The Angels (American group)

Lore & Background

The group originated in New Jersey as the Starlets, which consisted of sisters Barbara "Bibs" and Phyllis "Jiggs" Allbut, Bernadette Carroll, and Lynda Malzone. They had minor local hits and did back-up work in the studio. When Malzone left, Linda Jansen became the new lead singer. Their manager, Tom DeCillis, kept Bernadette Carroll and dropped the rest of the group. Carroll later found solo success in 1963 with her Laurie Records single "Party Girl". After a failed attempt at a record deal with producer Gerry Granahan, the Allbut sisters turned to education. Granahan later saw hit potential in their version of "Till", which became their first single under the name the Angels and their first hit (No. 14 US) in 1961. The song was followed by "Cry Baby Cry". The Angels had one album on Caprice, titled ...And the Angels Sing, in 1961.

Jansen left the group in late 1962 to go solo and was replaced by Peggy Santiglia, formerly of The Delicates. In 1963, the trio signed to Mercury Records' subsidiary Smash Records and worked with the Feldman-Goldstein-Gottehrer songwriting team, who wrote "My Boyfriend's Back". The Angels' performance (with Santiglia on lead) was originally intended as a demo for The Shirelles, but the music publishers chose to release it as it stood. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. The group never changed their name to the Halos; that is a confusion with another group. After several lineup changes, the group disbanded in 1968, but Santiglia and the Allbut sisters regrouped in the early 1970s and released a new single on Polydor Records.

Reader's Guide

The Angels are primarily remembered for their 1963 No. 1 hit "My Boyfriend's Back", which sold over one million copies and became a defining song of the girl group era. Their career illustrates the typical trajectory of many 1960s vocal groups: originating as a local act, working as backup singers, undergoing lineup changes, and facing disputes over name ownership. The group's induction into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005 acknowledges their lasting impact on popular music. Their story also connects to broader pop culture, as they were depicted singing "My Boyfriend's Back" in the 2014 film Jersey Boys. As of 2021, Phyllis Allbut and Peggy Santiglia are the last living founding members, preserving the group's legacy through continued performances.

Did You Know?

• The Angels' biggest hit, "My Boyfriend's Back", was originally intended as a demo for The Shirelles.
• The group never rebranded as the Halos; that is a confusion with another group.
• Founding member Barbara "Bibs" Allbut Brown died on July 10, 2021, at age 80.
• The Angels were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005.

From the Starlets to the Angels

Before they ever carried the name that would make them famous, the group existed in New Jersey as the Starlets, a quartet built around sisters Barbara 'Bibs' and Phyllis 'Jiggs' Allbut along with Bernadette Carroll and Lynda Malzone. Their early years were spent scoring minor local hits and filling in as studio backup vocalists, a grind that kept them visible but far from national attention. When Malzone departed, Linda Jansen stepped in as the new lead voice. Manager Tom DeCillis then made a decisive cut, retaining only Carroll, who would later enjoy solo success in 1964 with 'Party Girl.' The Allbut sisters pivoted toward education—Phyllis enrolled in teacher's college while Barbara earned acceptance to the Juilliard School for her arranging talent. Producer Gerry Granahan, who had initially turned the group down, later recognized the promise in their audition rendition of 'Till' and pushed them to record it. Released on his Caprice label in 1962, 'Till' climbed to number fourteen nationally and became their first single under the new moniker, the Angels. A second hit, 'Cry Baby Cry,' followed, and the group pressed out their sole Caprice album, ...And the Angels Sing, that same year.

The Smash Records Breakthrough

In late 1962, Jansen departed to pursue a solo path, and Peggy Santiglia—formerly of The Delicates, with credits including WINS Radio jingles, Broadway appearances, and songwriting—stepped in as the new lead. The trio's fortunes shifted dramatically in 1963 when they signed with Smash Records, a subsidiary of Mercury, and began collaborating with the Feldman-Goldstein-Gottehrer songwriting team. The track that would define their career, 'My Boyfriend's Back,' was originally crafted as a demo pitched to The Shirelles, but the music publishers decided to release the Angels' version as-is. The gamble paid off spectacularly: the single stormed to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, sold over one million copies, and earned a gold disc. Their follow-up, 'I Adore Him,' charted at number twenty-five, while the B-side 'Thank You And Goodnight' reached number eighty-four. Throughout their Smash tenure the group maintained a steady stream of moderately successful singles, including 'Wow Wow Wee (He's The Boy For Me)' at number forty-one. Their self-titled album peaked at number thirty-three, though the follow-up A Halo to You failed to chart at all. The group departed Smash in 1964 and signed with Congress Records.

Name Disputes and the Halos Era

The Angels' post-Smash years were marked by instability. A dispute over who owned the name 'the Angels' forced the group to rebrand as the Halos, a change that signaled deeper fractures within the lineup. In 1965, Santiglia took a leave of absence and was replaced by Toni Mason, under whose tenure the group released several singles that failed to chart. Mason departed in 1967, and Debra Swisher—previously of The Pixies Three and recently responsible for her own recording of 'Thank You And Goodnight' on Boom Records—filled the vacancy. This new configuration resumed using the Angels name and issued a handful of singles on RCA Records. Former Starlet Bernadette Carroll returned to the fold and assumed the lead vocal role. The group's final public appearance came on The Dean Martin Show before they officially disbanded in 1968. A partial reunion followed in the early 1970s, when Santiglia and the Allbut sisters regrouped and released a new single on Polydor Records, a brief but notable echo of their earlier chemistry.

Legacy, Loss, and the Surviving Angels

The Angels' cultural footprint extended well beyond their chart run. In 2005 they received a formal induction into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, cementing their place in the history of American girl groups. Their story also found a cinematic audience in the 2014 film Jersey Boys, where actresses portrayed the group singing 'My Boyfriend's Back'—a fitting nod given that both the Angels and The Four Seasons called New Jersey home. The years since have been defined by loss. Bernadette Carroll passed away on October 5, 2018, at age seventy-four. Original lead Linda Jansen followed on February 19, 2019, also at seventy-four. Barbara 'Bibs' Allbut Brown died on July 10, 2021, at the age of eighty. As of 2021, Phyllis Allbut and Peggy Santiglia remain the last living founding members, and the two have continued to perform under the Angels name, occasionally joined by Barbara during her final years, keeping the group's story alive for new generations of listeners.

Gallery