Well folks, I'm old enought and I still love the stuff. I heard an interview last year of Dion(one of my early heros)on NPR and in it, as I recall, he stated that the main influences for doo wop - at least his version of it - was big band and rhythm & blues. He went on to state that the guys hanging around didn't have all the instruments to play so their voices became the instruments and they sang the parts rather than playing them. Makes sense to me, but then, what do I know?

Oh, by the way, I heard up in Detroit years ago that "doo wop" got it's name from an incident in the Bronx one night back in the fifties when some New York gang jumped four Italian guys because they were from Philly and treadin' their turf. The gang was gonna cut 'em up if they didn't give over their bucks and stuff. In the process one of the gang members told the leader to go easy on them cause he had heard them sing a few days ago and they were pretty good. Well, the gang leader told the Italian lads they had sing and if he thinks that they're any good he'll let them go. Well, as the story goes, being scared they just stood there like deer in the headlights and did nothing until another gang member jumped up with a switchblade gleaming in his hand, put it to the chest of one of the Italians and said, "Do as he said - do Wop." Well, they sang; and they walked - the rest is history. Cheers.