Doris Coley

Doris Coley (August 2, 1941 – February 4, 2000) was an American musician, who was best known as a member (and occasional lead singer) of The Shirelles. She initially left the group in 1968, but returned in 1975. Through marriages, she became Doris Coley Kenner and later, Doris Kenner Jackson.

The Shirelles in 1962; clockwise from top: Addie Harris, Shirley Owens, Beverly Lee, and Doris Coley.

Personal life

Coley was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina but moved with her family to Passaic, New Jersey. With schoolmates Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston Reeves), Addie "Micki" Harris and Beverly Lee, she formed the Shirelles in Passaic in 1958, one of the 1st all-girl groups of the rock era. The four teenagers did not graduate with their class of 1958, but they earned diplomas later. They performed their self-written "I Met Him on a Sunday" for Florence Greenberg and was signed to her Tiara label (the song was so popular, it was bought by Decca Records).[1] Many years later, in 1994, when the Rhythm and Blues Foundation gave the Shirelles a Heritage Award, Kenner sang with the group's other surviving members, Ms. Alston Reeves and Ms. Lee, for the first time in 19 years (Harris having died in 1982). The threesome met again when they were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.[1]

Death

Coley died of breast cancer at the age of 58 on February 4, 2000.[2][3]

References
  1. Polatnick, Gordon. "Doris Jackson Page in Fuller Up, The Dead Musician Directory". Elvispelvis.com. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  2. Powers, Ann (2000-02-08). "Doris Kenner-Jackson, 58, Singer In the Original Shirelles Foursome". The New York Times. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  3. Valentine, Penny (February 7, 2000). "Doris Coley". The Guardian. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
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