(January 14, 2022) The sad news was posted today on the Facebook page of the legendary doo wop group Fred Parris and the Five Satins:
Sadly the music world lost one of the greats yesterday as Fred Parris passed away after a brief illness.
Fred’s classic song ‘In the Still of the Night’ has been recognized as one of the greatest love songs of all time and the number one requested song of the doo-wop era. Fred also wrote several other classic songs and his gorgeous voice enthralled audiences world-wide for decades.
The Five Satins family is devastated by this loss but appreciative of having shared Fred’s music with thousands of fans and friends.
Future plans for services will be posted as they become available.
Rest in peace Maestro Fred Parris.
Fred Parris formed The Five Satins in 1954 in New Haven, Connecticut and soon recorded what would become the group’s signature song, “In The Still of the Night,” with members Al Denby, Ed Martin, Jim Freeman and Nat Mosley. It shot to the top of the charts, and set up a string of modest follow up hits in the late 50s, including “To The Aisle” and “Shadows.”
Parris had committed to join the Army, and so had little time to celebrate the success of “In The Still of the Night.” He left the group during his commitment, but return with a new set of groupmates and began recording again on a number of small record labels. By the mid-60s The Five Satins was largely a regional act, but one that worked regularly, with Parris being the one constant in rotating set of group members.
Performing largely on the oldies circuit through the 70s, The Five Satins caught a break in the early 1980s, as they jumped on the song medley craze of the era, combined with the 50s sensation caused by the television shows Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley. Parris signed with Elektra Recordsand created a 50s doo wop medley song called “Memories of Days Gone By.” It became a moderate hit and a new life for Parris’s group, both on record and on tour..
Fred Parris and the Five Satins continued to perform for the next several decades, finding welcoming audiences in multi-act nostalgia shows, festivals and cruises. And he remained a crowd favorite through his untimely passing.
By Chris Rizik