1953: The Penguins

The Penguins were an American doo-wop group of the 1950s and early 1960s, best remembered for their only Top 40 hit, “Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)“, which was one of the first rhythm and blues hits to cross over to the pop charts. The song peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but had a three-week run at #1 on the R&B chart.

Duncan and Williams were former classmates at Fremont High School in Los Angeles, California, and Williams had become a member of The Hollywood Flames.

In late 1953, they decided to form a new vocal group, and added Tisby and Tate.

Their midtempo performance style was a cross between rhythm and blues and rock and roll.
Williams brought with him a song, “Earth Angel”, on which he had worked with Gaynel Hodge, another member of the Hollywood Flames
The Penguins were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004

• Doo Wop
• Rhythm and blues

• Los Angeles, California, United States

• February 5, 1955

• 1953 – 1959
• 1960–2012

• *Cleveland Duncan – lead tenor vocal – July 23, 1935 – November 7, 2012
• *Curtis Williams – bass-baritone vocal – December 11, 1934 – August 10, 1979
• *Dexter Tisby – tenor vocal – March 10, 1935 – 
• *Bruce Tate – baritone vocal – January 27, 1937 – June 20, 1973
• Randy Jones
• Ray Brewster
• Teddy Harper
• Walter Saulsberry
• Vesta King
• Evelyn King
• Vera Walker
• Rudy Wilson
• Glenn Madison

*The original members of The Penguins

•  1956     Cool, Cool Penguins    Dootone
• Earth Angel

Year /Song Title /Highest US Chart Position

• A Christmas Prayer – Buck Ram
• Baby Let’s Make Some Love – Dootsie Williams
• Be Mine – Sandy Nelson
• Be Mine or Be a Fool
• Cold Heart
• Do Not Pretend – Curtis “Fitz” Williams
• Don’t Do It – Columbus Duncan / Dexter Tisby / Calvin Williams / Bruce Tate
• Earth Angel – Dootsie Williams
• Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)
• Earth Angel [1955] [Dootone Version] – Jesse Belvin
• Earth Angel [1956] [Mercury Version] – Jesse Belvin
• Heart of a Fool – Frank Weldon / Ruth Maxwell
• Hey Senorita – Carl Green / Lover Patterson / George Treadwell / Curtis “Fitz” Williams
• Hey Señorita – Carl Green / Lover Patterson / George Treadwell
• I Ain’t Gonna Cry No More
• Jingle Jangle – Curtis Williams
• Kiss a Fool Goodbye
• Let Me Make Up Your Mind
• Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild – Curtis Williams / Curtis “Fitz” Williams
• Lover or Fool – Don Julian / Ruth Maxwell
• Memories of el Monte – Ray Collins / Frank Zappa
• Pledge of Love – Ramona Redd
• The Ookey Ook
• Want Me
• You’re an Angel

• Dootone
• Mercury
• Atlantic

• Biography of the Penguins
• The Penguins discography at MusicBrainz
• ‘The Penguins’ Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page>
• Buck Ram interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969).