October 1: Barbara Parritt of The Toys - "A Lover's Concerto" - is 69-years-old today.

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The Toys were an American pop girl group from Jamaica, New York, formed in 1961 and disbanded in 1968.

In addition to Barbara Parritt, (who was born in Wilmington, North Carolina), the trio consisted of  Barbara Harris from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and who sang lead most of the time, and June Montiero from Queens, New York.

The Toys were discovered at a talent show by manager Vince Marc, who introduced them to songwriters Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell. Linzer and Randell wrote most of their songs, including their U.S. #2 hit single "A Lover's Concerto," which exceeded two million copies sold worldwide earning the group a gold record in 1965.

 

In 1967 The Toys changed labels and producers, but made the charts only one more time with a cover version of "Sealed with a Kiss" before breaking up.

 

The Toys appeared on most of the major TV rock programs, including Shindig!, Hullabaloo, and American Bandstand. They also had a cameo role in the 1967 beach movie It's a Bikini World where they sang their minor hit, "Attack."

 

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