The Varsity Men

Fred “Tuck” Carty, Steve Engle and George Diffenbaucher 

The Varsity Men (Waynesboro, PA)

Personnel :

Fred “Tuck” Carty

George Diffenbaucher

Steve Engle

Discography :

1962 - Please Don’t Cry / Jackie (Staff 86536)

Biography :

Group formed by by three Waynesboro Area Senior High School friends, Carty of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Diffenbaucher of Alexandria, Virginia and Engle, who lives in Alexandria, Pennsylvania. In September 1962, they left Waynesboro for Staff Recording Studio, Baltimore, to record two songs. ‘Jackie’ (full title, ‘Take Good Care of Him, Jackie’) was written by Steve Engle as an open letter from the young people of our country to the first lady, Jackie Kennedy.

The single was released on the Staff Record label just three weeks before JFK’s TV speech concerning the Cuban Missile Crisis in October of that year.  “Please Don’t Cry” on the B side was written by Fred “Tuck” Carty, with the second verse created on the drive to the studio. The instrumental recording group for both songs consisted of Allan Wishard, bass; Jeff Schlichter, organ, and  Lynn Zody, drums, and Engle, piano. The record piqued a little interest in a few markets, was spun in Waynesboro by then WAYZ Disc Jockey Denny Brubaker and played on the jukebox at The Big Dipper. Before the record’s untimely demise, they did have one memorable and somewhat harrowing experience performing on a big rock ’n’ roll show at the Norfolk (Virginia) Arena, with a roster that included Roy Orbison, Minnie Pearl, The Isley Brothers, Ray Stevens, and George Hamilton IV,

Songs :

   
Please Don’t Cry                                       Jackie        


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