R.I.P.: David-Troy Somerville Of The Diamonds

David Somerville

Co-founder and lead singer of '50s rock 'n' roll band The Diamonds' David-Troy Somerville has died in Santa Barbara, California.

Canada-native Somerville passed away on Tuesday following a battle with cancer. He was 81.

He co-founded rock 'n' roll band The Diamonds in 1953 with members of a vocal group who were waiting to audition for a talent show, and became their coach before assuming the role of lead singer.

Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, The Diamonds scored 16 hit singles on the US Billboard charts, including popular tracks "Silhouettes", "The Stroll", and "Little Darlin", which was the third best-selling song in America in 1958, just behind Pat Boone's "Love Letters in the Sand" and Elvis Presley's classic "All Shook Up".


In 1961, Somerville quit The Diamonds to focus on a solo career under the name David Troy.

He also had a brief stint in a new group called The Four Preps.

Somerville has been honored by five different music halls of fame - the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Doo Wop Music Hall of Fame, Vocal Group Hall of Fame, Doo Wop Hall of Fame of America and Rockabilly Hall of Fame.