The Orlons

The Orlons, an American R&B girl group from Philadelphia, formed in 1960. The quartet consisted of Rosetta Hightower, Shirley Brickley, Marlena Davis, and Stephen Caldwell. Before becoming the Orlons, they were known as Audrey and the Teenettes. In high school, they invited fellow student Stephen Caldwell to join, renaming themselves the Orlons in 1960. The group was signed by Cameo-Parkway Records after multiple auditions. Their breakthrough came with "The Wah-Watusi", which reached number two on the US pop chart in 1962. They had three more hits in 1963: "South Street" and "Not Me". Marlena Davis left the group in August 1963, followed by Stephen Caldwell in 1964. The Orlons' singles "The Wah-Watusi", "Don't Hang Up", and "South Street" each sold over one million copies, earning gold disc status. After the group disbanded in 1968, Rosetta Hightower had a successful solo career as a session singer. Stephen Caldwell and Marlena Davis reformed the group with new members in 1988, performing on the oldies circuit until the death of Marlena Davis in 1993. Shirley Brickley was shot dead by an intruder in her home in Philadelphia on 13 October 1977, Marlena Davis died of lung cancer on 27 February 1993, and Rosetta Hightower Green died in Clapham, London, on 2 August 2014.