The Harptones

The Harptones are an American doo-wop group, which formed in Manhattan in 1953.

The group never had a top forty pop hit, or a record on the US Billboard R&B chart, yet they are known for both for lead singer Willie Winfield and their pianist/arranger, Raoul Cita. The Harptones recorded for various labels, including Coed Records. The Harptones may have been the first doo-wop group to number a full-time arranger among their members, and Cita knew how to work to Winfield's strengths. Their best-known recordings include "A Sunday Kind of Love" (1953), "Why Should I Love You?" (1954), "Life is But a Dream" (1955), and "The Shrine of St. Cecilia" (1956).

In 1956, they recorded some songs for the film Rockin' the Blues: "Mambo Boogie", "Ou Wee Baby", and "High Flying Baby".

The song "Life is But a Dream" was featured in the 1990 film GoodFellas, and can be found on the film's soundtrack.

Dicey Galloway was drafted in November 1954.

Billy Brown died of a drug overdose in spring 1957.

Dicey Galloway left in October and was replaced for Milton Love of The Solitares for a short time, before splitting.

Nicky Clark left after a few months, to be replaced by Wilbur "Yonkie" Paul, who was in turn replaced by Hank "Pompi" Jernigan.

This line-up appeared on Doo Wop 50. Linda Champion left due to health problems around 2000.

Marlowe Murray died of cancer in 2008.

Raoul J. Cita died on December 13, 2014, from liver and stomach cancer, aged 86. The death of Cita leaves Winfield and Dempsey as the only original Harptones, with Winfield present at every version.

The Harptones were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.

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