1957 (Left to right) Norman Dunlap, Joseph Denton, Victor Smith, Jimmie Byrd and James Pace
The Jo-Ettes (Kinross Air Force. Base, Michigan)
Personnel :
Norman Dunlap (Lead)
Joseph Denton
Victor Smith
Jimmie Byrd
James Pace
Discography :
???
Biography :
The Jo-Ettes were orignally organized in August of 1955 at Kinross Air Force Base by T-Sgt. Denton of the Communications section at Kinross AFB. The Jo-Ettes entered "Tops in Blue", which is an annual Force talent contest, and placed second. They have appeared on numerous radio and TV shows both in Michigan and Canada and have performed for many benefit shows such as the March of Dimes, Rotary Club and so on. In 1957, The Jo-Ettes have contract with the Aladdin Company of Hollywood, But it seems they never recorded. The quintet consists of T-Sgt. Joseph Denton, A-1C Victor Smith, A-2C James Pace, A-2C Jimmie Byrd and A13C Norman Dunlap. Dunlap, who happens to be the soloist is known for his recordings and has appeared in many night spots in and around Hollywood, Chicago, Boston and numerous other places. This is probably the same guy who recorded for Aladdin in 1953 with the Melodettes "It's Easy To Remember" and "Dream And A Prayer".
Norman Dunlap & The Melodettes 1953 - It's Easy To Remember / Dream And A Prayer (Aladdin 3213)
Singles: 1951 - Heartbreaker / Wanda (RCA 4327) 1952 - You're So Necessary To Me / I'm Only Following My Heart (RCA 4508) 1952 - Why Don't I / Rockin' Daddy-O (RCA 4652) 1952 - There Is Time / It's O.K. With Me (RCA 4849) 1952 - Cry Wind Cry / I Swear By All The Star Above (Roadhouse 1007) 1952 - Hey Baby / I only Want To Be Your Guy (Roadhouse 1008) 1952 - Heartbreaker (live) / Embraceable You (Roadhouse 1010) 1952 - Is It Real / Ain't Nothing 'Shakin' (Roadhouse 1011) 1952 - We're Gonna Have Some Fun / Goodbye Baby (Roadhouse 1012) 1953 - Don't Stop Baby (Roadhouse 1014)
Unreleased : 1952 - She's Gone (RCA) 1952 - I Don't Want Anybody (RCA) 1952 - Movin' Man (RCA) 1952 - Since My Love Has Gone (RCA) 1952 - Alone In The Night (RCA)
Biography :
The Heartbreakers originated in the Washington D.C. area after the end of the second world war. The original members of the group were the Ross brothers James and William, Lawrence Tate and Fred Holmes. They met singer/song writer Bobby Evans and he wrote a song for the group called "Heartbreaker". In 1949 the group sang on a local radio program that featured local talent called "Art Brown's Amateur Hour". They went down well and a Washington area record producer and talent scout named Lillian Clairborne invited the group to appear for an audition and she told them that she would try to sign the group to a recording contract. William Ross and Fred Holmes were drafted for military service. Replacing Ross and Holmes were Lawrence Green and Junior Davis, who had been a member of the singing group The Four Dots. Clairborne secured a recording deal with RCA Victor Records.
All of the songs recorded by the group were written by Bobby Evans. Once the group began to record they made appearances at local clubs. Their first record released on RCA Victor 4327 was "Heartbreaker" and "Wanda". It met with little success. Four months later RCA released "You're So Necessary To Me" and "I'm Only Fooling My Heart" on 4508. In early 1952 RCA released "Rockin Daddy-O" and "Why Don't I?" on 4662. In 1952 "There Is Time" and "It's O.K. With Me" was released on 4849. This was the last RCA release by The Heartbreakers.In early 1953 the group broke up with Lawrence Tate and William Ross joining a group called The Griffins who recorded for Mercury, and Bobby Evans and Fred Holmes formed a vocal group called The Topps who recorded for Red Robin Records in New York. The Heartbreakers descended into obscurity until the early nineteen seventies when vocal group aficionado Les Moss started Roadhouse Records, a small collector oriented label that released six 45's by the group including a live cut of their signature tune "Heartbreaker" from an appearance at the Howard Theater in D.C. in 1952. Roadhouse also issued an album of the Heartbreakers containing some of the RCA unreleased sides by the group.
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