Joe “Speedo” Frazier (5 September 1943 - 1 April 2014) was born in New York City and is best known as the lead singer and only black member of the Impalas, a vocal quartet from Brooklyn who are best remembered for their 1959 hit "Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home)".
The Impalas were formed in 1958 by Tony Carlucci (first tenor), Richard Wagner (baritone) and Lenny Renda (second tenor). They took the name from the gazelle-like African animal, not the latest model in General Motors' line of autos. They began practicing in the back room of a candy store and on local street corners, where they were heard by Joe Frazier, who called himself Speedo. His offer to help their harmonies turned into a full-fledged front-running spot with the group. They issued a song called "First Date" on the small Hamilton label, which went unnoticed.
One evening their street-corner singing attracted the attention of Artie Zwirn and Aristides Giosasi (Gino of the act Gino and Gina, "Pretty Baby", # 20, 1958), who liked their sound and also had an original song called "Sorry, I Ran All The Way Home". In early 1959 an introduction to Alan Freed led to an MGM audition and a record deal with MGM's Cub subsidiary. "Sorry" became a # 2 hit single on the pop charts and peaked at # 14 R&B. It managed to make it to the UK at # 28 in the summer of 1959. The famous "uh-oh" at the beginning of the record was not intended, but a knee-jerk utterance by Speedo acknowledging that he had missed the cue given by Leroy Holmes, the arranger and conductor of the session. The A&R man said to leave it in there, so the "uh-oh" was repeated on the next take.
By the mid spring "Sorry" is one of the top sellers in the country. In May, The Impalas appear at a big benefit concert in Detroit presented by WJBK radio. In June the group goes back into the studio and records a follow up to their smash hit. The result is "Oh What A Fool" also penned by Zwirn and Giosasi, which had 100,000 advance sales. This led Cub to believe that no promotion was necessary and the single was given only the slightest exposure. A big mistake : the record died at # 86. By August Cub issues a LP album by The Impalas to capitalize of "Sorry".
In October Cub Records releases the newest effort by the group with "Bye Bye Everybody" and "Peggy Darling". In November the group appears at a MGM Records promotional tie in with the F.W. Woolworth chain of stores celebrating their long time presence in the Times Square area of New York City. That month The Impalas do a television spot with Clay Cole in New York. Reports in the trade press claim that "Peggy Darling" is selling well in Chicago and Gary, Indiana. However the record does not break nationally and there were no further hits.
After a final single for 20th Century in 1961, the Impalas hit the pavement. After that the group reformed at sporadic times through the sixties, and only recorded one more single for Red Boy Records in 1966. Of the originals, Richard Wagner became a phone company lineman in New Mexico, Lenny Renda became a New York City cop, and Tony Carlucci dropped out of sight. "Speedo" Frazier went on to sing with Love's Own in 1973. In 1980, he resurrected the Impalas as a touring act who also issued a single, "My Hero" on UGHA in 1982.”
Joe "Speedo" Frazier died on April 1, 2014, at the age of 70.
(Edited from This Is My Story & the doo-wop blog)