Legends of Doo-Wop Music Bring Vocal Harmonies to Upland on July 16

UPLAND, Calif. – Rock and roll had not yet arrived, and popular music of the 1950s and early ’60s was still largely dominated by vocal standards and Big Band instrumentals. As pop music searched for its identity, a new style rooted in jazz and rhythm and blues came along, with a focus on vocal harmonies with little or no instrumentation.

The cool sound of the time was known as doo-wop, and some of the greatest performers from that golden era will bring those sounds back in a full evening of classic doo-wop hits on Saturday, July 16, at the Highlander Auditorium in Upland, Calif.

Shirley Alston Reeves, the original lead singer of The Shirelles; Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs; J.T. Carter, originator of The Crests; Jimmy Stephens and The Safaris; and Eugene Pitt, the original lead zinger of The Jive Five will share the stage at the Legends of Doo-Wop Vol. II. They’ll be joined by special guest doo-wop a cappella group The Royals of San Diego. Renowned radio personality master of ceremonies Dave “The Hullabalooer” Hull will get the show started promptly at 7 p.m.

Presented by Affordable Music Productions, Legends of Doo-Wop Vol. II tickets may be purchased online at www.affordablemusicproductions.com or by calling 1-888-718-4253 Monday-Friday from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

“Doo-wop music represents a critical transition in American pop music and was the part of the foundation for the development of rock and roll, said Don Goethals, production manager of Affordable Music Productions. “The music of that era lives on today, and even younger generations are captivated by the songs that originated from the artists that will be performing at the Highlander Auditorium on July 16.”

Shirley Alston Reeves founded and sang lead vocals for The Shirelles, four high school girls who came together to perform at a school talent show, where they were discovered and signed to a music contract. Their first single, “I Met Him on A Sunday,” was released in 1958. The Shirelles soon gained fame around the world with six singles in the Top Ten. Their hits included “Tonight’s The Night,” “Baby It’s You,” “This Is Dedicated To The One I Love,” “Mama Said” and the group’s 5 million selling hit “Soldier Boy.” In 1996 Reeves was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs were originally known as The Royal Charms, the Gladiolas and the Excellos before finally settling on the Zodiacs in 1959. Regardless of their name, they were good. Their song “Little Darlin'” was a No. 11 hit on the R&B chart in 1957. In the years that followed, the group split and reformed with new members. In 1959 they recorded “Stay.” After taking the demo of “Stay” to Herald Records in New York City, the song was pressed and released in early 1960. “Stay” is the shortest recording ever to reach No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. The group followed with songs such as “I Remember,” “Come Along,” and “May I,” which also eventually went gold.

The Crests were formed in the mid 1950s by bass vocalist J. T. Carter, who selected vocalist Johnny Mastrangelo (shortened to Johnny Maestro) as lead vocalist for the group. Maestro’s vocal quality and style, coupled Carter’s application of the group’s vocal harmonies and choreography, gave The Crests their unique look and sound. The group had the formula for hit songs, including their most popular song, “16 Candles,” which rose to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1959 with more than 1 million copies sold. The group had several other Top 40 hits, including “Six Nights a Week,” “The Angels Listened In,” “Step By Step” and “Trouble in Paradise.” The Crests were inducted into the United in Group Harmony Association Hall of Fame in 2000 and J.T. Carter and The Crests were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.

Formed in Los Angeles in 1959, The Safaris released their debut single, “Image of a Girl,” the following year. The song was a hit in the United States, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. With lead singer Jimmy Stephens, their follow-up single was “Girl With The Story in Her Eyes,” followed by a popular cover of “In The Still Of the Night,” “Summer Nights” and “Garden of Love.” The Safaris also charted in Billboard with their version of The Surfaris' instrumental hit "Wipe Out."

The Jive Five formed in Brooklyn in the late 1950s with Eugene Pitt as the original lead singer and found success in 1961 with “My True Story.” The song reached No. 3 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart. The group reorganized in 1962 and recorded “What Time is It,” “These Golden Rings” and “I’m a Happy Man”. In 1970 the group recorded as “The Jyve Fyve” and had a minor hit with “I Want You To Be My Baby.”

The Royals of San Diego formed in 2005 with the goal of recreating the East Coast street corner doo-wop sounds from the late 1950s and early ’60s. They refer to themselves as an "East Meets West" group, because members hail from both coasts. With their performances featured in West Coast doo wop shows alongside some of the era's greatest legends, they're often billed as “West Coast A cappella at its Best.”

Tickets for “Legends of the Doo Wop Vol. II” concert are $49, $69 and $89. There are no service fees and parking is free. Highlander Auditorium is located at 850 N. San Antonio Avenue (at Foothill Boulevard) in Upland.

For more information, contact Don Goethals at (951) 317-2155 or affordablemusicproductions@aol.com.