Shuriken
01-13-2004, 12:42 PM
Asian Pacific Americans in Popular Music, 1950s—1980s
I'm no expert on music or the history of pop songs, but I've noticed a few Asian Pacific Americans who have grabbed the musical spotlight in previous decades — before James Iha and Smashing Pumpkins. Sadly, I don't see much recognition of them here at Yellow World. So, I thought that I would acknowledge them the best way that I can. I've posted a few pictures and blurbs. If anyone knows more about them, please fill all of us in. And please feel free to add more names...
http://www.larryblyden.net/drumsong.jpg http://www.hakushouse.com/images/Lounge/P2160009.JPG
PAT SUZUKI
Born Chiyoko Suzuki in Cressy, California, in the early 1930s, Pat received her first professional show-biz experience in a touring company of the Broadway play The Teahouse of the August Moon. When the cast visited a Seattle night club, Pat performed a few numbers and was hired on the spot by the club owner to be a featured chanteuse. In 1957, her show was seen by Bing Crosby, who was so impressed by her powerhouse voice that he brought her to the attention of RCA Records, and she recorded a number of LPs for the label, albums featuring show tunes and popular standards. This led to guest appearances on such TV broadcasts as The Frank Sinatra Show. This led, in turn, to her being cast as night-club singer Linda Low in 1958's original Broadway production of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Flower Drum Song (the role would be played by Nancy Kwan in the 1961 film version). Afterwards, her career never again achieved such a high profile, but she went on to appear in the original 1973 Off-Broadway production of Frank Chin's Year of the Dragon and the 1976 ABC sit-com Mr. T and Tina, opposite Pat Morita. The first photo shows Pat Suzuki in a scene from Flower Drum Song with Larry Blyden, the Jewish Texan who opened the role of Sammy Fong in yellowface (the role was played in the movie by Jack Soo).
http://www.jlindquist.net/bread/Bimages/T3.jpg http://www.alohajoe.com/_borders/petecharlie.JPG
THE TRAVELERS 3
It's a shame that the folk-music ensemble the Travelers 3 seems to have faded so completely from memory. Back in the early 1960s, folk music was quite the rage across the U.S. However, this brand of "folk" music tended to be highly polished arrangements of traditional songs, soothing harmonies that smoothed over the rough edges of the words and melodies in order to make them more palatable to middle America. The roughness and urgency of such elemental folk performers as Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan were overshadowed commercially at the time by the comforting, easily digestible sounds of such acts as the Kingston Trio, the Limeliters, and Peter, Paul & Mary. For better or worse, the Travelers 3 belonged to this polite, more polished crowd. The story goes that Hawaii natives and amateur musicians Charlie Oyama (a Japanese American) and Pete Apo (a Native Hawaiian) met for the first time in the late 1950s at the University of Oregon and began performing together. After adding bassist Dick Shirley (a Caucasian) to the ensemble, the trio began performing professionally in the early 1960s as the Travelers 3, touring the country, recording for Elektra Records, and appearing on such national TV shows as Hootnanny and Shindig.
Especially noteworthy about the Travelers 3 is that they specialized in European and Euro-American folk songs — performed straight. Although they would occasionally add a Hawaiian song to their playlist, they were not a novelty group and did not play up their Asian Pacific heritage as a gimmick. They sent the strong message that Asian Pacific Americans could lay claim to Euro-American musical traditions as well as any Euro-American performer could. And one wonders what impact the image of two Asian Pacific Americans performing as equals with a white American had upon early-1960s audiences. Dick Shirley left the Travelers 3 in 1964 and was replaced by Joe Lamanno. Later, Oyama and Apo returned to Hawaii and reformed as a five-man Hawaiian band under the name Na Kama Hele, performing at least into the 1990s. The first photo is a vintage snapshot of the Travelers 3. The second still is a more recent picture of Pete Apo (left) and Cahrlie Oyama (right) sandwiching "Joe Aloha," a local Hawaiian DJ.
http://www.my-scifi-stuff.com/images/Fanny_1970.gif
FANNY
Upon signing hard rock combo Fanny in 1970, Warner Bros. claimed their new acquisition was the first all-female rock & roll band — a statement far from the truth, of course, but as one of the first self-contained distaff groups to land on a major label, they were an important harbinger of things to come. Fanny formed in California under the name Wild Honey, teaming singer/guitarist June Millington, her bassist sister Jean, keyboardist Nickey Barclay, and drummer Alice de Buhr. With Wild Honey signing to Reprise, the new name Fanny was suggested to producer Richard Perry by no less than ex-Beatle George Harrison; though a relatively innocuous term in the band's native [sic] United States, its more scandalous meaning overseas was only known to the group much later on. Fanny's self-titled debut LP appeared in 1970, earning radio airplay for its cover of the Cream favorite "Badge." The title track from their 1971 follow-up [i]Charity Ball was the group's first Billboard chart hit, although they enjoyed greater commercial success in the U.K., touring in support of Jethro Tull and Humble Pie. (They were also banned from performing at the London Palladium on the grounds they were "too sexy.") After contributing as session players on Barbra Streisand's self-titled 1971 album, Fanny issued Fanny Hill a year later, but following 1973's Todd Rundgren-produced Mother's Pride, June Millington and de Buhr left the group, and were replaced by guitarist Patti Quatro (formerly of the Pleasure Seekers and sister of another pioneering female rocker, Suzi Quatro) and drummer Brie Howard, soon replaced by Cam Davis. The reconstituted lineup landed with Casablanca [Records] for a disappointing final album, 1974's Rock'n'Roll Survivors, before dissolving. The Millington sisters later recorded as solo artists before reuniting as the Slammin' Babes, while Barclay later toured as part of Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen troupe and in 1976 issued a solo LP, Diamond in a Junkyard. De Buhr, meanwhile, also remained in the music industry, at one time working as a retail marketing co-ordinator for A&M — where she was assigned to promote the Go-Go's, one of the bands for whom Fanny clearly paved the way. —Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
This otherwise excellent synopsis does not say that, although raised in California, Jean and June Millington were born in Manila, Philippines, and are ethically Filipino. In other words, arguably the first all-female rock band to sign with a major label was fronted by two Asian Pacific American women.
http://home.earthlink.net/~jrlindsey/yvonnedanceedge.jpg
YVONNE ELLIMAN
Yvonne Elliman had a brief moment in the spotlight during the middle of the '70s, yet she appeared on many of the decade's biggest hits as a backing singer. While she was in high school in Hawaii, Elliman sang in a group called We Folk. She moved to London in 1969 and began singing at the Pheasantry folk club, located on Kings Road in Chelsea. It was here that songwriters Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice discovered her. The duo offered her the role of Mary Magdalene in their new rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar; the role brought her instant fame. Elliman played the Magdalene character in the [1973] film version of Superstar, for which she won a Golden Globe award; it also gave her a hit with "I Don't Know How to Love Him." The hit single became the title of her debut album, which was released in 1972. Pete Townshend helped Elliman prepare her second album, 1973's Food of Love. During this time, she appeared in the American production of Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway, where she met Bill Oakes, the president of RSO Records; the two married soon afterward. Oakes introduced her to Eric Clapton, inviting her to sing backup vocals on "I Shot the Sheriff." Elliman became part of the guitarist's band afterward; she stayed with him for five years. She joined RSO's roster in 1975, releasing the Steve Cropper-produced . Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb wrote the title song for Elliman's next album, 1976's [i]Love Me; the song became a U.K. hit, paving the way for her greatest chart success, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. The Bee Gees wrote several songs on the soundtrack specifically for Elliman, including the number one single "If I Can't Have You." She never followed through on the song's success — she released two more albums before becoming solely a session musician. —Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
A native of Honolulu, Yvonne Elliman is clearly of Asian Pacific ancestry. Her performance as Mary Magdalene in the film version of Jesus Christ Superstar is the first time that I can recall ever seeing a visibly Asian Pacific performer cast non-traditionally in an obviously non-Asian Pacific featured role. (And the film cast other roles non-traditionally as well, including a black actor, Carl Anderson, as Judas.) But what was her character? A prostitute. So, I have to ask myself: If Mary Magdalene hadn't been a hooker, would the creators have considered an Asian for the part in the first place? Suzie Wong strikes again! However, this is no comment on Yvonne Elliman's career as a recording artist.
http://www.pepperlandrecording.com/images/margot2.jpg
MARGOT CHAPMAN of the STARLAND VOCAL BAND
The Starland Vocal Band dominated American airwaves during the Bicentennial summer of 1976 with their quintessential soft-rock chart-topper "Afternoon Delight." The group emerged from the Washington, D.C., folk scene of the late '60s, its roots dating back to the formation of the acoustic duo Fat City, which comprised future husband and wife Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert. Together, the couple wrote a song titled "I Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado" which was recorded by John Denver and Mary Travers; with Denver, they also penned the smash "Take Me Home, Country Roads." In 1969, Fat City recorded their debut LP, Reincarnation; after 1971's Welcome to Fat City, the duo began working as simply Bill and Taffy, regularly opening for Denver on tour. On Bill and Taffy's second album, 1974's Aces, the duo enlisted 18-year-old singer and pianist Jon Carroll; the couple was so impressed by Carroll's performance that they decided to form a new group, adding the youngster as well as vocalist Margot Chapman to become the Starland Vocal Band. They soon signed to Denver's Windsong label and in 1976 issued their self-titled debut LP, with the lead single "Afternoon Delight" quickly reaching the top of the charts on its way to helping earn the group five Grammy nominations. (They won two, including Best New Artist.) "Afternoon Delight" was so enormously popular that the group even landed their own short-lived CBS variety series, The Starland Vocal Band Show, which featured a then-unknown David Letterman. The second Starland Vocal Band album, Rear View Mirror, followed in 1977, but failed to match the success of its predecessor; Late Nite Radio, issued a year later, also fared poorly by comparison, and after scoring one last minor chart entry with the single "Loving You with My Eyes," the group disbanded in the wake of their fourth and final LP, 1980's 4 x 4. In the wake of Starland Vocal Band's demise, the Danoffs divorced; Carroll and Chapman, who had also married at the peak of the group's success, later split up as well. All four members of the group later went on to mount solo careers, though never again recapturing the success of "Afternoon Delight." —Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
The 1977 summer-replacement series The Starland Vocal Band Show was not a "variety" series in the traditional sense of the term: the show consisted of filmed segments featuring the eponymous group and their guests performing in various locations. Nevertheless, the Hawaiian-born Margot Chapman might lay claim to being the first Asian Pacific American to co-host a network musical variety series. For a picture of Margot Chapman on the cover of a Starland Vocal Band album, go here (http://www.roadierecords.com/SVB.html). Do I need to tell you that Margot is second from the left?
KAREN KAMON (?)
In the early 1980s, I remember seeing a music video on MTV. It was a cover of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry's rock & roll classic "Da Doo Ron Ron," first performed by the Crystals in 1963. However, in this remake, the song was sung by an Asian woman who spoke (in the video's dialogue portions) with a regular American accent. Also, the short film's story line (a woman going out on the town can't decide what to wear) did not make a big deal about the singer's Asian ethnicity. I haven't seen the video since (I don't get MTV anyway), and I've forgotten the singer's name. However, a Google search suggests that the chanteuse was Karen Kamon (the surname is Japanese) who performed "Da Doo Ron Ron" on American Bandstand in September 1984. Does this make Karen Kamon the first Asian American solo singer to have a video shown on MTV? I haven't been able to find out anything else about Ms. Kamon or her career.
http://www.artistdirect.com/Images/Sources/AMGPORTRAITS/music/portrait200/drp000/p088/p08847i84o6.jpg
GERRY WOO
Vocalist Gerry Woo signed with Polydor in 1988, and issued one LP, Listen To My Heart. Though his family was from the Philippines, Woo grew up in Detroit under the spell of Motown. Unfortunately, his LP performed more like the Motown of the late '80s rather than the '60s. —Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
http://www.artistdirect.com/Images/Sources/AMGPORTRAITS/music/portrait200/drp000/p053/p05386f0yb2.jpg
THE JETS
Eighties teenyboppers the Jets came from an extremely large family (17 children overall) and were comprised of eight of the family's brothers and sisters — Leroy, Eddie, Eugene, Haini, Rudy, Kathi, Elizabeth, and Moana Wolfgramm (their parents originally emigrated to the U.S. from the South Pacific nation of Tonga, in 1965, but their offspring were raised in Minneapolis). From 1986 though 1989, the Jets enjoyed several dance-pop hits (tops being "Crush on You" and "You Got It All"), as well as several full-length albums, two of which (their 1986 self-titled debut and 1987's Magic) obtained gold and/or platinum certification. But like all past bubblegum acts, the Jets' shelf life proved to be fleeting, as the hits dried up shortly thereafter (the first member to leave the group was Eugene, who split in 1988 to form Boys Club with Joe Pasquale, going by the name Gene Hunt). Although little was heard from the Jets during the early '90s, most of the group had re-formed by the latter part of the decade as a more gospel-oriented outfit, issuing such albums as 1997's Love Will Lead the Way. By the dawn of the 21st century, the other brothers and sisters of the family who were too young to join in on the fun during the '80s had formed their own group, imaginatively called...the Jetts. —Greg Prato & Steve Huey, All Music Guide
(Couldn't just let this one go into oblivion...)
I'm no expert on music or the history of pop songs, but I've noticed a few Asian Pacific Americans who have grabbed the musical spotlight in previous decades — before James Iha and Smashing Pumpkins. Sadly, I don't see much recognition of them here at Yellow World. So, I thought that I would acknowledge them the best way that I can. I've posted a few pictures and blurbs. If anyone knows more about them, please fill all of us in. And please feel free to add more names...
http://www.larryblyden.net/drumsong.jpg http://www.hakushouse.com/images/Lounge/P2160009.JPG
PAT SUZUKI
Born Chiyoko Suzuki in Cressy, California, in the early 1930s, Pat received her first professional show-biz experience in a touring company of the Broadway play The Teahouse of the August Moon. When the cast visited a Seattle night club, Pat performed a few numbers and was hired on the spot by the club owner to be a featured chanteuse. In 1957, her show was seen by Bing Crosby, who was so impressed by her powerhouse voice that he brought her to the attention of RCA Records, and she recorded a number of LPs for the label, albums featuring show tunes and popular standards. This led to guest appearances on such TV broadcasts as The Frank Sinatra Show. This led, in turn, to her being cast as night-club singer Linda Low in 1958's original Broadway production of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Flower Drum Song (the role would be played by Nancy Kwan in the 1961 film version). Afterwards, her career never again achieved such a high profile, but she went on to appear in the original 1973 Off-Broadway production of Frank Chin's Year of the Dragon and the 1976 ABC sit-com Mr. T and Tina, opposite Pat Morita. The first photo shows Pat Suzuki in a scene from Flower Drum Song with Larry Blyden, the Jewish Texan who opened the role of Sammy Fong in yellowface (the role was played in the movie by Jack Soo).
http://www.jlindquist.net/bread/Bimages/T3.jpg http://www.alohajoe.com/_borders/petecharlie.JPG
THE TRAVELERS 3
It's a shame that the folk-music ensemble the Travelers 3 seems to have faded so completely from memory. Back in the early 1960s, folk music was quite the rage across the U.S. However, this brand of "folk" music tended to be highly polished arrangements of traditional songs, soothing harmonies that smoothed over the rough edges of the words and melodies in order to make them more palatable to middle America. The roughness and urgency of such elemental folk performers as Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan were overshadowed commercially at the time by the comforting, easily digestible sounds of such acts as the Kingston Trio, the Limeliters, and Peter, Paul & Mary. For better or worse, the Travelers 3 belonged to this polite, more polished crowd. The story goes that Hawaii natives and amateur musicians Charlie Oyama (a Japanese American) and Pete Apo (a Native Hawaiian) met for the first time in the late 1950s at the University of Oregon and began performing together. After adding bassist Dick Shirley (a Caucasian) to the ensemble, the trio began performing professionally in the early 1960s as the Travelers 3, touring the country, recording for Elektra Records, and appearing on such national TV shows as Hootnanny and Shindig.
Especially noteworthy about the Travelers 3 is that they specialized in European and Euro-American folk songs — performed straight. Although they would occasionally add a Hawaiian song to their playlist, they were not a novelty group and did not play up their Asian Pacific heritage as a gimmick. They sent the strong message that Asian Pacific Americans could lay claim to Euro-American musical traditions as well as any Euro-American performer could. And one wonders what impact the image of two Asian Pacific Americans performing as equals with a white American had upon early-1960s audiences. Dick Shirley left the Travelers 3 in 1964 and was replaced by Joe Lamanno. Later, Oyama and Apo returned to Hawaii and reformed as a five-man Hawaiian band under the name Na Kama Hele, performing at least into the 1990s. The first photo is a vintage snapshot of the Travelers 3. The second still is a more recent picture of Pete Apo (left) and Cahrlie Oyama (right) sandwiching "Joe Aloha," a local Hawaiian DJ.
http://www.my-scifi-stuff.com/images/Fanny_1970.gif
FANNY
Upon signing hard rock combo Fanny in 1970, Warner Bros. claimed their new acquisition was the first all-female rock & roll band — a statement far from the truth, of course, but as one of the first self-contained distaff groups to land on a major label, they were an important harbinger of things to come. Fanny formed in California under the name Wild Honey, teaming singer/guitarist June Millington, her bassist sister Jean, keyboardist Nickey Barclay, and drummer Alice de Buhr. With Wild Honey signing to Reprise, the new name Fanny was suggested to producer Richard Perry by no less than ex-Beatle George Harrison; though a relatively innocuous term in the band's native [sic] United States, its more scandalous meaning overseas was only known to the group much later on. Fanny's self-titled debut LP appeared in 1970, earning radio airplay for its cover of the Cream favorite "Badge." The title track from their 1971 follow-up [i]Charity Ball was the group's first Billboard chart hit, although they enjoyed greater commercial success in the U.K., touring in support of Jethro Tull and Humble Pie. (They were also banned from performing at the London Palladium on the grounds they were "too sexy.") After contributing as session players on Barbra Streisand's self-titled 1971 album, Fanny issued Fanny Hill a year later, but following 1973's Todd Rundgren-produced Mother's Pride, June Millington and de Buhr left the group, and were replaced by guitarist Patti Quatro (formerly of the Pleasure Seekers and sister of another pioneering female rocker, Suzi Quatro) and drummer Brie Howard, soon replaced by Cam Davis. The reconstituted lineup landed with Casablanca [Records] for a disappointing final album, 1974's Rock'n'Roll Survivors, before dissolving. The Millington sisters later recorded as solo artists before reuniting as the Slammin' Babes, while Barclay later toured as part of Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen troupe and in 1976 issued a solo LP, Diamond in a Junkyard. De Buhr, meanwhile, also remained in the music industry, at one time working as a retail marketing co-ordinator for A&M — where she was assigned to promote the Go-Go's, one of the bands for whom Fanny clearly paved the way. —Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
This otherwise excellent synopsis does not say that, although raised in California, Jean and June Millington were born in Manila, Philippines, and are ethically Filipino. In other words, arguably the first all-female rock band to sign with a major label was fronted by two Asian Pacific American women.
http://home.earthlink.net/~jrlindsey/yvonnedanceedge.jpg
YVONNE ELLIMAN
Yvonne Elliman had a brief moment in the spotlight during the middle of the '70s, yet she appeared on many of the decade's biggest hits as a backing singer. While she was in high school in Hawaii, Elliman sang in a group called We Folk. She moved to London in 1969 and began singing at the Pheasantry folk club, located on Kings Road in Chelsea. It was here that songwriters Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice discovered her. The duo offered her the role of Mary Magdalene in their new rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar; the role brought her instant fame. Elliman played the Magdalene character in the [1973] film version of Superstar, for which she won a Golden Globe award; it also gave her a hit with "I Don't Know How to Love Him." The hit single became the title of her debut album, which was released in 1972. Pete Townshend helped Elliman prepare her second album, 1973's Food of Love. During this time, she appeared in the American production of Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway, where she met Bill Oakes, the president of RSO Records; the two married soon afterward. Oakes introduced her to Eric Clapton, inviting her to sing backup vocals on "I Shot the Sheriff." Elliman became part of the guitarist's band afterward; she stayed with him for five years. She joined RSO's roster in 1975, releasing the Steve Cropper-produced . Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb wrote the title song for Elliman's next album, 1976's [i]Love Me; the song became a U.K. hit, paving the way for her greatest chart success, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. The Bee Gees wrote several songs on the soundtrack specifically for Elliman, including the number one single "If I Can't Have You." She never followed through on the song's success — she released two more albums before becoming solely a session musician. —Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
A native of Honolulu, Yvonne Elliman is clearly of Asian Pacific ancestry. Her performance as Mary Magdalene in the film version of Jesus Christ Superstar is the first time that I can recall ever seeing a visibly Asian Pacific performer cast non-traditionally in an obviously non-Asian Pacific featured role. (And the film cast other roles non-traditionally as well, including a black actor, Carl Anderson, as Judas.) But what was her character? A prostitute. So, I have to ask myself: If Mary Magdalene hadn't been a hooker, would the creators have considered an Asian for the part in the first place? Suzie Wong strikes again! However, this is no comment on Yvonne Elliman's career as a recording artist.
http://www.pepperlandrecording.com/images/margot2.jpg
MARGOT CHAPMAN of the STARLAND VOCAL BAND
The Starland Vocal Band dominated American airwaves during the Bicentennial summer of 1976 with their quintessential soft-rock chart-topper "Afternoon Delight." The group emerged from the Washington, D.C., folk scene of the late '60s, its roots dating back to the formation of the acoustic duo Fat City, which comprised future husband and wife Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert. Together, the couple wrote a song titled "I Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado" which was recorded by John Denver and Mary Travers; with Denver, they also penned the smash "Take Me Home, Country Roads." In 1969, Fat City recorded their debut LP, Reincarnation; after 1971's Welcome to Fat City, the duo began working as simply Bill and Taffy, regularly opening for Denver on tour. On Bill and Taffy's second album, 1974's Aces, the duo enlisted 18-year-old singer and pianist Jon Carroll; the couple was so impressed by Carroll's performance that they decided to form a new group, adding the youngster as well as vocalist Margot Chapman to become the Starland Vocal Band. They soon signed to Denver's Windsong label and in 1976 issued their self-titled debut LP, with the lead single "Afternoon Delight" quickly reaching the top of the charts on its way to helping earn the group five Grammy nominations. (They won two, including Best New Artist.) "Afternoon Delight" was so enormously popular that the group even landed their own short-lived CBS variety series, The Starland Vocal Band Show, which featured a then-unknown David Letterman. The second Starland Vocal Band album, Rear View Mirror, followed in 1977, but failed to match the success of its predecessor; Late Nite Radio, issued a year later, also fared poorly by comparison, and after scoring one last minor chart entry with the single "Loving You with My Eyes," the group disbanded in the wake of their fourth and final LP, 1980's 4 x 4. In the wake of Starland Vocal Band's demise, the Danoffs divorced; Carroll and Chapman, who had also married at the peak of the group's success, later split up as well. All four members of the group later went on to mount solo careers, though never again recapturing the success of "Afternoon Delight." —Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
The 1977 summer-replacement series The Starland Vocal Band Show was not a "variety" series in the traditional sense of the term: the show consisted of filmed segments featuring the eponymous group and their guests performing in various locations. Nevertheless, the Hawaiian-born Margot Chapman might lay claim to being the first Asian Pacific American to co-host a network musical variety series. For a picture of Margot Chapman on the cover of a Starland Vocal Band album, go here (http://www.roadierecords.com/SVB.html). Do I need to tell you that Margot is second from the left?
KAREN KAMON (?)
In the early 1980s, I remember seeing a music video on MTV. It was a cover of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry's rock & roll classic "Da Doo Ron Ron," first performed by the Crystals in 1963. However, in this remake, the song was sung by an Asian woman who spoke (in the video's dialogue portions) with a regular American accent. Also, the short film's story line (a woman going out on the town can't decide what to wear) did not make a big deal about the singer's Asian ethnicity. I haven't seen the video since (I don't get MTV anyway), and I've forgotten the singer's name. However, a Google search suggests that the chanteuse was Karen Kamon (the surname is Japanese) who performed "Da Doo Ron Ron" on American Bandstand in September 1984. Does this make Karen Kamon the first Asian American solo singer to have a video shown on MTV? I haven't been able to find out anything else about Ms. Kamon or her career.
http://www.artistdirect.com/Images/Sources/AMGPORTRAITS/music/portrait200/drp000/p088/p08847i84o6.jpg
GERRY WOO
Vocalist Gerry Woo signed with Polydor in 1988, and issued one LP, Listen To My Heart. Though his family was from the Philippines, Woo grew up in Detroit under the spell of Motown. Unfortunately, his LP performed more like the Motown of the late '80s rather than the '60s. —Ron Wynn, All Music Guide
http://www.artistdirect.com/Images/Sources/AMGPORTRAITS/music/portrait200/drp000/p053/p05386f0yb2.jpg
THE JETS
Eighties teenyboppers the Jets came from an extremely large family (17 children overall) and were comprised of eight of the family's brothers and sisters — Leroy, Eddie, Eugene, Haini, Rudy, Kathi, Elizabeth, and Moana Wolfgramm (their parents originally emigrated to the U.S. from the South Pacific nation of Tonga, in 1965, but their offspring were raised in Minneapolis). From 1986 though 1989, the Jets enjoyed several dance-pop hits (tops being "Crush on You" and "You Got It All"), as well as several full-length albums, two of which (their 1986 self-titled debut and 1987's Magic) obtained gold and/or platinum certification. But like all past bubblegum acts, the Jets' shelf life proved to be fleeting, as the hits dried up shortly thereafter (the first member to leave the group was Eugene, who split in 1988 to form Boys Club with Joe Pasquale, going by the name Gene Hunt). Although little was heard from the Jets during the early '90s, most of the group had re-formed by the latter part of the decade as a more gospel-oriented outfit, issuing such albums as 1997's Love Will Lead the Way. By the dawn of the 21st century, the other brothers and sisters of the family who were too young to join in on the fun during the '80s had formed their own group, imaginatively called...the Jetts. —Greg Prato & Steve Huey, All Music Guide
(Couldn't just let this one go into oblivion...)