THE MANHATTANS
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The story reaches back to Jersey City, NJ and the graduating class that included Edward” Sonny” Bivins (Lincoln high, Richard” Ricky” Taylor (Snyder High), Winfred ”Blue” Lovett (Lincoln High), George “Smitty” Smith (Snyder High) & Kenneth” Wally” Kelley (Lincoln High). They all enlisted into different Branches of the Armed Forces. Sonny, Richard, & Blue were scattered at US Air Force Bases in West Germany. Smitty served at an Air Force base in California, and Kenny Joined the Navy. When the paths of the first three men crossed in Germany, they promised to get together after the service and pursue their music, likewise Smitty & Kenny were always part of the group.
The story reaches back to Jersey City, NJ and the graduating class that included Edward” Sonny” Bivins (Lincoln high, Richard” Ricky” Taylor (Snyder High), Winfred ”Blue” Lovett (Lincoln High), George “Smitty” Smith (Snyder High) & Kenneth” Wally” Kelley (Lincoln High). They all enlisted into different Branches of the Armed Forces. Sonny, Richard, & Blue were scattered at US Air Force Bases in West Germany. Smitty served at an Air Force base in California, and Kenny Joined the Navy. When the paths of the first three men crossed in Germany, they promised to get together after the service and pursue their music, likewise Smitty & Kenny were always part of the
group. Back home after their various service stints, they started singing together almost immediately. They took their name, not from the borough of New York as it is noted, but from the popular drink of whiskey, vermouth, and bitters. Nevertheless, the name stuck and the Manhattans would always be associated with the big city. Their big break came in 1964, when they won third prize at the Apollo Theater Amateur Night Contest. They were spotted by Joe Evans, a former alto sax player in the Motown touring Orchestra. He had just started Carnival Records. He signed the Manhattans on August 15, 1964 (Which they regard as their true anniversary date) and their first release was aptly titled, “For The Very First Time”, a local NYC hit that year, along with “There Goes A Fool”.