Check here for updates about your favorite DooWop artists of all time. We'll try to keep you up to date with all relevant DooWop news, as well as some cool & interesting facts & details about different artists each week.
DooWop Drive Remembers: Ben E. King
In 1958, the North Carolina-born, Harlem-raised King was part of a doo-wop group called the Five Crowns, who were hired to become a fresh version of the Drifters when the group's manager fired all the original members in an attempt to reinvigorate the act. In King's yearlong tenure with the group, he sang lead on the Drifters' biggest singles, including "This Magic Moment," "Save the Last Dance for Me" and "There Goes My Baby." King ultimately earned an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Drifters in 1988.
Reached today by phone, songwriter Mike Stoller tells Rolling Stone news of King's death is "a real shocker." He recalls he and his songwriting partner Jerry Leiber were 26 years old when they met the young King in 1959 for their first session. "His voice was so warm, rich and mature for a 20-year-old guy," Stoller says.
By 1960, King had launched his own solo career with "Spanish Harlem," a hit written by Leiber and Phil Spector, and "Stand By Me," which he penned along with Leiber and Stoller. "I walked into our office, and Jerry and Benny were working on the lyrics," Stoller recalls of the session that birthed "Stand By Me." "Benny started to sing and I went to the piano and fleshed out the chords and came up with the bass pattern and Jerry said, 'Ah, now we got a hit!' And he was right."
In 1999, the BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) announced that "Stand By Me" was the fourth most-played song of the 20th century, the BBC reports. King's version of the song also landed on the Billboard charts on two separate occasions: 1961 and 1986. King would later score a Top Five hit in 1975 with "Supernatural Thing."
DooWop Drive Remembers: Leslie Gore
Lesley Gore, the singer of Sixties hits like "It's My Party," "Judy's Turn to Cry" and "You Don't Own Me," passed away today at a New York City hospital following a bout with cancer. Gore was 68. "She was a wonderful human being – caring, giving, a great feminist, great woman, great human being, great humanitarian," Gore's partner Lois Sasson told the Associated Press.
The New Jersey-raised Gore was just a junior in high school when Quincy Jones signed the singer to Mercury Records and produced her first single "It's My Party." The song would eventually top the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963 – giving Jones his first smash single as producer – and spawn the quasi-sequel "Judy's Turn to Cry," which also sold over a million copies the same year.
Jones and Gore would team for two more platinum singles in 1963: "She's a Fool" and the empowering, ahead-of-its-time feminist anthem "You Don't Own Me." Jones continued to collaborate with Gore until 1966, crafting singles like "Maybe I Know" and "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows." The following year, Gore would work with songwriting legend Bob Crewe on the track "California Nights" and appear on the TV series Batman as a member of Catwoman's gang.
DooWop Drive Remembers Curtis Lee
The Rock & Roll and DooWop community has a heavy heart due to the passing of Curtis Lee at the age of 75. Best known for his 1961 Top 10 hit ‘Pretty Little Angel Eyes,’ Lee died on Thursday in San Diego after a long battle with cancer.
A resident of Yuma, Ariz., Lee was discovered at a Tuscon club by Ray Peterson of ‘Tell Laura I Love Her’ fame, who signed him to his own Dunes Records. Together with Tommy Boyce, later of Boyce and Hart, Lee wrote ‘Pretty Little Angel Eyes.’ The addition of Phil Spector‘s patented production sent the track to # 7 on the Pop Charts.
Lee would release five more singles on Dune, including the No. 46 charter ‘Under the Moon of Love,’ before leaving for Coda and Mira. He also toured with music legends like Jerry Lee Lewis, Jackie Wilson and Ricky Nelson before returning home to Yuma, where he met his future wife of 51 years, Lydia. Lee then joined his father’s home-building business.
He will be remembered “not only as a local boy who made it big, but as a true family man who believed in the small-town values and roots,” Lee’s daughter Stephanie Lee-Howell told his hometown newspaper. “He was proud of Yuma and being part of the community.
Curtis Lee "Pretty Little Angel Eyes" (1961) Curtis Lee "Under the Moon of Love" (1961)
R.I.P. Tim Hauser (Founder & Lead Singer - Manhattan Transfer)
NEW YORK (AP) — Tim Hauser, the founder and singer of the Grammy-winning vocal troupe The Manhattan Transfer, died Thursday from cardiac arrest, band representative JoAnn Geffen said Friday. He was 72.
Hauser founded Manhattan Transfer, who released their debut album in the early 1970s and launched hits such as "Operator" and "The Boy from New York City." They went on to win multiple pop and jazz Grammy Awards. Their critically acclaimed album, 1985's "Vocalese," earned a whopping 12 Grammy nominations. Alan Paul, Janis Siegel and Cheryl Bentyne — who joined in 1978 and replaced Laurel Masse — rounded out the foursome.
"Tim was the visionary behind The Manhattan Transfer," they said in a statement. "It's incomprehensible to think of this world without him."
Hauser first formed Manhattan Transfer in 1969 with Erin Dickins, Marty Nelson, Gene Pistilli and Pat Rosali. They disbanded and Hauser met some of the band's new members as a taxi driver in New York City. He met a conga player while driving who introduced him to Siegel and he also met Masse while driving.
Hauser was born in Troy, New York. He is survived by his wife Barb Sennet Hauser, his son Basie and his daughter Lily.
Manhattan Transfer will continue their upcoming tour despite Hauser's death. Their next show is Oct. 23 in Manchester, New Hampshire.
MANHATTAN TRANSFER "Boy from New York City" MANHATTAN TRANSFER "Medley " (1976)
Top 101 DooWop Songs of all time:
(#101- 1)
101. Picture In My Wallet - 2:24 Darrell & The Oxfords
100. Can I Come Over Tonight - 2:23 The Velours
99. Six Nights A Week - 2:51 The Crests
98. Ruby Baby - 2:26 The Drifters
97. Wisdom Of A Fool - 2:31 The Five Keys
96. You Can Come If You Want To - 2:54 The Carousels
95. White Christmas -2:40 The Drifters
94. Blanche - 2:58 The Three Friends
93. Diamonds & Pearls - 2:17 The Paradons
92. When I Fall I Love - 3:00 The Flamingos
91. Where Or When - 2:40 Dion & The Belmonts
90. Darling Lorraine - 2:18 The Knockout s
89. Crying In The Chape - 1:50 The Orioles
88. Stormy Weather - 2:32 The Spaniels
87. Story Untold - 2:21 The Nutmegs
86. Only You (And You Alone) - 2:41 The Platters
85. My Own True Love - 2:30 The Duprees
84. My Juanita - 2:40 The Crests
83. To Be Loved (Forever) - 2:28 The Pentagons
82. Two People In The World - 2:37 Little Anthony & The Imperials
81. Why Don't You Write Me? - 2:51 The Jacks
80. Cruise To The Moon - 2:17 The Chaperones
79. Your Way - 2:39 The Heartbeats
78. Long Lonely Nights - 2:54 Lee Andrews & The Hearts
77. Mio Amore ('Till The End Of Time) - 3:10 Flamingos
76. Most of All - 3:01 Moonglows
75. Looking For An Echo - 3:18 Kenny Vance & the Planotones
74. Lover's Island - 2:19 The Blue Jays
73. Look In My Eyes - 2:20 The Chantels
72. Been So Long - 2:42 The Pastels
71. Have You Heard - 2:31 The Duprees
70. Let It Please Be You - 2:18 The Desires
69. Life Is But A Dream - 1:54 Earls
68. My Memories Of You - 3:12 The Harptones
67. Oh Rose Marie - 2:22 The Fascinators
66. Teenager In Love - 2:39 Dion & The Belmonts
65. You Cheated -2:27 Shields
64. Get A Job - 2:49 The Silhouettes
63. Till Then - 2:17 The Classics
62. We Belong Together - 2:49 Robert & Johnny
61. 'Til - 2:35 The Angels
60. At The Hop - 2:34 Danny & the Juniors
59. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow - 2:44 Shirells
58. Unchained Melody - 2:03 Vito & The Salutations
57. When You Dance - 3:00 The Turbans
56. Solitaire - 2:45 Embers
55. Little Darlin' - 2:08 The Diamonds
54. Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite -2:42 The Spaniels
53. Sometimes When I'm All Alone - 2:38 Danny & The Juniors
52. When We Get Married - 2:27 The Dreamlovers
51. The Wind - 3:26 The Jesters
50. The Angels Listened In - 2:02 The Crests
49. Desiree - 2:37 The Charts
48. Golden Teardrops - 3:21 The Flamingos
47. Gloria - 2:20 Vito and Salutations
46. Morse Code Of Love - 2:38 The Capris
45. Trickle Trickle - 2:05 The Videos
44. Who's That Knocking - 2:17 The Genies
43. Book Of Love - 2:21 The Monotones
42. The Closer You Are - 3:01 The Channels
41. To The Aisle - 2:46 The Five Satins
40. A Thousand Miles Away -2:28 The Heartbeats
39. Sincerely - 3:17 The Moonglows
38. Every Day Of The Week - 2:34 The Students
37. Just To Be With You - 2:29 The Passions
36. There Goes My Love - 2:05 The Fantastics
35. A Sunday Kind Of Love - 3:09 The Harptones
34. Silhouettes - 2:46 The Rays
33. I Love You - 2:38 The Volume’s
32. Tears on My Pillow - 2:19 Litlle Anthony
31. The Things I Love - 2:47 The Fidelity's
30. Lovers Never Say Goodbye - 2:58 The Flamingos
29. What Time Is It - 2:49 The Jive Five
28. Image Of A Girl - 2:39 The Safaris
27. There Goes My Baby - 2:12 The Drifters
26. Teardrops - 2:21 Lee Andrews & Hearts
25. So Young - 2:32 The Students
24. My True Story - 2:36 The Jive Five
23. One Summer Night - 2:16 The Danleers
22. Speedo - 2:24 The Cadillacs
21. Once In Awhile - 2:30 The Chimes
20. Life Is But A Dream - 2:44 The Harptones
19. Maybe - 2:56 The Chantels
18. Denise - 2:00 Randy & The Rainbows
17. Daddy's Home - 2:53 Shep & The Limelites
16. Gloria - 2:57 The Cadillacs
15. This I Swear - 2:34 The Skyliners
14. Little Star - 2:42 The Elegants
13. There's A Moon Out Tonight - 2:14 The Capris
12. Remember Then (studio track) 2:12 The Earls
11. Could This Be Magic - 2:19 The Dubs
10. Come Go with Me - 2:43 The Dell-Vikings
9. Sixteen Candles - 2:58 The Crests
8. You Belong To Me - 2:45 The Duprees
7. Blue Moon - 2:17 The Marcels
6. Since I Don't Have You - 2:39 The Skyliners
5. I Only Have Eyes For You - 3:25 The Flamingos
4. I Wonder Why - 2:21 Dion & The Belmonts
3. Earth Angel - 2:57 The Penguins
2. In The Still of the Night -3:06 The Five Satins
1. Tonight, Tonight - 2:32 The Mellokings
