Biography
The Bay Bops vocal quartet originated in Brooklyn, New York, USA during 1957, founded by Barney Zarzana along with Danny Zipfel, Bobby Serrao, and George Taylor Jnr. Their initial release on Coral Records came in March 1958 with the single ‘Joannie’, which a youthful Neil Sedaka had arranged, ultimately moving more than 250,000 units. The group gained visibility through spots on Dick Clark’s television program and the Dean Martin Telethon, as well as shared bills with the Drifters and Flamingos, establishing them as perhaps the best-known white doo-wop act of that era. Following the May 1958 issue of their follow-up ‘My Darling, My Sweet’/‘To The Party’, Zipfel’s decision to launch a fresh vocal ensemble prompted the quartet’s dissolution. Lou Frazier of the Ravens briefly assumed lead duties for the three remaining members. Zipfel later cut tracks for MGM Records in the mid-1960s, though commercial impact remained limited. Barney Zarzana assembled another iteration of the Bay Bops that same year with his siblings Michael, Vinnie, and Sal, yet no recordings resulted from this lineup.