One-Hit Wonder: The Chiffons

It seems bands have been starting in high school for lots of years. Here is the story of The Chiffons from history-of-rock.com.

In 1960, three students of James Monroe High School in New York, 14-year-old Judy Craig, Patricia Bennett and Barbara Lee, sang together. The name The Chiffons was picked out of a hat after they met Ronnie Mack, writer/manager/entrepreneur.

Mack signed the trio and put The Chiffons and The Shirelles against each other as they both recorded "Tonight's The Night" written by Luther Dixon and Shirley Owens -- the lead singer of The Shirelles. That song went to No. 39 for The Shirelles and No. 76 for The Chiffons.

Mack talked The Chiffons into adding another student from their high school, Slyvia Peterson.

Late in 1962, The Tokens produced and played all the instruments for "He's So Fine" for The Chiffons and it topped the charts in early 1963. The Chiffons' next song, "One Fine Day," was a Top 5 hit. They began to perform on American Bandstand and other TV music shows.

The Tokens had The Chiffons record as The Four Pennies, and their songs did not make it to the Top 40.

In 1964, The Chiffons opened for the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The Chiffons had a Top 10 hit in 1966 with "Sweet Talkin' Guy," along with a few other songs that did not chart.

Judy Craig quit the group in 1969.

In 1970, George Harrison unintentionally plagiarized "He's So Fine" when he wrote "My Sweet Lord." The Chiffons recorded their version in 1975. The last single for The Chiffons -- "Dream, Dream, Dream" -- was in 1976.

A Royalty of Doo Wop tour was in 1989 with the Chiffons, The Belmonts, The Diamonds, Flamingos and Silhouettes. In 1992, Barbara Lewis died. Craig returned. Connie Harvey replaced Sylvia Peterson.