P.S. I Love You: The Story of the Singing Hilltoppers - Hardcover

Jackson, Carlton

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0813124360 ISBN 13: 9780813124360

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky, 2007

Synopsis

In 1953, the same year that Elvis Presley cut his first demo, Cash Box magazine named the Hilltoppers the top vocal group of the year. Hits such as "Trying" and "P.S. I Love You" raced up the charts and kept the group in Billboard's Top 40. The four fresh-faced singers appeared on The Toast of the Town with Ed Sullivan, who introduced them to the nation. On weekends the Hilltoppers performed in cities across the country, but on Monday mornings they were better known as Western Kentucky State College students Jimmy Sacca, Seymour Spiegelman, Don McGuire, and Billy Vaughn. The Korean War, military drafts, and changing public tastes in music, however, cut short singing careers that should have lasted much longer. Sacca was drafted in 1953, mere months before the end of the war. Vaughn left the group shortly after that for a career at Dot Records and found fame elsewhere with his orchestra. McGuire and Spiegelman were drafted as well, and despite a set of temporary replacement members, the group eventually called it quits. Fifty years later, historian Carlton Jackson revisits the Kentucky college kids who made it big between classes. He follows the group from their first hit, recorded in Western's Van Meter Auditorium, to their brief 1970s reunion. Their story recalls the nature of celebrity and youth in the early days of rock 'n' roll.

About this title

About the Author:

Carlton Jackson is University Distinguished Professor at Western Kentucky University and the author of numerous books and articles. His book Hattie: The Life of Hattie McDaniel was listed by the New York Times as one of the fifty most notable books of 1989.

Review:

"A good story, well written, with snappy and meticulous research."―Bill Schurk, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio It really is a

""This book not only tells the story of the meteoric rise of four kids from Western, but it also provides a snapshot of the era. It's a must-read for both those reasons.""―Clyde Pack, Paintsville Herald

""A pleasant return to nostalgia.""―Journal of American Cultures

About this edition

• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0813124360
• ISBN 13: 9780813124360
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256