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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZFONTANE SISTERSBea, Geri and Margi Rosse from New Milford NJ were a white vocal trio. Mother was local choir director and organist; joined all-girl troupe on tour, then family group with brother Frank on guitar; he was killed in WWII. Featured on Perry Como programmes on radio, then TV; signed by RCA '49; minor hit '51 with "Tennesse Waltz'. Switched to Dot '54 and had 18 Hot 100 entries '54-8, 10 in top 40; with backing by Billy Vaughn orchestra, had biggest hits with covers of rhythm & blues hits: no. 1 '54 with "Hearts Of Stone' (the Charms); others incl. "Rollin' Stone' (the Marigolds) and "Rock Love' '55, "Eddie My Love' '56: original by the Teen Queens (Betty and Rosie Collins) was no. 3 R&B hit, did almost as well as Fontanes' version in pop chart as white kids began to buy black originals instead of white covers. Fontanes' odd one out was "Seventeen' '55, white hit by Boyd Bennett (who wrote it), also covered by Rusty Draper. Last big hit was "Chanson D'Amour' at no. 12, written by Wayne Shanklin (b 6 June '16, Joplin MO; d 16 June '70, Santa Barbara CA), who also wrote "The Big Hurt' '59 and "West Of The Wall' '62 for Toni Fisher. |