The Impalas

The Impalas, an American doo-wop group, formed in 1958 in Brooklyn, New York. The original members were Tony Carlucci, Lenny Renda, and Richard Wagner, who began as street musicians. Joe "Speedo" Frazier joined later that year, becoming the lead singer and prompting the group to adopt the name The Impalas, inspired by a popular Chevrolet model. Their first single, "I Was a Fool" / "First Date", was released in late 1958 to little fanfare. The group then decided to collaborate with songwriters Ardie Swern and Harry Giosasi, who penned "Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)" and "Fool, Fool, Fool". Produced by Cub Records, "Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home)" was released in February 1959 and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, spending 18 weeks on the chart. It eventually earned a gold certification. Their one and only album The Impalas – Sorry (I Ran All the Way Home) followed in the summer of 1959. Subsequent singles, including "Oh What a Fool", enjoyed modest success. The group disbanded in 1963 but reunited briefly for an oldies tour in 1980. Joe "Speedo" Frazier passed away on 1 April 2014 at the age of 70.

Please enable Javascript to view this page competely.