PRESS KIT

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THE SHIRELLES

Few performers can truly be called trendsetters. Fewer still can sustain a high-visibility presence in the pop culture consciousness for over 35 years. THE SHIRELLES have done these things and more — earning an exalted place in modern musical history as they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

Starting the group while New Jersey school girls, THE SHIRELLES quickly became rock & roll's first female supergroup and were the inspiration for a legion of female groups that followed. They are universally credited as the originators of the Girl Group Sound that is so beloved by music fans everywhere. Their long string of hits, including Soldier Boy, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Dedicated To The One I Love, Mama Said, and so many others, have helped them dominate the music scene for over three decades. As well.

Their songs have been recorded by hundred of artists, including The Beatles, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton & The Yardbirds, The Mamas & The Papas, Bernadette Peters and Smokey Robinson.

The lasting appeal of these classic hits is so broad that they continue to be heard daily on a wide variety of radio formats and have been featured in scores of films and television shows from Dirty Dancing and Born on the Fourth of July to Murphy Brown and Moonlighting.

Not only did the Shirelles launch the careers of songwriters Carole King, Burt Bacharach, Ashford & Simpson and Van McCoy., they were among the first women to write their own music.

Constantly reissued, "The Shirelles Greatest Hits" received the highest rating in The Rolling Stone Record Guide, described by leading music critic Dave Marsh as "essential to any serious record collector".

The rise of compact discs has seen several original Shirelles’ albums re-released to resounding acclaim, both critically and commercially.

The Shirelles’ history has included milestones reached by only a select few musicians: they were the first female group to sell a million records; they have performed for presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Carter; they were the first group to headline an integrated stage show in Alabama; they were also the first pop act to record a radio commercial for Coca-Cola ; they have appeared in the motion pictures "It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" and "Let The Good Times Roll", and were featured in the videocassette release, Girl Groups. The Shirelles have headlined at virtually every major concert venue in the world including Radio City Music Hall. The Apollo Theatre (over 25 times), Madison Square Garden (over 10 times), The Paris Olympia, the London Palladium and the Hollywood Bowl.

Among the first star entertainers to get involved in the battle against AIDS, The Shirelles have also participated in fund-raisers for the USA ( they hosted a gala New York benefit in 1991 for the Persian Gulf troops) and the Mental Health Association in Passaic, New Jersey, for which Shirelles co-founder Beverly Lee has served on the Board of Directors.

In recent years The Shirelles have received the Soul of American Music Award and the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, in addition to being included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.Award and the Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, in addition to being nominated to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The Shirelles continue to thrill audiences worldwide with their high-energy show, "An Evening With The Shirelles", which features their many hits mixed with a wide range of selections from pop, rock, and soul, to gospel, country and standards. This, combined with spirited dancing and comedy in the inimitable style that millions of fans have come to expect of the legendary group, makes "An Evening With The Shirelles" an unforgettable entertainment experience.

SHIRELLES FACTS

• The SHIRELLES were our idols. Those girls just had hit after hit after hit." - Ronnie Spector (The Ronettes), 1983.
  
  
• Shirelles songs have been recorded by the Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Cher, Pattie LaBelle, Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick, Roberta Flack, Tony Orlando, Linda Ronstadt, The 4 Seasons, Laura Nyro, Mamas & Papas, Bernadette Peters, Pattie Austin, Chuck Jackson, Donna Fargo, Peaches & Herb, and hundreds of others.

• Shirelles TV appearances include Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, NBC Live at 5, CBS Morning News, West 57th, Joe Franklin, Showtime's Classic Rock and Roll Reunion, Hour Magazine, Robert Klein, Black News, Everyday with Joan Lunden, Independent Network News, The McCreary Report. in 1963, The Shirelles were the first pop act chosen to record a radio commercial for Coca-Cola, inaugurating a series of ads that lasted over 10 years and was recently released on records.

• " think if I had to pick who I really, really got off on the most, I'd say The Shirelles." - songwriter Ellie Greenwich, 1983.

• The Shirelles have appeared in the motion pictures "Let The Good Times Roll"and "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World," and were featured in the videocassette release "Girl Groups."

• The Shirelles headlined the first integrated stage show in Alabama and also integrated several Southern college shows for the first time.
  
  
• The Shirelles were the first all-female group of the rock and roll era to score a Number One record.

• "The Shirelles taught me how to move on stage." - Dionne Warwick (who was a stand-in for the Shirelles in 1962).

• The Shirellles have appeared at virtually every major concert venue including Radio City Music Hall, The Apollo Theater (over 25 times), Madison Square Garden (over 10 times). The Paris Olympia, London Palladium, Hollywood Bowl, Red Rocks (Denver), The Bottom Line, The Limelight, The Paramount Theater, The Brooklyn Fox, etc.

• The Shirelles are heard daily on a wide variety of radio formats: Pop/Rock/R & B/Oldies/East Listening/Lite Rock/Quiet Storm/Adult Contemporary/Classic Rock.
  
  
• The Shirelles have performed for Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Carter.

• ""No matter what poll we've ever run in any of our shows, this group (The Shirelles)
  
  
• has always been the number one group voted in any of the polls we ran" - Legendary DJ Murray the K, 1963.

• The Shirelles provided the first exposure for songwriter Carole King, & Gerry Goffin, Burt Bacharach & Hal David, Van McCoy, and Ashford & Simpson.

• The Shirelles' songs have been featured in dozens of films (Dirty Dancing, Born on the 4th of July, American Graffiti, Mean Streets, Baby It's You). and TV shows (Murphy Brown, Moonlighting).

• The Shirelles have received awards from BMI, The USO, The Vietnam Veterans of America, and the US Army. They received three gold records and were named Best Female Group in Billboard and Cash Box for five consecutive years. The 25ht Anniversary of The Shirelles resulted in their receiving a citation in the Congressional Record in July 1983.

• "They definitely made a way for girl groups, because prior to that it was all guys. They showed that it could work." - Mary Wilson (The Supremes), 1985.
  
  
• January, 1996 - admitted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
  

THE SHIRELLES PSA ANNOUNCEMENT     

HI, THIS IS BEVERLY LEE OF THE SHIRELLES...JOIN US ___________(date & time)_________FOR A SPECIAL EVENING AT THE ________________________(Venue name & Address)

HI THIS IS BEVERLY LEE OF THE SHIRELLES, INVITING YOU TO BE OUR GUEST _______(Date & Time) FOR A SPECIAL EVENING OF GREAT SONGS AND MEMORIES AT ______(Venue Name & Address - Ticket Locations & Prices)

HI THIS IS BEVERLY LEE OF THE SHIRELLES AND THIS ONE IS DEDICATED TO THE ONE I LOVE.. (Name of DJ_

HI THIS BEVERLY LEE OF THE SHIRELLES...FOR GOOD TIME OLDIES..."BABY IT'S YOU" (Name of Radio Station)

HI THIS IS BEVERLY LEE OF THE SHIRELLES...YOU’RE LISTENING TO MY "SOLDIER BOY (Name of DJ and Radio Station)

(ADAPT THE ABOVE FOR YOUR LOCAL NEEDS AND BEVERLY LEE WILL DO A PHONER WITH YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS FOR THE INSERTS.