Frank Hopkins

In New Haven the Hopkins clan stands among the foremost lineages of doo-wop, a dynasty that loomed large inside a city whose musical life remained decidedly modest. Arboreal rather than aquatic imagery suits the story better, since Frank Hopkins, his siblings, and their father all lent their voices to the same ensemble, the Chestnuts. Frank and Lymon Hopkins formed half the original roster until Ruby Whitaker was enlisted as lead singer.

Her arrival proved advantageous, helping the Chestnuts secure interest from a label and a producer amid the crowded marketplace of mid-century vocal groups. The Hopkins brothers cut their first sides in the summer of 1956, among them the fanciful “Love Is True.” By that session Lymon Hopkins Sr. had become a member. Stanford Records signed the group the following year and issued “Who Knows Better Than I” and “Mary Hear Those Love Bells,” along with additional titles. Late in the decade the lineup no longer included Whitaker; instead Arthur Hopkins had taken a place, while Frank received composer credit on the B-side “Brother Ben,” a buoyant reflection on fraternal ties.

Further sessions appeared on assorted regional imprints, now featuring Marvin Baskerville and Hayes Baskerville, whose robust delivery evoked the baying of the Baskerville hounds. The Hopkins presence endured through successive renamings and managerial missteps that remain striking even within doo-wop annals. Frank Hopkins can still be heard on later releases such as “Chapel in the Moonlight,” “Tell Me Little Darling,” and the group’s concluding Coral recording, the weighty “Wobble Shank.” The Chestnuts disbanded in 1961.