Bobby Chandler & His Stardusters (Little Rock, AR.)

Personnel :

Bobby Chandler (Lead)

Bill Sharp

Bobby Blount

Bill Glasscock

Bill Dedman (Guitar)


Discography :

1956 - If You Loved Me / I'm Serious (OJ 1000)
1957 - Shadows Of Love / Me And My Imagination (OJ 1005)

Biography :

Bobby Chandler was born and raised in Little Rock, graduating from Little Rock Central High School in 1956.  While a student at LRCHS, he formed a quartet known as “Bobby Chandler and The Stardusters”.  they sang “rock and roll” for school and various other local functions and in 1956, They signed a recording contract with OJ Records, out of Memphis, Tennessee. OJ RECORDS was the manufacturing arm of Old Judge Music Publishing whose offices were locate at 1018 North Watkins Street in Memphis, Tennessee.  The label seems to have begun operations sometime in 1956 or 1957 under the supervision of Bill Biggs and C. J. (Red) Matthews. 

OJ was a small-time operation which tried to capture the public’s fancy by issuing singles in a number of musical fields, including R&B/black doo-wop (Chester Guyden, the Rockin’ Dukes), rockability/white rock ‘n’ roll (Wailin’ Bill Dell, Charles Senns) and 50s teen pop (Wink Martindale, Bobby Chandler and the Stardusters, Nancy Lee, Dave Gardner).  The label's first release on OJ 1000 was “I’m Serious” b/w “If You Love’d Me” by Bobby Chandler and the Stardusters, and judging by the number of copies which still turn up regularly in various record auctions, it was the company’s most successful venture.

The Starduster's in 1957 L to R: Bill Sharp, Truman Mitchell, Bobby Chandler, Bob Walters & Bill Glasscock

OJ’s most prolific artist was Bobby Chandler and the Stardusters.  Like other white quartets of the period such as the Crescendos (Nasco) and Techniques (Roulette), the Stardusters used a melodic approach to ballad harmony and tried to cross-over into the white pop mainstream of the time.  Their follow-up release “Me and My Imagination” (1005) received a full-page in the May 25, 1957 Cash Box issue, with the banner claim: “Just Released, Already Breaking in Memphis, Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami and Spreading.”  


Songs :

  
If You Loved Me                    I'm Serious

  
Shadows Of Love                    Me And My Imagination

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