The Bobbettes: The “Not-So-Nice” Girls That Started It All
They weren’t known for being mean; the Bobbettes simply held no fondness for their math teacher. So, they composed a song titled “Mr. Lee” explaining how they felt.
The Bobbettes. Illustration by J.D. Humphreys
The Harlem Queens in 1955 were originally eight girls ranging between 11 and 15 years old and were members of their public school’s glee club in East Harlem. Just across the street from their school they lived in the housing projects where they sang in the hallways and at the playground. They started performing at amateur shows and booked on Herb Sheldon’s TV show with three girls dropping out over the next two years. By the time a record producer discovered them at the famed Apollo Theater, the group consisted of Jannie Pought (soprano), Emma Pought (alto), Laura Webb (tenor), Helen Gathers (alto), and Reather Dixon (baritone).
With Daily’s efforts, he successfully secured them a contract with Atlantic Records. However, the name “The Harlem Queens” had to undergo a change because it reminded Daily of a female motorcycle gang. Webb’s sister just had a baby, whom she named Chanel Bobbette. “Chanel” was not an option since it was to similar to the group The Chantels that had just formed at the time. They changed their name to the Bobbettes—cute and sweet sounding but their first original composition did not reflect their disposition.
Mr. Lee, their less-than-beloved teacher, served as the inspiration for a song that encapsulated their disdain. Atlantic Records found the song appealing, given its relatability; many teenagers had experienced a teacher they didn’t favor during their school years. When the girls met with the record label executives, however, alterations were swiftly imposed on the lyrics. The line “ugliest teacher” was swapped for “handsomest teacher,” morphing the song into an unexpected love-themed composition. Rather than loathing Mr. Lee, they found themselves infatuated with him—a sentiment that was familiar with teenagers who have experienced having a crush on a teacher now and then. The Bobbettes did not raise any objections to the directive, likely recognizing their fortune in securing a contract in the first place.
LISTEN TO “MR. LEE” BY THE BOBBETTES
Despite this deviation from their original intent, the song achieved remarkable success. Upon its release in June 1957, it soared to the top spot on the CHUM Chart (Canadian). By late July, it had secured a place on Billboard’s R&B charts, ultimately reaching an impressive sixth position and maintaining that standing for a span of 24 weeks. The Bobbettes made history as the first girl group to release a number one R&B hit that also made the pop top 10. This accomplishment was particularly remarkable within an industry that exhibited limited support for Black singers, particularly female artists. Undeterred, the girls set out to do it again.
Due to their youth, the Bobbettes couldn’t fully capitalize on club performances, thus focusing on tours within the Eastern theater circuit. As October rolled around, they introduced more singles, which unfortunately failed to gain traction. A similar pattern emerged with another release in April 1958. Regrettably, their songs were just not landing with listeners.
“Now he’s up in heaven… shot him in the head…”
- The Bobbettes’ “I Shot Mr. Lee”
What would make teenagers stop and listen? The Bobbettes decided to murder Mr. Lee in February 1959—through new lyrics that aligned with their original intention with “Mr. Lee.” The narrative expanded beyond mere dislike to depict Mr. Lee’s murder, driven by their exhaustion with his demeanor. The revised lyrics detailed how “we got tired of his jive,” leading to his demise, and “now he’s up in heaven… shot him in the head, Boom boom, whoa oh.”
When they presented “I Shot Mr. Lee” to Atlantic Records and recorded it, they were informed that the song could not be released. This time, the executives didn’t even attempt to find creative ways to soften the lyrics. The song did not reflect the intended Bobbettes brand. Despite the rapidly changing landscape of the music industry and the potential for an edgy song like this to attract significant attention, the label could not allow such lyrics to be sung by these innocent girls under their banner.
By the winter of 1959, the Bobbettes’ contract with Atlantic had come to an end.
LISTEN TO “I SHOT MR. LEE” BY THE BOBBETTES
Freed from their association with Atlantic Records and directives, they seized the chance to continue with “I Shot Mr. Lee.” Choosing to take the track to Triple-X Records, fittingly, they joined forces with Teddy Vann to re-record and subsequently launch the song. As it rose to number 52 on the charts in June 1960, Atlantic took them to court and lost. Atlantic also then decided to release the version that had been dumped and lost the sales battle as well.
The Bobbettes’ story doesn’t end there but what stands out as extraordinary about the inaugural girl group hit is that it originated from an intention to express their strong dislike for a specific male figure. Even though the released version didn’t precisely convey that sentiment, the Bobbettes inadvertently paved the way for girl groups to craft their own material, pitch it to record labels, and step into the spotlight independent of male artists.