Doo Wop
The song “Sincerely” by The Moonglows is one of the classy golden oldies from the doo wop era. In 1954 “Sincerely” went to #1 on the R&B Chart and crossed over to the Pop Chart, going to #20. Harvey Fuqua and Bobby Lester, both from Louisville, formed a duo in 1949 and moved to Cleveland. There they joined with others and formed The Crazy Sounds. They were brought to DJ Alan Freed’s attention and auditioned for him over the phone in 1952. He became their manager and renamed them The Moonglows. Freed signed them to his Champagne Label, but they did not have much success. They then recorded for Chance and Chess Records. At the latter, they had their first hit with “Sincerely.” The song is credited to Fuqua and Freed, although Freed’s contribution to the music is uncertain. (It may have been more about the realities of the radio and record business). The McGuire Sisters did the best-selling cover of the song, which went to #1 on the Pop Chart in 1955. The group members of The Moonglows on “Sincerely” are Fuqua, Lester, Alexander “Pete” Graves, Prentiss Barnes, and Billy Johnson (guitar).
