The Gallahads

The Gallahads — led by Jimmy Pipkin — are best remembered for “Lonely Man,” a massive smash hit in 1960. Business lead vocalist Pipkin, Bobby Dixon (1st tenor and business lead), “Tiny” Tony Smith (second tenor), and bass guy Ernie Rouse created this vocal group in Seattle, WA, in 1952, while these were still in junior high. Initially they known as themselves the Echoes, but by enough time they journeyed to L.A. to record for Del-Fi Information as well as the Donna subsidiary, these were contacting themselves the Gallahads. The group acquired only three produces on Del-Fi, but each acquired enormous influence. Their first one, “Lonely Man,” premiered on both Del-Fi and Donna brands, almost concurrently. It proved to be a massive smash, charting between June and Sept of 1960 and peaking at amount nine in the very best Ten. In LA, it spent ten weeks at number 1 over the KFWB Fabulous 40, the main station around. In addition, it charted at amount 111 over the nationwide pop graphs. By enough time of their following discharge, the Gallahads’ lineup acquired changed a bit: signing up for lead vocalist Pipkin and Ernie Rouse had been fellow Seattlite Ray Robinson and L.A.-structured doo wop/R&B musician/arranger/producer Charles Wright, who also caused label-head Bob Keane as an A&R man and produced and organized recordings by Small Caesar & the Romans as well as other acts. The A-side, “End up being Good,” was sung in traditional doo wop design and generated a little bit of controversy as the tale included a blind guy (“it’s no fun getting blind”) crossing the road with his partner who realizes that while his gal is “keeping my hands, she’s kissing my companion.” It isn’t apparent who objected towards the song, however the one strike another snag irrespective. Disk jockey Alan Freed, whose radio present was broadcast on L.A.’s KDAY in 1960, didn’t compensate the Gallahads for a couple scheduled appearances, therefore they agreed upon a issue with AFTRA (a musician’s union). Freed not merely fell the record but inspired fellow DJ Dick Clark to accomplish exactly the same, and it quickly dropped from the graphs. Pipkin’s last Gallahads one failed to receive them airplay aswell and the initial group soon split. By 1962, Tiny Tony Smith acquired produced the Statics, a built-in R&B group with Neil Hurry on sax and his teenage wife Merrilee on keyboards. On the other hand, the Gallahads name resurfaced once again in 1964 with “My Giving,” this time around with Billy Melts away on business lead vocal along with a white teenager band known as the Counts support them up. The Seattle-based Pipkin continuing to execute with an oldies edition from the Gallahads. Tiny Tony passed away in the middle-’80s.