The Diamonds

In the mid-'50s the Diamonds stood among the foremost cover ensembles, reshaping then-current R&B numbers into chart-bound pop successes. The Toronto-based Canadian four-piece—Ted Kowalski, Phil Leavitt, Bill Reed, and Dave Somerville—inked a Mercury contract in 1955 and promptly scaled the playlists with renditions of the Teenagers' "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," the Willows' "Church Bells May Ring," and, biggest of all, a polished reworking of the Gladiolas' "Little Darlin'." Led by David Somerville, the group also scored with its own composition, the gliding dance number "The Stroll." Following extensive lineup shifts, the Diamonds registered their final chart entry in 1961. Somerville continued for a spell as a solo performer, while the Diamonds themselves became frequent attractions on the oldies circuit.