The Doo Wop All Stars
The Doo Wop All Stars began in 1992 as one of the first doo wop “supergroups,” bringing together members from different groups to form a new collective. They also performed under the names The Royal All Stars and Golden Group Memories. Today the group is still active, led by Daniel Loria, son of founding member Art Loria.
The early days included a live album recorded at a special event in Atlantic City, titled Live at the Taj – Royally Yours. It was planned for release on Dazzle Records in 2012 or 2013. The original lineup saw changes soon after: in 1993 Lenny Welch left to pursue acting and solo work and was replaced by BJ Jones, who had sung with The Dubs, The Drifters and The Five Satins. Jones was later replaced by Jimmy Merchant, an original member of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. From 1992 to 1998, the group toured across the United States and on cruise ships, with several recordings still unreleased at that time.
As The Royal All Stars, they became a regular in the Pittsburgh doo wop scene, performing at events like Porkstock at Three Rivers Stadium, and they played in Las Vegas, California, and Ohio. Their last show as that lineup came in 1998 at Windows on the World atop the World Trade Center.
In 1998 the group split into two factions: Silverman and Balsamo formed Golden Group Memories, while Pitt and the Lorias continued as The Doo Wop All Stars. A new Doo Wop All Stars lineup formed in 2000, featuring Artie Loria, Eugene Pitt, Harold Gill (from The Continentals / The Drifters), and Maurice Unthank (from The Teenagers/ Jive Five). This version stayed active for the next seven years, making more recordings.
In 2003 they released It’s Christmas, credited to Pitt-Knick, a nod to Eugene Pitt’s long relationship with Nickelodeon bumper campaigns. In 2001 they recorded We Will Never Fall as a tribute to 9/11 heroes and victims. Health problems affected the group in 2007, leading to Pitt’s replacement by Freddie Scott. After Scott’s death, the group continued with Artie Loria, Danny Loria and Harold Gilly. Artie Loria was killed in a home accident on October 23, 2010. Harold Gill later performed with The Continentals when not with The Doo Wop All Stars.
Lenny Welch continued as a solo artist and did occasional acting work; he died on April 8, 2025. Danny Loria now manages the Doo Wop All Stars name and is planning to release many shelved recordings. He and Gill have discussed resuming steady performing in coming years. Balsamo plays with local cover bands, Silverman has retired due to illness, and Eugene Pitt’s passing occurred on June 28, 2018 in Newberry, South Carolina. The group remains active today with various members under Daniel Loria’s leadership.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:40 (CET).