The Diamonds

A Canadian vocal quartet formed in Toronto in 1953, The Diamonds enjoyed multiple successes at the end of the decade. Originally made up of Dave Somerville, Ted Kowalski (tenor), Phil Levitt (baritone) and Bill Reed (bass), the doo-wop and rock'n'roll band signed to the Mercury label recorded the albums America's Number One Song Stylists (1958), The Diamonds Meet Pete Rugolo (1958), America's Famous Song Stylists (1959) and the traditional country album Songs from the Old West (1960). Between 1956 and 1961, a succession of hits hit the charts, the most popular of which were "Little Darlin'" (at #2 on the Billboard charts for eight weeks in 1957), "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" (#12) and "The Church Bells May Ring" (#14) in 1956; Buddy Holly's "Words of Love" at #13, "Silhouettes" at #10 and "The Stroll " at #4 in 1957. After Dave Somerville's departure in 1961, many changes followed, but the band remained active throughout the decades. Bill Reed died in 2004, Ted Kowalski in 2010 and Dave Somerville in 2015.