Many happy returns to Shirley Alston, lead singer of 60s girlie band The Shirelles.
At the time The Shirelles began, there was quite a flurry of vocal harmony girl groups around - mainly due to the influence of the magnificent (and now jailed for murder) Phil Spector and his Wall Of Sound.
Somehow these girls managed to carve out a unique place in that pantheon, and were the first to have a Number 1 hit in the US, mainly by being given some of the best songs to sing - and because of their fabulous natural talents, too, of course.
Shirelles trivia:
- The young Dionne Warwick got her first break as singer with The Shirelles when members of the group went off to get married.
- The group provided several songs for the riotous comedy film It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World.
- Shirelles songs have been covered by The Beatles, Manfred Mann, Mamas & The Papas and even Amy Winehouse.
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