R.I.P.: Marshall Sewell of The Edsels

Marshall Sewell

Marshall Sewell, bass vocalists of the Doo Wop band, The Edsels has passed away in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, according to Cashbox Canada. 

The Edsels were active during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The name of the group was originally The Essos, after the oil company, but was changed to match the then-new Ford automobile, the Edsel.

The Edsels recorded over 25 songs and had multiple performances on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. The Edsels were one of the few doo wop groups to sign with a major record label, as most groups of that era found success with small independent labels. Before their national hit "Rama Lama Ding Dong," songs like "What Brought Us Together," "Bone Shaker Joe," and "Do You Love Me" helped the group land a major recording contract with Capitol Records in 1961.

Today, the group is known almost exclusively for their song, "Rama Lama Ding Dong."   The song did not become popular until 1961, after a disc jockey in New York City began to play it as a segue from The Marcels doo wop version of "Blue Moon." The song eventually became popular throughout the USA, topping the Cashbox Charts in the Top Ten.

A little known fact was that Marshall Sewell was with the Cleveland Police Force, retiring after 32 years of outstanding service. Marshall continued to sing and perform for over 50 years and performed on their memorable hit "Rama Lama Ding Dong”.