Donald Drowty (born 5 October 1938*) is a singer, songwriter and producer who is better known as Dante of Dante & The Evergreens.
Drowty was born Chesterton, Indiana, about 15 miles east of Gary. Growing up with an alcoholic father was a difficult experience and one that would shape his later endeavors. In 1946 the family moved to Santa Monica where the youngster later attended University High and Santa Monica High. It was during these years that Drowty formed the associations that led to his hit record. The Pastels were formed at the College in 1959, they were a trio which showcased the singing talents of Donald “Dante” Drowty, Frank Rosenthal, and Bill Young.
Befriended by Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean, the group was brought to the attention of Jan & Dean's managers Herb Alpert and Lou Adler, who signed them to a management deal. Torrence and producer Kim Fowley thought they needed an extra voice to improve their harmonies and added singer/guitarist Wally Moon.The group worked with singer Aki Aleong, backing him up on several records. In 1960 Torrence put them together with producers Herb Alpert and Lou Adler, who asked them to do a cover of a novelty song, "Alley Oop". As there was another group named The Pastels at the time, they changed their name to Dante and the Evergreens, and the song was recorded and released in just three days on the independent Madison label.
Unable to match the song's success, the group became increasingly frustrated. When Rosenthal became ill in 1964, and the quartet was unable to tour for six months, the four vocalists went their separate ways. Rosenthal returned to college on an athletic scholarship, while Young was unsuccessful in his attempts to break into movies or music as a soloist. Moon went on to become a highly respected arranger, writer, and producer in Nashville.
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| The Evergreens with Merv Griffin |
Drowty continued to record with Dante & His Friends, a group that featured members of the Rivingtons. One tune recorded by the group, "Little Girl (You're My Miss America)," was covered by the Beach Boys on their 1962 Surfin' Safari album. Dante then did a recording for Phillips under the name Emerald City Bandits. He says he recorded many songs under other names but declined to elaborate. His final release teamed him back up with Alpert, this time on the latter's A&M label, for a remake of the Cadillacs'“Speedo.”
Latest news - Drowty is residing in the small Northern California town of Paradise. According to his facebook page, due to heart problems he had a pacemaker installed in September 2021 and although in poorly health still continuing his charity work.
(Edited from AllMusic bio by Craig Harris, IMDb, Discogs & Top Shelf Oldies) (*other source gives 1939 as birth year)