Clyde McPhatter

Steve Bergsman is a seasoned journalist and author who spent over 25 years covering business and travel before turning his focus to the stories of unsung singers and musicians. Inspired to preserve overlooked legacies, he began writing biographical novels, starting with Johnny Ace, followed by Mary Wells and Billy Preston, before transitioning to deeply researched biographies, including his work on Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. Bergsman’s collaboration with Carol Connors, Elvis, “Rocky” and Me, was released as an audiobook and received a Grammy nomination.

Fred Parris grew up close to the Apollo Theater in New York where he was able to see many of the top acts in music. These experiences sparked a passion which led to his singing in several of the popular rhythm and blues groups of the 1950s (Fred prefers the term R&B Groups vs the term Doo-Wop). Among these successful groups were The Scarlets, The Black Satins, The Restless Hearts and The Five Satins.

Steve Propes has been a longtime supporter of the NAMM Oral History program and sat down with us to discuss his views on the development of R&B, doo wop and rock and roll. As a long time radio personality in Southern California and author, Steve has become a music historian with a focus on record collecting. His interesting career, which included teaching music appreciation at the local college, also gave him the opportunity to interview several of his musical heroes. For his radio program, Steve interviewed early music pioneers such as Big Joe Turner, Lowell Fulson and Richar