The Valaires (Pittsburgh)
aka The Val-Aires
Personnel :
Bill Burkette (Lead Baritone)
Don Miller (Baritone)
Hugh Geyer (First Tenor)
Chuck Blasko (Second Tenor)
Neil Foster
Discography :
The Valaires
1959 - Launie, My Love / Which One Will It Be? (Willette 114)
The Val-Aires
1959 - Launie, My Love / Which One Will It Be? (Willette 114/Coral 62119/62177)
Unreleased :
1959 - I Go Lookin' For Jeanie (Coral)
1959 - Jolyn (Coral)
Biography :
The
story began in 1958 at Turtle Creek High School. There were at least
four different vocal harmony groups in school, whose members would sing
at assemblies or on the street corner. Two groups joined forces - three
fellows came from one group, two fellows from the other group. From one group came Burkette, first tenor Hugh Geyer and bass vocal Don Miller. The other group consisted of second tenor Chuck Blasko and another vocalist, Neil Foster.After rehearsing and getting their vocal harmonies to meld properly, they named themselves the Val-Aires and impressed a local producer, Elmer Willett, who later became their manager.
The
Val-aires The Vogues
Willett produced the Val-Aires' first release, "Which One Will It Be / Laurie My Love" (Willett 114), and it sold enough copies in Allegheny County that in Coral Records picked it up for national distribution (Coral 62177). 'Which One Will It Be' was just a regional hit, but The Val-Aires then picked up a supporter when the top rock and roll DJ in Pittsburgh, Porky Chedwick, added the group to the rock and roll shows and record hops that his station promoted.
The Vogues
After high school, a couple of the guys got drafted and went into the
service, then came out of the service and we got back together again.
they did shows with the Drifters, the Platters, the Dells, groups like
that when they came into town. Before the Val-Aires could have another
hit, Hugh Geyer and Don Miller joined the Army, while the other band
members went to college or found jobs in the factories surrounding
Turtle Creek. A few years later, the five friends decided to record
again. Bill Burkette, Don Miller, Hugh Geyer and Chuck Blasko became
the Vogues.
http://ryono.net/xtra/oldies/1968/vogues.htm
Songs :
Launie, My Love Which One Will It Be?
Jolyn I Go Lookin' For Jeanie