated virtual band and media franchise first created by Ross Bagdasarian for novelty records in 1958. The group consists of three s ...

* '' Flipper'' * ''

That Girl ''That Girl'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from September 8, 1966 to March 19, 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character Ann Marie, an aspiring (but only sporadically employed) actress, who moves from her hometown of Brewster ...

'', season 5 opening * ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most succ ...

'', for which Jim Haas sang lead (opening theme) * ''

Laverne & Shirley ''Laverne & Shirley'' (originally ''Laverne DeFazio & Shirley Feeney'') is an American sitcom television series that played for eight seasons on ABC from January 27, 1976, to May 10, 1983. A spin-off of ''Happy Days'', ''Laverne & Shirley'' star ...

'', along with lead vocalist

Cyndi Grecco Cyndi Grecco (born May 19, 1952) is an American singer best-known for performing the theme tune to the popular 1970s American television show ''Laverne & Shirley''. The theme to ''Laverne & Shirley'' was titled "Making Our Dreams Come True," in ...

(opening theme) * ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

'', with John Bähler singing lead (season 2 opening) * '' Angie'', along with lead vocalist

Maureen McGovern Maureen Therese McGovern (born July 27, 1949) is an American singer and Broadway actress, well known for her renditions of the songs " The Morning After" from the 1972 film '' The Poseidon Adventure''; "We May Never Love Like This Again" from ''T ...

(opening theme) In addition, they sang many commercial vocals, including campaigns for: * Kawasaki - "Kawasaki, Let the Good Times Roll" *

Datsun Datsun (, ) was an automobile brand owned by Nissan. Datsun's original production run began in 1931. From 1958 to 1986, only vehicles exported by Nissan were identified as Datsun. Nissan phased out the Datsun brand in March 1986, but relaunche ...

- "Drive a Datsun, then Decide" *

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...

- "You Deserve a Break Today", written by Kenny Karen *

Wheaties Wheaties is an American brand of breakfast cereal that is made by General Mills. It is well known for featuring prominent athletes on its packages and has become a cultural icon in the United States. Originally introduced as Washburn's Gold Meda ...

- "Go Tell Your Mama What The Big Boys Eat", Clio Award Winner * California Raisins - "Yum, Yum", 2 Clio Awards *

Gatorade Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was first develop ...

- "Gatorade Is Thirst Aid For That Deep Down Body Thirst" Radio and television station-ID

jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually t ...

companies throughout the last four decades of the 20th century used the group in their productions, including: * The Heller Corporation * Killer Music Broadcast Division *

JAM Creative Productions JAM Creative Productions, Inc., is an American company that produces radio jingles, promo music for television, and commercial jingles for advertisers. It has made more radio jingles than any other jingle company and has become part of American ...

* TM Productions (now known as TM Studios, a division of Dial Global Media) on syndicated-radio ID jingle packages including: ** Hot Hits ** Fusion ** The "You" campaign ** Good Feelings

Noteworthy recording work

The group also sang on recordings credited to: *

Johnny Mandel John Alfred Mandel (November 23, 1925June 29, 2020) was an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. The musicians he worked with include Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, Tony Benn ...

- "

Suicide Is Painless "Suicide Is Painless" (or "Song from M*A*S*H") is a song written by Johnny Mandel (music) and Michael Altman (lyrics) for the 1970 film ''M*A*S*H''. In addition to being performed by characters in the film, it plays during the title sequence as ...

", Theme from

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. The ...

The Brady Kids ''The Brady Kids'' is an American animated television series and a spin-off based on the ABC live-action sitcom ''The Brady Bunch'', produced by Filmation in association with Paramount Television. It aired on ABC from September 9, 1972, to Octobe ...

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

- " Dark Lady" *

Climax Climax may refer to: Language arts * Climax (narrative), the point of highest tension in a narrative work * Climax (rhetoric), a figure of speech that lists items in order of importance Biology * Climax community, a biological community th ...

featuring

Sonny Geraci Emmett Peter "Sonny" Geraci ("Jer-ah-see"); November 22, 1946 – February 5, 2017) was an American singer, best known as lead singer of musical groups The Outsiders and Climax. Biography Geraci first became known as the original lead vocal ...

- "

Precious and Few "Precious and Few" is a song recorded by American group Climax which became a major North American hit in early 1972. The song was written by the band's guitarist, Walter D. Nims. Background Lead vocals on the demo were provided by Johnny McCur ...

" (No. 1, U.S. ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' Top 100) *

Anita Kerr Anita Jean Kerr (née Grilli, October 13, 1927 – October 10, 2022) was an American singer, arranger, composer, conductor, pianist, and music producer. She recorded and performed with her vocal harmony groups in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Eur ...

Singers ackie_Ward_sang_alto_on_the_group's_Dot_Records_recordings.html" ;"title="Dot_Records.html" ;"title="ackie Ward sang alto on the group's Dot Records">ackie Ward sang alto on the group's Dot Records recordings">Dot_Records.html" ;"title="ackie Ward sang alto on the group's Dot Records">ackie Ward sang alto on the group's Dot Records recordings* Gary Lewis & the Playboys - "This Diamond Ring" (No 1, U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100), "Count Me In (Gary Lewis & the Playboys song), Count Me In", "Save Your Heart for Me, Save Your Heart For Me" (No 1, U.S. ''Billboard'' Easy Listening), " She's Just My Style", " Everybody Loves A Clown" *

Mark Lindsay Mark Lindsay (born March 9, 1942) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer of Paul Revere & the Raiders. Early life Lindsay was born in Eugene, Oregon, and was the second of eight children of George and Esther Ellis Lindsay. The ...

- "

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

" (

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

) and " Silver Bird" *

- "

I Think I Love You "I Think I Love You" is a song by Tony Romeo, written as the debut single for fictional musical TV family the Partridge Family, released in August 1970, a month prior to the debut of the ABC-TV musical sitcom ''The Partridge Family'' starring Sh ...

" *

Gary Puckett & The Union Gap Gary Puckett & The Union Gap (initially credited as The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett) was an American pop rock group active in the late 1960s. The group, formed by Gary Puckett, Gary "Mutha" Withem, Dwight Bement, Kerry Chater and Paul Wheat ...

- " Young Girl" (No. 1, U.S. ''

'' Top 100), "

Woman, Woman "Woman, Woman" is the debut single by Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, from their 1968 debut album '' Woman, Woman''. It was written and composed by Jim Glaser and Jimmy Payne, and uses session musicians from The Wrecking Crew. Like most of the band ...

" (No. 3, U.S. ''

'' Top 100), " Over You" (No. 5, U.S. ''

'' Top 100), and "

Lady Willpower "Lady Willpower" is a song written by Jerry Fuller and recorded by Gary Puckett & The Union Gap for their 1968 album ''Incredible''. The single was awarded a million-selling Gold disc from the RIAA. Chart performance In the U.S., the song ranke ...

" (No. 1, U.S. ''

'' Top 100) *

Paul Revere & the Raiders Paul Revere & the Raiders (also known as Raiders) were an American rock band formed in Boise, Idaho, in 1958. They saw considerable U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s. The band was known for including Revolu ...

- "

Indian Reservation An Indian reservation is an area of land held and governed by a federally recognized Native American tribal nation whose government is accountable to the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs and not to the state government in which it ...

" (

) *

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

- " Oh My My", and "

Photograph A photograph (also known as a photo, image, or picture) is an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor, such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are now create ...

" (No 1, U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100) * Sammy Davis, Jr. - "

The Candy Man "The Candy Man" (or alternatively, "The Candy Man Can") is a song that originally appeared in the 1971 film ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory''. It was written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley specifically for the film. Although the ori ...

" (

) *

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...

- "

There, I Said it Again "There! I've Said It Again" is a popular song written and published by Redd Evans and David Mann (songwriter), David Mann in 1941. In early 1945, Vaughn Monroe, Vaughn Monroe and his Orchestra released Victor 20-1637, which reached the number ...

" *

Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...

- "

You Don't Bring Me Flowers "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" is a song written by Neil Diamond with Alan and Marilyn Bergman for the daily TV sitcom ''All That Glitters''. The song was intended to be the theme song, but Norman Lear, the show's creator, changed the concept of the ...

" (

Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...

), "

Holly Holy "Holly Holy" is a song written and recorded by Neil Diamond with instrumental backing provided by the American Sound Studio house band in Memphis. Released as a single on October 13, 1969, it was a successful follow-on to " Sweet Caroline", reachi ...

", "In My Lifetime" *

The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conc ...

- "

Last Train To Clarksville "Last Train to Clarksville" is a song by American pop rock band the Monkees. It was released as the band's debut single on August 16, 1966, and was later included on the group's self-titled album, which was released on October 10, 1966.''The Monk ...

" (No 1, U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100), "

Valleri "Valleri" is a song written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart for the Monkees. The single reached #3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and spent two weeks at #1 on the ''Cash Box'' chart in early 1968. The song also rose to #1 in Canada and #12 in the ...

" (No. 1, U.S. ''

'' Top 100), " Hey Hey We're The Monkees"

Works of selected members

The Bähler Brothers were part of the singing group hired by Ron Hicklin on Hugo Montenegro's Albums. The Bähler Brothers, Jackie Ward, and Ron Hicklin joined David Cassidy as the singers on the Partridge Family. *

Hugo Montenegro Hugo Mario Montenegro (September 2, 1925 – February 6, 1981) was an American orchestra leader and composer of film soundtracks. His best-known work is interpretations of the music from Spaghetti Westerns, especially his cover version of Ennio M ...

's ''

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly ''The Good, the Bad and the Ugly'' ( it, Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo, literally "The good, the ugly, the bad") is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood as "the Good", Lee Van Clee ...

'' Theme * "

MacArthur Park MacArthur Park (originally Westlake Park) is a park dating back to the late 19th century in the Westlake, Los Angeles, Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles. In the early 1940s, it was renamed after General Douglas MacArthur, and later designated ...

" * "

's theme to the 1970 film ''

'', sung by

Ian Freebairn-Smith Ian Freebairn-Smith (born March 4, 1932) is an American composer, arranger, conductor and group singer in film and TV. He spans from classical to popular music, jazz, choral music, and new music. Early life and education Ian Freebairn-Smith was ...

, Ron Hicklin, John Bähler, and Tom Bähler * Ron Hicklin did 4 decades as part of the Chipmunks Member Jackie Ward also had a hit on her own as Robin Ward with the 1963 hit " Wonderful Summer".

Where are they now?

Below information current as of April, 2022. John Bähler lives in

Branson, Missouri Branson is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is situated in Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County. Branson is in the Ozark Mountains. The community was named after Reuben Branson, postma ...

and conducts the "new"

Lawrence Welk Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted the ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1951 to 1982. His style came to be known as "champagne music" to his radio, tele ...

orchestra as well as running Portraits By Bähler. Bähler's wife, Janet Lennon-Bähler of the

Lennon Sisters The Lennon Sisters are an American vocal group made up of four sisters. The quartet originally consisted of Dianne (aka DeeDee; born Dianne Barbara, December 1, 1939), Peggy (born Margaret Anne, April 8, 1941), Kathy (born Kathleen Mary, Augu ...

, still tours in casinos and resorts around the country as part of an extensive nostalgia circuit, bringing music of the 1940s and 1950s to a new audience. Tom Bähler, a long-time close associate of composer

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

as well as being associate producer and arranger of "

We Are the World "We Are the World" is a charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album ''We Are the World''. Wit ...

", lives in California's

Santa Ynez Valley The Santa Ynez Valley is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north. The Santa Ynez River flows through the valley from east to west. The Santa Ynez Valle ...

north of Los Angeles and continues to occasionally produce as well as record. He is also a songwriter of renown, having penned the

Bobby Sherman Robert Cabot Sherman Jr. (born July 22, 1943), known professionally as Bobby Sherman, is an American retired paramedic, police officer, singer, actor and occasional songwriter who became a teen idol in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He had a s ...

hit "

Julie, Do Ya Love Me "Julie, Do Ya Love Me" is a song written by Tom Bahler, which was a hit recording in 1970 for Bobby Sherman and later the same year for White Plains. Bobby Sherman version In July 1970, Bobby Sherman released "Julie, Do Ya Love Me" as a single, ...

" and

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

's "

She's Out of My Life "She's Out of My Life" is a song written by American songwriter Tom Bahler and performed by American singer Michael Jackson. The song was released as the fourth single from Jackson's 1979 album ''Off the Wall'' released on April 19, 1980. In 200 ...

". Ron Hicklin himself retired from the business in the mid-1990s, and lives in

Rancho Mirage, California Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal (part-time) population can exceed 20,000. Incorporated in 1973 and located ...

and

Ko Olina Ko Olina Resort is a master-planned vacation and residential community on the leeward coast of Oahu, west of Honolulu. Ko Olina has of coastal frontage and includes three natural and four man-made lagoons with white-sand beaches. The master-p ...

(on

Oahu Oahu () (Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering place#Island of Oʻahu as The Gathering Place, Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over t ...

) with his wife, Trudi.

Discography

Partial chronological list of albums containing one or more cuts with one or more Ron Hicklin Singers: There were in addition multiple albums for each below: *

Percy Faith Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian-American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with popularizing the "easy listenin ...

Orchestra and Chorus *

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini, ; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Award ...

Orchestra and Chorus *

Ray Conniff Singers Joseph Raymond Conniff (November 6, 1916 – October 12, 2002) was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s. Biography Conniff was born November 6, 1916 in Attleboro, Massachusetts, United St ...

(20 additional albums)

References

External links

An interview with Tom Bahler

1974 Demonstration Reel

Mazda 1976 Sales Presentation Music

KFI Los Angeles "Big Town New Sound"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hicklin Singers, Ron American vocal groups The Wrecking Crew (music) members