Biography
Shirley & Lee were a New Orleans–born R&B and doo‑wop duo made up of singer Shirley Goodman (born June 19, 1936) and Leonard Lee (born June 29, 1936). Growing up together in New Orleans, they sang in school and church before cutting a demo of Lee’s song “I’m Gone” at Cosimo Matassa’s studio while they were still in high school.[2][5][6] Aladdin Records co‑owner Eddie Mesner heard the tape, tracked them down, and—after persuading Goodman’s initially reluctant, religious grandmother with a $1,000 payment—signed them to the label and had them recut “I’m Gone” with producer Dave Bartholomew.[2][4] Released in late 1952, the single reached No. 2 on Billboard’s R&B National Best Sellers chart in January 1953, immediately establishing the teenage pair, soon nicknamed the “Sweethearts of the Blues.”[2][4] Their contrasting voices—Goodman’s piercing, youthful soprano and Lee’s deeper, more grounded delivery—became their signature, and club owners sometimes stopped serving alcohol during their sets because of their age while they toured as an opening act for Big Mama Thornton, chaperoned by Goodman’s grandmother.[2][4]
Through the mid‑1950s, Shirley & Lee became fixtures of the R&B charts with a string of hits for Aladdin, including “Feel So Good” (No. 2 R&B in 1955) and their biggest song, “Let the Good Times Roll,” which topped the R&B chart and reached No. 20 on the pop chart in 1956; their debut album of the same name followed that year.[2][4] Stylistically, they specialized in conversational, often call‑and‑response exchanges rather than conventional close harmony, spinning a continuing saga of romantic ups and downs that appealed strongly to teenagers and helped define a particular New Orleans‑rooted approach to rock ’n’ roll and doo‑wop.[1][3][4] In 1959 they moved to Warwick Records—where they re‑recorded “Let the Good Times Roll”—and later recorded for Imperial, but they never matched their mid‑’50s peak and ultimately split in 1963, though they briefly reunited for revival concerts in 1972.[2][3][4] Their back‑and‑forth male–female duet style and rhythmic feel influenced early Jamaican ska and reggae productions, and “Let the Good Times Roll” became a durable R&B standard, widely covered and licensed, preserving their legacy as one of the emblematic New Orleans vocal duos of the rock ’n’ roll era.[3][4]
After the breakup, Leonard Lee pursued a solo career with producer Dave Bartholomew on various labels before leaving music in the late 1960s to work as a social worker; he died of a heart attack on October 23, 1976, at age 40.[4][5][6] Shirley Goodman resurfaced in the 1970s when Sylvia Robinson recruited her to front the disco project Shirley & Company; their 1974 single “Shame, Shame, Shame” reached No. 1 on the R&B chart and No. 12 on the pop chart, giving Goodman a second major hit in a new musical era.[3][4][5] She retired from the music business in the late 1970s, later moved to California after a stroke in 1994, and died in Los Angeles on July 5, 2005.[3][4][6] Together and separately, Shirley & Lee bridged early 1950s New Orleans R&B, rock ’n’ roll, and the later dance‑music boom, and their recordings remain touchstones for vocal‑duet and Caribbean‑inflected rhythm traditions.[3][4]
Fun Facts
- Despite being billed and marketed as the “Sweethearts of the Blues,” Shirley Goodman and Leonard Lee were never romantically involved or married; the image was part of a story‑line built through their songs.[2][4]
- When they first started touring as teenagers, venues often stopped serving alcohol while they performed because of their age, and Shirley’s grandmother traveled with them as a strict chaperone.[2][4]
- Shirley & Lee almost never sang in tight harmony; instead, they typically alternated lines in a conversational style, a quirk that later caught the attention of Jamaican producers shaping early ska and reggae.[3]
- Shirley Goodman is one of the few artists to score major hits in both the 1950s rock ’n’ roll/R&B era (“Let the Good Times Roll”) and the 1970s disco era (“Shame, Shame, Shame”).[3][4]
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Dave Bartholomew - New Orleans bandleader, songwriter, and producer who produced their early Aladdin sides, including the hit re‑recording of “I’m Gone,” shaping their sound and arrangements. (Producer on early singles such as “I’m Gone,” and later supported Leonard Lee’s solo releases in the 1960s.) [Early 1950s–mid 1960s]
- Eddie Mesner (Aladdin Records co‑owner) - Label executive who discovered their demo at Cosimo Matassa’s studio, signed them to Aladdin, and initiated their recording career. (Oversaw release of “I’m Gone,” “Feel So Good,” “Let the Good Times Roll,” and other Aladdin recordings.) [Early–late 1950s]
Key Collaborators
- Cosimo Matassa - New Orleans studio owner/engineer where they cut their first demo of “I’m Gone,” a key launching point for the duo. (Original demo of “I’m Gone” and subsequent Aladdin sessions recorded at his studio.) [Early 1950s]
- Big Mama Thornton - Blues singer for whom Shirley & Lee served as an opening act on tour, helping expose them to wider R&B audiences. (Shared bills on touring packages where Shirley & Lee opened Thornton’s shows.) [Mid 1950s]
- The Spiders (vocal group, reportedly) - Provided backing vocals on some recordings, including the hit “Feel So Good,” adding group‑vocal texture behind the duo. (Reported backing vocals on “Feel So Good” and related sessions for Aladdin.) [Mid 1950s]
- Sylvia Robinson / Shirley & Company - Robinson recruited Goodman to front the disco project Shirley & Company, giving her a 1970s comeback with the hit “Shame, Shame, Shame.” (Single “Shame, Shame, Shame” and related Shirley & Company recordings.) [Mid 1970s]
Artists Influenced
- Early ska and reggae artists/producers in Jamaica - Their distinctive male–female call‑and‑response duet style, often sung in alternation rather than harmony, is cited as an influence on early ska and reggae vocal and production approaches. (Influence heard in early Jamaican ska/reggae productions that adopted similar conversational duet structures and rhythmic feels.) [Late 1950s–1960s]
Connection Network
External Links
References
Heard on WWOZ
shirley and lee has been played 1 time on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 8, 2026 | 21:33 | i'm gone. | R&Bw/ Your Cousin Dimitri |