The Avons (1) (Englewood, NJ)
Personnel :
Bob Lea (Lead)
Wendell Lea (Second Tenor)
Bill Lea (Baritone)
Irvin Watson (First Tenor)
Curtis Norris (Bass)
Discography :
Singles :
1956 - Our Love Will Never End / I'm Sending S.O.S.(Hull 717)
1957 - Baby / Bonnie (Hull 722)
1957 - You Are So Close To Me / Gonna Catch You Nappin' (Hull 726)
1958 - What Will I Do / Please Come Back To Me (Hull 728)
1959 - What Love Can Do / On The Island (Hull 731)
1961 - Whisper (Softly) / If I Just (Had My Way) (Hull 744)
1962 - The Grass Is Greener On The Other Side / A Girl To Call My Own (Hull 754)
Lps :
1962 - The Avons (Hull LP 1000)
What
Love Can Do / Baby / What Will I Do / Someone For Everyone / Bonnie / A
Girl To Call My Own / On The Island / Once Upon A Time / You Are So
Close To Me / Our Love Will Never End / Fairy Tales / Gonna Catch You
Nappin'
Biography :
Formed in high school in Englewood, New Jersey, the group consisted
of Bob Lea (lead), his brothers Bill (baritone) and Wendel (second
tenor), Curtis Norris (bass) and Ervin Watson (first tenor). When they
first got together in 1954, they called themselves the Robins. But once
they learned of the West Coast group by that name, they started looking
for a different name for the group.
While
Bill was doing his homework on Shakespeare one day, he read about the
river Avon in England and the name "clicked." In 1955 they went to New
York City to see Blanche "Bea" Kaslin, owner of Hull Records, and they
auditioned right in her office. Liking what she heard, she signed the
Avons to her label. Before their second rel ease (Baby, 1957), bass
Curtis Norris joined the army and was replaced by Franklin Cole.
Cole
enlisted after their third release (You Are So Close to Me, 1958) to be
replaced by bass George Coleman, who went into the army two records
later.By 1962, baritone Bill Lea went to Uncle Sam and was replaced by
Sunny Harley for the Avons' last record, A Girl to Call My Own. Soon
after this song's release, the group brokeup.
Songs :
I'm Sending S.O.S / Our Love Will Never End Baby / Bonnie
You Are So Close To Me / Gonna Catch You Nappin' What Will I Do / Please Come Back To Me
What Love Can Do On The Island
Whisper (Softly) / If I Just (Had My Way) A Girl To Call My Own / The Grass Is Greener On The Other Side