Pookie Hudson

Pookie Hudson towered among the premier talents of the doo wop era -- the longtime lead singer of the Spaniels, he also wrote their genre-defining 1954 classic "Goodnight Sweetheart, Goodnight." Born Thornton James Hudson in Des Moines, IA, on June 11, 1934, Hudson spent the vast majority of his childhood in Gary, IN, earning the nickname "Pookie" from a doting aunt. His colorful family also included cousins Josephine Baker and Thomas "Fats" Waller, both occasional visitors to the Hudson home. While in high school he co-founded the R&B vocal group the Hudsonaires, renamed the ...