About DooWop Music

DooWop is a style of music. It is a derivative of rhythm & blues and jazz. It is known to have started on the east coast of the United States mainly in the urban areas of some of the larger cities. Kids would gather in schools, parks, and on back porches, but mostly in the inner city on the street corner. From Baltimore and D.C to Philadelphia and New York and on up to Boston hundreds and hundreds of groups were being formed. DooWop groups usually consisted of five members, a bass, baritone, two tenors, and naturally a lead singer. The songs were mostly about love, as a new generation was seeking its own identity breaking away from the established music of their parents.

The group harmony sounds of DooWop music exploded on the nation in the mid 1950's, and continued until the English invasion of the 1960's. Many groups and artists born right here in our fair city of Philadelphia came into prominence during this era. Some of our early travelers were, The Castelles, The Hideaways, The Angels, The Re-Vels, The Capris, The Bluenotes, and Teddy & The Twilites. Also The Orlons, Dovells, and The Tymes. We cant forget The Dreamlovers, Anthony & The Sophmores and Billy & The Essentials, and two of our most prominent groups of the era were The Silhouettes, and Danny & The Juniors both making major contributions.

The "Headliner" at this year's Philadelphia Doo Wop Festival will be The Duprees. The Duprees are known the world over for their romantic interpretations of some of the most beautiful love songs ever written. They have made a career out of giving new life to old hits. If you take some of the most beautiful songs and arrangements of the 1940's and put them together with the Duprees sound, you come up with something that has withstood the test of time. Starting out in the early sixties in Jersey City, New Jersey the group was discovered by George Paxton, president of Coed Records and former big band leader from the 1940's. He was impressed with The Duprees smooth vocal quality, and had them record Jo Staffords 1950's ballad "You Belong To Me" with big band arrangements. It was an instant national hit and the groups first million seller. The unmistakable sound was born and the hits kept rolling. Today the group consists of Tommy Petillo, Phil Granito, Jimmy Spinelli, and Tony Testa.

Today in Philadelphia DooWop is still alive and well. Classified as "Oldies" it is still a viable music genre, and is being kept alive by the many "Disc Jockeys" that still play the music. ACappella Groups, Oldies bands, and even some of the old groups themselves perform regularly in the area, and those kids from the 50's now called "boomers" still enjoy the music. AND SO CAN YOU. On August 8, 2009 DooWop Music will be alive and well, and for a good cause. So let's see your face at the place, your smile in the aisle, and support OUR veterans…SOLID.

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