Since the early 1960s, doo-wop has remained a white regional ethnic genre within a subculture. Non-blacks have taken the sound of the rhythm and blues vocal group and made it their own. Almost every old show featuring groups from the 1950s has a majority of white fans. Very few African Americans are represented in the audience. Why, then, the attraction to the sound of the rhythm and blues group on the part of whites? What is it about non-blacks that draws them to this style of music?
Perhaps most obviously, many people grew up with the group’s sound as they grew and developed. The vast majority of those who appreciate this style of music live in and around the corridor that stretches from Boston to the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia area. Nationally, it has yet to capture the hearts and minds of the majority of people. It has remained a basically autonomous musical expression, within a small group of aficionados of vocal groups. In other words, it has remained a regional subcultural cottage industry.
In the early 1960s, most young African-Americans felt that the 1950s-style group sound of Rhythm and Blues was not relevant. Non-blacks realized their rejection of the group’s sound and made it their own. The white and ethnic community saw something that the blacks didn’t, they saw something worth preserving. Thus, the beginning of the sound a cappella street corner commercial of the 60s, the development of oldies radio programming and the beginning of the reissue of old recordings of vocal groups.
What does the future hold for the doo-wop style of music? It sounds like it will basically remain a regional sound if it continues the way it’s going. It will continue down this path, unless there is a paradigm shift within the vocal group community. If doo-wop is to survive, it must move away from the regional centric mentality. It must show the public that the vocal group harmony style of music is meaningful, uplifting and worthy of going beyond its borders.
