PERFORMING ARTS

Chapel of Love: The Story of New Orleans Girl Group the Dixie Cups

by Rosa Hawkins & Steve Bergsman
Univ. Pr. of Mississippi. May 2021. 192p. ISBN 9781496829566. $25. MUSIC
COPY ISBN
With the release of their 1964 hit “Chapel of Love,” the Dixie Cups became one of the most successful girl groups. Music journalist Bergsman chronicles the group’s story, as told to him by Hawkins who, along with her sister Barbara Ann Hawkins and their cousin Joan Marie Johnson, founded the vocal trio. The Dixie Cups left New Orleans to live and record in New York, performed in Vietnam for American servicemen, toured with Dick Clark, played with the Rolling Stones, and stayed at the flat of Animals lead singer Eric Burdon when they were stranded in London. Bergsman and Hawkins candidly detail the Dixie Cups’ triumphs as well as the exploitation they endured; they write that the group’s manager, Joe Jones, stole from them and raped Rosa Hawkins on multiple occasions.
VERDICT Because the book consists of a series of stories that Hawkins recounted to Bergsman, sometimes the timeline becomes unclear, and it is up to readers to piece together when certain events took place. Still, this is a compelling work that will interest music fans, especially those who don’t know the Dixie Cups’ story.
Reviewed by Rebekah Buchanan, Western Illinois Univ., Macomb, IL , Jun 18, 2021
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

NONFICTION

Rolling: Blackness and Mediated Comedy
NONFICTION

The Last Decade of Cinema: 25 Films from the Nineties
by Ryan, Scott
NONFICTION

Mae West and Her Adonises
by Michaud, Michael Gregg
NONFICTION

Alfred Hitchcock, All the Films: The Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short
by Benoliel, Bernard & others
NONFICTION

What a Fool Believes: A Memoir
by McDonald, Michael
NONFICTION

I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This: (But I’m Going To Anyway)
by Devantez, Chelsea
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?