The Dukes (2) (Oklahoma)

Personnel :

Don Nero (Lead)

Billy Armistead

Everett Edwards

Willie Moon

Richard Williams

Discography :

Singles :
1956 - Teardrop Eyes / Shimmies And The Shakes (Imperial 5401)
1956 - Wini Brown / Cotton Pickin’ Hands (Imperial 5415)

Unreleased:
1956 - Bad Luck Blues (Imperial)
1956 - The Last Ride (Imperial)   
1956 - Lost Dreams (Imperial)
1956 - Baby Please (Imperial)

Biography :

Oklahoma harmony group was the Dukes, a Douglass high school students  consisting of Don Nero, Billy Armistead , Everett Edwards, Willie Moon and Richard Williams. The Dukes recorded a couple of sessions in 1956, both at Cosimo Matassa’s new studio on governor Nicholls street and At Radio Recorders on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood which produced  "Teardrop Eyes" released in July and "Cotton Pickin’ Hands" some month later.

 (L to R) Richard Williams, Jerry Sanders, Don Nero, Willie Moon, Billy Armistead, Everett Edwardsand John Stone KOCY DJ     

Cosimo Matassa who ran a legendary recording studio in New Orleans. At the age of 18 in 1945, Matassa opened the J&M Recording Studio at the back of his family’s shop on Rampart Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans. In 1955, he moved to the larger Cosimo Recording Studio. As an engineer and proprietor, Matassa was crucial to the development of the R&B, rock and soul sound of the 1950s and 1960s.

  
                              The Dukes                                                                                                     Cosimo Matassa    

Songs :

       
Teardrop Eyes             Shimmies And The Shakes                 Wini Brown

        
Cotton Pickin’ Hands                  The Last Ride                       Lost Dreams         

…