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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 ZPENGUINS, TheBlack USA doo-wop group, one of the first R&B groups to crack the top ten of the pop chart: lead singer Cleveland Duncan (b 23 July '35) and Curtis Williams, Bruce Tate, Dexter Tisby, all b '35. They formed on leaving high school in LA and named themselves after the Penguin on Kool cigarettes, recorded 'Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)', no. 1 R&B, no. 8 pop late '54, selling four million copies on DooTone. Despite their historic success, the era of white covers was not yet over, and the Crew Cuts beat them to no. 3 in '55 with the song (written by Jesse Belvin; revived '69 by the Vogues on Reprise). Manager Buck Ram went on to greater success with the Platters; the Penguins recorded for Mercury, Atlantic, Sun State, but never had another hit. Duncan re- formed the group several times for oldies shows. |