{{Short description|US musical group}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> |name=The Paradons |image= |caption= |image_size=<!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels --> |background=group_or_band |origin= Kern County, Bakersfield, California, United States |genre= R&B, doo-wop, soul, rock-n-roll Country |years_active= 1959–1960 |label= Milestone Records |website={{URL|https://myspace.com/theparadons}} |past_members= Charles Arbuckle<br/>West Tyler<br/>Billy Meyers<br/>Chuck Weldon<br/>William Powers }}
'''The Paradons''' are an American doo wop vocal group from Bakersfield, California, United States, that formed in 1959.<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=1901}}</ref>
The group began by singing locally at school dances and clubs. Within a few months they secured a recording session with Werly Fairburn's Milestone Records<ref name="LarkinGE"/>—not to be confused with the like-named jazz label founded by Orrin Keepnews about six years later<ref>{{Cite news|title=The Note Book|author=|date=August 17, 1962|work=The Hollywood Reporter|page=8|quote=Werly Fairburn, president of Milestone Records for the past three years, debuts on the label as a singer with 'You Are My Sunshine.'|id={{ProQuest|2339635630}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|title=R. Bialek Buys Milestone Line|author=Kirby, Fred|date=September 2, 1967|magazine=Billboard|page=1|quote=Milestone began on a limited basis last year with Keepnews handling production and serving as an advisor part time. [...] A greatly increased sales and distribution network is being set up for the new label...|id={{ProQuest|1286226760}}}}</ref>—and recorded eight songs. Their first release with the label, "Diamonds and Pearls" / "I Want Love", became a hit in the US, peaking at number 27 on the US ''Billboard'' R&B chart and number 18 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1960.<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
The group appeared on ''American Bandstand'' and at the Apollo Theater in the wake of its success.
The group soon broke up over monetary disputes, having been together less than a year.<ref name="amg">[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p190815|pure_url=yes}} Biography], AllMusic</ref>
Despite the group's demise, Milestone continued releasing singles from their initial recording sessions, but these releases – "Bells Ring", "Take All of Me", and "I Had a Dream" – did not chart.<ref name="amg"/><ref>[http://www.discogs.com/artist/884102-Paradons-The "The Paradons" Discography]; Discogs.com 26-05-2015 May 25, 2015</ref>
==Members== *William Powers *Charles Arbuckle *Billy Meyers *Chuck Weldon *West Tyler<ref name="LarkinGE"/>
Joe Karp and Billy Meyers revived the group in 1965 as 'Joey and the Paradons'.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Paradons, The}} Category:Doo-wop groups Category:Musical groups from Bakersfield, California Category:American rhythm and blues musical groups