Big Dee Irwin
| Big Dee Irwin | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | DiFosco T. Ervin Jr. |
| Born |
6 July 1932 Harlem, New York, United States |
| Died | August 27, 1995 (aged 63) |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1954–1978 |
| Associated acts | The Pastels Little Eva |
DiFosco "Dee" T. Ervin Jr. (July 6, 1932 – August 27, 1995), usually known professionally as Big Dee Irwin, was an American singer and songwriter whose biggest hit was a version of "Swinging On A Star" in 1963, recorded as a duet with Little Eva.
Dee Ervin was born in Harlem, New York. Some sources give his first name as Defosca and his family name as Erwin.
He joined the United States Air Force, and in 1954 was based at Narsarssuak Air Base in Greenland. While there, he formed a singing group, The Pastels, with himself as lead singer, Richard Travis (first tenor), Tony Thomas (second tenor) and Jimmy Willingham (baritone). They performed in Air Force talent shows and, after being transferred to Washington D.C., took part in a national show, Tops In Blue, in 1957. They then auditioned and won a contract with Hull Records in New York, and recorded a song written by Ervin, "Been So Long". The record was released locally on the subsidiary Mascot label before being leased to Chess Records who issued it on their Argo label. At the same time, the members of The Pastels were leaving the Air Force, Ervin being discharged in February 1958. "Been So Long" reached # 4 on the Billboard R&B chart and # 24 on the pop chart, and the Pastels toured widely and appeared on concert bills. In March 1958 they featured as part of Alan Freed's touring Big Beat Show, which also included Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Frankie Lymon, Larry Williams, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins. The group's second record, "You Don't Love Me Anymore", was released in April 1958, but was not a hit. They performed at the Apollo Theater later in 1958, but split up early the following year.
...
Wikipedia