Our presentation, "West Side Harmony: Asbury Park's Vocal Group
Legacy (1948 - 1968)" drew a capacity crowd at the Atonement Lutheran Church in Asbury Park,
NJ, on Sunday afternoon, April 22. Charlie & Pam Horner's presentation
was in honor of Bobby Thomas, a pioneer of group harmony in Asbury Park.
Bobby helped make the presentation a reality but is now hospitalized and could
not attend. In spite of the rain and threats of even more severe
downpours, the church was packed. "We didn't turn anyone away, but we
could not have squeezed one more person in," commented Don Stine, president of
the Asbury Park Historical Society who co-sponsored the event with the Asbury
Park Musical Heritage Foundation.
Asbury Park Historical Society President, Don Stine,
welcoming everyone and introducing Charlie & Pam Horner
(Photo courtesy of Marian Cicerale)
Entering attendees were treated to a display table of photos of
over 100 vocal groups from both Asbury Park and other NJ cities along with
books of doo wop sheet music.
Pam Horner at our display table
Pam & Charlie dedicating the presentation to Bobby Thomas
(Photo courtesy of Marian Cicerale)
Vocal groups like the Golden Harmonaires, Missionary Jubilaires,
Bobby Thomas & the Vibranaires, Vibes, Lenny Welch & the Mar-Keys,
the Juveniles, Ray & the Darchaes, the Ray Dots, V-Eights, Uniques, Broadways and
Nicky Addeo were covered in the presentation, as well as groups from surrounding
areas, like the Valtairs, Thornton Sisters and Shondelles, who sang
on the West Side. Also covered were area record labels
like Gus Tillman’s Vibro label and Stormin Norman Seldin’s
Selsom label.
Near the
beginning of the talk, the audience broke into a spontaneous applause after
hearing a short audio clip of Bobby Thomas and the Vibranaires. They
continued similar displays of appreciation for song clips by all the other
Asbury Park groups.
The audience
included members of Bobby Thomas' family as well as West Side singers Billy
Brown (Broadways, Moments, Ray Goodman & Brown), Ronald Coleman (Broadways,
Uniques) and Caleb Morris (Juveniles). Norman Donegan of the Ad Libs was
also present as well as several current acappella group singers.
Caleb "CJ" Morris of the Juveniles
Ronald Coleman of the Broadways and Uniques
Broadways' Ronald Coleman
(Photo courtesy of Marian Cicerale)
Billy Brown of the Broadways, Moments and Ray Goodman & Brown
(Photo courtesy of Marian Cicerale)
The event reach an emotional peak at the end when we
played a video of Bobby Thomas leading the acappella group Quiet Storm, from
an appearance last year. Then members of Quiet Storm, who'd driven up
from Philadelphia, took the stage and sang "Doll Face" and "It's Too Soon To
Know," two songs they'd sung with Bobby in the past year. The moment
brought tears to the eyes of some audience members.
The acappella group, Quiet Storm, takes the stage
(Photo courtesy of Marian Cicerale)
Quiet Storm singing "Doll Face" in honor of Bobby Thomas
(Photo courtesy of Marian Cicerale)
Pam Horner & Caleb Morris of the Juveniles
(Photo courtesy of Marian Cicerale)
Marian Cicerale & Billy Brown of Ray Goodman & Brown
(Photo courtesy of Marian Cicerale)
Quiet Storm & members of Bobby Thomas' family
(Photo courtesy of Marian Cicerale)
After the event some of us went to Sunset Landing Restaurant in
Asbury Park for dinner. There we were treated to another acappella song
by Quiet Storm.
Pam Horner (front). Directly behind her is Norman Donegan
of the Ad Libs.
Friends at Sunset Landing
Pam & Charlie with Smitty, bass singer from Quiet Storm
(Photo courtesy of Marian Cicerale)
Smitty leading a song at Sunset Landing
Quiet Storm harmonizing in the restaurant
Quiet Storm
(Photo courtesy of Marian Cicerale)
(Photo courtesy of Marian Cicerale)
(Photo courtesy of Marian Cicerale)
(Photo courtesy of Marian Cicerale)
(Photo courtesy of Marian Cicerale)
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