The Heartbeats were an American doo-wop and R&B quartet from Jamaica, Queens, New York, formed in early 1953 as The Hearts by Vernon Sievers, Wally Roker, Albert Crump and Robbie Tatum; they changed to The Heartbeats after a female group shared the name. Their best-known single, "A Thousand Miles Away", charted at number 53 on the U.S. Billboard chart in 1957, and the group was shuffled between several labels before disbanding in 1959, after which lead vocalist James Sheppard went on to form Shep and the Limelites. The remaining members pursued other careers, with Wally Roker continuing as a promoter. The band reunited in 2003 for a PBS special and a 50th‑anniversary reunion, featuring Walter Crump as lead vocalist. James Sheppard died in 1970, Albert Crump in 2012, and Wally Roker in 2015.
