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Jim was born and raised in
East Chicago Indiana Harbor. The doo-wop sound was everywhere!
Jim had an ear for it. Without reading a note, He could harmonize
with anyone. He soon realized that he had a true gift.
Jim was in his first group
from 1956 to 1960. In 1959 he named his high school group "The
Bonnevilles". His favorite DJ's on the radio were Al Benson,
Herb Kent, Lucky Cordell, and Vivian Carter.
He was inspired by The Spaniels,
The El Dorados, The Teenagers, The Flamingos,
The Drifter, (especially Elsbeary Hobbs of The Drifters), Little
Anthony and the Imperials, The Harptones, The Moroccos, The Dominos,
The Clovers, The Skyliners and The Moonglows.
Over the years Jim has been
involved with many vocal groups. He has shared the doo wop stage
with hundreds of well known acts from the fifties and sixties.
Many of them were the groups that he idolized as a kid singing
on the corner.
In his doo-wop career Jim performed
at The Whitehouse and The Voice of America in our nation's Capital.
He appeared on The Tom Snider and Oprah Winfrey television shows
and sang and acted in a pilot with Tom Dreesen, Victoria Jackson,
Mike Haggerty, Johnny Bench and Frank Sinatra. It was called
"Dreesen Street".
In 2004, Jim had the honor
of performing for our troops in Bosnia, Kosovo and Sarajavo.
That was his biggest thrill. They loved it.
"After 51 years of singing
doo-wop music, my favorite group is Harbor Lights. We look sharp
and sound great! All age groups love our performances."
Jim commented.
"All of this I owe to
my wife Sharon who has backed me all the way. My dear friend
Elsbeary Hobbs from The Drifters always said to me... "Let's
doo-wop forever".
So, forever I will."
Jimmy C
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