The Ritchie Family's Biography (Band)

"The Ritchie Family" are an American musical group from Philadelphia who achieved various successes in the 70s. The band was a creation of Jacques Morali, also founder of the famous band the "Village People". The group was named after record producer Richie Rome, who added a "T" to the name. The band "The Ritchie Family" consisted of three singers: Cassandra Ann Wooten, Gwendolyn Oliver and Cheryl Mason Jacks. Their manager was Jimmy Bishop, a successful Philadelphia radio personality who was also managing Barbara Mason at the time. "Brazil" was the first hit single, a reworking of the 1930s song of the same name. In 1975 “Brazil” reached the Top 20 in the US and was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental Performance at the 1976 Grammy Awards. In 1976, “The Ritchie Family” began recording the next album entitled “Arabian Nights”. The first single released was "The Best Disco in Town", a medley of famous disco songs tied together by an original chorus. The song reached number seventeen on the US Pop charts, number one on the US Dance charts and became a worldwide hit. “Life Is Music” was the third studio album by “The Ritchie Family”. This was the last album Richie Rome was involved in (he later gave way to Horace Ott). The album reached the eighth position of the Dance USA chart and on May 10, 1977 it reached the tenth position in Italy. In July 1977 the fourth album entitled "African Queen" was released under the "Marlin 2206" label. The album was another themed release, this time with a historical nod to three African Queens. Thanks to the rhythmic accompaniment of the “Gypsy Lane” group, the songs differed significantly from previous works. In 1978, the three singers Cassandra Ann Wooten, Gwendolyn Oliver and Cheryl Mason Jacks, were fired without notice. They were then replaced by Jacqui Smith-Lee, Theodosia "Dodie" Draher and Ednah Holt and the new lineup recorded the new album "American Generation". Gwendolyn Oliver retired from the music scene while Cassandra Wooten and Cheryl Mason-Jacks collaborated with Michelle Simpson and formed the band "Cas Mijac" (they participated in the making of the album "Double Fantasy" by John Lennon and Yoko Ono). In the fifth album “Bad Reputation” from 1979, Victor Willis, the lead singer of the “Village People” was involved. After the release of “Give Me A Break“ (1980), the band achieved the last significant success with “I'll Do My Best (For You Baby) thanks to the partnership with Jacques Fred Petrus and Mauro Malavasi, founders of the band “Change”. Gwendolyn Oliver married musician Fred Wesley and died on November 27, 2020 at the age of 71.

Discography :

Album

1975 - Brazil

1976 - Arabian Nights

1976 - Life Is Music

1977 - African Queens

1978 - American Generation

1979 - Bad Reputation

1980 - Give Me A Break

1982 - I'll Do My Best

1983 - All Night All Right