Fred Parris, singer and songwriter of the doo-wop hit 'In the Still of The Night,' has died at 85
Fred Parris was in his late teens and on guard duty at a U.S. Army base in Philadelphia when he wrote the doo-wop standard "In the Still of the Night." He and his band, The Five Satins, recorded it in the basement of St. Bernadette Catholic Church in New Haven, Connecticut, when he and bandmate Al Denby were home on leave in February 1956. "That song changed my life," Parris told the New Haven Register in 2014. Parris died Jan. 13 after a brief illness, his music manager Pat Marafiote told The Associated Press. He was 85.
"In the Still of the Night" sold many millions of copies during periodic reissues and appearances on soundtracks and compilation records, and it charted three times on the Billboard Hot 100 — in 1956, 1960, and 1961. But the it made its first trip to No. 24 on the Hot 100 and No. 3 on the R&B charts, Parris had already returned to active duty in Japan, Billboard reports. "Another singer, Bill Baker, had to take his place at performances until he returned."
The Five Satins and Parris' other bands had minor hits, and Parris toured with a revolving cast of backing singers over several decades. But "In the Still of the Nigh," inspired by thoughts of his girlfriend, was his big hit. Rolling Stone ranked it No. 90 among the 500 greatest songs in 2010.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Because we did it at the church, I think the song was blessed," Parris said of "In the Still of the Night" in an 2013 interview with WJCT in Jacksonville, Florida. "And so was I. It lasted a long, long time."
-
Le Pen back in the dock: the trial that’s shaking FranceIn the Spotlight Appealing her four-year conviction for embezzlement, the Rassemblement National leader faces an uncertain political future, whatever the result
-
The doctors’ strikesThe Explainer Resident doctors working for NHS England are currently voting on whether to go out on strike again this year
-
5 chilling cartoons about increasing ICE aggressionCartoons Artists take on respect for the law, the Fourth Amendment, and more
-
Bob Weir: The Grateful Dead guitarist who kept the hippie flameFeature The fan favorite died at 78
-
Brigitte Bardot: the bombshell who embodied the new FranceFeature The actress retired from cinema at 39, and later become known for animal rights activism and anti-Muslim bigotry
-
‘One Battle After Another’ wins Critics Choice honorsSpeed Read Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, won best picture at the 31st Critics Choice Awards
-
Joanna Trollope: novelist who had a No. 1 bestseller with The Rector’s WifeIn the Spotlight Trollope found fame with intelligent novels about the dramas and dilemmas of modern women
-
Frank Gehry: the architect who made buildings flow like waterFeature The revered building master died at the age of 96
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
R&B singer D’AngeloFeature A reclusive visionary who transformed the genre
