DOO WOP

THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY BEGINS

Back in the 1950s, Darwin Lamm was just a teenager falling head over heels for the brand-new sound of rock ’n roll. He couldn’t get enough of artists like Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Ricky Nelson. But it was one performance that truly lit the spark — when Darwin saw Buddy Holly on a local Portland TV station in 1959, something clicked. He turned to himself and said, *“I can do that!”*

The next day, he walked into a little music store in Vancouver, Washington, and walked out with a Fender guitar just like Buddy’s. And from there, everything started.

Darwin had already been singing through high school — sometimes solo, sometimes in groups — and by 18, he was writing his own songs and playing guitar. His talent earned him a music scholarship to a local college in Vancouver. That’s where he met Bobbie Brown and Janet Peters in the school choir. He asked if they’d sing harmonies on a few of his songs. The three of them started practicing regularly, and Darwin kept telling the girls, *“I’m going to cut a demo. We’re going to get a deal.”* They weren’t so sure. After weeks of rehearsing, they started wondering, *“Is this actually going anywhere… or just one of Darwin’s big dreams?”*

At one point, even Darwin questioned it. He was on the verge of quitting his job and heading to California with a buddy. But then fate stepped in.

One afternoon, Darwin spotted an article in the local newspaper that stopped him in his tracks. It said that Bonnie Guitar — a nationally known singer, guitarist, and producer — would be performing at the Frontier Room, a nightclub in Vancouver. Even more exciting, it mentioned she had helped launch the career of The Fleetwoods, one of Darwin’s favorite vocal groups.

He had to be there.

The only problem? Darwin was underage, and the club didn’t allow minors in. But he went anyway. He stood outside the entrance, peeking through the door, hoping for a glimpse. That’s when Bonnie noticed him. Their eyes met across the room — she was onstage, mid-performance, and smiled right at him.

A lady working the door saw the interaction and asked Darwin, “Do you know her?”

“No,” he said, “but I have a letter for her.” It was a song he’d written — one he imagined the Fleetwoods might sing.

That was enough to get him through the door. She let him sit quietly in the back until Bonnie finished her set. And as luck would have it, Bonnie had been looking for a new trio — a guy-girl-girl group — just like what Darwin had been building with Bobbie and Janet.

It was the perfect match.

Soon after, they officially became *Darwin and the Cupids*, with Bonnie Guitar stepping in as their producer. Darwin’s dream — once just a big idea he hoped would take off — suddenly had real momentum, and it all started with a glance, a letter, and a little bit of rule-bending. The exposure had a tremendous impact on Darwin's life, moving him to Los Angeles to continue writing, performing, and producing for Dore and Dot Records.