The Four Lads was a Canadian male singing quartet which, in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, earned many gold singles and albums.
Its million-selling signature tunes include "Moments to Remember";; "Standing on the Corner"; "No, Not Much"; "Who Needs You?"; and "Istanbul".
The Four Lads appeared on many television shows, including The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom (1958); Perry Como's show Perry Presents (1959); Frankie Laine Time (1956); and the award-winning PBS special, Moments to Remember.
The most recent incarnation of the group featured lead tenor Don Farrar, second tenor Aaron Bruce, baritone Alan Sokoloff, and bass singer Frank Busseri.
The original quartet grew up together in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and were members of St. Michael's Choir School, where they learned to sing.
The founding members were Corrado "Connie" Codarini, bass; John Bernard "Bernie" Toorish, tenor; James F. "Jimmy" Arnold, lead; and Frank "Frankie" Busseri, baritone and group manager.
Codarini and Toorish had formed a group with two other St. Michael's students, Rudi Maugeri and John Perkins, who were later to found The Crew-Cuts.
History
The group was known variously as 'The Otnorots' ("Toronto" spelled backwards) and 'The Jordonaires' (not to be confused with  The Jordanaires who sang background vocals on Elvis Presley's hits).
When Maugeri and Perkins left the group to concentrate on their schoolwork, Codarini and Toorish joined with Arnold and Busseri in a new quartet.
At home, they practiced until they achieved their clean-cut harmonies, whether for spirituals, sacred music, or pop.
They originally called themselves 'The Four Dukes', but found out that a Detroit group already used that name, so changed it to The Four Lads.
In 1950, they began to sing in local clubs and soon were noticed by scouts.
Recruited to go to New York, they were noticed there by Mitch Miller, who asked them to do backup for some of the artists he recorded.
One of those artists, Johnnie Ray, became a major hit in 1951 with "Cry" and "The Little White Cloud That Cried", with the Four Lads backing him.
Their first single was "The Mocking Bird" on Columbia's Okeh label (master #ZSP-9710), released in 1952, with "I May Hate Myself in the Morning" (#ZSP-9711) on the B-side.
"The Mocking Bird" was re-recorded for release on the Columbia label twice in subsequent years.
In 1953, they had their first gold record, Retrieved on 26 November 2006.
with "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", which launched them to stardom.
Their most famous hit was 1955's "Moments to Remember", Retrieved on 26 November 2006.; another famous hit was "Standing on the Corner", from the Broadway musical production of The Most Happy Fella, in 1956.
A gospel album with Frankie Laine took them back to their roots and produced the hit single "Rain, Rain, Rain".
Their songs have since appeared on numerous compilation albums and re-issues.
Codarini was replaced in 1962 by Johnny D'Arc (who remained with the Lads until 1982), and Sid Edwards replaced Toorish in the early 1970s.
The group performed regularly with various members until late 2018.
Johnny D'Arc died in 1999, aged 60.
Jimmie Arnold died in 2004, at the age of 72 in Sacramento, California.
Codarini died on April 28, 2010, in Concord, North Carolina, at the age of 80.
Frank Busseri, died in Rancho Mirage, California, on January 28, 2019, at age 86.
Aaron Bruce (Aaron Bruce Grattidge), who was working as a radio DJ between performances, died in Topeka Kansas in August 2020, age 79.
Awards and recognition
In 1984, the Four Lads were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS).Canadian Music Hall of Fame .
Retrieved on 22 February 2009.
They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.
Gold singles
"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" (recorded August 12, 1953)
"Moments to Remember" (recorded June 21, 1955)
"No, Not Much" (recorded November 16, 1955)
"Standing on the Corner" (recorded March 1, 1956)
"Who Needs You?" (recorded October 18, 1956)
Singles discography
Albums
The 4 Lads Stage Show  (1954)
On the Sunny Side (1956)
The Four Lads Sing Frank Loesser  (1957)
The 4 Lads Stage Show  (1957)
Four On The Aisle  (1958)
Greatest Hits  (1958)
The 4 Lads Stage Show  (1958)
Breezin' Along (1958)
Swing Along (1959)
High Spirits  (1959)
Everything Goes!!! (1960)
Love Affair  (1960)
12 Hits (1961)
Dixeland Doin's (1961)
Hits of the 1960's (1962)
Oh Happy Day (1963)
Songs of World War I (1964)
This Year's Top Movie Songs (1964)
Ten Million & Still Counting (1977)
Moments to Remember (1977)
16 Most Requested Songs (1991)
That Great Gettin' Up Mornin' (1995)
The Four Lads (2017)
See also
Canadian rock
Music of Canada
References
External links
The Four Lads home page
'The Four Lads' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
VH1.com page on The Four Lads
Jam!
page on The Four Lads
Moments To Remember: The Four Lads
Biography from the Lakewood (Ohio) Sun-Post
Canadian Encyclopedia article on The Four Lads
MusicianGuide.com page on The Four Lads
