DESCRIPTION:
The Innocents were an American pop group from Sun Valley, California. The trio existed primarily between 1958 and 1964, although they did reform in the 1990s.Career

The three members were all members of a car club called The Innocents, hence the name. They first met on Wink Martindale's television program in 1958, where Jim Lee, a record producer at Indigo Records, asked them to record together as a trio.[1] Their first single was released in 1959 under the name The Echos. After adopting the name The Innocents, they released "Honest I Do", which hit #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960.[2] Soon after they were asked to sing backing vocals for Kathy Young on the song "A Thousand Stars", which became a hit, reaching #3 in the Hot 100. A second solo single, "Gee Whiz", also hit #28 in 1961.[2] Their 1961 album release Innocently Yours featured them staring out through prison bars.

In June 1961, the British music magazine, NME, reported that the Innocents were part of Alan Freed's road show, that also included Brenda Lee, The Shirelles, Bobby Vee, Etta James, Gene McDaniels, The Ventures, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, The Fleetwoods, Kathy Young and Jerry Lee Lewis.[3] The Innocents released seven singles after "Gee Whiz" on Trans World Records, Reprise, Decca, and Warner, but none of them charted, though they continued to score hits backing up Kathy Young.

The group disbanded in 1964. James West went on as a solo artist; Al Candelaria became a session musician. The group reunited in the 1990s for reunion shows.
[edit] Members

James West
Al Candelaria
Darron Stankey