Biography
During the mid- to late 1950s, the Kodaks assembled in Newark, New Jersey. In another timeline they might have stood alongside Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers as equals, even though the quintet never appeared in motion pictures, logged only one national television spot, and never produced a song on the order of “Why Do Fools Fall in Love.” What they did possess was a commanding sound, insistent beat, and a lead voice equal in strength to Lymon’s own. Pearl McKinnon’s forceful lead vocals propelled the mixed-gender ensemble, setting it apart from the era’s typical male-only street-corner groups. The Kodaks issued four singles on record; none reached the national charts, yet every one remains coveted by collectors.
Originally a quartet consisting of Jimmy Patrick on lead and first tenor, William Franklin on second tenor, Larry Davis on baritone, and William Miller on bass, the Kodaks blended into the crowded field of Central Ward harmony outfits. Fifteen-year-old Pearl McKinnon, a schoolmate of Jimmy Patrick’s sister Marian and future wife of William Miller named Jean, joined after singing with the two girls in a school trio. Her slightly deeper, richer timbre carried both youthful innocence and crisp diction reminiscent of preteen boys, an unmistakable echo of Frankie Lymon that rendered the expanded lineup distinctive.
Harlem impresario Bobby Robinson, who had recorded Louie Lymon & the Teenchords through the close of 1957, auditioned the group and detected the same quality that had propelled Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. He signed them, altering the spelling to the Kodoks on labels to sidestep litigation from Eastman Kodak, and placed their debut single, “Teenager’s Dream” b/w “Little Boy and Girl,” on his Fury imprint in late 1957. Heavy local airplay followed across Newark, New York, and surrounding markets, though national chart placement never materialized. A second single, “Oh Gee, Oh Gosh” b/w “Make Believe World,” appeared in spring 1958, climbing to number eight on Newark’s local Cashbox chart, registering sales farther west, and earning repeated spins from area deejays, including Alan Freed.
East Coast bookings multiplied, encompassing an Apollo Theater bill shared with Jerry Butler, the Coasters, and Lee Andrews & the Hearts, plus a slot on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. Dissatisfaction surfaced by summer 1958 when Davis and Franklin departed, weary of mirroring Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers; Richard “Pumpy” Dixon and Harold “Curly” Jenkins stepped in. Pearl McKinnon later judged the newcomers’ stage experience an improvement, tightening both vocal blend and choreography. Two further singles followed—“My Baby and Me” b/w “Kingless Castle” and “Runaround Baby” b/w “Guardian Angel”—yet sales lagged behind earlier releases.
The group disbanded after Jimmy Patrick joined the Monotones and Pearl McKinnon married. William Miller attempted to continue under the name the Kadaks, recruiting his wife Jean, Harold Jenkins, and newcomer Renaldo Gamble, but two unsuccessful singles ended the effort. McKinnon reentered the business within a year fronting Pearl & the Deltars, which released two singles, among them a new recording of “Teenager’s Dream,” still limited to regional notice. In the 1970s she performed with 2nd Verse; years afterward she assumed lead duties with a reconstituted version of the Teenagers, occupying the role once held by Frankie Lymon.
Originally a quartet consisting of Jimmy Patrick on lead and first tenor, William Franklin on second tenor, Larry Davis on baritone, and William Miller on bass, the Kodaks blended into the crowded field of Central Ward harmony outfits. Fifteen-year-old Pearl McKinnon, a schoolmate of Jimmy Patrick’s sister Marian and future wife of William Miller named Jean, joined after singing with the two girls in a school trio. Her slightly deeper, richer timbre carried both youthful innocence and crisp diction reminiscent of preteen boys, an unmistakable echo of Frankie Lymon that rendered the expanded lineup distinctive.
Harlem impresario Bobby Robinson, who had recorded Louie Lymon & the Teenchords through the close of 1957, auditioned the group and detected the same quality that had propelled Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. He signed them, altering the spelling to the Kodoks on labels to sidestep litigation from Eastman Kodak, and placed their debut single, “Teenager’s Dream” b/w “Little Boy and Girl,” on his Fury imprint in late 1957. Heavy local airplay followed across Newark, New York, and surrounding markets, though national chart placement never materialized. A second single, “Oh Gee, Oh Gosh” b/w “Make Believe World,” appeared in spring 1958, climbing to number eight on Newark’s local Cashbox chart, registering sales farther west, and earning repeated spins from area deejays, including Alan Freed.
East Coast bookings multiplied, encompassing an Apollo Theater bill shared with Jerry Butler, the Coasters, and Lee Andrews & the Hearts, plus a slot on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. Dissatisfaction surfaced by summer 1958 when Davis and Franklin departed, weary of mirroring Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers; Richard “Pumpy” Dixon and Harold “Curly” Jenkins stepped in. Pearl McKinnon later judged the newcomers’ stage experience an improvement, tightening both vocal blend and choreography. Two further singles followed—“My Baby and Me” b/w “Kingless Castle” and “Runaround Baby” b/w “Guardian Angel”—yet sales lagged behind earlier releases.
The group disbanded after Jimmy Patrick joined the Monotones and Pearl McKinnon married. William Miller attempted to continue under the name the Kadaks, recruiting his wife Jean, Harold Jenkins, and newcomer Renaldo Gamble, but two unsuccessful singles ended the effort. McKinnon reentered the business within a year fronting Pearl & the Deltars, which released two singles, among them a new recording of “Teenager’s Dream,” still limited to regional notice. In the 1970s she performed with 2nd Verse; years afterward she assumed lead duties with a reconstituted version of the Teenagers, occupying the role once held by Frankie Lymon.
Albums
Singles
