239:. Jay Siegel of the Tokens later said of Mack's songs: "They had the most incredible lyrics; not intellectual lyrics, but just the things that people speak of in everyday language. Most people don't have the talent to write them down as music, but he did.... he...would have been one of the most successful songwriters of the '60s."
226:
singing, and suggested that Sylvia
Peterson join them. Mack rewrote one of the songs he had written for the Tops, "She's So Fine", originally written about Peterson, and changed the lyrics for the girl group to sing as "He's So Fine". The group, which Mack renamed the Chiffons, made a demo of several
192:
Mack moved to the Bronx but kept in touch with his Harlem friends and continued writing songs. He started writing for, and managing, another vocal group, the Young Lads, featuring lead singer Jimmy Rivers, and suggested that they add a female singer, Joyce
Peterson's younger sister Sylvia. The group
189:). In 1956, the group recorded a song co-written by Mack, "Bohemian Daddy", for the Onyx record label. After the Marquis split up, Mack formed a new group, the Highlights, who included singer Joyce Peterson, but they never recorded.
278:
After his death, his mother Louise Mack attended a songwriters' convention at which her son won an award for "He's So Fine", and in accepting the award on his behalf gave a moving speech. Songwriters
286:, who were also at the event, were inspired by the speech, remembered Mack's name, and co-wrote the song "Jimmy Mack", with its chorus of "Jimmy Mack, when are you comin' back?". Recorded by
494:
509:
426:
514:
504:
223:
293:
Bright Tunes Music, the company which owned the rights to "He's So Fine", won a notable lawsuit against George
Harrison, starting in 1971, for
499:
489:
360:
213:. In late 1961, it was re-promoted and reissued more successfully in Philadelphia, and Rivers appeared as a solo act performing it on
297:
of Mack's tune in writing "My Sweet Lord". Much of the eventual settlement of $ 587,000 damages was paid to Mack's surviving family.
181:, and loved music from childhood, teaching himself to play piano. By the mid-1950s he started writing songs, and also performed in a
411:
457:
210:
127:
232:
185:
vocal group, the
Marquis, which unusually for the time featured a female lead singer, June Bateman (who later married musician
275:. He died, aged 23, in 1963, by which time the royalties received for the song had begun to raise his family out of poverty.
442:
378:
186:
263:
in March 1963. As a follow-up, the
Chiffons also recorded another of Mack's songs, "Lucky Me", but it was unsuccessful.
344:
162:
287:
320:
209:). The song was first issued in late 1958 on the V-Tone label, and then on several other labels credited to
193:
then became Four Bees and a Gee (for four boys and a girl), and auditioned with several of Mack's songs for
201:. Barrett renamed the group the Tops, and recorded them on one of Mack's up-tempo songs, "Puppy Love" (not
145:(July 11, 1940 – November 5, 1963) was an American songwriter, singer and talent manager who wrote "
178:
272:
484:
479:
252:
271:
By the time "He's So Fine" had started to become a chart hit, Mack was already terminally ill with
403:
396:
215:
407:
202:
154:
146:
247:
194:
473:
283:
279:
158:
61:
294:
228:
198:
150:
131:
427:
Robert Webb, "Story of the song - Jimmy Mack, Martha & the
Vandellas (1967)",
260:
243:
236:
166:
242:
The
Chiffons re-recorded "He's So Fine" with members of the Tokens and with
206:
97:
78:
402:(1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p.
256:
182:
89:
321:
Dotty Mack
Sanders and others, "He's So Fine: The Ronnie Mack Story",
93:
290:
in 1964, "Jimmy Mack" became a major hit for the group in 1967.
363:
Encyclopedia of Rhythm & Blues and Doo-Wop Vocal Groups
177:
Ronnie Mack (known to his friends as Rocco) grew up in
458:"Former Beatle Guilty Of Copying Black Songwriter",
121:
111:
103:
85:
68:
48:
38:
28:
21:
395:
381:Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked The World
222:In the Bronx, Mack heard a trio of students from
345:Charlie Horner, "Little Jimmy & the Tops",
16:American songwriter, singer, and talent manager
250:in late 1962, reaching number one on both the
219:, but it failed to make the national charts.
8:
374:
372:
161:". Mack's early death reportedly inspired
18:
340:
338:
336:
334:
332:
495:Deaths from lymphoma in New York (state)
510:20th-century African-American musicians
445:Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop
316:
314:
312:
310:
306:
149:", a number one chart hit in 1963 for
7:
227:of Mack's songs, which he took to
14:
515:20th-century American songwriters
505:Songwriters from New York (state)
246:on piano, and it was released by
153:and the apparent inspiration for
211:Little Jimmy Rivers and the Tops
128:Little Jimmy Rivers and the Tops
361:Mitch Rosalsky, "The Marquis",
365:, Scarecrow Press, 2002, p.375
1:
235:company set up by members of
500:Deaths from Hodgkin lymphoma
490:African-American songwriters
383:, Author House, 2013, p.102
163:Holland, Dozier and Holland
531:
351:. Retrieved August 8, 2016
326:. Retrieved August 8, 2016
462:, 23 September 1976, p.57
447:, Faber & Faber, 2013
433:. Retrieved 8 August 2016
398:Top Pop Singles 1955-2002
267:Illness, death and legacy
203:the song of the same name
288:Martha and the Vandellas
224:James Monroe High School
394:Whitburn, Joel (2003).
347:ClassicUrbanHarmony.net
295:subconscious plagiarism
187:Noble "Thin Man" Watts
179:Harlem, New York City
81:, New York City, U.S.
143:Ronald Augustus Mack
34:Ronald Augustus Mack
231:at Bright Tunes, a
165:to write the song "
273:Hodgkin's lymphoma
216:American Bandstand
107:Songwriter, singer
137:
136:
522:
464:
455:
449:
440:
434:
431:, 27 August 2009
424:
418:
417:
401:
391:
385:
376:
367:
358:
352:
342:
327:
318:
233:music publishing
114:
75:
72:November 5, 1963
58:
56:
41:
31:
19:
530:
529:
525:
524:
523:
521:
520:
519:
470:
469:
468:
467:
456:
452:
441:
437:
429:The Independent
425:
421:
414:
393:
392:
388:
379:John Clemente,
377:
370:
359:
355:
343:
330:
319:
308:
303:
269:
195:Richard Barrett
175:
173:Life and career
155:George Harrison
140:
130:
126:
112:
77:
73:
64:, United States
60:
54:
52:
39:
29:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
528:
526:
518:
517:
512:
507:
502:
497:
492:
487:
482:
472:
471:
466:
465:
450:
435:
419:
412:
386:
368:
353:
328:
305:
304:
302:
299:
268:
265:
248:Laurie Records
174:
171:
139:Musical artist
138:
135:
134:
123:
119:
118:
115:
109:
108:
105:
101:
100:
87:
83:
82:
76:(aged 23)
70:
66:
65:
50:
46:
45:
42:
36:
35:
32:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
527:
516:
513:
511:
508:
506:
503:
501:
498:
496:
493:
491:
488:
486:
483:
481:
478:
477:
475:
463:
461:
454:
451:
448:
446:
443:Bob Stanley,
439:
436:
432:
430:
423:
420:
415:
413:0-89820-155-1
409:
405:
400:
399:
390:
387:
384:
382:
375:
373:
369:
366:
364:
357:
354:
350:
348:
341:
339:
337:
335:
333:
329:
325:
324:
323:Songfacts.com
317:
315:
313:
311:
307:
300:
298:
296:
291:
289:
285:
284:Eddie Holland
281:
280:Lamont Dozier
276:
274:
266:
264:
262:
261:R&B chart
258:
255:
254:
249:
245:
240:
238:
234:
230:
225:
220:
218:
217:
212:
208:
204:
200:
196:
190:
188:
184:
180:
172:
170:
168:
164:
160:
159:My Sweet Lord
156:
152:
148:
144:
133:
129:
124:
120:
116:
110:
106:
104:Occupation(s)
102:
99:
95:
91:
88:
84:
80:
71:
67:
63:
62:New York City
59:July 11, 1940
51:
47:
43:
40:Also known as
37:
33:
27:
20:
459:
453:
444:
438:
428:
422:
397:
389:
380:
362:
356:
346:
322:
292:
277:
270:
251:
241:
229:Hank Medress
221:
214:
199:Gone Records
191:
176:
151:the Chiffons
147:He's So Fine
142:
141:
132:The Chiffons
113:Years active
74:(1963-11-05)
485:1963 deaths
480:1940 births
244:Carole King
205:written by
125:The Marquis
122:Formerly of
23:Ronnie Mack
474:Categories
301:References
237:the Tokens
167:Jimmy Mack
55:1940-07-11
44:Rocco Mack
30:Birth name
253:Billboard
207:Paul Anka
117:1955–1963
79:The Bronx
259:and the
257:Hot 100
183:doo-wop
94:R&B
90:Doo-wop
410:
349:, 2016
86:Genres
408:ISBN
282:and
157:'s "
69:Died
49:Born
460:Jet
404:128
197:at
169:".
98:pop
476::
406:.
371:^
331:^
309:^
96:,
92:,
416:.
57:)
53:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.