LEGENDS OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL CONCERT PROGRAM SIGNED BY 12

Description

O
ffered here is “Legends of Rock ‘N’ Roll Program –1991  This program was signed by eleven different artists/groups: The Fleetwoods, Mel Carter, The Pentagons, The Jive Five, Paul & Paula, The Swallows, Don & Juan, Ron Holden, 5 Discs, The Solitaires, Lillian Leach & the Mellows, and Freddy Cannon.
Several of these artists have passed on.
It is difficult to determine what a fair asking price might be for this program.  I have been unsuccessful in finding what others are asking for the signatures of the Pentagons, the Jive Five, The Swallows, the 5 discs, the Solitaires, and Lillian Leach & the Mellows.  As of the posting of this item, these signatures are simply not available to buyers.  They are either rare, or too obscure for anyone other than doo-wop fans to bother with.  I have also failed to find this particular program for sale anywhere, with or without signatures.
Other close-up photos of these signatures are available upon request.
I am selling my collection of autographs that I have purchased several years ago from an array of sources – from eBay sellers, from dealers with professional credentials, and from the signers themselves via the mail.  Some came with COA’s; most did not.  When I obtained these signatures, I believed them to be genuine and I believed that they were genuine when I posted them on Ebay.
I have received opinions from others, including PSA/DNA whose opinion I sought, indicating that some of the signatures that I have posted were not likely to be genuine.  I have pulled those questionable signatures, and will not post them for sale again in the future.  It is not my intention to sell autographs that are not authentic, and I will continue do my best to try to ensure that the signatures that I am offering are genuine.  As indicated below, all signatures that I sell come with a money-back guarantee if they are judged to be of doubtful authenticity.
If the signature or signatures is/are determined to be inauthentic by a well-recognized autograph expert, this item may be returned for a full refund.
For those who'd prefer a different form of shipping, please contact me so that we can discuss what your shipping charges might be.
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For your interest, what follows are brief artist bios shamelessly stolen from Allmusic.
The Fleetwoods
Although the Fleetwoods' sound was smooth, without many of the rougher edges of doo wop groups, they were one of the few white vocal groups of the late '50s and early '60s to enjoy success not only on the pop charts, but also the R&B charts. Their forte was ballads -- beginning with the 1959 debut single "Come Softly to Me," they racked up a number of hits over the next three years, and nearly all of them were ballads. The Fleetwoods broke up in 1963, but their songs -- particularly "Come Softly to Me" -- became pop/rock classics of the pre-British Invasion era.
Dolphin released "Come Softly to Me" early in 1959 and the song became an instant hit, climbing to number one on the pop charts and number five on the R&B charts; it also reached the Top Ten in U.K. The Fleetwoods weren't able to immediately produce a follow-up single as successful as their debut, but their third single, "Mr. Blue," was a number one pop and Top Five R&B hit in the U.S. in late 1959. By the time of its release, Dolphin had changed its name to Dolton. For the next three years, the Fleetwoods had a string of minor pop hits. The group wasn't able to consistently place singles in the upper regions of the charts partially because Troxell
was drafted into the Navy at the height of the group's popularity at the end of 1959.
Troxell was replaced by Vic Dana who would later have a string of his own hit singles in the early '60s.
The Fleetwoods' last Top Ten single arrived in the spring of 1961, when "Tragedy" climbed the U.S. charts. The group disbanded two years later, after releasing its final single, a cover of Jesse Belvin's
"Goodnight My Love." Over the next three decades,
the Fleetwoods
reunited occasionally to perform concerts and appear in oldies revues. In 1973, the group recorded an album with producer Jerry Dennon
, but the resulting recordings were unsuccessful. In 1990,
the Fleetwoods
-- featuring Christopher, Troxell, and instead of Ellis, a singer named Cheryl Huggins
-- played a tour on the American oldies circuit after Rhino released the compact disc collection The Breest of the Fleetweeods.
by
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Mel Carter
Mel Carter
was soul music at its most vanilla, if indeed he could be characterized as a soul singer at all. Although he did record for Sam Cooke's SAR label in the early '60s, by the time he reached his commercial peak with Imperial in the middle of the decade, he was specializing in middle-of-the-road pop ballads. These actually charted considerably higher on the easy listening charts than the pop ones, his biggest smash being the Top Ten pop hit "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" (1965), an update of a composition that predated the rock era. He had a couple of other Top 40 entries over the next year ("Band of Gold" and "(All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings"), as well as a few other big easy listening sellers, sounding at times like a more nervous and slightly up-tempo Johnny Mathis. "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" is the song he'll be remembered for, enduring as an oft-played radio oldie for decades after its release.
by Richie Unterberger
The Pentagons
The Pentagons
are remembered for two 1961 hits, "To Be Loved (Forever)" -- which peaked at number 48 nationally -- and "I Wonder." The original lineup featured Joe Jones (2019),
Carl McGinnis, Bill James, Otis Munson,
and brothers Kenneth Goodloe (lead) and Ted Goodloe and formed in 1958 in San Bernardino, CA, northeast of Los Angeles. Sometime during this early period, Munson left and James was later replaced by Odie Jones, Joe's brother, making for two sets of brothers in the Pentagons' lineup.
A trip to Los Angeles that same year attracted the attention of George Motola's Fleet International, a label Motola owned with Lee Silver. The group recorded their first single, "You'll Be Coming Home Soon," which Motola released under the name the Shields. They were forced to change their name to the Pentagons after discovering a local act from Los Angeles had a hit that year under the same name ("You Cheated").
The group's next single would be the 45 that most doo wop fans and collectors remember them fondly for, the graceful and understated ballad "To Be Loved (Forever)," written by Ken Goodloe. The single was a regional hit in late 1960 and was immediately picked up for national distribution and reissue on Donna Records, a division of Bob Keene's Del-Fi Records. It later broke wide open after it was played on Dick Clark's
TV show and in February of 1961, it peaked nationally at number 48 pop.
After this initial glimmer of success,
Lester Sil
l
joined Silver and Motola as the Pentagons' managers. The group's next single was another Motola production, "I Like the Way You Look at Me," which was once again licensed to Donna Records. Though not a major hit, it still carried over that string-laden sound the Pentagons were becoming known for. The B-side, "Down at the Beach," written by Joe and Odie Jones, was a minor hit as well (although this happened two years after it was recorded). Beginning with the very distinctive "Billboard March" -- a calliope-like flourish heard at the start of a circus and also used in James' Daren's number two 1961 hit "Goodbye Cruel World" -- the lyrics of "Down at the Beach" really captured the whole sunny SoCal surf and sand scene -- "you look good in your short shorts...I really go for your ta-yan."
After this release, the Pentagons signed to Jamie Records, with whom Sill had connections, causing Keene to lose interest in promoting the Donna-released second single. Their final hit was the Jamie-released "I Wonder (If Your Love Will Ever Belong to Me)" which peaked at number 84 pop in October of 1961, but with no additional hits forthcoming, the group disbanded and faded into obscurity.
Lester Sil
l
incidentally, also produced Duane Eddy's
early recordings for Jamie. He passed away on October 31, 1994, in Los Angeles.  by
Bryan Thomas
The Jive Five
Best known for the number one R&B hit "My True Story," the Jive Five were one of the few vocal groups to survive the transition from the '50s to the '60s. In the process, they helped move the music itself forward, providing a key link between doo wop and '60s soul.
Formed in Brooklyn, New York, the group originally consisted of Eugene Pitt
(lead), Jerome Hanna
(tenor), Richard Harris
(tenor), Billy Prophet (baritone), and Norman Johnson
(bass). The Jive Five's first hit, "My True Story," was their biggest, peaking at number one on the R&B charts and number three on the pop charts in the summer of 1961. None of the band's subsequent singles -- including 1962's minor R&B hit "These Golden Rings" -- were as popular, but the group managed to keep performing and recording. Under the direction of Eugene PItt
and Norman Johnson, the Jive Five
refashioned themselves as a soul band in 1964, forming a new lineup with Casey Spencer
(tenor),
Webster
Harris
(tenor), and Beatrice Best
(baritone). This new incarnation of the band signed to United Artists Records. The group only had one hit on UA, 1965's "I'm a Happy Man."
In 1966, The Jive Five
left United Artists and signed with Musicor, where they had the 1968 R&B hit "Sugar (Don't Take Away My Candy)." They changed labels again in 1970, signing with Decca. That same year, they changed their name to the Jyve Fyve, in order to appear more contemporary. The Jyve Fyve had only one minor R&B hit, 1970's "I Want You to Be My Baby."
The group continued to perform and record for a variety of small labels during the '70s, but never had another hit. Throughout the '70s and '80s, the only constant member was Eugene Pitt. In 1975, Pitt changed the name of the group to Ebony, Ivory & Jade, but this new incarnation failed to gain much attention. In 1982 Pitt
changed the name of the group back to the Jive Five and the band recorded two albums for the indie label Ambient Sound. Across the following decades the Jive Five were regulars on the oldies circuit, and in 2003 they issued a CD single (under the moniker Eugene Pitt & the Jive Five entitled "It's Christmas" on Doesn't Matter Music. Eugene Pitt
died in June 2018 at the age of 80.  by
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Paul & Paula
Getting a number-one pop hit was easy for West Texans Ray Hildebrand
(Joshua, TX) and Jill Jackson
(Camry, TX). Mission accomplished with their first single. But the old saying, "you don't appreciate what you don't work hard for," applies here.
"Hey Paula" aced Billboard's pop survey and made the Top Ten on most R&B charts, prompting Motown Records to team Marvin Faye and Mary Wells
to cash in on the fad. After pairing Gaye
with Kim Westin, Motown processed the Paul & Paula
paradigm successfully by pairing Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.
Hildebrand
and
Jackson
were students at Howard Payne College when a Brownwood, TX, DJ called for entertainers to volunteer to benefit the American Cancer Society. They volunteered and sang "Hey Paula," a song
Hildebrand
wrote. It went over so well that everybody encouraged them to make a record.
Smith offered "Hey Paula" to Vee Jay Records but Ewart Abner
turned it down. So he released it on LeCam, as by Jill & Ray. (Abner realized his error and paired Jerry Butler
and Betty Everett
after "Hey Paula" exploded.) The hot seller caught the attention of Mercury Records' Shelby Singleton. Mercury reissued it on its Phillips subsidiary. But not before Singleton
renamed them Paul & Paula, pointing out that two people name Jill & Ray singing the lyrics "Hey, hey Paula" and "Hey, hey Paul" didn't make sense. They resented -- everybody in West Texas knew them as Jill & Ray -- but later acquiesced.
"Hey Paula" sold nearly two-million copies early in 1963. They followed with "Young Lovers" and "First Quarrel." A couple of albums, including one of Christmas songs, followed. "Hey Paula" originally ran more than six minutes. But Smith said it was too long, and
Hildebrand
used the cut parts to create "Young Lovers."
Jill Jackson
married their manager and continued as a solo artist. They later divorced and she married an attorney. She resides in San Fernando Valley, CA. She wanted the duo to continue and often asked
Hildebrand
to reconsider, to no avail. They reunited for a party in Brownwood in the '80s, but that's as far as it went.
Hildebrand
worked behind the scenes as a songwriter/producer, then left the business for a while.
by
Andrew Hamilton
The Swallows
The Swallows
might sound like the name of a band but in truth, the Swallows is simply a labor of love from one man, Glenn Milchern. At least that's how it started out.
Milchern
put out his original material under the name of the Swallows while he was still drumming for Blue Rodeo, a country-rock outfit out of Canada. While he's proud of his work in
Blue Rodeo
and it's a gig that has helped him pay the bills since 1991 while he raises two children, the music he records as the Swallows is the music of his heart. Guitar playing and singing were longtime goals for
Milchern
, but they weren't things he felt totally confident doing, especially in light of a less-than-successful solo release, Acting Natural, which he put out on cassette in 1986. At the time, he was working with the bands Whitenoise and Vital Sines. In the following years, the dream of singing, playing guitar, and performing his own songs never left him. It took 11 years, but
Milchern
worked up his nerve and took the first tentative steps toward his dream of making his own music when he started another project, Turning Blue, in 1997 and releasing it two years later. It was
Milchern's
project all the way and showcased his talent on a variety of instruments. Lending a hand were Anne Bourne, who sings and plays the cello, and Ian Blurton, who plays guitar. By the time of the Swallows' eponymous second release in 2000,
Milchern
had pulled together a band to record and play live gigs under the Swallows' name. In addition to leader
Milchern
, the band consists of guitarist Clive MacNutt
, bassist John Borra
, and drummer Randy Curnew.
Milchern
, while continuing his duties with Blue Rodeo
, also performs with John Milchem, his twin, in a group called Starvin' Hungry. In the past, he has worked with such bands as Blurtonia
and Big Sugar
, among others. The '80s were spent in Toronto outfits such as Plasterscene Replicas, Groovy Religion, and The Garbagemen
.
Milchern
was eight years old when he first picked up a set of drum sticks, and he owned a drum kit within two years. He was invited to try out for Blue Rodeo
late in 1991, when he took over for Cleave Anderson
.
by
Linda Seida
Don & Juan
Don & Juan, born Claude Johnson and Roland Trone, scored one big hit in 1962, entitled "What's Your Name." The single has become a doo wop classic, but its smooth ballad style also hints at the beginning of the emergence of soul.
Johnson and Trone got their start in a Brooklyn band called the Genies. In 1959, they released an up-tempo single, entitled "Who's That Knocking," on Shad Records. The song reached number 71 on the U.S. charts. They were unable to reproduce that success and were dropped from the label. Johnson and Trone continued to perform sporadically while working as painters on Long Island, and were rediscovered by an agent named Peter Paul, who arranged for them to sign with Big Top Records. They changed the name of their duo to Don & Juan and recorded "What's Your Name," which eventually peaked at number seven on the charts. Only one other single, "Magic Wand," charted, though the band continued to record until 1967. Trone died in 1982 and Johnson later revived the act with another former member of the Genies, Alexander Faison, who stepped in as the new Juan.  Johnson passed away in 2002. by
Stacia Proefrock
Ron Holden
Rolan Webster Holden
(August 7, 1939 – January 22, 1997) was an American
pop
and rhythm and blues
singer from Seattle, Washington. Ron appeared onThe Lloyd Thaxdon
Show,
Mike Douglas Show
, American Bandstand
(with Connie Francis, The Crests, Bobby Freeman, and Conway Twitty) and The Dick Clark Show. He performed at the Apollo Theater with artists Jackie Wilson
, the Crests and Redd Foxx. Most notable were USO
tour-stops with
Elvis
Presley, Pat Boone
and Connie Francis.
Between 1958 and 1965, Ron Holden toured with Hank Ballard
& the Midnighters, James Brown, Brook Benton, Etta
James,
, Cleve Duncan &v the Penguins
, Rosie and the Originals
, the 5 Royales, the Coasters, Freddy Cannon
, the Crests, Marvin & Johnny, Don and Dewey, Big Joe Turner, Marve Johnson,Mickey and Sylvia, Harvey Fuqua and the Moonglows
, Jimmy Clanton, the Olympics, Donnie Brooks, and Bill Haley
.
In 1969, Ron, as
singer
/entertainer, formed a six-piece
r
ock
and R&B
band: Ron Holden & Good News. Good News performed at various clubs and festivals in the Seattle/Tacoma
area for about eight months. The group members were Charles Jefferson (trumpet), Bob Cozzetti
(trumpet),
Tim Gemmill
(tenor
saxophone
& flute), Steve Swartz (drums), Toby Cyer (electric guitar
) and Bruce Ransom (electric bass & guitar). Influences included James Brown, Chicago, and Blood, Sweat & Tears.
Ron Holden was discovered by Larry Nelson, who had just left work as a police officer
to start his own record label
. Ron spread the rumor
that he had been heard singing by Nelson while being held in the King County
jail after being arrested for Marijuana and alcohol
possession, but the story has not been confirmed.
In 1959, Holden recorded the single "Love You So
", which became a hit in the U.S., peaking at #11 on the R&B
Singles chart and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100
in April 1960.
Donna Records, owned by record company producer Bob Keene
, bought the rights to Holden's recordings shortly after and issued a full LP
entitled
Love You So
; this record was re-issued by Del-Fi Records
in 1994.
Holden returned to the charts in 1974 with "Can You Talk?" (U.S. R&B #49).
He died of a heart attack in Rosarito Beach, Baja California
, Mexico in 1997.
The Five Discs
Like many street-corner vocal groups who came from Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy section in the early '50s, the Five Discs
had limited chart success ("Never Let You Go" instantly won Murray the K's Record of the Night and Record of the Week contests on WINS and charted at number 28 on the local New York charts, but not nationally). Their career was unfortunately mired by a series of revolving-door personnel changes, poor label promotion of their singles, and bad luck, but they managed to last for four decades and outlive many of their more successful neighborhood contemporaries.
In 1954, lead vocalist Mario DeAndrade and Andy Jackson
(bass) -- both formerly of the Lovenotes -- joined up with Joe Barsalona
(baritone), Paul Albano (first tenor),
Tony Basile
(second tenor), and Joe Brocco
to form a new group, calling themselves the Flames. Albano's brother, Joe, an ambulance driver by profession, became their manager.
On Valentine's Day 1956, the Flames
appeared on their first show with the local acts the
Royalties and the Paragons
, but it wasn't until 1957 that they would cut their first demo. Barsalona then took the demo into Manhattan, going to all the record companies with offices at 1650 and 1674 Broadway (including Hull, Hy Weiss
'
s Old Town, and
George Goldner's
Gone), each of whom ultimately turned down an offer to release the recording.
A songwriter named Billy Martin
eventually heard the demo and recommended they re-cut it. He played their new version for Gene Schwartz, who later offered them a contract for the Emge label. At the suggestion of Albano's sister, they changed their name from The Flames to the Five Discs. In early 1958, the group recorded "I Remember" for a third time. The single on Emge was debuted on WMGM and ultimately climbed up to number 28 on the New York charts and number two in Boston.
Soon afterwards, Schwartz launched his Laurie Records, scoring an immediate hit with Dion & the Belmonts' "I Wonder Why." Because he was busy with its
promotion, the
Five Discs
single failed to get promoted. At the insistence of the group, Schwartz leased it to RCA's Vik label, but that label shortly thereafter went bankrupt and the single failed to connect. (In 1961, Rust Records -- a subsidiary of Laurie -- released the record for a third time.) Eventually, they provided backup vocal work for other Emge acts, but received no label credit for either.
by
Bryan Thomas
Lillian Leach & the Mellows
The original members of this 50s vocal harmony group from the Bronx, New York, USA, were female lead Lillian Leach, first tenor Johnny ‘Tiny’ Wilson (b. John L. Wilson, 1 August 1932, Harlem, New York City, New York, USA, d. 16 December 2005, New York, USA), second tenor Harold Johnson and bass Norman ‘Polecat’ Brown. The Mellows never had a national R&B hit, but enjoyed a number of regional hits on the east coast on the strength of the lead voice of Leach, who possessed one of the warmest and most sensual voices in the history of doo-wop. The three boys had met as teenagers at the Morris High School in the Bronx, New York, USA. They encountered Leach at a party in 1954 when she joined their harmonizing. The revised blend was an instant hit, and the sound it produced gave the quartet their name (having learned that their original choice, the Mello-Tones, had already been employed elsewhere). They signed a contract with veteran Joe Davis on his Jay Dee label, releasing the Johnson penned ‘How Sentimental Can I Be?’. They made their biggest impact with their second release, the exquisitely romantic ‘Smoke From A Cigarette’, from early 1955. It achieved substantial local success, and during the neo-doo-wop renaissance of the early 60s became one of the most requested oldies. The next release, another remarkable ballad, ‘I Still Care’ (1955), received modest airplay. Its b-side featured another wonderful ballad, ‘I Was A Fool To Care’. The last release for Jay Dee was ‘Yesterday’s Memories’, another underappreciated masterpiece of its time.
In 1956, the Mellows moved to the Celeste label, and at this point Norman Brown left and vocal group veterans Arthur Crier (b. 1 April 1945, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA, d. 22 July 2004, Warsaw, North Carolina, USA) and Gary Morrison were added. Commercial success at Celeste was not forthcoming, even for the outstanding ‘My Darling’. The group left the company in 1957, and completed one more recording session for Apollo in 1958 (which was left in the can) before disbanding. Johnson and Crier went on to form the Halos, who backed Curtis Lee on ‘Pretty Little Angel Eyes’ and enjoyed a hit under their own steam with ‘Nag’. Lillian Leach And The Mellows probably attained greater fame after the record collecting community rediscovered the group’s recordings during the 60s and lionized them. A reunion of the Mellows took place in 1984 with three of the original members, and the group have continued to peddle sweet R&B pop on the nostalgia circuit ever since.
by
AllMusic
Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon
In looking back over the history of rock & Roll, the sad fact remains that very few of its original  practitioners stayed true to its original big brat vision.  Some made a handful of brilliant sides before broader horizons -- television or the movies -- beckoned.  Others were rockers in name only, pop singers who couldn't wait to shimmy into a tuxedo, trading in stomp 'n' shout hysteria for the more "respectable" future of dispensing supper club schmaltz.  But Freddy Cannon was a true believer, a rocker to the bone.
Fr
eddy Cannon
made rock & roll records; great noisy rock & roll records and all of them were infused with a gigantic drum beat that was an automatic invitation to shake it on down anyplace there was a spot to dance.
Fr
eddy Cannon
remained true to the beat and made some really great fun rock & roll records in the bargain. Because of the time frame he enjoyed his biggest successes in -- the late '50s to the mid-'60s --
Cannon
is wrongly lumped in with the "Bobbies and Frankies" that proliferated during that era. But a quick listen to any of his finest records -- all to be found on Rhino's The Best of Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon collection -- quickly dispels any preconceived notions of him being a pretty-boy teen idol no-talent.
Cannon
could genuinely rock and on two of his very best records -- "Talahassee Lassie" and "Buzz-Buzz-A-Diddle-It" --
Fr
eddy Cannon
supplies his own electric rhythm guitar, with his scrappy work on the latter record being particularly effective. His records were masterminded by producers Bob Crewe
and Frank Slay, all well-constructed discs with every thump of the big beat and every vocal "woo" out of
Cannon
perfectly placed and timed for maximum impact. Hits like "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans," "Action," and "Palisades Park" may be "slicker" records than the two mentioned above, but they still possess an enormous vitality and commitment to rock & roll; few others could bring an old chestnut like "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" into the modern age with a straight face. Cannon's immense energy and contagious style make these noisy, very exciting records well worth investigating by
Cub Koda