Sorry for the empty space above, folks - someday I'll get this right!
Doo-wop is some of my most faviorite stuff. I was a tiny kid when it was a major player in pop music so by the time I became a musician myself it was long gone and I didn't get to play it - until I got to Texas. I came to Texas from Detroit in the late 70's; and, in the early 80's answered an ad in the Dallas Times Herald for a drummer to play in a 50's rock-n-roll show band.

Well, I showed up with my kit and found a seven-piece band with three "chick" singers and everyone except me in their late teens and early twenties. They were learning the songs off of the original records - a definite cover band. The lead singer turned to me and asked if I'd ever heard of a song called "Pretty Little Angel Eyes"
and I almost flipped out with excitement. He never asked again, he just turned and said, "Little Darlin'," "Duke Of Earl," "Step By Step," etc. I knew 'em all - all the licks and all the kicks. The
gig lasted about two years and it was a hell of a lot of fun.

Dion was interviewed on the NPR show, "Fresh Air" a while back and he explained how all of the individual voices of the Belmonts took the place of what would have been different instruments or sections of a big band - which was a lot of the music that preceeded Doo-wop.

As for who was the best, WOW, so many, many good ones; but, if I HAD to pick I'd have to go with Johnny Maestro and whaterver band he is singing with on whatever song you pick. He has a GREAT rock-n-roll voice to this day.

I still love the stuff, but you gotta make a living - so now I'm a
folkie (always where my heart's been) who's an ex-drummer - with great rhythm. Cheers, y'all.