From Staff Reports

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. – The Fabulous Stairwells, a Henderson County-based doo-wop group, performed in concert, starting with the song “Have Love, Will Travel” and ending with “Save the Last Dance for Me,” during a three-hour show on March 15 afternoon at J&M Farms on Chimney Rock Road here.

The concert drew about 75 people in a surprisng variety of age ranges.

“Doo-wop is a subgenre of rhythm and blues (R&B) and early rock and roll that emerged in the 1950s, characterized by vocal group harmonies, nonsense syllables, and minimal instrumentation,” AI Overview noted. “Often performed a cappella on street corners, it features a lead singer backed by vocalists singing melodic lines, commonly incorporating a high tenor and a walking bassline.

“Doo-wop’s focus is on ensemble singing, with a high tenor or falsetto leading and close-harmony backing. It also often incorporates nonsense syllables, with the use of scat-like vocalizations (e.g., ‘doo-wop,’ ‘doo-wah,’ ‘bomp-baba-bomp’) to mimic instruments.”

At the March 15 show, a highlight, albeit always arguably, was the group’s performance of a cover of The Platters’ 1956 hit-record version of “My Prayer,” with the lead sung by first tenor Bill Lampley, who reflectively sang it in a memorably sincere and prayerful tone.

Among the group’s future bookings is a 5-7 p.m. July 24 outdoor concert in the Fourth Friday Series in the Tryon Depot Plaza at 10 Depot Street in downtown Tryon. 

Attendees are urged to bring blankets and/or lawnchairs. Admission is free.