Канадское вокальное квартеты "The Diamonds"

Canadian pop group
the Canadian quartet

The Diamonds are a Canadian vocal quartet that rose to prominence in the 1950s and early 1960s with 16 Billboard hit records. The original members were Dave Somerville (lead), Ted Kowalski (tenor), Phil Levitt (baritone), and Bill Reed (bass). They were most noted for interpreting and introducing rhythm and blues vocal group music to the wider pop music audience. Contrary to a popular myth, the father of Tom Hanks was never a member of the group.

In 1953, Dave Somerville, while working as a sound engineer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, met three other young singers. They decided to form a stand up quartet called the Diamonds. The group's first performance was in the basement of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Toronto singing in a Christmas minstrel show. The audience's reaction to the Somerville led group was so positive that they decided that night they would turn professional. After 18 months of rehearsal, they drove to New York and tied for 1st Place on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. The prize of being guest artist for a week on Godfrey's show led to a recording contract with Coral Records. Professional musician Nat Goodman became their manager. Coral released four songs, the most notable being "Black Denim Trousers & Motorcycle Boots", written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The Diamonds' biggest hits were 1957's "Little Darlin'" (originally recorded by The Gladiolas, written by Maurice Williams) and "The Stroll" (1957), an original song written for the group by Clyde Otis, from an idea by Dick Clark. Although they were signed to do rock and roll, Mercury also paired them with jazz composer and arranger Pete Rugolo, in one of his Meet series recordings. The album, entitled The Diamonds Meet Pete Rugolo, allowed them to return to their roots and do some established standards. The group sang "Little Darlin'" and "Where Mary Go" in the film The Big Beat. They sang the theme song to the 1958 film, Kathy O’. Their television appearances included the TV shows of Steve Allen, Perry Como, Vic Damone, Tony Bennett, Eddy Arnold, and Paul Winchell. They also appeared on American Bandstand. In the late 1950s, Reed, Kowalski and Levitt left the group and were replaced by Mike Douglas, John Felten, and Evan Fisher. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s the Diamonds performed mostly in Las Vegas led, at first, by Mike Douglas, later being continued by Glenn Stetson. At one time, there were at least two groups performing under the Diamonds name, the other principally being led by John Felten until his death on May 17, 1982, in a plane crash. In 1986, Glenn Stetson and Dick Malono opened up Little Darlin's Rock and Roll Palace near Disney in Orlando, Florida which was a magical success for all the acts of that era to perform. The Country Music Network also starting videos of the groups that went on the TV network. In 1983, the Diamonds with Glenn Stetson were the first rock and roll group to go on the Country Music Network on a show called Nashville Now with Ralph Emory.

The Diamonds received national attention once again in 2000, when the original members were invited to sing in TJ Lubinsky’s PBS production of Doo Wop 51, and again in the PBS production entitled Magic Moments The Best of '50s Pop in 2004. Stetson received a heart transplant in 2000, and died in 2003. Original member Kowalski died on August 8, 2010, from heart disease, at the age of 79. In 2012, the Diamonds were listed as guest stars with The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies at the Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs, California. Douglas died in a car accident on July 2, 2012, at age 78. Somerville died on July 14, 2015, in Santa Barbara, California. The Diamonds continue to tour to this day with the line up of Gary Owens (baritone), Dan Vissers (tenor), Julian McCleary (lead) and Jeff Dolan (bass), although none of the members are from the original group which recorded for Mercury Records.

Dave Somerville – Lead (died 2015) / Replaced by Jim Malone in 1961. Ted Kowalski – Tenor (died 2010) / Replaced by Evan Fisher in 1958. Phil Levitt – Baritone / Replaced by Mike Douglas in 1957. Bill Reed – Bass (died 2004) / Replaced by John Felten in 1958 (died 1982) / Replaced by Gary Cech until 1992 (voluntarily left the group).

In 1984, the Canadian Juno "Hall of Fame" award by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. In October, 2004, inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in Sharon, Pennsylvania. In 2006 inducted into the Doo Wop Hall of Fame.