The Marcels, the American doo-wop group known for turning popular songs into rock and roll, died on March 29, 2026.
Formed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1959, the group signed to Colpix Records with lead Cornelius Harp, bass Fred Johnson, Gene Bricker, Ron Mundy, and Richard Knauss. Named for the marcel wave hairstyle, the group is best known for its 1961 cover of “Blue Moon,” which sold more than one million copies, earned a gold disc, and reached No.
1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. Their later recordings “Heartaches” and “My Melancholy Baby” were also released in the United States.
The Marcels were an American doo-wop group known for turning popular music songs into rock and roll. The group formed in 1959 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and signed to Colpix Records with lead Cornelius Harp, bass Fred Johnson, Gene Bricker, Ron Mundy, and Richard Knauss. The group was named after a popular hair style of the day, the marcel wave, by Fred Johnson’s younger sister Priscilla.