The Ventures/Days of Doo Wop

Mary Weiss, from Jamaica, Queens, died January 19th at age 75. She was the lead singer of the Shangri-Las whose song "The Leader of the Pack" was the number one pop song in 1964'

The golden age of the girl groups was the 1950's and 60's. The New Orleans girl group the Dixie Cups also had a Billboard Hot 100 No 1 hit in 1964 with the "Chapel of Love". The Shirelles, the Marvelettes, the Crystals, the Exciters, the Cookies, the Andantes, the Chiffons, the Ronettes were then gone. Yes, the Supremes and Martha and the Vandellas (who I saw in person at the Apollo Theater; that was a memorable experience) lasted a little longer.

The cause: Guitar Rock groups, the Brits, Mafia invasion of the music publishing industry, touring for young girls (as young as 14- 15 years old), particularly in the South.

It was great while it lasted!
 
Tomorrow, Friday January 26th is the 90th anniversary of the opening of the Apollo Theater at 253 W. 125th Street.

My sister took me there in 1969 or 1970 to see Martha and the Vandellas and David Ruffin. Getting off the IRT at 125th St., we waited for the cross town bus across from the quarters of 14 Truck and the 12th Battalion (one-two-one and one-two-two).

Despite a cloudless evening, I felt raindrops. There's a kid on the third floor fire escape peeing away. We get on the bus and sit right behind the driver. The bus stops at a red light at Park Avenue (Just down the block from Engine 36). On Park Ave. directly in front of us is a cab driver forcibly dragging a passenger out of the back seat. Suddenly, a guy in the back of the bus is running up to the front screaming "That's my brother!". A large woman right behind me stands up in the aisle, points to the back, and orders him to "Sit Down!".

I must have looked like a tourist. Between getting off the bus at Seventh Ave. and getting to the box office I was stopped twice with offers for a nice wristwatch for sale. We got front row seats in the balcony. The talent was spectacular and the audience was just as entertaining.

Even though the headliners can make more money in other venues, they still have to come to the Apollo. And Wednesday is still Amateur Night, even if Sandman Sims is no longer there to "hook" the rejects off the stage.
 
Tony Middleton of The Willows, Church Bells May Ring, passed away. Trivia - who played the chimes in that recording? Also, How The Time Flies mentioned above was originally recorded by Jerry Wallace of Primrose Lane fame.
 
memorymaster said:
Tony Middleton of The Willows, Church Bells May Ring, passed away. Trivia - who played the chimes in that recording? Also, How The Time Flies mentioned above was originally recorded by Jerry Wallace of Primrose Lane fame.
Click to expand...

It was 1956 when the Willows came out with their hit song - "Church Bells May Ring".
Here was a live show featuring singer Tony Middletown from 1998.

Rest in Peace Tony

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZGoQyWWi0Q
 
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