RIP Eugene Pitt

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T_Bone0806
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RIP Eugene Pitt

#1 Post by T_Bone0806 » Fri Jul 13, 2018 4:55 pm

Lead singer for the Doo Wop group The Jive Five, who recorded what is probably my favorite Doo Wop song ever, "My True Story" (#66 on the All-Time Boneys list). He passed on June 29th but I just read about it today..had to give him his due.


https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/05/obit ... at-80.html


We saw him as part of a Doo Wop show back in the early 00's I believe it was. He still hit all the notes, as he did on one of those PBS Doo Wop reunion shows.


Here's that #66 Boney:


"#$%&@*&"-Donald F. Duck

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ghostjmf
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Re: RIP Eugene Pitt

#2 Post by ghostjmf » Fri Jul 13, 2018 5:31 pm

well, I've only got 2 NYT free reads left this month, but the obit was certainly worth it.

As is the song.

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mellytu74
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Re: RIP Eugene Pitt

#3 Post by mellytu74 » Fri Jul 13, 2018 7:59 pm

T_Bone0806 wrote:Lead singer for the Doo Wop group The Jive Five, who recorded what is probably my favorite Doo Wop song ever, "My True Story" (#66 on the All-Time Boneys list). He passed on June 29th but I just read about it today..had to give him his due.


https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/05/obit ... at-80.html


We saw him as part of a Doo Wop show back in the early 00's I believe it was. He still hit all the notes, as he did on one of those PBS Doo Wop reunion shows.


Here's that #66 Boney:


One of my favorite of all the Doo Wop voices, along with Willie Winfield of the Harptones, Pookie Hudson of the Spaniels and, of course, Lee Andrews of Lee Andrews & the Hearts (and father of QuestLove).


I will sing a chorus of What Time Is It (Just one hour to go) tonight in tribute.

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T_Bone0806
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Re: RIP Eugene Pitt

#4 Post by T_Bone0806 » Sat Jul 14, 2018 11:12 am

mellytu74 wrote:
One of my favorite of all the Doo Wop voices, along with Willie Winfield of the Harptones, Pookie Hudson of the Spaniels and, of course, Lee Andrews of Lee Andrews & the Hearts (and father of QuestLove).
Willie and The Harptones were also on the bill at that Doo Wop show (with Willie, bless his heart, in his mid-70's yet still hitting the high falsetto notes long, strong and clear). The Del Vikings. The ShangriLas, The original Teenagers with LEWIS Lyman, Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge, and 5 other acts I can't recall off the top of my head or can't recall if I saw at that show or a different one. In any event it was terrific, with not a single performer not sounding great. Sad though, that many are no longer harmonizing here on earth.
I believe I was able to determine, through some sketchy internet detective work, that it took place in 2002. An article I found mentions a Doo Wop concert at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center as one of the shows sceheduled for that year, but I was unable to find an exact date or list of performers. The year sounds about right and I don't recall any other big Doo Wop shows at that venue in that general time frame. Certainly there have not been any there since the one we saw....the ones that have come around have been at a smaller venue, with only 4 or 5 artists, unfortunately over the last few years they have usually been the same acts every year.

I will sing a chorus of What Time Is It (Just one hour to go) tonight in tribute.

I shall assist...

"Tick, Tock, Listen to the clock"

Lost my falsetto some years ago so can't help ya there :oops:
"#$%&@*&"-Donald F. Duck

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mellytu74
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Re: RIP Eugene Pitt

#5 Post by mellytu74 » Sat Jul 14, 2018 11:30 am

T_Bone0806 wrote:
mellytu74 wrote:
One of my favorite of all the Doo Wop voices, along with Willie Winfield of the Harptones, Pookie Hudson of the Spaniels and, of course, Lee Andrews of Lee Andrews & the Hearts (and father of QuestLove).
Willie and The Harptones were also on the bill at that Doo Wop show (with Willie, bless his heart, in his mid-70's yet still hitting the high falsetto notes long, strong and clear). The Del Vikings. The ShangriLas, The original Teenagers with LEWIS Lyman, Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge, and 5 other acts I can't recall off the top of my head or can't recall if I saw at that show or a different one. In any event it was terrific, with not a single performer not sounding great. Sad though, that many are no longer harmonizing here on earth.
I believe I was able to determine, through some sketchy internet detective work, that it took place in 2002. An article I found mentions a Doo Wop concert at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center as one of the shows sceheduled for that year, but I was unable to find an exact date or list of performers. The year sounds about right and I don't recall any other big Doo Wop shows at that venue in that general time frame. Certainly there have not been any there since the one we saw....the ones that have come around have been at a smaller venue, with only 4 or 5 artists, unfortunately over the last few years they have usually been the same acts every year.

I will sing a chorus of What Time Is It (Just one hour to go) tonight in tribute.

I shall assist...

"Tick, Tock, Listen to the clock"

Lost my falsetto some years ago so can't help ya there :oops:
Legendary Philly DJ Jerry Blavat (The Geator with the Heater and the basis for the Joe Pantaliano character in The In Crowd) used to have a Doo-Wop show every year and it featured a lot of those groups. As you pointed out, many of them no longer harmonize on this mortal coil. We're talking 10-15 years ago for that, too. Blavat still has the show but it's a different lineup.

Larry Chance and the Earls appear every year in North Wildwood at the Lou Booth Ampatheater (an outdoor venue) as part of the Thursday/Saturday Summer Concert series.

Most of the performances now are tribute bands - including a group of women whose name I cannot remember who do a fantastic Girl Group Tribute Show.

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