The Rollers Radio

The Rollers -- Al Wilson, Eddie Wilson, Don Sampson, and Willie Willingham -- disbanded after three Liberty records singles in 1961. Initially the Jewels, the quartet formed in San Bernadino, CA, after Al Wilson got out of the Navy. "Bonneville" b/w "Got My Eye on You," released January of 1961, got played locally. A March release, "The Continental Walk" sold well in quite a few locales, but it stalled at number 80 on Billboard's survey. Bad blood developed over royalties, and the Liberty situation was souring. A third single, the poor-selling "The Teenage Waltz" b/w "The Bounce" gave no cause for celebration so they disbanded. Sampson joined the Incredibles in 1968; Eddie Wilson left secular for gospel music; and Willingham left the business period. The late Al Wilson sang with Johnny Harris & the Statesmen in the mid-'60s but enjoyed notoriety as a solo artist, scoring a number one hit with "Show and Tell" and charting with "The Snake" and "I Got a Feeling." ~ Andrew Hamilton