Published On May 3, 2024
On September 14, 1989, fifteen members of pioneering doo wop and rhythm and blues vocal groups appeared together on stage at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. The event was a press conference to announce the formation of a Doo Wopp Hall of Fame of America. This raw footage from the performance portion of the press conference features an ensemble cast performing "Get A Job", "My Memories of You", "I'm A Happy Man", "What'cha Gonna Do" and "What'd I Say". Billy Davis, guitarist from Hank Ballard and the Midnighters accompanies the artists.
The original Silhouettes lead the first song- their original hit- with Willie Winfield then leading "My Memories of You" and Eugene Pitt offering the Jive Five hit, "I'm A Happy Man". Joe Stubbs of the Falcons fronts the cast on the Drifters' "What'cha Gonna Do" and trades leads on "What'd I Say" with Herschel Hunter (Falcons, Monitors), Eugene Pitt, Wilie Winfield, Linda Champion (Harptones), Bill Baker (Five Satins) and Shirley Alston Reeves (Shirelles).
The artists on stage (from left to right at the start of the film) are Warren Gradus (Belmonts, Darvels), Shirley Alston Reeves (Shirelles), Freddie Milano (Belmonts), Willie Winfield (Harptones), Eugene Pitt (Jive Five), Bill Horton, Earl Beal, Raymond Edwards and Richard Lewis (Silhouettes), Linda Champion and Raoul J. Cita (Harptones- behind the Silhouettes), Bill Baker (Five Satins), Joe Stubbs (Falcons), Herschel Hunter (Monitors, 100 Proof Aged Soul, Falcons), Ted Coleman (Falcons, also plays trumpet), and Billy Davis (guitarist, Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, Joe Tex, Jackie Wilson).