Biography
William Lindsay stepped into the Crickets as a substitute lead singer during the doo wop ensemble’s active years. The group hailed from the Morrisania neighborhood in the Bronx and bore no connection to Buddy Holly’s backing band. His most prominent performance came on the Onyx single “Angel,” recorded by the Montereys, the ensemble’s last offshoot. Following the immensely popular Dean Barlow, who had fronted the Crickets in their earliest days, proved challenging for Lindsay. Barlow had begun harmonizing with the first iterations of the group at local community centers in 1951, and the Crickets entered the recording studio before 1952 closed. Lindsay joined in 1953 once the producer persuaded Barlow to pursue a solo path yet still sought to maintain the group’s momentum.
The lineup featuring Lindsay, regarded as the second edition of the Crickets, attempted to reach the charts with sides such as “My Little Baby’s Shoes,” yet met no success. Departing members soon left Lindsay behind, prompting him to participate in a third configuration that added fresh bass and baritone voices. Among the tracks cut by this assembly in early 1954 was “Never Give Up Hope,” a title that may have mirrored their outlook. Lindsay next formed the Bachelors with Barlow, a partnership that placed the new act squarely in the Crickets’ lineage. Tenor Waldo Champen, another Bachelor, accumulated credits across at least six vocal groups. The Montereys emerged from the Bachelors, and both acts issued only a handful of recordings. Lindsay later appeared in revival lineups of the Cadillacs, Starlings, and Twilighters.
The lineup featuring Lindsay, regarded as the second edition of the Crickets, attempted to reach the charts with sides such as “My Little Baby’s Shoes,” yet met no success. Departing members soon left Lindsay behind, prompting him to participate in a third configuration that added fresh bass and baritone voices. Among the tracks cut by this assembly in early 1954 was “Never Give Up Hope,” a title that may have mirrored their outlook. Lindsay next formed the Bachelors with Barlow, a partnership that placed the new act squarely in the Crickets’ lineage. Tenor Waldo Champen, another Bachelor, accumulated credits across at least six vocal groups. The Montereys emerged from the Bachelors, and both acts issued only a handful of recordings. Lindsay later appeared in revival lineups of the Cadillacs, Starlings, and Twilighters.