Shirley, Kay, Lou and Kenny

The Classics (4) (Coraopolis, PA)

Personnel :

Kenny Krease (Lead)

Lou Christie (Lead)

Kay Chick

Shirley Herbert

Discography :

The Classics (4)
1960 - Close Your Eyes / Funny Thing (Starr 508)

Lou Christie & The Classics (4)
1966 - Close Your Eyes / Funny Thing (Alcar 207)
1966 - Tomorrow Will Come / You're With It (Alcar 208)

Biography :

Lou Christie was born as Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco in Glen Willard, PA in 1943.  He studied music and voice at Moon Township High School., where he was the student conductor of the choir. At age 15 Lugee, as a member of the singing group the Crewnecks with future Lions’ Bill Fabec , auditioned for pianist Twyla Herbert.  She offered the Crewnecks a place to rehearse. He sang solos with the choir at the holiday concerts.  His teacher and mentor Frank Cummings wanted him to pursue a career in classical music, but Lugee wanted to cut a record to get on American Bandstand.

Twyla Herbert, Kay, Lou, Shirley and Kenny

He performed with several vocal groups, worked as a session singer, and recorded songs on small Pittsburgh labels between 1959 and 1962. In 1960, Lou Christie with Kenny Krease, Kay Chick & Shirley Herbert (Twyla Herbert's daughter) recorded four sides as the Classics and later re-issued on the Alcar label, in-house label of Rite Records.  Almost certainly recorded by Fee Bee Records owner Joe Averbach in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1960. Two were issued on the Starr label, one of the Fee Bee Records subsidiary label. The two others are likely from the same session(s) and were not issued at the time.

  
                                                                                         Twyla Herbert & Lou Christie

Twyla Herbert was the song writing partner of Lou Christie for 30 years and wrote the four songs. Together they wrote hundreds of songs yielding a dozen hits including the no 1 song "Lightin' Strikes" and the hits "The Gypsy Cried", Two Faces of I", and "Rhapsody in the Rain," and "She Sold Me Magic. Lou Christie call her a genious. Herbert and Christie also composed songs for the girl group the Tammys, including the single "Egyptian Shumba,".In 1961, with Kay Chick, his sister Amy Sacco, and Bill Fabec , he released "The Jury" as "Lugee & The Lions" on Robbee with local airplay and sales.

Songs :

  
Close Your Eyes                        Funny Thing       

  
Tomorrow Will Come                               You're With It      


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