The Shirelles

Lore & Background

The group that later became the Shirelles was formed in 1957 by four teenage girls from Passaic, New Jersey, under the name the Poquellos (or Pequellos). They entered a talent show at Passaic High School at the suggestion of a teacher. After hearing them sing 'I Met Him on a Sunday', a song written by Shirley Owens and Doris Coley prior to the show, their classmate Mary Jane Greenberg convinced the reluctant Poquellos to meet with her mother, Florence, the owner of Tiara Records. After several months of avoiding Greenberg, they were booked to Tiara. By the end of 1958, Tiara Records and the Shirelles' contract were sold to Decca Records.

Reader's Guide

The Shirelles are widely recognized as the group that launched the girl group genre, with much of their music reflecting the genre's essence. Their sound has been described as a 'naive schoolgirl sound' that contrasted with the sexual themes of many of their songs. Several of their hits used strings and featured the influence of Brazilian baião music. Their acceptance by both white and black audiences, predating that of the Motown acts, has been noted as reflecting the early success of the Civil Rights Movement. They have received numerous honors, including the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, and being named one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time by Rolling Stone in 2004. Two of their songs, 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow' and 'Tonight's the Night', were selected by Rolling Stone on its list of the greatest songs of all time. In 2022, their debut album Tonight's the Night was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry as being 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant'.

Did You Know?

• The Shirelles were formed in 1957 for a talent show at their high school in Passaic, New Jersey.
• Their song 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow' became the first Billboard number-one hit by an African-American girl group.
• In 1963, the Shirelles learned that the trust holding their royalties did not exist, leading them to leave Scepter Records and file a breach of contract suit.
• Addie 'Micki' Harris collapsed of a heart attack in the lobby of Hyatt Regency in Atlanta, Georgia after two performances with the group in 1982.

From a High School Talent Show to a National Act

The Shirelles began as four teenagers from Passaic, New Jersey, who entered a school talent show at a teacher's suggestion. Shirley Owens, Doris Coley, Addie "Micki" Harris, and Beverly Lee—born between 1941 and 1942, all from North Carolina or New Jersey—had written their own song, "I Met Him on a Sunday," for the performance. A classmate, Mary Jane Greenberg, heard them sing and persuaded the reluctant girls to meet her mother, Florence Greenberg, who owned Tiara Records. After months of the girls dodging her and insisting they had no interest in professional singing, they were finally booked. By year's end they had settled on the name "Shirelles," blending the first syllable of Shirley's name with the "-el" ending popularized by the Chantels. Their debut single, released in 1958, charted at number 50 on Decca's national distribution, blending doo-wop roots with pop melodies.

Finding Their Sound at Scepter

After Decca deemed them a one-hit act and returned them to manager Florence Greenberg, the group found their true creative home on her newly launched Scepter label. Greenberg brought in songwriter-producer Luther Dixon, who had previously worked with Perry Como, Nat King Cole, and Pat Boone, to craft material specifically for the quartet. Their first Dixon-produced single, "Tonight's the Night" (1960), peaked at number 39 and opened doors to sharing stages with Etta James and Little Richard. The follow-up, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, became the first Billboard number-one hit by an African-American girl group. Over the next several years the group racked up seven top-20 singles, including "Dedicated to the One I Love," "Mama Said," "Baby It's You," and "Boys." Their signature style paired a bright, innocent "schoolgirl" vocal delivery with lyrics exploring romantic and sexual themes, layered over string arrangements and the rhythmic pulse of Brazilian baião music.

Pioneers of the Girl Group Era

The Shirelles are widely credited with establishing the girl group genre as a defining force in popular music. Their appeal cut across racial lines in a way that predated the crossover success of Motown acts, a fact observers have linked to the early momentum of the Civil Rights Movement in the early 1960s. Their recognition has been substantial: the Rhythm and Blues Foundation awarded them a Pioneer Award, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, and Rolling Stone named them among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004. Two of their recordings—"Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "Tonight's the Night"—earned spots on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest songs ever written. In 2022, the Library of Congress selected their 1961 debut album, Tonight's the Night, for inclusion in the National Recording Registry, citing its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.

The Scepter Dispute and Life After the Peak

The group's relationship with Scepter Records ended in acrimony. In late 1963, the Shirelles discovered that a trust supposedly holding their royalties—meant to be released on their 21st birthdays—did not actually exist. They departed the label and filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit; Scepter countered by suing them for quitting. Both legal actions were dropped in 1965 after a settlement was reached. By 1966, the quartet had formally left Scepter, and the commercial momentum that had carried them through seven top-20 hits began to fade. They were unable to recapture the level of popularity they had enjoyed during their Scepter years. The post-Scepter period saw the group continue to perform and record, but the defining creative partnership with Dixon and the promotional machinery of Greenberg's label were no longer in place, and the Shirelles never again matched the chart dominance of their early-to-mid 1960s run.

Gallery