Joe Bennett

Joe Bennett and the Sparkletones was a teenage rock 'n roll group from Spartanburg, SC, consisting of Joe Bennett (lead vocals lead guitar), Howard Childress (vocal, guitar), Wayne Arthur (vocal, bass), and Jimmy Denton (drums), that charted Billboard with a number 17 pop hit in 1957 with "Black Slacks." Joe Bennett and The Sparkletones were a remarkable group of teenagers who wrote and played almost all their own material in the late '50s. They

was a teenage rock 'n roll group
from Spartanburg, SC,
consisting of Joe Bennett (lead
vocals lead guitar), Howard
Childress (vocal, guitar), Wayne
Arthur (vocal, bass), and Jimmy
Denton (drums), that charted
Billboard with a number 17 pop
hit in 1957 with "Black Slacks."

Joe Bennett and The Sparkletones
were a remarkable group of
teenagers who wrote and
played almost all their own
material in the late '50s. They
scored only a few hits -- the
most successful of which was
"Black Slacks," with "Penny
Loafers and Bobby Socks"
charting Billboard in 1957.

Some Sparkletones appearances
included, Ted Mack?s Original
Amateur Hour, twice on the Ed
Sullivan Show,
Nat King Cole Show, twice on
Dick Clark's American
Bandstand as the Sparkletones,
and one appearance with just
Joe Bennett, twice on the Alan
Freed Show. During a 13 week
show at the Royal Nevada Hotel
in Las Vegas, Nevada, the
Sparkletones were pleasantly
surprised with a visit from Elvis
at their concert and a personal
visit and photo session with
Elvis in their dressing room
after their performance.

Joe Bennett and the Sparkletones
toured for about three years and
disbanded in October 1960.