d c blossoms

THIS GROUP STARTED OUT IN 1958 AS THE TROPICALS AND BEGAN PERFORMING IN LOCAL CLUBS. THEY CAME FROM THE DC AREA AND THE MEMBERS ARE 2 SISTERS: JACQUI AND VICKI BURTON AND THEIR 2 LONG TIME FRIENDS JEANETTE TALLEY AND ROBERTA MILLER. IN 1962 CLYDE OTIS THEIR MANAGER SECURED THEM A CONTRACT WITH OKEH RECORDS BUT BEFORE THEIR FIRST VISIT THEY HAD TO HAVE A NAME CHANGE SO THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE BLOSSOMS. THE FOLLOWING MONTH I'M IN LOVE/WHAT MAKES LOVE (OKEH 7162) WAS RELEASED BUT FAILED TO MAKE ANY IMPRESSION SO THE GIRLS WERE RELEASED FROM THEIR CONTRACT. DESPITE DISAPPOINTMENT THE GIRLS HEARD ABOUT SHRINE AND SIGNED UP AS A TRIO (ROBERTA HAD RETIRED DUE TO ILL HEALTH). AGAIN THE GROUP HAD TO CHANGE THEIR NAME AS TO DISTINGUISH THEM FROM DARLENE LOVE'S WEST COAST GROUP SO THE GIRLS BECAME THE DC BLOSSOMS.