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Doo Wop Lead Singer Styles
Notable Lead Singers
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| Singer |
Group |
Singer |
Group |
Singer |
Group |
Singer |
Group |
Singer |
Group |
| Operatic | Jazzy | Romantic |
| Time Frame:1930s to Late 1940s | Time Frame: Late 40s | Time Frame: late 40s through late 50s |
| Examples: Billy Williams (Charioteers), Bill Kenny (Ink Spots), Maithe Marshall and Joe Van Loon (Ravens} | Examples: Jimmy Ricks (Ravens), Ormand Wilson (Basin Street Boys) | Example: Sonny Til (Orioles), Willie Winfield (Harptones), later Eugene Mumford (Dominoes) |
| Notes:
High-register male voices, anchored in pre-doo wop era.
Affected and formal delivery geared to an adult audience |
Notes: Romantic,
adult, sophisticated |
Notes:
Til set the standard for romantic leads as a matinee idol
on the chitlin circuit. |
| Bluesy | Gospel | Romantic |
| Time Frame: Early 50s through late 50s (eventually transitioned to soul) | Time Frame: Early 50s through late 50s | Time Frame: Early 1950s through mid-1950s |
| Examples: James Denby (Swallows), Bobby Lester (Moonglows), Solly McElroy (Flamingos), Early Rudy West | Examples: Clyde McPhatter (Dominoes), Eugene Mumford (Larks), David Baughan (Checkers) | Examples: Sonny Til (Orioles), Willie Winfield (Harptones), later Eugene Mumford (Dominoes) |
| Notes: Moonglows and Flamingos influenced by Chicago Blues. Rudy West bordline Blues | Notes: Melismatic and emotional. Call and response common between lead and background | Notes: Til set the standard for romantic leads as a matinees idol on the chitlin circuit |
| Pop | New York Style | Stylized |
| Time Frame: Mid to late 1950s | Time Frame: 1953 to early 1960s | Time Frame: 1954 to early 1960s |
| Examples: Tony Williams (Platters) Nate Nelson (Flamingos) later Rudy West (Five Keys) | Examples: Sonny Norton (Crows), Earl Carrol (Cadillacs), Earl Lewis (Channels). Herman Dunham (Solitaires) | Examples: Anthony Gourdine (Little Anthony and the Imperials), James "Shep" Sheppard (Heartbeats, Limelites) |
| Notes: Generally refers to blaccent-free leads with good voices that would sell to white audiences | Notes: Pleading leads doing slow ballads, with heavy background. Lots of riffing bass and falsetto. | Notes: Sounded like they were acting act the lyrics as they sang them. Stiltted yet effective way of sounding out words. |
| Schoolboy | Gang | Rock 'n' Roll |
| Time Frame: 1956 to the end of era in the 1960s | Time Frame: 1956 to 1959 | Time Frame: 1955 through the end of the era |
| Examples: Frankie Lymon (Teenagers), Lewis Lymon (Teenchords), Pearl McKinnon (Kodaks) | Examples: Mack Starr (Paragons), Adam Jackson (Jesters), Ernest Harrison (Bopchords) | Examples: Kripp Johnson (Dell-Vickings), Herb Cox (Cleftones), Johnny Maestro (Crests). Norman Fox (Robroys) |
| Notes: Kids with high tenor voices, singing like kids. This generation offered upbeat, uptempo songs with simple lyrics. This generation offerred upbeat, uptempo songs with simple lyrics. | Notes: Got the job done without smoothness. Sound romantic, yet you might not wanted to turn your back on them. Primarily a New York phenomenon | Notes: More or less blaccent-free leads in a delivery that was aimed at a white teen audience. Heavy beat with greater reliance on instruments. |
| West Coast | White | Soul |
| Time Frame: mid-1950s thru the end of the era | Time Frame: 1958 thru the end of the era | Time Frame: 1958 into and through the 1960s |
| Examples: Jesse Belvin (Cliques), Cleve Duncan (Penguins), Arthur Lee Maye ( Crowns) | Examples: Dion DiMucci (Belmonts), Jimmy Beaumont (Skyliners), Jimmy Gallagher (Passions), Larry Chance (Earls) | Examples: Johnny Funches (Dells), Pookie Hudson (Spaniels), Tommy Bullock (Fiestas), Jerry Butler (Impressions) |
| Notes: Generally laid-back vocal style compared to the East Coasters. Short on diction, long on feeling | Notes: Singerss avoided melisma. holding their notes for longer periods of time | Notes: Frequent use of melismas. Gospel influenced delivery. |
| Falsetto | Sweet/Cute | |
| Time Frame: 1950 through the end of the era | Time Frame: Early 50s to mid-50s | |
| Examples:Nolan Strong (Diablos), Al Banks (Turbans), Earl Lewis (Channels), Julius McMichaels (Paragons) | Examples: Eddie Rich (Swallows), Ray Wooten (Mellomoods), George Grant (Castelles), Joe Duncan (Vocaleers) |
| Notes: Primarily used by lead singers who for part of the song by lead singers by part or all of the song by lead singers who sing as tenors for most of the song but the use false tenor to trail off at the end of the song | Notes: Young teens trying to sound romantic and adult like before Frankie Lymon made it legitimate to sound like a kid. Precursor to Schoolboy style lead. Typified by early Bobby Robinson Red Robins groups |
