Doo-Wop Hall of Famers ‘The Spaniels Forever’ Coming to the Box Factory Stage

Doo-Wop Hall of Famers ‘The Spaniels Forever’ Bring
Their Four-Part Harmony to the Box Factory Stage

The Spaniels Forever performs Friday, July 19, 7:30 p.m., at the Box Factory for the Arts, 1101 Broad St. Light refreshments and a cash bar will be available.

Tickets are $12 general admission, available in advance at ticketstripe.com/spanielsforever. Walk-in tickets are $15. Free for children 12 and under. The concert immediately follows the opening reception for the Box Factory’s Series Four Art Exhibit, which is 5:30–7 p.m. on Friday, July 19. View the exhibit, meet the artists, and hear The Spaniels Forever – all in one evening!

The Spaniels have come a long way since a group of friends start singing in the hallways and talent shows in the early 1950s at Roosevelt High School in Gary, Indiana. The group went on to become the first artist signed to Vee-Jay Records, the groundbreaking, independent African American-owned record label that eventually paved the way for other up-and-coming singing groups. The Spaniels’ initial release, “Baby It’s You,” reached #10 on Billboard’s R&B chart, and in 1954 their hit “Goodnight Sweetheart” climbed to #5 and went on to be featured in movies like “American Graffiti,” “Diner,” “Three Men and a Baby,” and “American Hot Wax.”

The group has evolved with several personnel changes over the years, including the addition of bass singer Billy Shelton, who later became the group’s leader. Shelton, 90, is one of the last original members. The Spaniels was awarded the Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award by the Smithsonian Institution’s Rhythm & Blues Foundation in 1991, and was inducted into the Rhythm & Blues and Doo Wop halls of fame in 1992.

Today, the group is affectionately known as The Spaniels Forever, and Billy Shelton continues singing those classic Spaniels’ hits and other songs in four-part harmony with Patrick Pitre, guitarist Phil Ratliff, and Daniel Porter – son of original member Don Porter. The Spaniels Forever continues to perform across the country, keeping the doo-wop sound alive for the group’s international fan base.

For more on Box Factory events, visit boxfactoryforthearts.org or facebook.com/boxfactoryarts.