Formed in East Meadow, New York, USA, in the late 50s, the Bell Notes were a one-hit rock group whose ‘I’ve Had It’ reached the Top 10 in early 1959. The group comprised vocalist and saxophonist Carl Bonura, vocalist and guitarist Ray Ceroni, bass player Lenny Giambalvo, pianist Pete Kane and drummer John Casey. The band was discovered by disc jockey Alan Frederi
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Shirley & Lee
- 62% match to Don & Dewey
New Orleans-based duo Shirley Goodman (19 June 1936, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, d. 5 July 2005, Los Angeles, California, USA) and Leonard Lee (b. 29 June 1936, d. 23 October 1976) began recording together in 1952. Billed as ‘The Sweethearts of the Blues’, they enjoyed a series of US R&B hits, including ‘I’m Gone’ (1952) and ‘Feel So Good&#
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Hank Ballard
- 59% match to Don & Dewey
John Kendricks, 18 November 1936, Detroit, Michigan, USA, d. 2 March 2003, Los Angeles, California, USA. His date of birth is disputed, and varies between 1927 and 1936. Ballard’s truck-driving father died when he was seven years old and he was sent to Bessemer, Alabama, to live with relations. The strict religious and gospel upbringing caused him to run away, and by th
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10 May 1935, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, d. 2 January 1980, Los Angeles, California, USA. Williams recorded a handful of raucous rock ‘n’ roll songs for Specialty Records that later influenced, among others, John Lennon. Williams learned to play the piano while in New Orleans, and moved to Oakland, California, with his family while in his teens. There he joined a
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Mickey Baker
- 52% match to Don & Dewey
McHouston Baker, 15 October 1925, Louisville, Kentucky, USA. After spells in reform school and a children’s home, Baker moved to New York in 1941. He lived on the fringes of the criminal world but took up the guitar and quickly became a virtuoso, equally adept at jazz and blues styles. From the late 40s, Mickey ‘Guitar’ Baker played on hundreds of recording se
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Young Jessie
- 42% match to Don & Dewey
Obediah Donnell Jessie, 28 December 1936, Lincoln Manor, Dallas, Texas, USA. Young Jessie is one of the great unheralded singers of the Los Angeles R&B scene. He is best known for recording the original version of ‘Mary Lou’ (1955), which, although not a national hit, became a huge hit in California and Texas. The song was subsequently recorded with great succe
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26 January 1934, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Pianist Smith drew his pulsating style from a variety of musical sources, including the boogie-woogie of Albert Ammons and jazz of Jelly Roll Morton. Having served in bands led by Earl King and Eddie ‘Guitar Slim’ Jones, Smith became a respected session musician before embarking on an independent recording career. Leadi
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Roy Milton
- 40% match to Don & Dewey
31 July 1907, Wynnewood, Oklahoma, USA, d. 18 September 1983, Los Angeles, California, USA. Growing up on his Chickasaw grandmother’s reservation, Milton encountered blues music when his family moved to Tulsa. In the late 20s, he was a vocalist with the Ernie Fields Orchestra; while on tour in Texas, he replaced the band’s drummer after the latter was arrested. He
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The Clovers
- 40% match to Don & Dewey
This US R&B vocal ensemble formed in Washington, DC, in 1946, and built a career recording smooth ballads and bluesy jumps for New York independent Atlantic Records, in the process becoming one of the most popular vocal groups of the 50s. By the time the group first recorded for Rainbow Records in early 1950, the Clovers comprised John ‘Buddy’ Bailey (1930, Was
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The Five Keys
- 40% match to Don & Dewey
This US R&B vocal group helped shape the rhythm and blues revolution of the early 50s. The ensemble was formed as the Sentimental Four in Newport News, Virginia, USA, in 1945, and originally comprised two sets of brothers - Rudy West (25 July 1932, Newport News, Virginia, USA, d. 14 May 1998, USA; first tenor) and Bernie West (b. 4 February 1930, Newport News, Virginia,
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Artist matches
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