American singers have always received a lot of love from the public. But Addie Micki Harris, also known as Addie Harris McFadden, received tremendous love from all. However, she came to prominence as a member of the American girl group, The Shirelles.
This group was famous for its American rhythm and blues, doo-wop, as well as soul music. It gained popularity in the 1960s. The group had schoolmates Shirley Owens, Doris Coley, Beverly Lee, as well as Addie Micki Harris.
Addie Micki Harris: The Founding of the Shirelles
Addie Micki Harris was born on January 22, 1940. Later, she joined the famous R&B girl musical band The Shirelles along with her schoolmates Doris Coley, Shirley Owens, and Beverly Lee. The group was founded in 1957. It happened at the high school of the girls for a talent show. The girls were signed by Florence Greenberg. The initial single released was ‘I Met Him on a Sunday’ in 1958.
However, after a short and unsuccessful period, the group went with a newly formed company called Scepter Records. They were defined as having a naïve schoolgirl sound, which differed from the sexual themes of most of their songs. However, the Shirelles were credited with introducing the girl group genre. They have been accepted by white and black people.
Plus, the group has received a lot of honours, like the Pioneer Award and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Songs like ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’ and ‘Tonight’s the Night’ are on the list of the greatest songs.
Addie Micki Harris: The career and success of her group
The group, which later was named the Shirelles, was founded in 1957 by teenage girls. However, the founding members of the group were Shirley Owens, Addie Micki Harris, Beverly Lee, as well as Doris Coley.
They were reluctant to enter singing professionally. But after making the decision, they changed their name to the Shirelles. Also, the same year, the group released the song ‘I Met Him on a Sunday’. After some local success, the song was licensed to Decca and charted at number 50.
In 1960, the group’s first single was produced by Dixon and called ‘Tonight’s The Night’. It got at number 39. With the success of this song, the girls were booked to sing with major artists. This followed their next release, ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’, which became a major hit by an African-American girl group.
After the success of various singles by the group, they became frequent guests on the ‘All-Star Rock Shows’. During this period, the group reissued the songs ‘Dedicated to the One I Love, Mama Said, Baby It’s You, Soldier Boy, and Boys.’
The later career of the Shirelles
After a few years, the group’s popularity declined because of intense competition pressure and the British invasion. However, during this period, Warvick replaced Coley because of family commitments. But the group was bound for Scepter. Due to this, they were not able to record with any other company. In 1966, their contract ended. The last single by them was ‘Last Minute Miracle, which charted at number 99.
In 1968, Coley left the group due to the commercial failure of various releases. The rest of the members of the group recorded with different labels until 1971. Later, they started touring, singing the group’s old songs. In 1975, Coley returned, replacing Owens.
The style of the Shirelles
The early work style of the group was described as ‘tight and doo-wop harmony’ Whereas Owen’s vocals were described as ‘wonderfully expressive’. The other members of the group who were singing backup were described as having a ‘naive schoolgirl sound.’ Also, the songs by the group tended to be simple, and they were directed at female listeners. Musically, the work of the group with Dixon was influenced by Brazilian baiao.
The death of Addie Micki Harris
While the group was touring on their old songs. In 1982, Addie Micki Harris died of a heart attack. It happened at the Hyatt Regency after performing in Atlanta and Georgia with the entire group.
The stage musical of the Shirelles
The group’s story was shown in ‘Baby It’s You!’ It follows the story of Greenberg as well as Scepter Records. The revue of it played on Broadway for around 148 performances. The opening happened at the Broadhurst Theater. However, Addie Micki Harris, Coley, etc., sued Warner Bros.
Final Thoughts
The Shirelles have contributed a lot to the R&B genre and its listeners by giving evergreen hits. The band inspired many young girls to start their own bands to take the R&B genre to new heights. However, without Addie Micki Harris, the mention and existence of The Shirelles was impossible. Due to the band’s unmatched success and melody, they won multiple awards and was inducted into the Hall of Fame. In fact, their remarkable journey and legacy made their hometown to honor the band by renaming one section of Paulison Avenue, Shirelles Boulevard.
