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Classic Urban Harmony
Newsletter #46
Dear readers of our Classic Urban Harmony Newsletter. We hope you are well and staying safe from this terrible pandemic. It is hard to believe how much the world has changed since our last newsletter in mid-February. Each issue, we sadly end up reporting the passing of members of our music family. This issue we also add obits of musicians and singers whose lives have been cut short by the corona virus. We know of others who are hospitalized and on ventilators, though we're holding off naming them for privacy reasons. Like everyone else, our music related activities have been dramatically altered to what we can accomplish while sheltering in place. We're working hard on the second volume of our "Springwood Avenue Harmony" book as well as posting daily videos of our past concerts on our YouTube channel, "chorner1". Just as Volume 1 of our book on black music from the early years of Asbury Park was launched, all of our promotional presentations and book signings had to be put on hold. Still, our concerns are small compared to what many are experiencing. At times like these with most of our readership at very least in lock down, it is more important than ever that we stay in touch with each other. We'll keep issuing this email newsletter. And, above all, to our readership we remind you to stay safe!
Quote of the month: "You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have." - Bob Marley
Classic Urban Harmony LLC promotes the legacy of Rhythm & Blues, Doo Wop, Soul and Gospel Vocal Group Harmony through multimedia presentations, historical research, interviews, magazine articles, museum exhibits & displays, radio guest appearances, lectures, college courses, concert production and emceeing, consultation for documentaries, vocal group bookings, our website, www.classicurbanharmony.net, and this free newsletter. Here you'll find news of important events relevant to our music as well as updates to our website and summaries of our Classic Urban Harmony activities and projects. To read more about and see more photos from the articles in this newsletter, check the What's New Page of www.classicurbanharmony.net. We hope you'll enjoy this issue of the newsletter and again find it entertaining and informative. Please continue passing the word on to others who might want to receive it. They can sign up by sending their names and email addresses to CUH@att.net. - Charlie & Pamela Horner - April 4, 2020. |
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COVID-19 Virus Shuts Down the live Music Industry
The New Orleans Jazzfest has been moved from April to next Fall. The Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame has postponed its induction ceremony. Record Store Day was moved from April 18 to June 20. All the shows and concerts in large theaters to small nightclubs have either been canceled or postponed. We had tickets to see the, “The Wanderer,” the Dion musical, but our tickets have now been refunded as it moves to Spring of next year. Our local doo wop clubs have shuttered for the next couple months. We’ve been forced to postpone our April 19 Roxy & Dukes concert with Joel Katz & the Dynamics until a later date. Just as our first book was published, we’ve had to put all of our book signings on hold. Of course our first concern is for the health of people who catch this virus and for those who are out of work because of it. But we also worry about the long-term effects of this crisis on the entertainment industry and those who depend on it. If the ban on public gatherings lasts for some time, what will happen to the singers, musicians, technical staff, concert producers, club and theater owners? Billboard Magazine recently ran an article entitled " How The Corona Virus Will Reshape The Concert Business" suggesting only the few biggest promoters will survive. In the articles below, we’ll explore how our music scene is adjusting to the pandemic, if hopefully only temporarily. [Graphic from Sonny Maxon.] -Pamela Horner
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FaceBook and YouTube videos of our music explode in viewership.
To fill the demand for live performances, fans of our music are turning to FaceBook and YouTube by the droves. We've been reaching into our vaults to post Classic Urban Harmony acappella concert clips that we've not previously posted. We post a new acappella video clip on YouTube and FaceBook every morning. You can see those and over 340 more live acappella videos on our channel by clicking " Chorner1". You can catch our daily posts by subscribing to our YouTube channel (we have almost 800 subscribers) or by following our Classic Urban Harmony LLC Page on FaceBook. Over the past week we've been posting videos of the Sheps, Choice, Cliftonaires, Mixed Company / Patty & the Street Tones and Grand Central Echoes from our Oct 4, 2019, Acappella Reunion concert in Morristown, NJ. Our most watched video of this week was John Kuse (of the Excellents) backed by Grand Central Echoes singing " Coney Island Baby" acappella. It was watched more than 500 times in the first couple days. But our YouTube channel is now averaging almost 5,000 views a week. Thank you. |
Other great YouTube Channels
Another great YouTube channel to check out is our friend Todd Baptista's channel, DOOWOP TRB. Todd's been posting some historic videos from his collection. This past week he posted a couple rare clips of the Cadillacs singing at at a roller skating rink in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1956. Todd posted two clips. "Woe Is Me" is classic and historic. "Speedo" is missing the lead voice as ABC-TV had their microphones placed badly, but it's great to see their choreography. Take a look.
Another great YouTube channel is that of Tommy Petillo. Tommy is the president and co-founder of the East Coast Music Hall Of Fame, lead singer of the Duprees and author of the book "We Need More Love Songs." Back in the 1990's Tommy hosted the TV show, "Jersey Spotlight. Many of the episodes of the show are now on Tommy's YouTUbe channel and every one is a classic - featuring interview and singing by the many doo wop vocal groups of that time. Lots pf great episodes to watch. Here's one of my favorite episodes - one from 1993 co-hosted by our friend and fellow ECMHOF Board of Directors member, Joe Mirrione, with singing by Choice and the Echelons. Click Tommy Petillo's Jersey Spotlight.
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If Live Virtual "Living Room" Concerts are the future of entertainment, where does that leave Doo Wop groups?
While the thought of five doo wop singers standing six feet apart wearing N95 masks may bring a much needed smile to your face during these tense times, the threat of where our music scene is going is a serious topic. The current pandemic is giving rise to digital live streamed "living room concerts" where singers and musicians broadcast from their home and the audience watches on their TV's and electronic devises. A recent digital concert by Dave Mathews produced by Verizon was watched by over three million people. When the current crisis is over, will people again flock to see their favorite artists appearing in person? Or will they be used to sitting on their couches and watching from home? That may be fine for the huge international stars, but what about the local acappella groups who depend on gigs in small venues? Something to think about. These are scary times, indeed.
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East Coast Music Hall Of Fame acquires Record Collectors Monthly mechanicals and back issues.
The East Coast Music Hall Of Fame is proud to announce the acquisition of the original mechanicals (completed camera ready pages) of the ground breaking magazine, Record Collector’s Monthly. Record Collector’s Monthly was published by the late Don Mennie along with his wife Carole from 1982 to 1993. Don passed away from cancer on February 4, 2019. Carole Mennie donated the mechanicals and multiple back issues of the magazine to the ECMHOF. The donation was facilitated by Dr. Phil Schwartz of the Keystone Record Collectors club. The first issue of Record Collectors Monthly was launched in July of 1982. Over the eleven years of its existence, RCM featured articles by many of our music’s noted historians including Robert Pruter, Peter Grendysa, Bob Bosco, Bob Diskin, Drew Williamson, George Moonoogian, Ken Cohen, Joe Sicurella, Robert Stallworth and of course Don and Carole Mennie and a host of others. For the first several years, the magazine, published as a small newspaper, stuck pretty close to its monthly schedule. In later years, it often combined two months in one issue. Of course, those were the days before the use of the now-standard computerized page design desktop publishing programs. Print magazines had to be done on a “paste up” method of laying out pages to be photographed. That’s why these donated mechanicals are an important relic of recollecting history. This joins the original Time Capsule Show tapes and the Paul Ressler Archives as the third major archival acquisition by the East Coast Music Hall Of Fame in the past few months. We are continuing to establish our organization as a major repository for American music history.
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Phil Phillips dies on his 94th birthday. Sang "Sea Of Love."
Phil Phillips (John Phillip Bapiste), singer and a DJ best known for his self-penned song “Sea of Love” died March 14, 2020, his 94th birthday. Phillips was born in Crowley, Louisiana. He began singing with his brothers in a gospel group called The Gateway Quartet while also singing solos at his local church. Phil Phillips arranged for a group called the Twilights to back him on a song called “Sea Of Love,” of which he had a demo made. The song first came out on the Louisiana label, Khoury. As sales exploded, the song was picked up by Mercury Records and The song went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart and number 1 on the R&B chart. In 1959 the record sold one million copies. Click "Sea Of Love" to have a listen. A follow up record, "Take This Heart" failed to sell, possibly because it sounded too close to "Sea Of Love." Phil was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2007.- Pamela Horner
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Our book, "Springwood Avenue Harmony: Volume 1" is now available on Amazon.com
Our long awaited book, "Springwood Avenue Harmony: The Unique Musical Legacy Of Asbury Park's West Side, Volume 1, 1871 - 1945" is now published and available on Amazon. Almost ten years in the works, it covers Spirituals, Ragtime, Stride Piano, Jazz, Blues, Big Band, Black Vaudeville and Gospel music from the early years of predominately African American section of Asbury Park, NJ. This is a fascinating story that's being told in its entirety for the first time. The book has close to rare 200 photos and is drawn from over a thousand sources. To see much of the first chapter and index, visit the Springwood Avenue Harmony Page of Amazon and click "Look Inside". If you purchase a copy on Amazon, we'd be glad to autograph it at one of our future events. |
Trying to Preserve Sigma Sounds Studio in Philadelphia
Fans and preservationists hope to make Sigma Sounds Studio into a museum. Sigma Sounds was the home of Philadelphia International Records and the Sound of Philadelphia. (TSOP) There producers and songwriters Kenny Gambel, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell- “The Mighty Three” oversaw the careers of the O’Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, The Stylistics, McFadden and Whitehead, plus more. The studio produced over 200 gold and platinum records. Sigma Sounds was a recording facility in Philadelphia that sound engineer Joe Tarsia founded in 1968. “It was black music in a tuxedo” Joe Tarsia said during their 50th anniversary celebration. Max Ochester, owner of the Brewerytown Beats Record store and label wants to save the building and turn it into a museum; not a Sigma Sounds museum but a Philadelphia music history museum. So many vintage recording studios are gone. Among them is the home of Cameo Parkway Records. The future of the gutted building that was the home of Sigma Sounds is now in the brainstorming stage by a group of Sigma veterans. - Pamela Horner
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Artifacts from our Archives: 1957 Tour Book
This issue, I’d like share with you one of our tour booklets. This one is from "The Biggest Show of Stars from Spring 1957." The promoter, Irving Feld, had 13 acts on the bill. The talent on this show focused on black performers. The headliner was Fats Domino. Fats missed a few performances during the tour. He went AWOL for a show in his home town of New Orleans and had to be coerced back. Other acts on the bill include Chuck Berry, Lavern Baker, Bill Doggett, Clyde McPhatter, The Five Keys, Ann Cole, The Moonglows, The Five Satins, Charles Brown, Eddie Cooley & the Dimples, The Schoolboys, and the Paul Williams Orchestra. The tour was booked for 45 dates and was so successful that repeat dates were booked. It began in Pittsburgh, Pa and traveled all over the U S and several cities in Canada. Each page of this tour book had a large photo of the star/stars and a bio. Some of these tour books are selling for $200 each on EBay. Our Classic Urban Harmony Archives has a number of them from different years. - Pamela Horner
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Ellis Marsalis, jazz legend and patriarch of the Marsalis family, dies of Corona Virus.
As we were preparing this newsletter, we just heard that jazz legend and patriarch of the Marsalis family has just died in New Orleans at the age of 85. He died of complications of the COVID-19 virus. Ellis is the father of noted jazz musicians Wynton and Branford Marsalis. Ellis taught at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts in the ’70s, where some of his students included Harry Connick Jr., Donald Harrison, Marlon Jordan, Kent Jordan and Nicholas Payton. In 2008, he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, and the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in New Orleans was named in his honor a year earlier.
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Bucky Pizzarelli, noted guitarist, dies of Corona Virus.
Sorry to report that Bucky Pizzarelli, noted guitarist and mainstay of the New York City jazz scene, died April 1, 2020 of complications from the COVID-19 virus. Bucky was one of the few guitarists of his day to play a guitar with 7n strings. A gifted soloist, Bucky was a sought after session musician. He can be heard on literally hundreds of recordings from the 1950's and 1960's. Vito Picone said Bucky was the guitarist on the Elegants' "Little Star." Bucky toured with Benny Goodman and was a longtime member of the "Tonight Show" Orchestra. He was 94. - Pamela Horner
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Kenny Rodgers dies. Had his beginnings in doo wop singing.
Kenny Rogers, American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and entrepreneur, died March 20, 2020 at the age of 81. While most remembered as a Country and Pop singer, Kenny actually got his start in Doo Wop music. When we give doo wop presentations we often play a mystery record at the end to see if anyone can guess the artist. One of the songs we use is Kenny Rodgers on the Carlton label - click " For You Alone". Here are a couple more to listen to, done with Kenny and his group the Scholars. " What Did I Do Wrong" (Cue label) and " Eternally Yours" (Imperial label) and finally "I Didn't Want To Do It" / "Beloved" (Imperial label). With the last few records, it looks like Imperial wanted to have Kenny's group the Scholars covering black groups like the Spiders and Barons. Still, interesting stuff! [P.S. - which one in the above photo is Kenny Rodgers? I'm guessing the second from the left.] |
Visit our website.
If you haven't visited our website in awhile, you're in for a treat. We're nominated for East Coast Music Hall Of Fame Music Maker Best Website / Publication. The Articles By Us page lists our many articles from Echoes of the Past, which you can click on and read. Unfortunately our Events Page for now is filled with postponed events. But when the lock down is lifted you'll be able to seethe new dates for all your favorite events. For more about Classic Urban Harmony's activities, along with news, articles, photos and videos, please visit our website, www.classicurbanharmony.net.
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Follow Us on FaceBook
We have a FaceBook Page that we post to - "Classic Urban Harmony". Please like and follow our FB Page to keep up on all of our latest activities.
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Bill Withers dies at age 81 of heart complications.
Iconic singer songwriter Bill Withers died March 30, 2020. of heart complications. He was 81. The three time Grammy Award winner was best know for his songs "Lean On Me," "Ain't No Sunshine," "Use Me," Grandma's Hands" and "Just The Two Of Us," Born in West Virginia in 1938, Withers made one record for the Lotus label in 1967 (to hear it click "What'll I Do") before signing with Sussex Records in 1970. After a string of hits, Withers got frustrated with the music business in 1985 and stopped recording. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2005. |
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East Coast Music Hall Of Fame rescheduling our Awards Gala to October 12 & 13, 2020.
Ladies and Gentlemen, due to the current Corona Virus Pandemic we will be rescheduling our Awards Gala at Harrah’s Resort from June 9 & 10 to October 12 & 13, 2020. That’s a Monday and Tuesday…Our primary concern is for the health and well-being of all those who will be attending our two day event…For those of you who have already purchased tickets please know that those same tickets will be honored for the Events they were purchased for….Please Stay Safe and follow all the government directives… Once this is behind us, we all will be More Than Ready For a Party to celebrate Life; Two Days filled with Music, Celebrities, Fun and Entertainment…. God Bless You…See You In October…- Tom Petillo, President & CEO, East Coast Music Hall of Fame.
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East Coast Music Hall Of Fame voting for Legend & Music Maker nominees has begun.
Though our East Coast Music Hall Of Fame Awards Gala has been rescheduled, voting for the Legends and Music Makers awards is continuing on schedule. The 2020 ECMHOF Voting Ballots just went to all members who signed up with an email address. Look for an email from SURVEYMONKEY.COM and our SURVEY PROVIDER LINK,,,, It's that easy. CHECK YOUR JUNK MAIL IF YOU DO NOT FIND IT IN YOUR MAIL BOX. For those whom we don't have an email we are mailing out paper ballots.
If you're not already a member of the East Coast Music Hall Of Fame, you're missing a lot. Joining is easy. Just go to the ECMHOF website. Ambassador Membership is $50 annually and includes the right to nominate and vote for our Legends and Music Makers categories. Supporter Membership is $25 annually and allows you voting privileges. Voting ends the end of April.
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Classic Urban Harmony website and newsletter nominated for East Coast Music Hall of Fame award. Voting now in progress.
Voting for the East Coast Music Hall Of Fame nominees for 2020 began March 30 and runs until April 30. We are proud to announce that our website, www.ClassicUrbanHarmony.net along with this newsletter have been nominated for "Best Music Maker Publication / Website" If you're a fan of this newsletter and our website, please consider voting for us. This newsletter takes an awful lot of work and our only compensation is knowing that you appreciate us To vote for us, you need to be at least a Supporting member of the organization with a donation of $25. Ambassador members ($50 donation) also get to nominate. To join the East Coast Music Hall Of Fame and keep up on all their events visit www.ECMHOF.org.
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Documentary "Streetlight Harmonies" now released and available!
So proud to have consulted on and appeared in the definitive documentary on Doo Wop music, "Streetlight Harmonies." Now this film is made available to the public as of March 31. It features numerous doo wop stars including Willie Winfield, Fred Parris, Sammy Strain, Charlie Thomas, Vito Picone, Barbara Jean English, Lois Powell and many more. Click Streetlight Harmonies to watch a short trailer for the film. Here's just one of the great reviews it's gotten. You can order Streetlight Harmonies on Apple TV or purchase a DVD or Blu-Ray disc of it by clicking Amazon DVD or Amazon Blu-Ray.
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Broadway Al Trommers dies.
Al Trommers passed away March 11 or 12, 2020. Broadway Al, as we knew him was one of the earliest serious collectors of R&B vocal group records and later co-founder, with Bleeker Bob, of Village Oldies, one of the iconic record store in New York City history. Al had a hand in rediscovering a little known 1958 recording on the Planet label and reissuing it in 1960 on the Lost Nite label, a company started by Al Trommers, Jerry Green and others. When the record started to take off again, they sold it to Old Town records where it became a huge hit. The record was There's A Moon Out Tonight" by the Capris. Broadway Al was one of the most knowledgeable guys around when it came to our music and he was always happy to tell us stories. A frequent attendee of the TNT North Jersey R&B And Doo Wop Party get togethers, Al will be surely missed by all of us. [Photo above taken at a Classic Urban Harmony concert in Morristown NJ.]
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Why is there so little known about the Gazelles on the Gotham label?
In an age when so many of our beloved vocal groups have been researched and written about, why do we know so little about the Gazelles who recorded that great record, "Honest" for Philadelphia's Gotham label in 1955? We turned to our Classic Urban Harmony archivist and music historian, Charlie Horner, for an answer. Well, as great as the song, "Honest," the Gazelles only made one record. And the flip side, "Pretty Baby Baby" is just a cleverly disguised cover record on the Five Keys' "Hucklebuck With Jimmy." Charlie spoke very briefly on the phone once with Charles Jones of the Gazelles. Jones had said that two of the group were from North Philly and the rest were from Camden. But that was all we had to go on. We then did search the CUH Archives for more information. From their contract with Gotham, the Gazelles consisted of Donald Langston, Vernon Fussell, Donald Lee, Carlton Prater and Charles Jones. On August 15, the Gazelles signed a 90 exclusive contract with Gotham Records, calling for them to record two sides. The group's manager was listed as Eddie Neal of Edgely Street in North Philadelphia. Gotham paperwork gave a Camden address for Donald Langston (presumable the lead singer) and a North Philly address for Carlton Prater. Oddly, Prater had been born in Camden and by 1958 was back living in Camden. In October 1955, the Gazelles appeared on Philadelphia DJ Georgie Woods' Rock & Roll show at the Philadelphia Academy of Music along with Al Hibbler, the Moonglows, Mickey & Sylvia, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Lillian Briggs and the Red Prysock Orchestra. In January 1956, the Gazelles performed for the students of Camden High School, singing "Ko Ko Mo," "Starlight," "Honest" and "Baby Pretty Baby." In April 1956, the Gazelles opened for Savannah Churchill and 15 year old Solomon Burke at the South Camden Branch of the YMCA. Newspapers referred to them as "Camden's 'Rock and Roll' male vocal quintet." That's all we know about the Gazelles, but it's a start. Click "Honest" to listen to their signature song.
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New Jersey CD and Vinyl Record Manufacturer now making Face Shields to Combat COVID-19.
Disc Makers of Pennsauken, NJ who until recently made CD's and vinyl records for independent artists has become the hub for plastic face shields in our area. Overnight their normal CD business for dropped by 30%. It took 48 hours for Disc Makers to have the prototype for the reusable clear shields. It was the perfect solution to keep 100 workers busy in the 125,000 square factory at work and at the same time help in the fight against the Corona virus. [ For the record, Disc makers started as Gotham Records back in 1946.] Read the whole story at NJ.com. - Pamela Horner |
House where "Honeysuckle Rose" was written to be celebrated by Asbury Park Museum and Asbury Park Historical Society. Site located by Classic Urban Harmony after 5 year search!
In late December, 1928, the songwriting team of Fats Waller and Andy Razaf sat down at a rented piano in Andy's mother's home and wrote the song "Honeysuckle Rose." It would go on to become one of the most recorded tunes of all time, being waxed by close to 500 different artists. Locating that house had been quite a challenge for music historical detectives, Pam and Charlie Horner, who had scoured historical newspapers, census records, city directories and other documents for the past 5 years looking for it. The challenge came in locating info about Razaf's mother, who had remarried prior to the songwriting. Razaf's mom, had been the 14-year-old daughter of a U.S. foreign diplomat and the bride of a Madagascar Duke who was killed during the French war that colonized Madagascar. So Andy's mother no longer had the married last name Razafinkarefo. But as is often the case, persistence paid off as one lead led to another and the house was found to be 119 Atkins Avenue, in the heart of Asbury Park's West Side. [Read our book, "Springwood Avenue Harmony Vol. 1" for the full story.] As it turned out, the house is still standing and will now be honored with a brass plaque from the Asbury Park Museum and the Asbury Park Historical Society. A ceremony is planned for after the virus lockdown is lifted, To see a great video of Fats Waller playing "Honeysuckle Rose" on piano. click Fats Waller. |
Skip Mahoney of the Casuals (1949 - 2020).
Robert "Skip" Mahoney (Harrison Hoaney) died March 20, 2020 at the age of 71. Skip was the lead of the Washington DC/Baltimore soul group Skip Mahoney & the Casuals. Skip grew up in the southwest section of Washington DC known as Ladroit Park. He first formed Skip Mahoney & the Casuals in 1965 while in high school. After numerous personnel changes the group finally recorded in 1973, issuing "Your Funny Moods" for the D.C. International label. Moving on to the Abet label, Skip Mahoney and the Casuals recorded their biggest hit, "Wherever You Go (I Will Follow)" in 1976. “Wherever You Go” features very tight harmony and a soaring falsetto. The group discontinued for a while but came back together in the early 90’s. They were inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2015. One of our favorite soul groups, we saw Skip Mahoney & the Casuals when they performed at a Pookie Hudson’s tribute in 2006. Click Skip Mahoney to watch that stirring performance! - Pamela Horner |
Art Rupe, Founder of Specialty Records, now 102 and still going strong.
[This item from Billy Vera] Art Rupe (Arthur Goldberg) originally from McKeesport, PA. is now 102. He first became enthralled with black music when as a child he heard music sung in a black church. Rupe is known for establishing Specialty Records in 1947 after moving to California. Through the 1950's, Specialty was one of the most important independent labels for African American music. Art Rupe recorded gospel groups such as The Soul Stirrers, The Swan Silvertones, The Pilgrim Travelers, and others. He also recorder secular music by Sam Cooke, Don & Dewey, Lloyd Price, Larry Williams, Jimmy & Joe Liggins, Percy Mayfield, and many others. After selling Specialty Records, he became involved in oil and gas investments. His success with investments allowed him to establish the philanthropical Arthur N Rube Foundation. Art still works from home five days a week on Foundation business. Art Rupe was inducted into The Blues Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2011 he was inducted into The Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame and received the Ahmet Ertgun award. For more on the Specialty Records story, pick up the informative book by Billy Vera “ Rip It Up The Specialty Records Story.” We reviewed it in a prior newsletter. - Pamela Horner [Photo from Billy Vera]. |
James Mays of the soul group, the Van Dykes dies.
James Mays, bass and baritone singer for the Ft. Worth, Texas, soul vocal group, the Van Dykes, died March 9, 2020. Their first single “No Man is an Island” b/w “I Won’t Hold it Against You” came out first on the local Hue label in 1965. It was picked up by the Mala label and distributed nationally. The Van Dykes lasted only a few years but managed to release six magnificent soul singles and an LP. To read their complete bio by Marv Goldberg, click Van Dykes. Click " No Man Is An Island" to hear their biggest hit. [James May is in the bottom of the above photo.] - Pamela Horner
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Francis Flynn of Philly soul group, Sons of Robin Stone dies.
Francis Flynn (top row, center of the above photo) of the Philly soul group, the Sons of Robin Stone, died March 14, 2020. He was 79. Francis group up in southwest Philadelphia. The Sons of Robin Stone are best known for their 1974 Atco record, "Got To Get You Back" b/w "Love Is Just Around the Corner," produced by Bobby Eli. Click " Got To Get You Back" to watch an amazing rare video of the group! Oh and here's the ballad side from the record - " Love Is Just Around The Corner" - Pamela Horner |
Our pre-pandemic book launch was a huge success but now all book signings and presentations are on hold.
After ten years of intensive research on black music from Asbury Park's West Side we were so excited about publishing our first book. We presented a copy to the City of Asbury Park at their city council meeting and had a photo of us in the local newspaper. We held a big book launch party at the Asbury Park Library. The multimedia presentation was so well received we sold 40 books right off the bat. We began scheduling a comprehensive tour of local book signings and book fairs events that was to begin this months. Then in a few short days, everything came to a halt. We realize that compared to what many people all over the world are going through, our disappointments may be small. Most people we know are out of work and we know of singers and musicians who are on ventilators, fighting for their lives. For the time being we are hunkered down and working on Volume 2 from home. Volume 1 of our book is available on Amazon. Click " Springwood Avenue Harmony." For now that will have to do. If and when we survive this crisis, we'd be glad to sign your copy. |
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If you're enjoying reading this newsletter, there's another great free email newsletter we know you'll enjoy and this one comes out weekly! Doo Wop Ramblings hits your inbox every Sunday. You can subscribe by visiting Subscribe Now.
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Yet, Another Great Newsletter you should be receiving!
In addition to the newsletter above, you need to check out the New England Doo Wop Society's free email newsletter. Published by our friends Bob Belniak and Gary Jones the NEDWS is quite active in keeping our music alive in New England but their newsletter covers music news from all over. Click Subscribe to email Bob and get on their mailing list.
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Past Issues of the CUH Newsletter Now viewable on our website!
Want to catch up on any past issues of this newsletter that you may have missed? Now you can. Just go to the top of this newsletter and click on "View it in your browser". Then you be able to click on "Past Issues" on the upper left of your screen. You can also see most of our past CUH email newsletters (going back to 2012) from the link on our website's Articles Page. here's a Direct Link. |
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