Shirley Goodman and Leonard Lee met in high school in New Orleans, where they were both born in June 1936. Before leaving school, they went along to Cosimo Matassa’s J&M Studios to record a demo of a song that Lee had written.
The recording came to the attention of Eddie Mesner, who owned Aladdin Records. He was impressed and offered them a contract. The song was then re-recorded at J&M with Dave Bartholomew producing and released at the end of 1952. “I’m Gone” peaked at number two on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart in January 1953. “Feel So Good” matched that in 1955, and “Let the Good Times Roll” became their most successful release when it reached number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart and number one on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart in 1956, earning them a gold disc. You may know the song from one of the covers that have followed over the years. The UK Rock band Slade included a cover on their 1972 album “Slayed”.
Their songs are simple, with an interplay of the two voices rather than harmony. Shirley’s voice is not as strong, nor as accurate as Lee’s, but the appeal of two young singers was strong. During the fifties, this style of duet was popular amongst young music fans looking for something romantic to dance to. It is notable that many of the New Orleans singers who recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s studios were signed to West Coast labels. The link was Dave Bartholomew, leader of Cosimo’s session band, who worked as a producer for Imperial, Speciality and Alladin at various times. This arrangement probably increased sales for the artists but it also limited New Orleans’ opportunities to develop a strong local label.
