BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY : AFRICAN AMERICA SHIRLEY OWENS " IS AN AMERICAN SOUL SINGER WHO WAS THE LEAD MEMBER OF THE HIT SINGING GROUP THE SHIRELLES : GOES INTO THE " HALL OG BLACK GENIUS "

           BLACK    SOCIAL   HISTORY                                                                                                                  

Shirley Owens

BLACK              SOCIAL              HISTORY

Shirley Alston Reeves
Background information
Born	June 10, 1941 (age 73) Henderson, North Carolina,United States
Origin	Passaic, New Jersey
Genres	R&B, pop, soul
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1958–present
Labels	Decca, Scepter, Bell, RCA,Prodigal

Shirley Alston Reeves (born Shirley Owens June 10, 1941, Henderson, North Carolina) is an American soul singer who was the lead member of the hit singing group the Shirelles. In addition to Owens, the Shirelles consisted of classmates of hers from PassaicHigh School, New Jersey: Addie "Micki" Harris, Doris Kenner Jackson, and Beverly Lee. Through marriages, she became Shirley Alston and later, Shirley Alston Reeves. Her strong, distinctive voice meant that she was the natural choice for their main lead singer, though Jackson was also featured as lead on several songs as well.

Reeves enjoyed a string of hits with the Shirelles throughout the 1960s. She left the Shirelles in 1975 to begin a solo career, initially recording under the name "Lady Rose". That same year, she recorded an album entitled With A Little Help From My Friends, after the hit song by the Beatles, which featured members of the Flamingos, the Drifters, Shep and the Limelites, the Five Satins, the Belmonts, Danny & the Juniors, Herman's Hermits and La La Brooks of the Crystals.^[1]

The Shirelles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.^[2] She also performed on the Doo Wop 51 PBS special in 2000.