Chee-Chee and Peppy were an American
R&B teen vocal duo who recorded in the early 1970s and had a US
Hot 100 hit with "I Know I'm In Love".
The duo comprised Dorothy "Dottie" Moore (born 1959,
Norristown, Pennsylvania) and Keith Bolling (born 1957,
Frankford, Pennsylvania). Moore, then aged 12, was discovered by record producer and songwriter
Jesse James when he was asked to speak to local children at her school. She sang and danced at the event, and James later got agreement from her mother to form a duo around her. Keith Bolling was the son of
Sam Cooke and a member of Frankford High School's Ambassadors of Song, and under James' direction a duo was formed. "Chee-Chee" (Moore) and "Peppy" (Bolling) took their performing names from those of their pet dogs.
["Chee Chee & Peppy - A History", ''TheFunkShow.com'']
Retrieved 13 August 2015
Chee-Chee and Peppy's first single, "I Know I'm In Love", written, arranged and produced by James and released by
Buddah Records
Buddah Records (later known as Buddha Records) was an American record label founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's foun ...
, reached #12 on the ''
Billboard''
R&B 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 #49 on the pop chart in spring 1971, and was followed by "Never Never Never", which reached #46 on the R&B chart.
The duo's later recordings were less successful, but they issued an
LP, ''Chee Chee & Peppy'', in 1972. They also appeared on TV shows including ''
American Bandstand'', and toured with
Linda Jones
Linda Jones (December 14, 1944 – March 14, 1972) was an American soul singer with a strong gospel-influenced style who had the 1967 top 10 R&B hit single, "Hypnotized".
Biography
Jones was born in Newark, New Jersey, United States. She starte ...
, opening for
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...
,
James Brown,
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys K ...
and others.
[ Chee Chee & Peppy, ''JesseJamesHitMusic.com'']
Retrieved 13 August 2015
The original pair disbanded in the early 1970s, but in 1981 James produced a second album by Chee Chee and Peppy, ''Super You'', which again featured Moore as Chee-Chee but a different singer, Charles Gamble, as Peppy.
[ Dottie Moore-Thomas later became a member of the Word of Deliverance Mass Choir led by Bishop Bobby Hilton in Forest Park, Ohio.][
]
References
External links
Chee-Chee and Peppy at Discogs.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chee-Chee and Peppy
American musical duos
American soul musical groups