The Bobbettes

The Bobbettes were a girl group who had a 1957 top 10 hit song called "Mr. Lee."

The group, which originally formed in Harlem, New York, in 1955, was first known as "The Harlem Queens." The girls first met while singing at the Glee Club at P.S. 109 in Harlem. They were soon discovered by James Dailey, a record producer, who also became their manager, while playing a concert at the legendary Apollo Theater's amateur night, and were quickly signed to a contract on the Atlantic Record Label.

In 1957, the girls released their first hit single, "Mr. Lee," a song based on a former grade school teacher of theirs. The single, backed by "Look at the Stars," became their biggest hit recording ever, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Pop singles chart.

Over the next few years they followed up that single with such other recordings as "I Shot Mr. Lee," "Have Mercy Baby," "You Are My Sweetheart," and "Dance with Me Georgie." The original recording of "I Shot Mr. Lee" was initially refused by Atlantic. The group left the label and signed with Teddy Vann and a new version was issued on the small Triple-X label.. It started to climb the charts rapidly, and Atlantic was forced to release their own version of the song. They then signed with the End and released the songs "Teach Me Tonight" and "I Don't Like It Like That" (answer to Chris Kenner's "I Like It Like That".) Although the recording of "I Don't Like It Like That" was the girls' last chart-topper, they continued to record for a series of record labels, including Diamond, RCA Victor and Mayhew, before disbanding in 1974. They also toured the oldies circuits for many years after their breakup. Other recordings by the Bobbettes include, "Oh My Pa-Pa," "Speedy," "Zoomy," and "Rock and Ree-ah-Zole (The Teenage Talk)." Their single of "I've Gotta Face The World" on RCA Victor is a valuable Northern Soul single.

The Bobbettes have been nominated for induction in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Voting for the Class of 2007 began November 19, 2007, with all ballots due before January 15, 2008. To vote, non-members of the Hall may choose from a list of nominees; an e-mail confirmation is required. Non-members may vote only once.

Members

*Jannie Pought (8 November 1945 - September 1980) was a Rhythm and Blues musician and a native of Harlem. She died at the age of 34, stabbed to death while walking down a street in Jersey City, New Jersey.
*Laura Webb, later known as Laura Webb-Childress (8 November 1941 - 8 January 2000), another native of Harlem, died at the age of 59 from complications of colon cancer.
*Emma Pought (born 1944)
*Helen Gathers (born 1944) left The Bobbettes in 1961
*Reather Dixon (born 1945)

External links

* [http://www.electricearl.com/dws/bobbettes.html Photographs, biography, and discography]
* [http://home.att.net/~marvart/Bobbettes/bobbettes.html Photographs, biography, and discography]
* [http://www.history-of-rock.com/bobbettes.htm Biography]