Rock Music News: The Lady Birds Sweets for My Sweet / Why Must I Be Lonely on M.P.I. (2024)

The Lady Birds came from Fullerton in Orange County, CA. Members were: Lois White – lead guitar Marilyn Read – rhythm guitar Sharon Acree – bass Dede Bagby – drums From a comment by Marilyn Read on my Wickwire discography, this is the same Lady Birds who made the 1964 single on Wickwire 45-13010, “A … Continue reading The Lady Birds “Sweets for My Sweet” / “Why Must I Be Lonely” on M.P.I. →

The Lady Birds came from Fullerton in Orange County, CA. Members were: Lois White – lead guitar Marilyn Read – rhythm guitar Sharon Acree – bass Dede Bagby – drums From a comment by Marilyn Read on my Wickwire discography, this is the same Lady Birds who made the 1964 single on Wickwire 45-13010, “A … Continue reading The Lady Birds “Sweets for My Sweet” / “Why Must I Be Lonely” on M.P.I. →

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Jun 2, 2023 - 22:00
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The Lady Birds Sweets for My Sweet / Why Must I Be Lonely on M.P.I.

The Lady Birds featured in the Los Angeles Times, December 13, 1964
The Lady Birds came from Fullerton in Orange County, CA. Members were:

Lois White – lead guitar Marilyn Read – rhythm guitar Sharon Acree – bass Dede Bagby – drums

From a comment by Marilyn Read on my Wickwire discography, this is the same Lady Birds who made the 1964 single on Wickwire 45-13010, “A Girl Without a Boy” / “To Know Him Is to Love Him”.

The Lady Birds cut this version of “Sweets for My Sweet” backed with an original by Marilynn Read [sic] “Why Must I Be Lonely”, released on M.P.I. 45-6501/45-6502 circa 1965. “H” stamped into the runout indicates a pressing from RCA’s Hollywood plant.

Ralph Hinds produced the record. Dodson – Heumann, two names I’m not familiar with, did the arrangements. Dorothy Music Publ. Co. published Marilyn Read’s original song.

The Los Angeles Times featured a photo and article on the group on December 13, 1964.

The article quotes Miss Sybl Acree “adviser to the group” who wrote to Mrs. Lyndon Johnson asking permission to use the name Lady Bird for the group and received a reply from Bess Abell, social secretary for the White House.

“How flattered she (Mrs. Johnson) was to learn of the name you chose for your group. Mrs. Johnson’s name is in the public domain and for this reason you may name your group the Lady-Birds. The White House, however, does not officially grant this permission.

“Please know you have Mrs. Johnson’s best wishes for much success in your endeavor.”

The combo is made up of Lois White, 18, lead guitar, a graduate last June from Glendora High School; Marilyn Read, 17, rhythm guitar, senion at Fullerton Union Hight School; Sharon Acree, 14, bass, 8th grade student at Fullerton’s Nicolas Junior High School; and Dede Bagby, 18, drums, sophomore at Fullerton Junior College.

Vern Acree of Fullerton, father of Sharon, and Jim White of Azusa are co-managers of the foursome…

Their first album, “Come Fly With Us,” will be released soon, according to Acree.

Next date in the county for the quartet is Dec. 19 when they will perform for the Fullerton Teen Center’s annual Christmas event.

The group continued at least into 1966. On September 6, 1966, the Van Nuys News ran a photo of Sharon Acree with national guardsmen from Camp Roberts where the Lady Birds performed with Johnny Rivers, “who is private in Headquarters Company of Division’s 2nd Battalion.”

Sharon Acree would join her brother Dirk Acree in the Heathens, who backed John English III on his great single on Sabra (probably before Sharon was in the group).

The great Hollywood a Go Go site has more photos of the Lady Birds.

This was not the Ladybirds trio from the UK who had a 1964 US 45 on Atco, “Lady Bird” / “Memories; and definitely NOT the Ladybirds from New Jersey that played topless at the Blue Bunny Club in Hollywood, and other locations.

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