Shirley Owens
Shirley Alston Reeves (born June 10, 1941), born Shirley Owens, is an American soul singer who was the main lead singer of the hit girl group the Shirelles.
Shirley Owens | |
|---|---|
 Shirley Owens in 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Shirley Owens |
| Born | June 10, 1941 Henderson, North Carolina, United States |
| Origin | Passaic, New Jersey |
| Genres | R&B, pop, soul |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1958–present |
| Labels | Decca, Scepter, Bell, RCA, Prodigal |
The Shirelles
In addition to Owens, the Shirelles consisted of classmates of hers from Passaic High School, New Jersey: Doris Kenner Jackson, Addie "Micki" Harris McPhadden and Beverly Lee. Her strong, distinctive voice meant that she was the natural choice for their main lead singer, though Jackson was also featured as lead on several songs as well.
Reeves enjoyed a string of hits with the Shirelles throughout the 1960s, the most notable being Will You Love Me Tomorrow. She left the Shirelles in 1975 to begin a solo career, initially recording under the name "Lady Rose".
The Shirelles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.[1] She also performed on the Doo Wop 51 PBS special in 2000.
Solo
In 1975, she recorded an album entitled With A Little Help From My Friends, after the hit song by the Beatles, which featured members of the Flamingos, the Drifters, Shep and the Limelites, the Five Satins, the Belmonts, Danny & the Juniors, Herman's Hermits and La La Brooks of the Crystals.[2]
Shirley continues to tour under the name 'Shirley Alston Reeves and her Shirelles'.[3]
Personal life
Through marriages, she became Shirley Alston and later, Shirley Alston Reeves. Her nephew, Gerald Alston is the lead singer of The Manhattans.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Billboard 200[4] | Record label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Tonight's the Night | — | Scepter Records |
| The Shirelles Sing to Trumpets and Strings | — | ||
| 1962 | The Shirelles and King Curtis Give a Twist Party | — | |
| Baby It's You | — | ||
| 1963 | Foolish Little Girl | 133 | |
| It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World[5][6] | — | ||
| 1965 | Hear and Now | — | Pricewise Records |
| Swing the Most | — | ||
| 1967 | Spontaneous Combustion | — | Scepter Records |
| 1971 | Happy and in Love | — | RCA Records |
| 1972 | The Shirelles | — | |
| 1973 | Eternally, Soul | — | Scepter Records |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Billboard 200[7] | Record label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | The Shirelles' Greatest Hits | 67 | Scepter Records |
| 1964 | The Shirelles Sing the Golden Oldies | — | |
| 1967 | The Shirelles's Greatest Hits Vol. II | — | |
| 1972 | Remember When Volume 1 | — | Wand Records |
| Remember When Volume 2 | — | ||
| 1973 | The Shirelles Sing Their Very Best | — | Springboard |
| 1975 | The Very Best of the Shirelles | — | United Artists Records |
| 1984 | Anthology 1959–1964 | — | Rhino Records |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||
Singles
| Year | Single (A-side, B-side)
Both sides from same album except where indicated |
Chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US[8] | US R&B[8] | UK[9] | |||
| 1958 | "I Met Him on a Sunday (Ronde-Ronde)"
b/w "I Want You to Be My Boyfriend" |
49 | — | — | Non-album tracks |
| "My Love Is a Charm"
b/w "Slop Time" |
— | — | — | ||
| "I Got the Message"
b/w "Stop Me" |
— | — | — | ||
| 1959 | "Dedicated to the One I Love"
b/w "Look a Here Baby" (Non-album track) |
83 | — | — | Tonight's the Night |
| "Doin' the Ronde"
b/w "A Teardrop and A Lollipop" (Non-album track) |
— | — | — | ||
| 1960 | "Please Be My Boyfriend"
b/w "I Saw a Tear" (from The Shirelles Sing to Trumpets and Strings) |
— | — | — | The Shirelles' Greatest Hits Vol. II |
| "Tonight's the Night"
b/w "The Dance Is Over" |
39 | 14 | — | Tonight's the Night | |
| "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"
b/w "Boys" |
1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1961 | "Dedicated to the One I Love" (reissue)
b/w "Look a Here Baby" (Non-album track) |
3 | 2 | — | |
| "Mama Said"
b/w "Blue Holiday" |
4 | 2 | — | The Shirelles Sing to Trumpets and Strings | |
| "A Thing of the Past"
b/w "What a Sweet Thing That Was" (from The Shirelles Sing to Trumpets and Strings) |
41
54 |
26
— |
—
— |
Baby It's You | |
| "Big John (Ain't You Gonna Marry Me)"
b/w "Twenty-One" |
21 | 2 | — | Baby It's You | |
| "Baby It's You"
b/w "Things I Want to Hear (Pretty Words)" |
8
107 |
3
— |
—
— | ||
| 1962 | "Soldier Boy"
b/w "Love Is a Swingin' Thing" (from Give a Twist Party) |
1
109 |
3
— |
23
— | |
| "Welcome Home, Baby"
b/w "Mama, Here Comes the Bride" |
22
104 |
20
— |
—
— |
Give a Twist Party (With King Curtis) | |
| "Stop the Music"
b/w "It's Love That Really Counts (In the Long Run)" |
36
102 |
—
— |
—
— |
The Shirelles' Greatest Hits | |
| "Everybody Loves a Lover"
b/w "I Don't Think So" (from Foolish Little Girl) |
19 | 15 | — | ||
| 1963 | "Foolish Little Girl"
b/w "Not for All the Money in the World" |
4
100 |
9
— |
38
— |
Foolish Little Girl |
| "Don't Say Goodnight and Mean Goodbye"
b/w "I Didn't Mean to Hurt You" |
26 | — | — | ||
| "What Does a Girl Do?"
b/w "Don't Let It Happen to Us" (Non-album track) |
53 | * | — | The Shirelles Swing the Most | |
| "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"
b/w "31 Flavors" |
92
97 |
* | —
— |
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World | |
| 1964 | "Tonight You're Gonna Fall in Love with Me"
b/w "20th Century Rock N' Roll" (from It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World) |
57 | * | — | Hear & Now |
| "Sha-La-La"
b/w "His Lips Get in the Way" (from The Shirelles Swing the Most) |
69 | * | — | ||
| "Thank You Baby"
b/w "Dooms Day" (from Hear & Now) |
63 | * | — | The Shirelles' Greatest Hits Vol. II | |
| "Maybe Tonight"
b/w "Lost Love" |
88
125 |
* | —
— |
Hear & Now | |
| "Are You Still My Baby"
b/w "I Saw a Tear" (from The Shirelles Sing to Trumpets and Strings) |
91 | * | — | Non-album tracks | |
| 1965 | "Shhh, I'm Watching the Movie"
b/w "A Plus B" |
— | — | — | |
| "March (You'll Be Sorry)"
b/w "Everybody's Goin' Mad" (from It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World) |
108 | — | — | ||
| "My Heart Belongs to You"
b/w "Love That Man" (Non-album track) |
125 | — | — | The Shirelles' Greatest Hits Vol. II | |
| "Mama, My Soldier Boy Is Coming Home"
b/w "Soldier Boy" (from Baby, It's You) |
— | — | — | Non-album track | |
| 1966 | "I Met Him on a Sunday - '66"
b/w "Love That Man" (Non-album track) |
— | — | — | The Shirelles' Greatest Hits Vol. II |
| "Que Sera Sera"
b/w "Till My Baby Comes Home" |
— | — | — | Remember When | |
| "Shades of Blue"
b/w "When the Boys Talk About the Girls" (from Remember When) |
122 | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Teasin' Me"
b/w "Look Away" |
— | — | — | ||
| 1967 | "Don't Go Home (My Little Darlin')"
b/w "Nobody Baby After You" (Non-album track) |
110 | — | — | The Shirelles' Greatest Hits Vol. II |
| "Bright Shiny Colors"
b/w "Too Much of a Good Thing" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Last Minute Miracle"
b/w "No Doubt About It" |
99 | 41 | — | Spontaneous Combustion | |
| 1968 | "Sweet Sweet Lovin'"
b/w "Don't Mess with Cupid" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks |
| "Call Me (If You Want Me)"
b/w "There's a Storm Going On in My Heart" |
— | — | — | ||
| 1969 | "A Most Unusual Boy"
b/w "Look What You've Done to My Heart" |
— | — | — | |
| "Playthings"
b/w "Looking Glass" |
— | — | — | ||
| "Go Away and Find Yourself"
b/w "Never Give You Up (Never Gonna Give You Up)" |
— | — | — | ||
| 1970 | "There Goes My Baby/Be My Baby"
b/w "Strange, I Love You" |
— | — | — | |
| "It's Gonna Take a Miracle"
b/w "Lost" |
— | — | — | ||
| "Dedicated to the One I Love" (new version)
b/w "Take Me" |
— | — | — | ||
| 1971 | "No Sugar Tonight"
b/w "Strange, I Love You" |
— | — | — | Happy and In Love |
| 1972 | "Sunday Dreaming"
b/w "Brother, Brother" |
— | — | — | The Shirelles |
| 1973 | "Let's Give Each Other Love"
b/w "Deep in the Night" (from The Shirelles) |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks |
| "Do What You've a Mind To"
b/w "Touch the Wind" |
— | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||
References
- Hinckley, David (1996-01-17). "The Kids In The Hall From Gladys Knight To David Bowie, Rock And Roll Museum Comes Of Age With Lesser Stars Making The Honor Roll In '96". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
- ClassicBands.com. "The Shirelles". ClassicBands.com. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
- Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow- Shirley Alston Reeves and her Shirelles - Holmdel, NJ - 9/23/14". YouTube.
- "The Shirelles Foolish Little Girl Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
- "Scepter Album Discography".
- "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World by the Shirelles - RYM/Sonemic".
- "The Shirelles The Shirelles Greatest Hits Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
- Billboard.com, The Shirelles Chart.
- "SHIRELLES - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 9, 2022.