The Mello Kings
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Biography
The Mello Kings, formed in 1956 at a highâschool in Mount Vernon, Newâ¯York, comprised brothers Jerry Scholl and Bob Scholl, Eddie Quinn, Neil Arena, and Larry Esposito. Their breakthrough came with the single "Tonite, Tonite" (1957), written by Billy Myles for the Herald label, which remained on the U.S. pop chart for more than ten weeks and established the group as a regional hit. Subsequent releases such as "The Chapel on the Hill" and "Valerie" followed, though only "Valerie" achieved local success. The group appeared in the 1959 film Sweet Beat and later added Anthony Pinto, expanding to a quintet. After the tragic death of lead singer Bob Scholl in 1975, the remaining members continued performing at private events, with Jerry Scholl leading the legacy until his own death in 2019. In 2022, Neil Arena and Ben Stephens published Tonite, Tonite: The Story of the Original Mello Kings, preserving the groupâs history for contemporary audiences.
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