From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Sun Mar 9, 2003  4:00 pm
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Eunice Levy
 
EUNICE LEVY ( Gene & Eunice) (By Phil Davies)

Born Eunice Hazel Russ, 10 March 1931, Texarkana, Texas
Died 26 May 2002, Las Vegas, Nevada

Eunice was born in Texas, later moved to Phoenix Arizona, where she sang
in her father's baptist church. On her 16th birthday she was taken to a show
featuring the Ernie Fields band. Impressed by vocalist Ann Walls, Eunice
decided to become a singer. Her older sister organised a gig for her at her
workplace, the local Elks lodge club. Eunice married local building
contractor Harold Levy soon after. He expected her to become a housewife
whilst Eunice dreamt of singing stardom. This lead to a breakdown in the
relationship, and encouraged by her family, Eunice moved west to follow
her dream.

She entered local dj Hunter Hancock's talent show in LA, she didn't win
but met singer Eugene Forrest (also born in Texas), he was looking for a girl
to sing harmony with his group, the Four Feathers (named after a make of
drink). This changed when they began dating, they then started rehearsing
and writing in Gene's garage. Gene had already been involved with John
Dolphin, the Bihari brothers and fronted Chuck Higgins band on an Aladdin
single. In the spring of 54, they pitched a folio of songs to Jake Porter.
NB Some of these demo songs have been discovered by Ace and included on
their recent Gene & Eunice cd, details in Stu Colman's excellent sleeve notes.

The outstanding song penned by the duo was Ko Ko Mo and Porter released
it on Combo in the fall of 54. Bedlam broke loose, the Biharis rushed out a
version by Marvin & Johnny (Jesse Belvin and Marvin Phillips). This innocent 
r&b tune garnered an offer of $ 5,000 from a mainstream publishing house,
E H Morris. Perry Como quickly covered it for RCA. Aladdin resurfaced to
remind Gene he was technically under contract to them (according to the
contract he signed for the Higgins 45). Therefore, Gene & Eunice returned
to the studio to cut an identical version for the label, with John "Plas"
Johnson stepping in on sax this time, the label now reading "with Johnny's
combo". Even the flipside was recut.

There were further covers by Hawkshaw Hawkins, the Dooley Sisters, the
Charms, Louis Armstrong & Gary Crosby, Jack Cardwell, The Crew Cuts (flip
of their cover of Earth Angel!!), comedian Andy Griffith, The Hutton Sisters,
Bill Darnell & Rosemary Clooney ( George's aunt) as well as the Flamingos! 
No wonder distributors were confused. Perry Como reached # 2 in the pop
charts, whilst Gene & Eunice reached # 6 in the R&B charts, Billboard
mentioning both Aladdin and Combo in their listings!! Even the dreaded 
Crew Cuts helped the royalties when Earth Angel reached # 6 pop!!

With legal threats all over the place, our little duo returned to the studio
for Aladdin to cut This Is My Story and Move It Over Baby. They were signed
up by the Deutsch agency to tour nationally with the Buddy Johnson band.
Could things get anymore complicated, yes of course, Eunice became
pregnant with Gene's child. A sub, Linda Hayes (sister of the Platters Tony
Williams) took her place on the tour dates. This Is My Story reached # 8 
R & B during the tour, their only purely Aladdin hit. Great songs like Let's 
Get Together and Bom Bom Lulu failed to click and the new kids on the 
Aladdin block, Shirley and Lee, were now in the charts with Let The Good 
Times Roll.

The new parents were still in demand as a live act and toured constantly
during 57 and recording for Aladdin when back on the west Coast. A session
led by Earl Palmer didn't improve sales and the Mesner brothers let them
go in 58. Jake Porter offered Eunice a new deal, understandably he wanted
nothing to do with Gene after the earlier debacle. Her single failed to click
but a Canadian company set up a new label, Case Records, and searching
for an established act to kick start the label, they signed Gene & Eunice.
Using Lloyd Glenn's band they cut Poco-Loco and it charted in the fall of
58, reaching # 48 in the hot hundred. Further 45s flopped.

By the end of 1960, the duo had parted, Gene back in a blue collar job,
whilst Eunice married an English record distributor named Jack Frost. Now
there's a good SAO link! She recorded another duo 45, Got A Right To Know
with Gene Taylor. Bizzarely, two Mexican guys had been performing as Gene
& Eunice south of the border for years!! Eunice got involved in the movie
world and her song Africa, from the movie Go Underground in 73, was one of
Louis Jordan's last recordings. Eunice and Earl Palmer did a 45 for Classic
Artists Recordings in the 80s.

Gene has suffered a stroke in recent years and lives quietly in east LA.
Eunice studied for a degree at LA Tech and worked as a teaching assistant
in her home town of Las Vegas for a few years. Sadly, she passed away on 
May 26th 2002 in Las Vegas. Long time fans John Broven and Stu Colman 
worked together on the superb Ace cd Go On Ko Ko Mo! Thankfully our heroes
saw this fine release before the duo was finally split.

Special thanks to Dochoch and Stu Colman for the above fascinating story.

Recommended reading and listening:
Go On Ko Ko Mo! - Ace cd CDCHD 812.