He would have turned 81 today: Earl "Speedo" Carroll, lead vocalist of The Cadillacs

[mahatmakanejeeves]

He gave us the best doo-wop song ever.

Earl Carroll (vocalist)

Also known as Speedo.
Born November 2, 1937
Died November 25, 2012 (aged 75), New York City, New York, U.S.

Earl "Speedo" Carroll (November 2, 1937 – November 25, 2012) was the lead vocalist for the doo-wop group The Cadillacs. The group's biggest hit was "Speedoo", Carroll's subsequent nickname. It was released in 1955. He joined The Coasters in 1961, leaving the group in the early 1990s to permanently reform The Cadillacs.[citation needed]

In 1982, Earl took a job as a custodian at the PS 87 elementary school in New York City and worked there until retiring in 2005. A popular figure with the students, he was chosen to be the subject of a children's book, That's Our Custodian, by Ann Morris (Brookfield, Connecticut: Millbrook Press). The publicity helped him to revive his career. He became a mainstay of the PBS series honoring doo wop, hosted by Jerry Butler and continued performing until the early 2010s when deteriorating health forced him to retire.

Death
Carroll died on November 25, 2012 of complications from a stroke and diabetes.

This is what you've been waiting for:

[Brother Buzz]

1. Speedo is my benchmark for all things Doo-Wop

Years, decades ago, Charles Kuralt's Sunday Morning did a spectacular expose on Earl "Speedo" Carroll when he was a janitor in an elementary school in New York City. I can't locate it anywhere, so we'll have to settle on this great Tom Meros interview: