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Despite the early ‘Teen Idols’ …
Born in Massachusetts, Robert Goulet moved to Edmonton – where he lived next door to my Mom, attended Mount Caramel Catholic School and reportedly was a little hell-raiser. He overcame his mischievousness through acting in several school plays, then graduating to local productions throughout the city. After appearing in a CBC feature of Edmonton’s drama community, he moved to Toronto to become a prime player in the CBC’s lineup in the late 50s. But after only 3 seasons, he ventured south in 1960 to meet his international fame on stage and screen, including the role of Lancelot in the hit musical CAMELOT, which debuted in 1960 in Toronto. Some of his more recent works have included playing Frank Drebin’s nemesis Quentin Hapsburg in NAKED GUN 2 1/2 – – and was kidnapped by Nelson Muntz and forced to play to a standing-room-only crowd in Bart’s treehouse. … HAA! HAA! Robert Goulet was immortalized on Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2006. He died of pulmonary fibrosis in 2007. The early 50’s also saw the rise of 3 Canadian groups, all from the Toronto area, leaving an indelible mark on the music scene during the ‘doo wop’ era.
Originally known as The Four Tones, The Crew Cuts consisted of brothers John and Ray Perkins, Rudi Maugeri, and Pat Barrett. Like The 4 Lads, they met while singing in the St. Michael’s Choir School. In fact, Maugeri and John Perkins were with that band in its infancy but left to finish high school. In 1952, Maugeri, the Perkins brothers, and Barrett for they changed their name to The Canadaires while doing a local Toronto weekly radio show. Once they were getting some exposure, all four of the members quit their Government of Ontario jobs to pursue their musical interests full time. They worked clubs in the Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, NY area, saved up their money and drove to New York City so they could appear on Arthur Godfrey’s television and radio program, Talent Scouts, where they came in second to a comedian. They recorded “Chip Chip Sing A Song Little Sparrow” for Thrillwood Records, but soon returned to Toronto. There, they landed the opening slot in Gisele MacKenzie’s show at the Casino Theatre. They were playing in a Sudbury, nightclub when they were invited to appear on a Cleveland television music program. They drove 600 miles in cold Canadian weather to appear on the “Gene Carroll Show,” where they remained for three appearances. It was there they met local disk jockey Bill Randle. On his show, he coined the name that would from that point on belong to the group, the first recognized link between rock & roll and fashion. In addition, Randle arranged for them to audition with Mercury Records, who liked them enough to sign the quartet to a contract. Although their first hit, “Crazy ‘Bout You, Baby,” was written by Maugeri and Barrett themselves, they quickly became specialists in cover recordings of originally R&B songs. Their first cover, “Sh-Boom” originally an R&B song recorded by The Chords, topped Billboard’s chart in 1954, where it remained for seven weeks. That version of that song is argued by many as the first true rock and roll song, despite its big-band influence, but pre-dating Bill Haley’s “Rock Around The Clock,” our friends to the south’s pick for that honour. A number of other hits followed including “Earth Angel” which rose to the number 2 spot on the charts and had great success in England and in Australia. Interestingly, many of their non-cover songs became hits in Canada, and were unknown Stateside, while it was only their covers that had any real success in the United States. In ’55, they covered the Penguins’ “Earth Angel,” which peaked on Billboard at #3. The group moved from Mercury to RCA Records in 1958 and eventually broke up in 1964, but they all scattered throughout the US over the years, reuniting in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1977 for a one-off performance. In the 1990s they were inducted into the Juno Hall of Fame. In recent years, the three remaining members have appeared on a PBS special filmed in Atlantic City’s Trump’s Taj Mahal. The program “Magic Moments – The Best of ’50s Pop” continues to air as part of the fundraising efforts for PBS. A remix of their song “Sh’Boom” was featured in the credits of the video game Destroy All Humans! The Diamonds consisted of Dave Somerville, Ted Kowalski, Phil Levitt, and Bill Reed. In 1953, Somerville was working as a sound engineer for the CBC in Toronto, when he noticed four men practicing in the hallway for “Pick The Stars”, a local talent show. After exchanging amenities, he offered to be their manager. This group was composed of Stan Fisher, Ted Kowalski, Phil Levitt, and Bill Reed. They agreed and for the next several months, Somerville provided tutoring and got practice time in unoccupied studios at the CBC. That Christmas, the group was to sing at a party at a local church. That date conflicted with studies for a law exam of Stan Fisher, the lead singer and Fisher decided he needed the study time. Since Somerville knew all the songs, he took his place. The audience reaction was so tremendous, that the group that night decided to turn professional. Fisher meanwhile decided to stay in law school and not continue with the group. Somerville became the permanent lead, and that was the night The Diamonds were born. By 1955, all members of the group had left college, and/or real jobs, to sing full time. Professional musician Nat Goodman became their manager, and Goodman got the Diamonds onto Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts on American television. The result of the contest was a stalemate between the Diamonds and another contestant, the prize of being a guest artist for a week on Godfrey’s show. This helped them land a recording contract with Coral Records, releasing four songs, the most notable being “Black Denim Trousers & Motorcycle Boots”, a cover of a recording originally by The Cheers. The Diamonds’ version sold a few thousand copies, which was only enough to get them a little local recognition. The next big step was an audition with Cleveland radio DJ Bill Randle, who’d helped The Crew Cuts early on. Randle was impressed with the Diamonds and introduced them to Mercury Records, who signed the group to a recording contract. At this time, black artists were not played on white radio stations. Mercury Records, as well as other major record companies, were designating white artists to cover the recordings of black artists for the purpose of expanding their listening audience. The Diamonds’ first recording for Mercury was “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” in ’56, a cover of Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers’ version. They also covered songs by such black groups as The Clovers, The Willows and The Heartbeats. The Diamonds biggest hits were 1957’s “Little Darlin'” (originally recorded by the Gladiolas) and 1958’s “The Stroll”, which was not a cover, but actually, an original song written for the group by Brook Benton, from an idea by Dick Clark. Although they were signed to do rock & roll, Mercury also paired them with Pete Rugolo in one of his “Meet” series. The album entitled “The Diamonds Meet Pete Rugolo” allowed The Diamonds to return to their roots and do some established standards. “Little Darlin” peaked at #2 on the charts, was followed by “The Stroll,” which hit #5 and prompted a dance craze of the same name. “Little Darlin’,” as well as “Where Mary Go” was featured in the movie, “The Big Beat.” They also performed the theme song for”Kathy-O” and had many television appearances, including Steve Allen, Perry Como, Vic Damone, Tony Bennett, Eddy Arnold and Paul Winchell. They also appeared on American Bandstand. By 1961, all original members had left the group and were replaced. With the ever-changing style of rock & roll and their Mercury contract expired, the Diamonds continued touring the country. At one time, there were at least two groups performing under the Diamonds’ name, one led by Glenn Stetson. Stetson’s Diamonds worked prolifically in the 1970’s and 1980’s and were instrumental in the ’50’s music revival. Stetson founded a nightclub called Little Darlin’s Rock-n-Roll Palace, in Kissimmee, Florida. It featured a number of artists from the ’50s and early ’60s era. This created an issue that was ultimately settled in court. The ruling determined who legally owned the Diamonds’ name, and allowed the original four to use the name a few times each year. The Diamonds received national attention once again in 2000, when the original members were invited to sing in PBS TV’s production of “Do-Wop 51”, and again in the PBS production entitled “Magic Moments-The Best Of ’50s Pop” in 2004. Somerville claims to be a direct descendant of Charlemagne. In the year 1100, another relative, Gualter Somerville, is credited with killing the last dragon in Scotland. The Diamonds, along with The Crewcuts and 4 Lads were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1984 in recognition for their outstanding influence on shaping Canadian pop music, and are considered classics of ‘doo wop’ . Rockabilly
Many of today’s artists also owe a debt to Canada’s early folk scene. Southern Ontario in the late 50’s saw the rise of one of North America’s musical hotbeds. Local coffeehouses and beat houses served as the backdrop for countless artists developing their styles while pioneering the new sound.
Perhaps our best-known folk star, Gordon Lightfoot was born in Orillia, ON, and won his first talent contest while only 13. As a teenager, he began his career playing drums in local jazz bands before moving to LA where he studied music at Westlake College. He returned home in 1959 and was a member of the chorus on CBC’s Country Hoedown. He also worked with The Gini Silvi Singers, before recording three records from ’61 – ’63 as one-half of The 2 Tones. It was during this time that he also had his first single as a solo artist, 1962’s “Remember Me”. Lightfoot’s name was already established on a worldwide scale, landing him a job hosting a ‘c&w’ variety show in England the next year. Throughout his illustrious career, his songs have been covered by artists as diverse as Elvis, Dylan, Nana Mouskouri and Barbra Streisand. Inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1986, other Lightfoot classics over the years include ’74’s “Sundown”, “Alberta Bound”, “Don Quixote”, and the classic “Canadian Railroad Tragedy” and the timeless “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald” in 1976. |