The Orlons were an R&B group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that formed in 1960.

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Career

The quartet consisted of lead singer Rosetta Hightower, Shirley Brickley, Marlena Davis (born October 4, 1944) and Stephen Caldwell (born November 22, 1942). ^[1]

Before they became the Orlons, they were an all-girl quintet called Audrey and the Teenettes. They formed in the late 1950s in junior high school and consisted of Hightower, Davis, and three Brickley sisters: Shirley, Jean, and Audrey. However, after the Brickleys' mother did not permit 13-year-old Audrey to sing in certain clubs with the group, she and Jean quit, making the group a trio.

In high school, the group's three remaining members discovered fellow student Stephen Caldwell, who was lead singer of a local group called the Romeos. Impressed, they invited him to join the group in 1960 and named themselves the Orlons as a tongue-in-cheek nod to the friendly rivalry they had with a popular group at their high school, the Cashmeres. ^[2] (Orlon was a brand name for the widely used synthetic fibre acrylic.)

A high school friend, Dovells lead singer Len Barry, encouraged them to audition for Cameo-Parkway Records at the turn of the decade. The group took his advice in the fall of 1961, but were rejected at first, although the record label eventually signed the group after two more auditions. Cameo executive Dave Appell appointed Hightower as the lead singer, and began writing songs for them.

Before rising to fame with their first national hit, "The Wah-Watusi," which reached #2 in the U.S. Pop chart, the group provided back-up vocals for Dee Dee Sharp's hits "Mashed Potato Time" and "Gravy (for My Mashed Potatoes)." They recorded their own versions of those songs for their debut album, The Wah-Watusi which received a rating of 4.5 out of 5 by Allmusic in 2006. ^[3] They had a second hit in the same year with "Don't Hang Up", a #4 hit on the Pop chart. They had their third, and last, Top Ten hit in 1963, with the single "South Street", which reached #3 in the Pop chart.

Davis left the group in August 1963 and Caldwell quit the group in 1964, Sandy Person replaced Davis. A short-lived stint by Yvonne Young was followed by original Teenette, Audrey Brickley, Shirley's sister. By then, the group's popularity had waned in the United States due to misdirection of their record company, Cameo Records. They continued to perform into the late 1960s with success in the UK. They disbanded in 1968 after Hightower decided to stay in England after a tour. Hightower had (and still has) a successful career as a soloist and as an in-demand session singer, backing Joe Cocker, John Holt and other popular artists. She married record producer Ian Green.

In later years, Davis married and found work as an executive secretary, whilst Caldwell became a Union shop steward of the bus drivers' trade union, and then became the Administrator of the Union's legal fund in Philadelphia and served on the Philadelphia Board of Education for 29 years. In 1988, Caldwell and Davis re-formed the group with two new members and performed live on the oldies circuit until Davis' death in 1993.

On October 13, 1977, Shirley Brickley was shot to death by an intruder in her home in Philadelphia. Davis lost a battle with lung cancer on February 27, 1993 (age 48). Audrey Brickley died of acute respiratory distress syndrome on July 3, 2005 (aged 58). Stephen and Jean Brickley still perform as The Orlons with two of Stephen's cousins Albreta Crump and Madeline Morris.

Discography

Albums

• 1962: The Wah-Watusi (U.S. #80)
• 1963: All the Hits by the Orlons
• 1963: South Street (U.S. #123)
• 1963: Not Me
• 1963: Down Memory Lane

^[4]

Compilation albums

• 1963: Biggest Hits
• 1963: Golden Hits (duet compilation with the Dovells)
• 2005: ''The Best of The Orlons" (Abkco compilation under series title: "Cameo Parkway 1961-1966")

Singles

• 1961: "I'll Be True"
• 1962: "(Happy Birthday) Mr. Twenty-One"
• 1962: "The Wah-Watusi" (U.S. #2)
• 1962: "Don't Hang Up" (U.S. #4; UK #39 ^[5])
• 1963: "South Street" (U.S. #3)
• 1963: "Not Me" (U.S. #12)
• 1963: "Cross Fire!" (U.S. #19)
• 1963: "Bon-Doo-Wah" (U.S. #55)
• 1964: "Shimmy Shimmy" (U.S. #66)
• 1964: "Rules of Love" (U.S. #66)
• 1964: "Knock Knock" (U.S. #64)

References

1. Biography by Ron Wynn
2. http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Frontrow/2301/orlons.html (accessed March 11, 2006)
3. Album Coverage @ Allmusic.com Retrieved June 2009
4. Allmusic.com - Charts & Awards (albums)
5. British Hit Singles & Albums