Original members of the Shirelles, Silhouettes, Belmonts, Falcons and Harptones have dusted off their satins to launch a Doo-Wop Hall of Fame celebrating America's street-corner harmonies.
Sixteen members of pioneer doo-wop groups, formed in the 1950s in New York, Philadelphia, Connecticut and Detroit, turned out at a news conference at the Berklee Performance Center to announce plans for a perpetual salute to their beloved music form.They piled out of four vintage cars and immediately broke into song, the Belmonts' Fred Milano leading the ensemble in "Teenager in Love" and Shirley Reeves, original lead voice of the Shirelles, singing "Soldier Boy."
The hall of fame is the brainchild of Harvey Robbins of Sharon, Mass., a businessman and music lover who has produced doo-wop concerts for the past three years.
"They were and are gifted performers," Robbins said. "These are artists who could hold your hand and touch your soul with their sincerity. They gave us timeless material, yet many of these artists are nameless and faceless today.
"A lot of us bought and danced and sang to their records, yet in many cases, they never got the revenues. Now, they will get the kind of appreciation that should have been theirs for 20, 30 and 40 years."
The Doo-Wop Hall of Fame of America may never have a building, Robbins conceded, but he is looking for modest display space in the Boston area, possibly at the Berklee College of Music. The hall plans to acknowledge the entertainers with annual inductions of artists beginning next autumn.
"I've always heard rock 'n' roll was here to stay. What's happening here confirms it," said Bill Baker, lead singer of the Five Satins.
Joe Stubbs, leader of the Falcons, drove in from Detroit. Eugene Pitt, founder of The Jive Five, arrived late after a bus ride from New York but jumped on stage and sang his classic, "I'm A Happy Man."
"Everybody here is like family," Pitt said.
Also on hand were Bill Horton, Raymond Edwards, Richard Lewis and Earle Beale - the Silhouettes, the country's oldest all-original doo-wop group performing today, who sang their classic, "Get A Job (Sha-na-na-na)."
Backing the performers was Billy Davis, original lead guitarist behind Jackie Wilson, co-writer of "The Twist" and former guitar teacher to Jimi Hendrix.