The Sparkletones

The Sparkletones are a terrifically talented and dynamic rockabilly group from Spartanburg, South Carolina. The band was first formed in 1956 at Cowpens High School in Spartanburg; the members when the Sparkletones first came together ranged between 13 and 16 years old. In addition, all the members hailed from middle-class families and were regular churchgoers. The original founding members were: Joe Bennett (vocals/guitar), Wayne Arthur (double bass), Howard "Sparky" Childress (guitar), and Jimmy "Sticks" Denton (drums). The group was discovered by CBS scout Bob Cox after they won first prize at an audition held at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium in January, 1957. Cox quit CBS so he could manage the Sparkletones and had them sign up with the label ABC-Paramount in New York City. The band scored a substantial hit with the rousing and delightful "Black Slacks," which peaked at #17 on the Billboard pop radio charts in October, 1957. Alas, the worthy follow-up single "Penny Loafers and Bobby Sox" only made it to #42 on the Billboard charts in early 1958 and a handful of excellent additional singles didn't even crack the Top 100. Moreover, Childress and Denton both left the group; they were replaced by Gene Brown and Donnie Seay respectively. The band eventually broke up in the early 60s. Bennett continued a career in music as a teacher and publisher, Childress played country music in the 60s, Seay continued to perform as a guitarist, Denton went on to run an auto parts store, and Arthur sang with a gospel choir in his spare time. The Sparkletones have occasionally reunited for concerts and events in South Carolina.