Dean Barlow

Much hoopla has been made about Buddy Holly & the Crickets winning over the black audience at the Apollo in Harlem, but many roots rock fans aren't aware that the venue actually thought it had booked Dean Barlow & the Crickets, a popular doo wop group of the era. Dean Barlow, originally named Grover Barlow, was the one constant through several different versions of the Crickets. He also sang in several other groups and attempted a solo career with a series of singles on the Jay Dee label. Label proprietor Joe Davis was a strong supporter of Barlow, hiring recording engineers t...