The “Golden Hits Of The 50s” 

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RONALD & RUBY

“LOLLIPOP”

(Beverly “RUBY” Ross, Mus Dixon)

RCA Victor 7174

No. 20    April 14, 1958

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In January 1958, young Beverly  Ross, along  with a  black singing partner of 13 or 14 named Lee Morris,

approached her manager, song plugger Arnold Shaw, later the author of a number of books on pop music

 history.  They performed a catchy song Beverly had penned with Julius Dixon.   Shaw flipped for the tune,

called “Lollipop” and rushed Ronald and Ruby, as the duo would be called, into Associated Recording

Studios. A demo was cut and packed within an hour. Before Shaw could have Lee’s parents sign a recording

contract for the underage lad,  Archic  Bleyer at Cadence  Records  had his Chordettes cover the song.  The

Chordettes were on a trail of hits (“Eddie My Love,” “Born to Be With You”), and their version of “Lollipop”

stole much of the sales and charting action from Beverly and her sidekick.  The Mudlarks, a male/female

British unit, started their career with their near chart-topping cover of “Lollipop.”  Their successive and

successful Top 40 disks included a take on THE MONOTONES’ “Book of Love” and “The Love Game.”

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 “Lollipop” was not Ross’ first shot at success.  Born in 1939, the daughter of a New Jersey chicken farmer,

she moved with her family to New York City while she was in her teens.  Beverly wrote a number of songs

for Bill Haley & His Comets, including “Dim, Dim the Lights.”  Shaw, who became her manager in the mid

’50s, convinced Columbia Records head (and prominent rock-hater) Mitch Miller to record some tune that

his client had penned.

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Despite his scorn for rock and roll, Miller let Ross cut “Stop l.aughiog at Me” b/w”Head-lights,” using full

and hip rock accompaniment, but after generating some initial sparks, the platter sputtered.

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Over the years, Beverly Ross has had substantial success like Lesley Gore (“Judy’s Turn to Cry”), THE

EARLS (“Remember When”), and Roy Orbison (“Candy Man”) recorded her mattrial.  Reportedly,

Bev has owned her own recording studio and is involved in composing for the theater.