Each year the festival which takes place in Chicago’s Grant Park during mid-June features numerous blues legends. The festival hosts artists from every genre of blues including Chicago blues, Mississippi blues, old country blues, electric, acoustic, harp and piano blues. The blues has had such an impact on other styles of music that the event may also feature soul, jazz and rock acts. The event which features local and international talent draws nearly a million visitors.

Blues fest Chicago usually runs from Thursday through Sunday during the hours of 11AM to 9:30PM. Admission is free for all concerts on all six stages. Tickets can be purchased for food and beverages and the tickets are usually sold in strips of 12. The price in 2008 was $8 for a strip of 12. Alcoholic beverages and pets are not permitted on the grounds of the festival.

The festival began in 1984, a year after the death of Muddy Waters who was known as “The Father of Chicago Blues.” Each year since then the organizers have picked a different theme for the festival. The theme has usually honored a blues musician who has passed away recently and has also honored what would have been the 80th and 100th birthdays of some of our departed blues legends.

Artists who have performed at blues fest Chicago over the past 25 years include B.B. King, Etta James, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Taj Mahal, the Neville Brothers, Stevie Ray Vaughan and hundreds of others. The festival also features tributes and discussions. The 2008 festival featured “A Tribute to Muddy Waters” and a discussion on “The Future of the Blues”.

Although the official festival day ends at 9:30PM, the party is just beginning. Chicago’s blues clubs are bound to have after parties and in many cases you will be partying with the festival stars. You can usually count on “The House of Blues” for a great after party. If you want to get your party on before the festival you may check out the annual Blues Fest Brunch which is usually held at Buddy Guy’s Legends on the Saturday of the festival.

Don’t miss out on an opportunity to experience blues at its best! The 2009 festival will take place from June 11-June 14th. Why not start making plans to be there?

There are several Chicago Blues clubs because the Blues are so popular in the Windy City.

-The 7313 Club is located on S. Halsted St. in Chicago. This club has been described as an authentic blues joint. The interior boasts red carpeting and wood paneling.

-The Barn of Barrington is located on S. Barrington Rd and features jazz, reggae and of course, the blues. This club offers an open mic night on Wednesdays. There is also a 4-star restaurant here, as well as superb banquet halls.

-Blues Island Pub is located on W. Vermont St. This pub features live music 5 nights a week. The best blues bands in Chicagoland are featured.

-Celebrity Lounge on E. 83rd St., is located on the South side. There is a cover charged on the weekend, however during the week, it’s absolutely free!

Chicago Blues Clubs are a mainstay in Chicago because of the popularity of the music, and the musical roots of the city.

-Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket and Cocktail Lounge is located on the historic (old) Route 66. This blue’s club is retro and serves lots of delicious fried foods. You’ll also find the Blue Rooster Lounge here.

-Smoke Daddy located on W. Division St. You can get barbeque platters to die for here, and local blues musicians play every night of the week.

-Frankie’s Blue Room on W. Chicago Avenue. Decorated in the style from the 40’s, a dim, moody place that boasts a deck, if you get tired of the moodiness of its blues.

Blues music has its roots in African American work songs around the turn of the century (1900). Some early Blue’s musicians include Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and W.C. Handy. One of the original professional blue’s singers was Ma Rainey, who asserted to have coined the word “Blues.” Other musicians included Victoria Spivey, and Bessie Smith.

More Chicago Blues Clubs:

-Lee’s Unleaded Blues on S. South Chicago Avenue is painted black inside and is adorned with mirrors and red carpeting, this is one sassy Blue’s club. The crowd runs the gamut, everyone from elderly Blue’s lovers to college students.

-House of Blues on N. Dearborn Avenue. HOB runs a restaurant called The Back Porch where live Blue’s music is played every night. There is also an extensive folk art collection here, covering both the walls and the ceiling.

-Wallace’s Catfish Corner on W. Madison St. A great place in the summer to listen to street Blues and eat catfish.

-Kingston Mines on N. Halsted St. is one of the most distinguished Blue’s clubs in Chicago. Two stages. Two bands. Nightly duels in a comfortable and grungy atmosphere that serves up all sorts of eats like burgers, wings, polish sausage, catfish. Because Kingston Mines is so popular, they have their own store where you can purchase their merchandise so you can take some of the Blue’s home with you.

Nothing says romance quite like great R&B music. Rhythm and Blues is the ideal genre of music to be a perfect accompaniment to any wedding celebration. Someone once said that a wedding without love songs is like eating cornflakes sans the milk. R&B is well known for their soulful ballads and this can deepen the romantic mood you are trying to create.

A wedding party is an event that should be wrapped in romance and fantasies. The music you choose to play at your wedding plays an important role in achieving just that mood. R&B music has been long known for its smooth sounds and its ability to create a romantic ambience that no other genre of music can compare with.

Luther Vandross is one famous contemporary R&B balladeer, and even though he has passed, his music and legend live on. You can choose from many great hits to perfectly complement your wedding reception or even play an R&B tune or two during the ceremony. One such love song you may want to consider by this great artist is “Here and Now,” which is considered a classic wedding song.

Stevie Wonder has been around for ages. He is not only a record selling singer; he is also an award winning songwriter. You can choose from numerous Stevie Wonder hits that will have your guests thinking your reception is one enchanted evening. One of Stevie Wonder’s hits is “Ribbon in the Sky,” and it is said to be one of the most lovely and romantic songs that can be found.

If you want to get the water works started among the crowd, look no further than the song “On Bended Knee” by Boyz II Men. This song may have sappy written all over it, but it is a song that suits the occasion to a T. Another love song that you might think is a bit melodramatic is “Back at One” by Brian McKnight. Slow dancing to these R&B tunes at a wedding is about as romantic as one can get.

If you are unsure about what kind of music you want played at your wedding ceremony and reception, go out and listen to some smooth R&B sounds. Even if you don’t go with exclusive R&B music, you should choose a few of the more romantic songs to ensure that the mood of your wedding is sweet, soulful and romantic.

R&B ringtones continue to be some of the most popular and most downloaded ring tones in the market. They consistently top the ringtone charts and message boards are often clogged with requests for R&B songs. What is the cause of R&B’s appeal?

Short for rhythm and blues, the term was first used by Billboard magazine’s Jerry Wexler to describe the unique sound performed by African American artists of that time. This combination of jazz, gospel and blues was characterized by a catchy back beat. Today, the term has also expanded to include soul and funk, and other songs that were inspired by African-American pop that replaced disco as the “sound” of the 80’s.

R&B typically has a background of guitar, bass, saxophone, drums or keyboard. It includes doo wop, which was a precursor to rock and roll, and hard bop. Jazz and R&B are so closely intertwined that many artists did both, swinging between the two genres.

The first well known R&B artists were Jay McShann’s, Tiny Bradshaw’s, Johnny Otis, Count Basie and. Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson (he was the best example of one-man fusion, who was both a skilled bebop saxophonist and blues shouter). R&B later developed regional variations, such as the New Orleans sound. Great artists included Great Fats Domino, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, Frankie Ford, Irma Thomas, The Neville Brothers, and Dr. John.

But it was in the 80’s, with James Brown’s soul music and the psychedelic innovations of Sly & the Family Stone that R&B began to develop its “modern” sound and fully infiltrated mainstream music.

R&B is sometimes called urban contemporary or urban pop. It’s known by its sophisticated electronic productions, with cathy drum beat and very smooth vocals. Luther Vandross, Prince, Michael Jackson made R&B very popular, along with female singers like Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson. Tina Turner made a comeback, while New Kids on the Block and The Backstreet Boys sent millions of girls screaming. Keith Sweat, BellBivdeVoe and Boyz II Men all brought their own innovations, as well as R&B balladeers like Babyface and Brian McKnight.

In the 90’s R&B took an edgier tone with alternative rock, adult contemporary, and gangsta rap. Mary J. Blige. Blige. R. Kelly, Montell Jordan, Brandy, and Aaliyah introduced slang and attitude to the R&B scene, and their influence can be seen in the works of Jaheim, Ashanti, Amerie, and Keyshia Cole. Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell hve also tried to combine R&B with other genres.

With so many R&B songs, in distinct styles and with their own particular appeal, it’s not surprising that R&B is so popular. There is R&B ringtone for everyone. Ring it on!

What’s the deal with so many white music artists singing black music? Why do white artists who sing black music get better promotion than black artists? Why is R&B music now synonymous with Hip-Hop?

These are some of the hot topics that often come up in private conversations with my industry associates and colleagues. I will attempt to shed some much needed light on these delicate, sensitive and somewhat controversial issues.

To really understand the phenomenon of white music artists singing R&B, you should begin with an examination of the motivation and purpose behind the establishment of black music divisions at record companies in the 60s. While the success of Motown as a black owned operation has been well-documented and highly publicized, many of the competing record labels of that time lacked the personnel to adequately exploit the abundance of musically talented black teens.

White owned record companies shrewdly appointed black music executives who were more in tune and in touch with black music (and the black artists that created and performed it), to help interface with them. This was, after all, a time when race relations were tentative and strained.

Many record companies and radio stations took note of the increasing popularity of R&B music among white teenagers and attempted to preserve racial barriers by denying them access to it. Their denial constituted a potential economic problem since the music industry (like most industries) thrives on supply and demand. Their solution: provide their darling teenaged kids with a “white” alternative; someone who “sounded” black and performed “black” music, a la Elvis Presley, whose popularity was soaring. It wasn’t uncommon for records in that era often to have two different versions - a white version and a black version - which was serviced to the appropriate audience.

In the 70’s, the push toward equality and peace gave birth to a more gregarious and unified music industry. Top bands like Sly & The Family Stone, Tower of Power, Earth Wind & Fire, and The Commodores emerged and enjoyed success throughout the 70s, but many lacked crossover appeal and forced black music executives to search for other viable options in order to save their jobs. One option was Disco - the hot novelty genre.

Disco was more than a new genre; it was a cultural release from the lingering social anxieties and racial tensions of the 60s and emerged as the dominant format because of its mass market appeal and universal acceptance. The music industry eventually sobered up from the lecherous activities and rampant drug abuse of the disco era in 1979, just in time to endure the worst financial year of its existence.

With slumping record sales and a gluttony of music acts that were signed to perform disco songs, the R&B music community returned to its soulful roots and searched desperately for an answer to rectify the problems that plagued it. The answer wasn’t written on the wall, but it was found in the album “Off The Wall” by Michael Jackson, which helped to transition successful R&B music back into a more “Pop-friendly” format that was comparable to R&B in its last heyday of the Motown era.

While Michael captured the hearts and imaginations of white America with his unhuman dance moves, there were plenty of black music pioneers upholding the funky values and virtues of black music as we we marched into the techno era of the 80’s. R&B music seemed to undergo a much needed resurgence.

The R&B bands of the 70s started to downsize in personnel as more emphasis was being placed on solo acts (a la Michael Jackson) and vocal groups. For the R&B music artist, the advent of technology superseded the need to be backed up by a band, ushering in the producer era which R&B music is heavily predicated on today.

It was also at this time that many record companies began merging and restructuring, which resulted in the loss of hundreds of jobs for black music executives who were worked in the black music divisions.

Shortly thereafter, we witnessed the birth of “blue-eyed soul” as white music artists who were performing R&B music begun to receive heavy and steady financial backing by their record labels. Hall & Oates enjoyed unprecedented success in the early and mid-80s and proved to be a litmus test for the acceptance of white artists performing R&B under the guise of Pop music.

While Hall & Oates may have raised a few eyebrows in the R&B music community, eyes were opened widely when George Michael, a former member of Pop teen group Wham!, won a Grammy for the best “black” album in 1989. It was the first time in history that a white solo music artist topped the R&B charts. The R&B music community was outraged as veteran black music artists Freddie Jackson and Gladys Knight denounced the political voting practices of the Academy that renders the nominations.

While the award was well-deserved in terms of record sales and radio airplay, the color lines of who qualified as a “black” music artist had been re-defined. When the smoke cleared, the music industry in general, and R&B music community in particular, would both be changed forever.

As we stood on the doorsteps of the 90s, more black music executives lost their jobs as record companies continued the trend of merging, restructuring and downsizing in an effort to diversify their business interests and increase their profits.

Rap music was (finally) being fully embraced as a commercially viable genre and record companies moved quickly to cash in on it. The appeal of low investments, and (potentially) high returns, constituted a major shift in business practices at record companies, and black music artists found themselves jockeying for position on the revamped priority lists of their now predominantly white music executives. After all, Rap was already achieving a high level of “underground” sales with DJs and word-of-mouth serving as its primary means of promotion.

All the record companies needed to do was to bring it to the surface and supply their distribution and marketing resources. Since much of the music was already recorded, they could also circumvent many of the recording costs as well. While the music industry made an overt and deliberate attempt to position itself to supply what appeared to be an insatiable demand for Rap music, it lost sight of the distinction between R&B and Rap.

R&B music lovers helplessly watched as orders came down from white music executives to incorporate elements of Rap music into R&B songs to make them more competitive with Rap, since Rap music artists posed a clear and tangible threat to the record sales of R&B music artists.

At the time, Mariah Carey and Color Me Badd were enjoying newfound stardom that came (once again) as a result of white music executives pushing a novelty agenda of white music artists performing R&B music. Both of the aforementioned acts were initially viewed (by black audiences) as alternatives to their black competitors (Whitney Houston and Boyz II Men respectively), but with such strong marketing and promotional support, both Mariah Carey and Color Me Badd were able to establish their own identity at a faster rate.

Today, the trend continues with white music executives diligently marketing and promoting white music artists such as Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Joss Stone, Anastacia, etc. singing R&B. Some insiders say that the music industry continues to deliberately and intentionally find alternatives to black music artists to service to white audiences. Industry insiders say that Britney Spears is essentially a white clone of Janet Jackson; emulating her Pop/R&B format, choreographed dance moves, and calculated sex appeal.

It’s suspect when newcomers like American Idol’s Elliot Yamin are quickly embraced and heralded as “great” R&B singers when juxtaposed against longtime R&B survivors like Brian McKnight, Joe, and Anthony Hamilton.

While some will argue that it’s not a simple matter of black versus white since since some of the artists mentioned in this article are not “white,” but are of different ethnicities or even part black. The fact is that the widely held opinion in the black community is that if you don’t look black (possessing obvious African American features), then you are not. You are something else other than black; and “white” becomes a reference to, or a description of, an undetermined racial category.

The new business model of the music industry has created new opportunities for black entrepreneurs, but many of them lack the financial resources to take advantage of them. As a result they are often forced to participate in the production of Rap music, or R&B music with Rap production as they try to manufacture or supply product and artists that will enable them to embark upon partnerships and joint ventures with the same record companies that dissolved their black music divisions in the first place.

History and research show that the music industry has continued to systematically reduce the role of the black music executive, as they are fired and laid off with greater frequency (and less justification) than their white counterparts. Many of those who remain are often relegated to the now dispensable role of liaison, gatekeeper and hand-holder for troubled Rap acts in this new Hip-Hop era. A far cry from a time when they were once responsible for finding, developing and supporting premier black music artists who created some of the greatest music that we now view as the soundtrack to the this country’s history.

Those songs are still the choice of middle-aged Americans who tune into oldie radio stations across the country that have adopted “Classic Soul” as a new format. Where does that leave R&B music artists of today? They are left to compete or join forces with Rap artists since they have been lumped into the same “Urban” or “Hip-Hop” music category.

The formulaic use of R&B to inject a commercial element into Rap music has contributed significantly to the fusion, and confusion regarding the distinction of both genres. This can be traced back to the 80s when R&B acts such as Lakeside, Confunksion, and Teena Marie had huge hits with songs that incorporated Rap (”Fantastic Voyage,” “Electric Lady,” and “Square Biz”), R&B music embarked upon a trial marriage that turned out to be a permanent one.

R&B is now used to bolster the talent level perception, black audience appeal, and record sales of white music artists in every genre. Even Country (a genre that is guarded by a closed-knit circle of protective white executives), borrows heavily from R&B.

Country is a genre that is ripe for infiltration by conventional R&B artists, but unlike R&B music - which has become a community genre with no one race retaining the inherent rights to perform it - the likelihood of that occurring is slim because of the unquestioned and unchallenged exclusion of other races.

The significant issue in white R&B music artists versus black R&B music artists can be narrowed down to one question: who gets the greater commitment and promotion from their record companies to service a larger audience of consumers?

When one considers the commitment level, dedicated resources, and promotional opportunities which are more abundant for white R&B music artists, and that blacks only account for 15 percent of the population, and that white music artists inherit a larger audience to begin with, understanding the green side of white R&B becomes much easier.

In the early 1970s, the cultural movement of hip hop music was born. Hip hop’s fast paced music style is made of two parts; the rhythmic delivery of rap and the use ofinstrumentation by a DJ. Hip hop music also brought with it a fashion of its own, the fashion helped to represent this newly created music.

Hip hop music has its roots from West African music and African-American music. The first rap song to be put onto a vinyl record was, “Rapper’s Delight”, a song by the Sugarhill Gang back in the 1970s. This is when block parties started becoming the norm in New York City, which gave hip hop and rap the chance to explode in popularity. Hip hop’s instrumentation came from funk, R&B, and disco, when combined together make this dynamic type of music. When the DJs at these block parties learned what the people liked, they began mixing these vinyl records and created music that played continuously with amazing transitions between songs. Hip hop was actually created by a DJ named Kool Herc, a Jamaican that had moved to the United States with a style that consisted of mixing music by using two copies of the same record. Many of the poor Jamaican’s in the town could not afford vinyl records, so huge stereo systems were set up so that many could here the rhythmic beats. These stereo systems were the kick-off for the beginning of the evolution of block parties. So with the musical talent of these amazing DJs, with the use of vinyl record mixing, the culture of hip hop and rap music was born.

History of R & B

R&B, which stands for Rhythm and Blues, was the greatest influence on music around the world for most of the 20th century’s second-half. Rhythm and Blues is a term with a broad sense, but typically recognizing black-pop music. This type of music was introduced to the world by artists’ combining the music styles of jazz and blues. R&B is actually what was later developed into what we know as rock and roll. In the 1970s, the term R&B was being used to describe soul and funk music styles, which today we know it describes Rhythm and Blues. Along with being influenced by jazz and blues, R&B also had influences from gospel and disco music. Disco’s downturn in the 1980s opened the door for R&B to truly take-off in popularity.

What made Jewish contribution unique in the development of the 1950s vocal group sound and rock and roll in general, was the ability to extract and internalize the African –American experience and make their music mainstream. Jewish contribution to doo-wop lies primarily in the area of song writing, and the overall entrepreneurial music business. Unlike their musical counterparts, Italians and Puerto Ricans, who were primarily singers; Jewish contribution took on the complex ethnic-racial mix of merging a new sound.

The fundamental Jewish contribution to rhythm and blues vocal group picture lies in production, song writing, and the development of the vocal harmony group scene. Cahill writes: “Without the Jews, we would see the world through different eyes, hear with different ears, even feel with different feelings.”1

The admiration and promotion of black talent is understated. Pruter writes: “Vocal harmony groups have always constituted one of black music’s richest traditions, an art form as deeply embedded as jazz, blues, or gospel.” 2

Yet when one takes a cursory view of record labels during the beginning and the development of rock and roll, particularly the vocal group harmony landscape, one can see that the majority of acts, record labels and songs written during that time period (1945-1965) had a Jewish connection.

The most recognizable groups and labels came from the three major epic centers that produced the vocal group street corner sound-New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. It was in these cities that the new art form become known and eventually emerged to the onomatopoeic term we use today, doo-wop. Although the term doo-wop came into existence in the late 1960s to early 70s,the term used here in this essay define R&B vocal group harmony style. Jewish entrepreneurs who featured black talent and promoted the new sound founded many of the major labels during the height of the vocal group era of the 1950s.

The doo-wop sound in general, invoked a traditional cultural worldview that became the hallmark of black culture at that time. The songs expressed by black groups reflected the cultural innocence’s, and coming of age that attracted the youth of urban communities. The lyrics and musical harmony style appealed to urban white, slightly middle-class sentiments, while at the same time keeping their music within the perimeter of the black community.

A sizeable number of Jewish entrepreneurs had a massive impact in developing the rhythm and blues vocal group sound and rhythm and blues in general. Jewish entrepreneurs impacted the nascent vocal group sound of the 1950s in a dynamic way. One such person is Herman Lubinsky, (Savoy Records) grandfather of TJ Lubinsky, PBS doo-wop host fame. Lubinsky produced and recorded Little Anthony and the Imperials, Debutantes, Carnations, Jive Bombers, Falcons and the Robins. Lubinsky in road into the music business paved the way for unnoticed and unrecorded groups to seek out musical stardom via the emerging new street corner sound.

The Branun family owners of Deluxe Records had a multitude of solid talent at their disposal. Among some of their top acts were: Federals, Otis Williams and the Charms, Serenades and the Quails featuring Bill Robinson. These acts were all channeled to places like the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, Olympia Arena in Detroit and the Alan Freed shows.

The team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stroller, the Leiber and Stroller team made a multitude of hits for a host of artists. As a team they were able overcome the barriers of racism in the music industry and bring to the forefront black talent with their musical compositions.

Alan Freed the king of DJ’s who cracked the color barrier by introducing black vocal groups to the public in radio, film and television and set the stage for would be future DJ’s. His influence and introduction to rock and roll and vocal groups in particular, provided a cultural climate whereby white youths were able to hear and experience the evolution of the new modus operandi that was beginning to shape the musical culture of young people.

Chess Records, the premier record company in Chicago, founded by Leonard and Phil Chess became the quintessential record label of the 1950s producing not only groups like the Flamingos and Moonglows but top acts like, Bo Diddley, Aretha Franklin and Chuck Berry.

Finally, Phil Spector record producer and songwriter developed the concept of the “Wall Of Sound” which still stands today as a monument to pop music. All of these individuals contributed to the R&B sound and the vocal group harmony in general. In the end, the Jewish contribution to rock and roll and the doo-wop sound is an act of love. Without their contribution, we would be like a ship at sea without a rudder.

1. The Gifts of The Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and FeelsThomas Cahill, Nam A. Talese- Doubleday- Pg. 3

2. Doo Wop The Chicago SceneRobert Pruter, University of Illinois Press -Pg. xxi

© 2007 All rights reserved

Abraham J. Santiago is the co-author with Steven J. Dunham of the popular book: Acappella Street Corner Vocal Groups: A Brief History And Discography Of 1960s Singing Groups

Since the early 1960s doo-wop has remained a regional white ethnic genre within a subculture. Non-blacks have taken the rhythm and blues vocal group sound and have made it their own. Almost all oldies shows that features groups of the 1950s has a majority of white fans. Very few African-Americans are represented in the audience. Why then, the attraction of the rhythm and blues group sound from whites? What is it among non-blacks that draws them to this style of music?

Perhaps the most obvious, is that many people were raised with the group sound as they were growing up and developing. The vast majority who appreciate this style of music live in and around the corridor that stretches from Boston to Pittsburgh-Philadelphia area. On a national level, it still has not captured the heart and minds of most people. It has remained a basically self-contained musical expression, within a small body of vocal group aficionados. In other words it has remained a regional sub-cultural cottage industry.

In the early 1960s young African Americans for the most part, felt that the rhythm and blues 50’s style group sound was not relevant. Non –blacks picked up on their rejection of the group sound and made it their own. The white and ethnic community saw something that blacks did not see, they saw something worth preserving. Thus, the beginning of the commercial a cappella street corner sound of the 1960s, the development of radio oldies programming and the start of the reissuing of old vocal group recordings.

What does the future hold for the doo-wop style of music? It appears that it will basically remain a regional sound if it continues on the path that it is going. It will continue on this path, unless there is a paradigm shift within the vocal group community. If doo-wop is going survive, it must remove itself from the regional centric mentality. It must show the public that vocal group harmony style of music is meaningful, up lifting and worthy to go beyond its border.

Influenced by rhythm and blues, doop-wop was a vocalized harmonized genre using phonetic syllables (doo-wop) without obvious meanings to bring in rhythm and harmonic arrangements. Primarily an African American music genre, it became popular throughout the 50’s and the 60’s as a separate genre.

Thinking about Doo Wop at the time, one had to think also about street corner youngsters, who formed into groups of 5 or 6 individual and who would harmonize to the sounds of doo-wop for the fun of it. These youngsters owed much of their music background to the teaching and music of the local black churches and as such were particularly adept at adapting to this new vocal genre. They brought fun and a carefree philosophy to music.

This particular attitude also meant that they could be manipulated and indeed taken advantages off by a variety of the music industry’s business people such as agents, and record companies’ contact people. It was even a common policy for label owners to list their own name (instead of the name of the musicians) as the actual composer of the music since he was already known in the music industry and would make the marketing of the record much easier, or so he told them.

Record companies often times had these inexperienced youngster sign contracts allowing for the payment of studio and promotional costs to be met by the artists themselves! Furthermore, they also had to agree that they would be paid on a session basis rather than on the number of records sold.

To make matter worse, musicians often times had to perform for free on major shows and even had to pay in order to feature on TV shows. Also, all rights to the original songs had to be released to the record companies, and agents took 50% of their earnings.

The tragedy in this is that in all likelihood, the groups would have been able to survive and might have gone on to produce more music had they not been so cheated by their own record companies. These companies for the most part were startups themselves, and hence would have been more likely to have benefited from relationships and practices that did not alienated the artists they were representing.

Some of doo wop groups included:

The Dubs, who with lead vocalist Richard Blandon released “could this be magic”. Although it was not a huge hit back in 1957 when it was first released, it nevertheless has endured as one of doo wop classics.

The Duprees, one of the finest Italian doo wop made delightful doo wop harmonies, none more than the very successful “you belong to me” who had previously been recorded by Patty Page, Jo Stafford, Dean Martin and Joni James.

The Elegants, a New York doo wop music group that became famous for the most gorgeous “Little Star” released in 1958. This title topped both R&B and Pop charts. They were a White ensemble led by Vito Picone

“In the Still of the Night” is another doo wop gem, released in 1954 by The Five Satins. Known as a true classic of this music genre, “In the Still of the Night” was created in the basement of a local church. Fred Harris was the leader of the group and actually had already been drafted by the army and was stationed in Japan when his song hit the charts.

Doo Wop music has held and continues to hold a special place in the hearts of music lovers everywhere. Known in some circles as the “Music of the Streets” its popularity diminished with the introduction of British early rock otherwise known as the British Invasion in the mid 1960’s.

Doo Wop has an international and varied audience. Concerts and events are still being organized today and continue to enthrall an audience that combines both the older with their grand-kids they often times bring to see the show.