The Sparkletones
- Soundtrack
The Sparkletones are a terrifically talented and dynamic rockabilly
group from Spartanburg, South Carolina. The band was first formed in
1956 at Cowpens High School in Spartanburg; the members when the
Sparkletones first came together ranged between 13 and 16 years old. In
addition, all the members hailed from middle-class families and were
regular churchgoers. The original founding members were: Joe Bennett
(vocals/guitar), Wayne Arthur (double bass), Howard "Sparky" Childress
(guitar), and Jimmy "Sticks" Denton (drums). The group was discovered
by CBS scout Bob Cox after they won first prize at an audition held at
the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium in January, 1957. Cox quit CBS so
he could manage the Sparkletones and had them sign up with the label
ABC-Paramount in New York City. The band scored a substantial hit with
the rousing and delightful "Black Slacks," which peaked at #17 on the
Billboard pop radio charts in October, 1957. Alas, the worthy follow-up
single "Penny Loafers and Bobby Sox" only made it to #42 on the
Billboard charts in early 1958 and a handful of excellent additional
singles didn't even crack the Top 100. Moreover, Childress and Denton
both left the group; they were replaced by Gene Brown and Donnie Seay
respectively. The band eventually broke up in the early 60s. Bennett
continued a career in music as a teacher and publisher, Childress
played country music in the 60s, Seay continued to perform as a
guitarist, Denton went on to run an auto parts store, and Arthur sang
with a gospel choir in his spare time. The Sparkletones have
occasionally reunited for concerts and events in South Carolina.