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John “Wopp” Mina - Rich “Richie” Beattie - Tom “Cool T” Welter - Billy “Billy D” Louth - Tom “T-Bone” Hoffay - Alan Gilbert
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John “Wopp” Mina
Dr.
John "Wopp" Mina started singing doo-wop in 1973 with his first group
"Johnny Crash and the Hot Rods". Since then he has been in a number of
groups including The "Uptown Express". In 1991 he, along
with "Richie" Beattie, put together "Brylcream" and has been directing
the group ever since.
"Wopp"
does many of the original arrangements regularly performed by
Brylcream. The two original songs recorded by Brylcream,
"Rockin' the Neighborhood" and "Ready to Go", were written by John Mina
and Roy Schelper.
In addition to singing doo-wop, John Mina is a podiatrist, has five
children, does community theatre, is a Rotarian, and a published science fiction author.
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Rich “Richie” Beattie
Richie
began his professional singing career as a member of the Columbus
Boychoir (now the American Boychoir) of Princeton, NJ back in the 70s
when he was able to sing in places such as Radio City Music Hall,
Carnegie Hall, and at the Vatican for Pope Paul VI.
He
continued singing in different groups throughout high school and
college. But it wasn't until after moving to SW FL
that he began singing in earnest. First with the Ft Myers
Barbershop Chorus and later with Uptown Express where he met John
"Wopp" Mina.
After one year with Uptown Express, Wopp and Richie broke off and started Brylcream. He has 4 daughters and has been singing with Brylcream since it's inception in 1992.
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Tom “Cool T” Welter
Tom
“Cool T” Welter took up Barbershop singing in ‘91, then joined up with Richie
and Wopp to help form Brylcream in 1992. Soon after, Tom also joined “Gully”
and “Greasy Lou” to form a 50s/60s Rock and Roll group called Camuflage
which occasionally takes it’s place as backup group for Brylcream.
Currently,
“Cool T” is married with three daughters.
A resident
of Cape Coral, Florida, Cool T can be found most monday nights at the
Rotino Senior Center / Cape Coral Yacht Club area singing with the Cape
Coral Barbershop Singers.
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Bill “Billy D” Louth
Billy
grew up in the Motor City and has performed with such notables
as Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles,
and Nathanial Mayer (“Village of Love”). He was also in a back
up group for Freddie “Boom Boom” Cannon (Way Down Yonder In
New Orleans and Palisades Park).
Billy left
the waning Doo Wop scene in the 1960 only to return in the mid ‘90s to
reviving the Doo Wop genere with Brylcream.
Recently, Billy
has also had the priveledge of traveling with the current “Crests” and
has performed in locations along the eastern US as well as the Carribean.
On of his most memorable “gigs” was when “The Crests” and “Johnny Maestro
and the Brooklyn Bridge” were featured on a 50s/60s Carnival Cruise.
Billy currently
sings second tenor and performs lead on many Brylcream songs.
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Tom “T-Bone” Hoffay
As a young boy, growing up in a rural area of New York State, T-Bone sang in minstrel shows and County Fairs. Moved to Florida in 2002 and performed in various establishments before auditioning and becoming a member of Brylcream in 2004.
T-Bone’s deep bass voice has become a staple to the group’s energetic and popular performances.
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Alan Gilbert
Alan Gilbert rolled off the line in 1956 in NY. Raised North and South of the Mason Dixon Line, he began his doo-wop career with "Greasy Joe and the Surfboards" in Ridgewood New Jersey. Since his early days, Alan has rocked his way from New Hampshire to Florida where he now resides with his wife and five of his seven children.
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Other
notables who lend a hand in bringing Brylcream to the center
stage are the talents of Gary “G Man” Groneman, Jay Bronx,
and on occasion, local radio ledgend, Dr. Doo Wop who occasionally
MC’s local Brylcream appearances and other local Doo Wop and
Rock and Roll groups around Southwest Florida.
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FL |
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