| The Poni-Tails | |
| Origin: | Lyndhurst, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genre: | Pop music |
| Years Active: | 1956–1960 |
| Label: | Point, Marc, ABC-Paramount |
| Past Members: | Toni Cistone Karen Topinka Patti McCabe LaVerne Novak |
The Poni-Tails were an American musical trio formed in Lyndhurst, Ohio. They are known for their 1958 major hit "Born Too Late".
Formed in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, the Poni-Tails – Toni Cistone, Laverne Novak and Patti McCabe (Patricia Ann McCabe, 1939–1989)[1] – started singing at Brush High School, which they all attended.[2] Tom Ilius, a music publisher, had them signed to a local record label, Point Records, which released their first single, "Your Wild Heart" b/w "Que la Bozena" (the latter of which was written by the group). "Heart" was covered by the then-15-year-old Joy Layne and became a nationwide hit.[3] The next release was "Can I Be Sure" on Marc Records, which was not a success; following this release Topinka left the group and was replaced by LaVerne Novak.
Soon after this, the group signed to ABC-Paramount and released "Just My Luck to Be Fifteen", a flop. Following this was "Come on Joey, Dance With Me" b/w "Born Too Late". The B-side was the one that caught the attention of radio DJs and became the group's biggest hit, reaching #11 on the U.S. R&B singles chart and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958. Follow-ups "Seven Minutes In Heaven" (#85 Pop) and "I'll Be Seeing You" (#87 Pop) fared less well, and the group's last single, 1960's "Who, When And Why", did not chart.
ABC-Paramount attempted to sign the group to a further five-year contract, but they turned it down. The members left the music industry and pursued careers in other fields in Ohio. They reunited to play a Cleveland festival, Moon Dog Coronation ball, in 1997. A CD released by Poni Records with 12 tracks credited to the Poni-Tails contains only one Poni-Tails song ("Born Too Late") and 11 tracks recorded by other groups.
In 1991, LaVerne (Novak) Glavac was working for a real estate agent in Mentor, Ohio, and had five grandchildren. Toni (Cistone) Costabile was working at a high school in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Patti (McCabe) Barnes died of cancer on January 17, 1989. Tom Illius subsequently became a top executive with the William Morris Agency in Los Angeles. He died on September 7, 2011, in Los Angeles.
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Record Label | B-side | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=centre | US | align=centre | R&B | align=centre | UK[4] | |
| 1957 | "It's Just My Luck to Be Fifteen" | – | – | – | ABC-Paramount Records | "Wild Eyes and Tender Lips" |
| 1958 | "Born Too Late" | 7 | 11 | 5 | "Come On Joey Dance with Me" | |
| "Seven Minutes in Heaven" | 85 | – | – | "Close Friends" | ||
| 1959 | "Early to Bed" | – | – | 26 | "Father Time" | |
| "Moody" | – | – | – | "Omm Pah Polka" | ||
| "I'll Be Seeing You" | 87 | – | – | "I'll Keep Tryin'" | ||
| 1960 | "Come Be My Love" | – | – | – | "Before We Say Goodnight" | |
| "Who, When, And Why" | – | – | – | "Oh, My, You" | ||