The Skyliners

The Skyliners are an American doo-wop group from Pittsburgh fronted by Jimmy Beaumont. The original lineup also included Wally Lester, Jack Taylor, Joe Verscharen, and Janet Vogel. While this quintet constituted the formal group of vocalists, they were backed by a variety of Pittsburgh musicians including Joe Dalu, a drummer from Pittsburgh's Manchester neighborhood who also played with local favorites Ray and The Furys (COED Label, 1959).

The Skyliners were best known for their 1959 hit "Since I Don't Have You." Popular covers by Trini Lopez, Chuck Jackson, Don McLean, Guns N' Roses, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Ronnie Milsap, and Buckaroo Banzai have helped keep the song in the public consciousness. They also hit the Top 40 with "This I Swear" and "Pennies From Heaven." Other classics include "It Happened Today" (1959), "Close Your Eyes" (1961), and "Comes Love" (1962). The original group dissolved in 1963 but reunited eleven years later (without Jack Taylor) for what would become their last charted record, "Where Have They Gone?" The Skyliners recorded a comeback album in 1977 with producer Don Davis on his Tortoise International Label which was distributed by RCA Victor. Songs 'Oh, How Happy' 'the Love Bug' & Dan Schafer's [1] 'A Day without you, Dear' appeared on this LP.

Today, Jimmy Beaumont still performs with The Skyliners in their current lineup of Nick Pociask, Dick Muse, and Donna Groom (whose husband, Mark Groom, has been the group's drummer/conductor for more than 25 years). Two of the original members have died: Janet Vogel (suicide) in 1980 (age 37), and Joe Verscharen of cancer in 2007 (age 67). Their longtime manager and producer Joe Rock, who also co-wrote "Since I Don't Have You", died on April 4, 2000 after complications from quaduple bypass heart surgery at age 63.

Chart hits

• "Since I Don't Have You" (1958) U.S. #12, Cashbox #7
• "This I Swear" (1959) U.S. #26
• "It Happened Today" (1959) U.S. #59
• "Pennies from Heaven" (1960) U.S. #24
• "The Loser" (1965) U.S. #72
• "Where Have They Gone" (1975) U.S. #100

Awards and recognition

The Skyliners were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.

References

• Joel Whitburn, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. 7th edn, 2000
• Joel Whitburn, Billboard's Top Pop Singles, 1955-2009.

External links

• Official Website
• 'The Skyliners' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
• Interview with Nick Pociask of the Skyliners