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The Dixie Cups originally consisted of sisters Barbara and Rosa Hawkins
with their cousin, Joan Johnson. They were pursuing a singing career in their native New Orleans under the name The
Meltones. Singer/entertainer Joe Jones ("You Talk Too Much"), who discovered the girls at a talent show, brought
the trio to songwriter-producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller at New York's Brill Building. Leiber and Stoller, liking what they heard, decided to sign the girls to a
recording contract - and, with the decision having been made to start a new label to launch the new group, Red
Bird Records was born. The powerhouse songwriting team of Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, who'd been working with Leiber and Stoller, joined Red
Bird as composers/producers.
"Chapel of
Love," written by Barry and Greenwich with Phil Spector, had previously been recorded by The Ronettes and The Crystals, but
neither version was released as a single. The girls recorded "Chapel of Love" under their new name, The Dixie Cups
(another name that had been briefly considered for the trio was Little Miss and The Muffets; the moniker decided
upon was a nod to the girls' New Orleans roots). Red Bird partner George Goldner heard The Dixie
Cups' master of "Chapel of Love" and declared it to be a sure-fire hit, so after augmenting the track with a Dixie-flavored
brass section, Leiber and Stoller released "Chapel" which ascended swiftly to #1 in the spring of 1964, knocking The Beatles'
"Love Me Do" out of the top spot and earning the girls their first gold record. Thus The Dixie Cups were the first American
group to "take back" the U.S. Cash Box and Billboard charts from the British Invasion.
The Dixie Cups' next release, "People
Say," garnered a second gold record for the group. Other hits would follow, like "You Should Have Seen the Way
He Looked At Me," "Little Bell," and the delightful chant "Iko Iko," which along with "Chapel of Love" has become the
group's signature tune.
In 1965, The Dixie Cups' manager tried
moving the group to another label, ABC-Paramount. Within a year or two stress from traveling led Joan Johnson
to retire from the group. Barbara and Rosa brought in another alto and continued to tour and entertain.
However, legal problems caused by The Dixie Cups' migration to the new label were enough to stall the trio's career and
cause their records to be dropped from the charts. Despite having a couple of Top Forty hits, the group was unable to
recapture the success they'd enjoyed at Red Bird and their recording career came to a halt.
The Hawkins sisters returned to New
Orleans in the late 60's, a decision fueled by manager problems. Rosa Hawkins found work as a model and also taught
modeling at the Barbizon and John Casablanca Schools. In addition, she worked as a makeup artist for Fashion
Fair Cosmetics and for Revlon. Rosa taught Barbara the makeup business, and Barbara too became a makeup artist, working
for these same companies. They also continued to perform around the world. During the 80's and 90's, thanks largely
to renewed interest in the songs they'd recorded for Red Bird, The Dixie Cups enjoyed a resurgence of popularity. In
2002, The Dixie Cups were Rhythm & Blues Foundation nominees; then, in 2003, the Foundation honored The Dixie Cups with their Pioneer Award.
Today, The Dixie Cups continue to perform
on the concert circuit, thrilling audiences with their pristine harmonies. Current members of the trio are Rosa
and Barbara along with their sister from their Neville Brothers family, Athelgra Neville.
The Dixie Cups are available for both public
and private events. Booking inquiries can be emailed to: thedixiecups@yahoo.com
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