Who was/is Dixiebelles ? - CDs, Vinyl LPs, DVD and more

The Memphis-based Dixie Belles enjoyed a brief moment in the spotlight in 1963 when they achieved a top ten pop hit with their first single "(Down At) Papa Joe's". With "Southtown U.S.A." they also had a top 20 follow-up hit. Mary Hunt, Mildred Pratcher and Shirley Thomas had previously worked as background singers in the South, but their career did not begin until 1963 when they met producer Bill Justis, the man behind the boards of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis in the 1950s. Justis even had his own degree of success with the instrumental hit "Raunchy". Fred Foster, president of Monument Records, signed Justis and his protégés with his label and chose the unusual"(Down At) Papa Joe's" for their first single, which began with the girls laughing uncontrollably to the sound of the Dixieland piano and going to an ode to an old salon where "they serve fried chicken and cabbage green". The song proved very popular, climbed to number nine on the pop charts and even provided for a sonic successor, "Southtown U.S.A.", which climbed into the top 20.

An album produced by Bill Justis called (Down At) Papa Joe's (engineered by Billy Sherrill) was quickly released. This was followed by the third single of the Dixie Belles, which followed the style of their two predecessors. The Dixie Belles were dropped by Monument and no more singles followed. The group probably went separate ways and it is not known if they ever joined to a tour.

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