Jamie Coe and the Gigolos
Jamie Coe and the GigolosFormerly Georgie Cole and the Marquees
Formerly George Colovas
Formerly George Colovas
"So tell me," said Bobby Darin as he signed an autograph for the little sister of a local singer he'd just been introduced to. "Do you sing as good as you look?"
George Colovas didn't even blink. The frontman of Georgie
Cole & The Marquees was not simply a cocky kid, he was a cocky
Detroit kid.
"I sing better than you do," he replied.
Then he proved it. Marilyn Bond had hustled the unknown local
band a fill-in slot on this teen extravaganza at the Michigan State
Fairgrounds in the spring of 1959 starring Darin, Neil Sedaka,
Jimmy Dean, Roger Smith (of TV's 77 Sunset Strip), Jack Scott
and a cavalcade of others. Georgie Cole & The Marquees only got
one quick song between stars, but they made the most of it. Halfway into their assault on Little Richard's Miss Ann, the singer had been pulled into the hysterical crowd, and the entire stage would've been overrun had not police moved in to restore order.
Bobby Darin
Forty-eight hours later George Colovas was flying to New York
with Bobby Darin. Except that he wasn't George Colovas any
more. He wasn't even Georgie Cole. Bobby Darin's new protege
was Jamie Coe, and Jamie Coe & The Gigolos were about to
become world famous. It was as good as done, Darin assured him.
Jamie Coe & The Gigolos wound up never having any hits at all.
Despite spots on big tours, despite two appearances on American
Bandstand, despite several local smashes that were good enough to have gone all the way, the planets never quite aligned in their favour.
What Del Shannon's great records and Coe & The Gigolos' great live performances say about Michigan rock of the early '60s, however, is almost identical. Teen solo stars may have been the coin of the national realm, but in Detroit, where music meant honest work, bands were still the thing. It was OK to have a pretty boy in front, but the band had 'better be able to back him up.
George Colovas didn't even blink. The frontman of Georgie
Cole & The Marquees was not simply a cocky kid, he was a cocky
Detroit kid.
"I sing better than you do," he replied.
Then he proved it. Marilyn Bond had hustled the unknown local
band a fill-in slot on this teen extravaganza at the Michigan State
Fairgrounds in the spring of 1959 starring Darin, Neil Sedaka,
Jimmy Dean, Roger Smith (of TV's 77 Sunset Strip), Jack Scott
and a cavalcade of others. Georgie Cole & The Marquees only got
one quick song between stars, but they made the most of it. Halfway into their assault on Little Richard's Miss Ann, the singer had been pulled into the hysterical crowd, and the entire stage would've been overrun had not police moved in to restore order.
Bobby Darinwith Bobby Darin. Except that he wasn't George Colovas any
more. He wasn't even Georgie Cole. Bobby Darin's new protege
was Jamie Coe, and Jamie Coe & The Gigolos were about to
become world famous. It was as good as done, Darin assured him.
Jamie Coe & The Gigolos wound up never having any hits at all.
Despite spots on big tours, despite two appearances on American
Bandstand, despite several local smashes that were good enough to have gone all the way, the planets never quite aligned in their favour.
What Del Shannon's great records and Coe & The Gigolos' great live performances say about Michigan rock of the early '60s, however, is almost identical. Teen solo stars may have been the coin of the national realm, but in Detroit, where music meant honest work, bands were still the thing. It was OK to have a pretty boy in front, but the band had 'better be able to back him up.
posted by Leo B at 10:51 AM
2 Comments:
Jamie would not leave the band to pursue a career as a solo artist.
He had a night club in Detroit and later Jamie's on 7 (7 Mile in Livonia). Anybody know what happened to him after that? He sang all of Neil Diamind songs and Dion too.
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