The Harptones Explained

The Harptones are an American doo-wop group which formed in Manhattan, New York in 1953.

The group never had a top forty pop hit, or a record on the US Billboard R&B chart,[1] yet they are known for both their lead singer Willie Winfield and their pianist/arranger, Raoul Cita. The Harptones recorded for Coed Records and other labels. The Harptones may have been the first doo-wop group to have a full-time arranger among their members, and Cita knew how to work to Winfield's strengths.[2] Their best-known recordings include "A Sunday Kind of Love" (1953), "Why Should I Love You?" (1954), "Life is But a Dream" (1955), "The Shrine of St. Cecilia" (1956), and "What Will I Tell My Heart" (1961).

In 1956, they recorded some songs for the film Rockin' the Blues: "Mambo Boogie", "Ou Wee Baby",[3] and "High Flying Baby".[4]

The song "Life is But a Dream" was featured in the 1990 film GoodFellas; it appears on the film's soundtrack album.[5]

Members

1951–1954

Early 1955

Dicey Galloway was drafted in November 1954.

Late 1955

Early 1956

1956 movie Rockin' The Blues

Early 1957

Billy Brown died of a drug overdose in spring 1957.

Late 1958

Dicey Galloway left in October and was replaced by Milton Love of The Solitares for a short time, before splitting. Galloway died on July 18, 2017, in Houghs Neck in Quincy, Massachusetts at age 84 after suffering from multiple illnesses.[6]

1959–1963

Nicky Clark left after a few months, to be replaced by Wilbur "Yonkie" Paul, who was in turn replaced by Hank "Pompi" Jernigan.

Early 1964

Late 1964

Nicky Clark died In July 1978, at the age of 43.

1970–1972

1972–mid-1990s

Mid 1990s–1999

The line-up appeared on Doo Wop 50. Linda Champion left due to health problems around 2000.[7]

2000–2008

2008–2014

Marlowe Murray died on December 11, 2008, from cancer, at the age of 73.[8]

Raoul J. Cita died on December 13, 2014, from liver and stomach cancer, at the age of 86.[9]

Willie Winfield died from a heart attack on July 27, 2021, aged 91. William Dempsey is the only original surviving member of The Harptones.[10]

Awards and recognition

The Harptones were featured more times than any other group in the United in Group Harmony Association's official top 500 vocal group recordings list, compiled 1996–2000.[11] They were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.[12]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Passings: Raoul Cita of the Harptones. VVN Music. May 2, 2018.
  2. Web site: TRB Enterprises Honoring our Pioneers. www.toddbaptista.com. May 2, 2018.
  3. Web site: Harptones—OO Wee Baby. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/e3TVuGrbM90 . 2021-12-13 . live. YouTube. December 18, 2014.
  4. Web site: Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks – HARPTONES. Uncamarvy.com. December 18, 2014.
  5. Web site: Goodfellas: Music from the Motion Picture. Atlantic. May 2, 2018. October 29, 1990.
  6. Web site: William 'Dice' Galloway, doo-wop singer and Quincy resident, dies at 84. Mary Whitfill. The Patriot Ledger. July 28, 2017.
  7. Web site: News. Theoriginal-harptones.com. December 18, 2014.
  8. Web site: Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks – FI-TONES. www.uncamarvy.com. May 2, 2018. en.
  9. Web site: The Dead Rock Stars Club 2014 July To December. Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. December 18, 2014.
  10. News: Sandomir. Richard. Willie Winfield, Angelic-Voiced Doo-Wop Singer, Is Dead at 91. The New York Times. August 3, 2021. August 4, 2021.
  11. Book: The Top 1000 Doo-Wop Songs: Collector's Edition. 2014. Ttgpress. 9780982737651. 111. English.
  12. Web site: The Vocal Group Hall Of Fame The Harptones. vocalgroup.org. May 2, 2018.

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