The Shirelles

Bar none, they were THE group of 1961 (and one of the major groups of the early '60s) and its most history making; their impact, sound, and influence is still felt today; Their songs have been featured in commercials and there's even a Broadway musical about them, "Baby It's You".
It all started in Passiac, New Jersey, where four young women started singing together in high school in 1958, calling themselves The Popquellos.
Original members Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston Reeves), Beverly Lee, Addie "Micki" Harris, and Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner, then Jackson) won a local school competition with a self-written song, "I Met Him On A Sunday."
Mary Jane Greenberg, who attended the same high school, was very impressed and suggested that the group audition for her mother.
They did.
And they were then signed to the small Tiara Records label, owned by Florence Greenberg.
The group decided on a name change, first to the Honeytones, then finally to The Shirelles.
In the spring of 1958, they recorded their contest entry. The record sold well; Greenberg leased it to Decca and "I Met Him On A Sunday" went to no. 49 on the Billboard pop charts.
A very encouraged Greenberg then created a new label, Scepter, (1959) and signed the Shirelles to it. She also hired songwriter/producer Luther Dixon to work with the group.
Their next record was a remake of The Five Royales' 1957 song, "Dedicated To The One I Love." The song only went to no. 83 (1959).
The following year marked the group's first Top 40 hit (no.39), " Tonight's The Night", written by group member Owens and Luther Dixon. (Did you know that The Chiffons had a version of this? It only went to no. 76.)
Dixon then suggested that the group should record a song, "Tomorrow", by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. The Shirelles didn't like the song at all. Dixon and King then put together a new musical arrangement, making the tune more upbeat. With the new changes in place, the group agreed to do it. The reworked song was also retitled as "Will You Love Me Tomorrow". And rock-and-roll history was made.
Besides launching the careers of King, Goffin, Greenberg, and Dixon, the Shirelles were now "on the map". The song went to no.1 in mid-December 1960-early 1961. The quartet became the first female group to have a no.1 hit in the rock era.
"Dedicated To The One I Love" was reissued and became a no. 3 smash, followed by "Mama Said", which went to no 4. "Big John", also from 1961, became a Top 30 hit (no. 21). In the spring of the year, the group embarked on a successful U.S. tour. They were so popular that even the B-sides of their hits were getting some airplay, such as " The Things I Want To Hear" and "Blue Holiday." I'm not sure if "What A Sweet Thing That Was" and "A Thing Of The Past" were B-sides or not. But they were popular!
And the hits kept coming; (The group went on to rack up a total of 12 Top 40 hits, 6 in the Top 10.) "Baby It's You", written by Burt Bacharach and Mack David ( Hal David's brother) became their next smash (no.8). This was actually released in late '61, making the Top 10 in January 1962.
The Shirelles became rock-and-roll queens, for the time being.
And the hits kept coming in 1962.
"Baby, It's You" made no. 8 in early Jan. "Soldier Boy"(Mar.31st-April) was the group's second no. 1 smash and one of the year's mega-hits. (The song was recorded at the end of a session in a single take!) "Welcome Home Baby" hit no. 22 in July, while "Stop The Music" peaked at no. 36 in early Oct. And "Everybody Loves A Lover"closed out the year at no. 19 in mid-Dec.
The group's producer, Luther Dixon, left at the end of this year. Also during this time, the group was offered "He's A Rebel" to record, but label owner Florence Greenberg turned it down because she felt it would be too controversial in the South, and she felt the song would tarnish the "good girl" image of the Shirelles ( Personally, I think the group would have sounded fantastic doing this song!).
1963 saw the group with a no. 4 smash, "Foolish Little Girl" in late April (One of their best!) and "Don't SayGoodnight And Mean Goodbye" (no. 26, mid-July). This would be their last top 40 hit, but the group also had "Thank You Baby", which came out in 1964, I think, and the vocal version of "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, MadWorld" (each group member sang in several languages!). "Don't Go Home, My Little Darlin'" was a very good, but unsuccessful, attempt at a comback in 1967.
The Shirelles, along with many other groups and singers, were casualties of the British Invasion. And there was in-group fighting, sometimes over who should sing lead and other matters. (Legend has it that a taping of "American Bandstand" was stopped because the group began arguing while in the middle of performing! This incident was shown on the late, great "American Dreams").
Other singers were now on the Sceptor label, such as Dionne Warwick, who would occasionally sing backup on some Shirelles songs, because sometimes a group member wouldn't show up, due to the infighting. (In the 1980s, the group sang backup on a Dionne Warwick record. That's show biz, huh?)
There was also supposed to be a "trust fund" set up by Sceptor record owner Florence Greenberg that would be given to each group member upon turning 21. It turned out that there wasn't one at all; everything was "spent" on tours, promotons, etc.
And there were legal entanglements. But after these were cleared up, the group remained at Sceptor for another four years. Eventually, they left and recorded for other labels, but the British Invasion was in full force and none of the new songs came close to the success of before.
Since the '70s, the group played the oldies circuit.Two original members died (Addie "Micki" Harris and Doris Coley, then Kenner Jackson). One of the remaining group members, Beverly Lee still sings, but with her own group of "Shirelles", while Shirley Alston Reeves "of the original Shirelles" (as she's often billed or introduced), definitely still packs them in at oldies shows (Was the infighting that bad?)
Regardless of current circumstances, all four members as The Shirelles were and are one of rock and roll's historical figures (inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1989).