The Shirelles

The Shirelles were an American girl group in the early 1960s, and were the very first girl group to have a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100. The members of the quartet were Shirley Owens (who was the m

The Shirelles were an American girl group in the early 1960s, and were the very first girl group to have a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100. The members of the quartet were Shirley Owens (who was the main lead singer), Doris Coley, who sang lead on "Dedicated To The One I Love", "Blue Holiday", "Welcome Home Baby" and a number of 'b' sides and album cuts, Beverly Lee, and Addie "Micki" Harris. The quartet formed in New Jersey in 1958, and went on to release a string of hits including "Baby It's You" (written by Burt Bacharach/Mack David/Barney Williams), "Mama Said", "Foolish Little Girl", and the #1 Pop hits "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (Gerry Goffin/Carole King) and "Soldier Boy" (Luther Dixon/Florence Greenberg). Their "Sha La La" became an international hit when covered by the British group Manfred Mann, and "Boys" was covered by the Beatles (Ringo Starr singing lead). The Beatles also covered "Baby It's You" on their album Please Please Me.

The Shirelles were the first major female vocal group of the rock era, defining the so-called girl group sound with their soft, sweet harmonies and yearning innocence. Their music was a blend of pop and R&B, especially Doo-wop and smooth uptown soul that appealed to listeners across the board, before Motown ever became a crossover phenomenon with white audiences. Though The Chantels preceded them by several years, their international success was unprecedented, paving the way for legions of imitators; their inviting musical blueprint had an enduring influence not just on their immediate followers, but on future generations of female pop singers, who often updated their songs without losing their initial appeal. In addition, they provided some of the earliest hits for important Brill Building songwriters like Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Burt Bacharach & Hal David, and Van McCoy.