Song:Mr. Lee
Album:Atlantic R&B 1957-1960 Vol. 4
The 1957 top ten hit Mr. Lee is one of the all time classics of doo wop. The Bobbettes had some other chart hits but nothing to match Mr. Lee. A version of the group still tours the oldies circuit. The Bobbettes were Jannie Pought, Emma Pought, Reather Dixon, Laura Webb and Helen Gathers. They sang together in the glee club at PS 109 in the Spanish Harlem section of New York City. They met record producer James Dailey and he became their manager. They performed at amateur night at the Apollo Theater and that got them a record deal with Atlantic Records. In Mr. Lee, the singer has a crush on her teacher. The girls actually hated this teacher and the song was intended to be a put down. But Atlantic had them change the song. Mr. Lee topped the R & B Singles chart for four weeks and it reached #6 on the Billboard pop singles chart in 1957. Follow up singles didn't chart and the Bobbettes left Atlantic for Triple X in 1960. They charted with I Shot Mr. Lee in 1960. You can get Mr. Lee on this Atlantic various artists budget CD. The Bobbettes continued to record without much success in the 60s. Helen Gathers left in 1962. Jannie Pought was murdered in 1980. Laura Webb died in 2001. Emma Pought and Reather Dixon continue to lead The Bobbettes on the oldies circuit. Here's a video for Mr. Lee by The Bobbettes.
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