November 29, 2023

Joey Dee & The Starliters: Twisting Away the '60s

52 minutes

Joey Dee and the Starliters were a hot act in 1962 with the hit “Peppermint Twist.” — The Beatles opened for them and Dee helped out a young Jimi Hendrix.

Joey Dee with his group, The Starliters, helped launch the "Twist" craze in 1961 with their hit song "The Peppermint Twist". Joey is often billed as “The Godfather of The Twist.”

Joey Dee started out wanting to be a history teacher. Every cent he made as a teenage Bandleader went into his studies. But bookings for his band grew and Joey decided to make music his profession. In 1958 Joey recruited David Brigati for the band and the two began to share lead vocal honours for the Starliters.

In 1960, the Starliters were noticed by an agent while performing at a New Jersey nightclub and they were booked to appear at a small venue on 45th Street in New York City called the Peppermint Lounge for what was supposed to be a one-time weekend gig. During their first appearance at the nightclub, actress Merle Oberon and Prince Serge Oblinski danced the night away together there and this was reported the next morning in the press. The following night, it took barricades and mounted police to keep the crowds in line. Celebrities like Judy Garland, John Wayne, Jackie Kennedy, Nat

"King" Cole, Shirley MacLaine, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, and Liberace instantly became regular guests.

Joey and the guys (actor Joe Pesci and Jimi Hendrix were

both band members for a while) were such a sensation that they became the house band for the Peppermint Lounge for over a year. Joey wrote "Peppermint Twist," as a tribute to the lounge and the song shot to #1 in early 1962.

Joey Dee and the Starliters filmed the movie Hey, Let's

Twist which capitalised on the current twist craze and made the once-obscure Peppermint Lounge world famous.

In 1962, Joey Dee and the Starliters starred in their second

film. The following year Joey Dee recorded an album with the Ronettes as his backup group. The Starliters toured Europe, performing one extraordinary night in Stockholm with The Beatles as their opening act. In 1964.

Joey Dee toured with various Starliters, including future Young Rascals Gene Cornish, Felix Cavaliere, and David's brother, Eddie Brigati.

Joey Dee continued to record and issue solo recordings from the

mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. Today Joey Dee and the Starliters consists of Joey sometimes performing with Bob Valli (brother of Frankie Valli) and original Starliter David Brigati. Joey continues to travel and make personal appearances with various Starliters.

Joey Dee joins us this week to share his incredible story.

If you'd like to know more about Joey Dee, head for his website https://joeydee.com/ and grab yourself a copy of his book, Peppermint Twist Chronicles It's Joey's story of sex, rock and roll, Jimi Hendrix, Fighting Racism and The Mob. A tell all about the Beatles, the FBI, Joe Pesci and Dick Clark.

If you'd like to get in touch with me - comments, feedback or suggestions for future guests, please reach out through my website https://www.abreathoffreshair.com.au

I hope you enjoy Joey Dee's story.

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By Sandy Kaye

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