The Harptones
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The Harptones are an American doo-wop group, which formed in Manhattan in 1953.
The group never had a top forty pop hit, or even a record on the national R&B charts, yet they are still considered[who?] one of the most influential doo-wop groups, both for their lead singer, Willie Winfield and their pianist/arranger, Raoul Cita. The Harptones recorded for various labels, including Coed Records. The Harptones may have been the first doo-wop group to number a full-time arranger among their members, and Cita knew how to work to Winfield's strengths. Their best-known recordings include "Sunday Kind of Love" (1953), "Why Should I Love You?" (1954), "Life is But a Dream" (1955), and "The Shrine of St. Cecilia" (1956).
The song "Life is But a Dream" was featured in the 1990 film GoodFellas, and can be found on the film's soundtrack.
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[edit] Members
[edit] 1951-1954
- Willie Winfield (tenor)
- Billy Brown (bass)
- Claudie "Nicky" Clark
- William Dempsey (second tenor)
- William "Dicey" Galloway (baritone)
- Raoul Cita (piano; baritone)
[edit] Early 1955
- Willie Winfield (tenor)
- Billy Brown (bass)
- Claudie "Nicky" Clark
- William Dempsey (second tenor)
- Freddy Taylor (baritone)
- Raoul Cita (piano; baritone)
Dicey Galloway was drafted in November 1954.
[edit] Late 1955
- Willie Winfield (tenor)
- Billy Brown (bass)
- Claudie "Nicky" Clark
- William Dempsey (second tenor)
- Bernard "Jimmy" Beckum (baritone)
- Raoul Cita (piano; baritone)
[edit] Early 1956
- Willie Winfield (tenor)
- Bobby Spencer
- William Dempsey (second tenor)
- Bernard "Jimmy" Beckum (baritone)
- Raoul Cita (piano; baritone)
[edit] 1956 movie Rockin' The Blues
- Willie Winfield (tenor)
- Freddy Taylor
- Billy Brown
- William Dempsey (second tenor)
- Raoul Cita (piano; baritone)
[edit] Early 1957
- Willie Winfield (tenor)
- Billy Brown
- William Dempsey (second tenor)
- William "Dicey" Galloway
- Toni Williams
- Raoul Cita (piano; baritone)
Billy Brown died of a drug overdose in spring 1957.
[edit] Late 1958
- Willie Winfield (tenor)
- William Dempsey (second tenor)
- William "Dicey" Galloway
- Toni Williams
- Curtis Cherebin
Dicey Galloway left in October and was replaced for Milton Love of The Solitares for a short time, before splitting.
[edit] 1959-1963
- Willie Winfield
- Nicky Clark
- William Dempsey
- Curtis Cherebin
- Raoul Cita
Nicky Clark left after a few months, to be replaced by Wilbur "Yonkie" Paul, who was in turn replaced by Hank "Pompi" Jernigan.
[edit] Early 1964
- Willie Winfield
- Nicky Clark
- William Dempsey
- Jimmy Beckum
- Raoul Cita
[edit] Late 1964
- Nicky Clark
- William Dempsey
- Curtis Cherebin
- Hank "Pompi" Jernigan
- Raoul Cita
[edit] 1970-1972
- Willie Winfield
- Curtis Cherebin
- Jimmy Beckum
- William Dempsey
- Raoul Cita
[edit] 1972-mid 1990s
- Willie Winfield
- Marlowe Murray
- Linda Champion
- Raoul Cita
[edit] Mid 1990s-1999
- Willie Winfield
- Marlowe Murray
- Linda Champion
- William Dempsey
- Raoul Cita
This lineup appeared on Doo Wop 50. Linda Champion left due to health problems around 2000.[1]
[edit] 2000-present
- Willie Winfield
- Marlowe Murray
- Vicki Burgess
- William Dempsey
- Raoul Cita
Marlowe Murray died from cancer in 2009.
[edit] Awards & recognition
The Harptones were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002. Marlowe Murray died from cancer in 2009.
[edit] External links
- Harptones official web site
- Article about The Harptones by Marv Goldberg
- Article about The Harptones by J.C. Marion
- The Harptones at Allmusic
- 'The Harptones' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
[edit] Notes
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