Biography of Shirley & Lee

Shirley Goodman's (b. Jun 19, 1936) screechy vocals and Leonard Lee's (b. Jun 29, 1936 - d. Oct 23, 1976) bluesy retorts added up to R&B gold during the '50s for the young Crescent City duo. The teenagers' debut on Aladdin, the Dave Bartholomew-produced "I'm Gone," was a major R&B hit in 1952. Shirley And Lee caught fire in 1955-1956 with three rocking smashes: "Feel So Good," the R&B chart-topping "Let the Good Times Roll," and "I Feel Good," all written by Lee. The pair stayed on Aladdin into 1959 before moving to Warwick and re-doing "Let the Good Times Roll." The "Sweethearts of the Blues" broke up after a few 1962-1963 singles for Imperial. In 1974 Goodman returned under the sobriquet of Shirley and Company with a #1 R&B smash, the disco-fied "Shame, Shame, Shame," for producer Sylvia Robinson on the Vibration logo. ~ Bill Dahl