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Milwaukee-area answering service and call center celebrates 30th anniversary, looks to the future.
Brookfield, Wisconsin – May 17, 2013 – Spectrum Communication Services Inc., an award-winning Milwaukee-area answering service and call center, is celebrating 30 years in business this month. The company was launched on May 22, 1983 by husband and wife team Roy and Mari Osmon.
Reflecting back on Spectrum’s journey through its first three decades in business, Mari Osmon noted that, “30 years of working with a wonderful staff and thousands of clients has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. It has been a joy to see Spectrum grow from a ‘message ticket’ company to now offering a full and complex array of options for our clients.” She went on to express gratitude to all those who make Spectrum’s work possible, stating, “We could have never won the many awards and been in business this long without a staff that truly cares about the callers, our clients, and Spectrum. A sincere thanks to all – staff and clients – for 30 great years!”
About Spectrum Communication Services Inc.
Known more simply as Spectrum Communications, the company was launched in 1983 by husband and wife team Roy and Mari Osmon. Celebrating 30 years in the business in 2013, Spectrum provides around-the-clock answering service and call center solutions. Its many clients include not only businesses and organizations around the metro Milwaukee area and elsewhere across the state of Wisconsin, but a number of longtime national clients, as well. Its operators handle calls from around the world.
With deep devotion to the areas of affordability, client satisfaction, and high-quality training programs and support for its staff, Spectrum has been continuously recognized over the last three decades as an innovator and leader by organizations such as the Association of TeleServices International (ATSI) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in categories like exceptional customer service and ethics. The company, which has some of the best retention rates in the industry for both clients and staff, has also been featured in publications like The Business Journal, and was named a Future 50 company by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
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Kelli Harrigan, Vice President of Operations Spectrum Communications 125 N. Executive Drive, Suite 300 Brookfield, WI 53005 262.821.5100 kelli@spectrumcomm.com www.spectrumcomm.com
Milwaukee-area journalist catches up with founder of ’50s-’60s doo-wop group Danny & The Juniors, who went on to have a successful songwriting career that continues to leave a mark on new generations of music fans over five decades later.
He was writing poetry at age 11 and songwriting by 14. Benefiting from free music lessons and instruments offered to him by his elementary school, he took up both the trombone and clarinet. He grew up with a piano in his home, and learned how to play it by ear. And in 1955, at the age of 15, David White launched the group, The Juvenaires, which would soon be discovered by John Madara. As David recalls, “John took us to audition for his vocal coach, Artie Singer, who had a
record company with DJ Larry Brown, called Singular Records.”
Growing up, David enjoyed an extensive variety of music, ranging from Glenn Miller, Teresa Brewer, The Four Lads, and The Four Coins to The Penguins, Frankie Lymon, and The Platters. The first time he heard African-American R&B groups on the radio, which he described as “being on the other end of the dial,” came as a bit of a shock to David’s system, as it did with so many others who grew up in that era. “It was such a neat experience. It really was. We were never exposed to that kind of music before,” he told me during our phone interview from his Las Vegas home on April 22.
That R&B influence made Danny Rapp an easy choice to fill the role of lead singer for The Juvenaires, later Danny & The Juniors. “Danny had more of an R&B sound, which I was looking for,” David explained. In addition to bringing Danny on board, David also selected Joe Terranova (who goes by Joe Terry) and Frank Maffei after auditioning kids in his Philadelphia neighborhood.
Two of the group’s more well-known earlier hits are “At the Hop” and “Rock and Roll is Here to Stay”, which were released in 1957 and 1958, respectively.
David co-wrote “At the Hop” with John Madara and Artie Singer. Originally called “Do the Bop” and written by David and John, the song was renamed and some of its lyrics changed at the recommendation of Dick Clark because the dance known as the Bop was already fading in popularity around the time the song was released. Hops were the new thing. Artie came aboard as a co-writer of the new version, and Dick was given half of the publishing rights for it.
As David recalls in his own words about that song, “We
recorded ‘Do the Bop’ with Johnny Madara singing lead vocals and my
group, The Juvenaires, backing him up. Artie took it to Johnny’s label,
Prep Records, but they turned it down. Artie then took it to Dick Clark,
who suggested the title change to ‘At the Hop’. Aritie changed some of
the lyrics and became a co-writer,” continuing, “We went back into the recording
studio and this time, my group recorded the song with Danny singing
lead. Artie took it back to Dick Clark and gave him half the publishing
of the song. ‘At the Hop’ was then
released on the Singular label, which couldn’t handle the distribution
demands. So Artie sold the master to ABC Paramount.” The practice of payola was not illegal at that time, allowing Dick Clark to get away with securing those publishing rights, David explained to me.
“Rock and Roll is Here to Stay” was written entirely by David.
Before it became "At the Hop", it was actually "Do the Bop". "At the Hop""Rock and Roll is Here to Stay". David White is the second singer from the front at the very beginning of this video.
L-R: David White, Joe Terranova, Frank Maffei, Danny Rapp. Source: www.last.fm.
With these hits came participation in Alan Freed’s tours. “What a thrill these Alan Freed tours were,” David recalled. “We played all the major cities. Milwaukee was definitely one of them. We performed with Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, so many others. What a thrill it all was.”
In 1959, David tied the knot with his first wife, got a job, and left the group. “That’s how fast our popularity waned,” he said with a laugh. But he would soon be back. Danny & The Juniors regrouped from time to time throughout the ’60s. As he recalls, “I rejoined them a year or so later to record the chart records ‘Twistin' USA’ and ‘Pony Express’ for Swan Records. In 1962, we recorded for Jamie/Guyden Records and in 1964, we recorded for Mercury Records.”
"Pony Express"
"I believe in God. I have a great family. I love my wife. There are a lot of sources for inspiration."
David would go on to have a diverse and successful writing career outside of Danny & The Juniors. Among other hit songs, he co-wrote, along with John Madara, “You Don’t Own Me”, which was recorded by Lesley Gore in 1963 and produced by Quincy Jones; and “1-2-3”, recorded by Len Barry in 1965. Len was a co-writer along with David and John on “1-2-3”, as well. David was also a member of two other groups during the latter half of the ’60s, The Spokesmen and The Crystal Mansion.
On April 5, 1983, lead singer Danny Rapp was found dead in his Arizona motel room of an apparent self-inflicted gun shot. About a month short of his 42nd birthday, Danny was originally out in Phoenix for a month-long lounge stint at a resort with another incarnation of “Danny & The Juniors” when he got into a couple of disputes offstage with a female member of the group that soon prompted resort security to intervene and confront him. With two more shows yet to complete, Danny took off and headed to a small town more than 160 miles away. Witnesses saw him drinking heavily in one of the town’s two taverns on Saturday, April 2. At some point during that weekend, he purchased a gun from a private individual.
David recalled hearing of Danny’s death. “I saw him a couple months before his death. I considered joining Danny’s version of the band at that time. I flew out to Tahoe to meet up with him,” David said, continuing, “But I soon changed my mind. I came to realize that touring and being out on the road just wasn’t for me anymore. A couple months later, I heard the news. I was just shocked.” David went on to explain that Danny had developed a drinking problem.
Continuing to write and participate in the creative arts, David keeps a full schedule that includes working on a memoir he hopes to have out sometime this year. He also recently wrote a screenplay and recorded a few local girls. A film script entitled, “At the Hop” was written by Michael Killen, based on a story by David and John Madara, as well. He writes a lot with his wife, Sandra, who is also into artography and currently seeking a distributor for her work. The two are planning a trip to Europe soon. “My hobby is being creative,” David said.
When it comes to inspiration for his writing, David has an unending supply. “I believe in God. I have a great family. I love my wife. There are a lot of sources for inspiration,” David explained to me, adding, “And if someone gives me a project, that’s inspiration enough.” When he and Sandra are away from their notebooks and computers, the two enjoy dinner, movies, and shows around Vegas.
Asked what his advice is for aspiring musicians and singers, David admitted he didn’t have too much to say on the matter, since his rise to prominence came in an entirely different era. “It’s a lot harder nowadays, I believe. Back then, you would give a DJ a bottle of booze, and he’d play your record. You could just walk into a recording studio. We were making three or four records a week. But I’d imagine if you stick to it and you have good talent, you have a shot.”
Speaking of aspiring talent, I was curious to know if David was keeping his eye on anyone in particular as far as up-and-coming talent. “Well, most of the people we see are already on their way up,” he told me. “I really can’t think of anyone in particular at the moment.” He and wife Sandra do tune into American Idol and some of the other music talent shows, he told me.
"It's a lot harder nowadays, I believe. Back then, you would give a DJ a bottle of booze, and he'd play your record."
On the subject of causes he really cares about, it didn’t take a millisecond for David to bring up the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, which awards grants to public schools across the United States to restore or preserve music education programs. “Music is beneficial to the mind and spirit, and it’s a true shame that budget cuts have cut out so many music programs,” he told me.
Asked if he had any final parting words, David couldn’t express enough thanks to all of the fans through the years. “Thanks to all of our fans who came to see us and bought our records. Thanks to all of those who continue to buy our music online. It’s supported me and my family for many years, and I just can’t say ‘thank you’ enough.”
Danny & The Juniors has been back together for quite a number of years now, featuring the other remaining original members, Joe Terranova (who goes by Joe Terry) and Frank Maffei. Joe serves as the lead singer of the group, which also includes Frank’s brother, Bob. Visit them on the Web at: www.dannyandthejuniors.com . And be sure to check out David’s own Web site at: www.rockandrollisheretostay.com . Finally, stay on the lookout for David’s memoir!
And Rock ‘n’ Roll is still here, and it looks like it’s here to stay…
What are your favorite songs by Danny & The Juniors? Ever see the group perform? Share your favorite Danny & The Juniors tunes and memories in the Comments section below.
As some of my readers know, I am employed full-time with Spectrum Communications, an answering service and call center based in Brookfield. Since February, I've been assisting the company in its online marketing and PR efforts.
Over the last few weeks, I've been working hard at Spectrum to assemble some great materials on the subject of online marketing in the form of ideas, strategies, tools, and resources you can utilize to promote your business on the Internet! Find out how you can take advantage of these effective, easy-to-understand materials I've put together, free of charge, by clicking the button below!
St. Paul’s Business Builders Networking Group Meeting
Date: Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Time: 7:30 to 9:00 a.m.
Where: St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church, Grace Room
S66 W14325 Janesville Road
Muskego, WI 53150
Are you looking for Business Networking Opportunities to help grow your
business? Looking for a job? Are you looking to hire somebody? Why not
try networking with fellow businesses, entrepreneurs and job seekers at
St. Paul’s Business Builders. Networking with St. Paul’s Business
Builders is all about building relationships. Anybody can come. Bring
plenty of business cards and 60 second elevator pitch.
On January 1, 2014, The Affordable Care Act, sometimes called Obamacare,
will take effect. There are still a lot of questions about what the
final details will look like, however, many aspects of the bill are set
in stone and will not change. One thing is certain, everyone will be
affected. Mr. Antunes continues to monitor the legislative changes
both on a state and national basis. He will discuss what is included
in the Healthcare bill and how it will impact the insurance industry and
his clients.
Mr. Antunes is an independent Licensed Insurance Agent representing
United Health Care, Assurant and Humana for individual health insurance
I am thrilled to announce that I recently interviewed David White, who founded the great '50s-'60s doo-wop group, Danny & The Juniors, known for, among other hits, "At the Hop" and "Rock and Roll is Here to Stay".
Featuring Danny Rapp as lead singer and backed by Joe Terranova, Frank Maffei, and White, the group hailed from Philadelphia and quickly rose to national prominence with their smooth vocal arrangements and upbeat, fun style.
White, who co-wrote "At the Hop" and wrote "Rock and Roll is Here to Stay", went on to have a successful writing career after the original rendition of Danny & The Juniors broke up in the early '60s. Among other well-known and popular songs, White co-wrote "You Don't Own Me", which was recorded by Lesley Gore in 1963, and "1-2-3", recorded by Len Barry in 1965.
Danny & The Juniors continues to tour today, minus White and original lead singer Rapp, who was found dead in his Arizona hotel room in 1983 of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. The group now consists of Joe Terranova (who goes by Joe Terry) as lead singer, Frank Maffei, and Frank's brother, Bob Maffei.
White, who now lives in Las Vegas, continues to write to this day, always looking for the next creative project to get involved with.
So stay tuned for this fun interview with someone who was right there in the thick of Rock 'n' Roll's early days, not only as a performer, but as a songwriter who gave the world material that is still going strong with new generations of fans over five decades later. In the meantime, enjoy these videos!
All the Best,
Aaron Robertson
David White is the second singer from the front at the very beginning of this video.
Before it became "At the Hop", it was actually "Do the Bop". More on that in the interview! Lesley Gore performing her hit, "You Don't Own Me", which was co-written by David White.
WCTC Small Business Connections
Networking Group Wednesday, June 5, 2013
6:00 - 9:00 PM **FREE** Richard T. Anderson Education Center
800 Main Street, Pewaukee, WI 53072
Network
all night at this FREE networking event filled with start-up and
emerging entrepreneurs looking make connections with you.
Join us as we help you "Go Brief or Go Deep" with new contacts to develop mutually beneficial relationships. Meet in small table groups for 15-minutes to briefly introduce your business to your tablemates. Rotate randomly to a new table for the next 15-minute segment or opt out for a 15-minute one-on-one with a fellow attendee for a much deeper conversation. The choice is yours!
You never know where that next connection will take you so come ready to make lots of them.
AGENDA
6:00 p.m.Open Networking
6:30 p.m.Welcome
6:45 p.m.Rapid Fire Introductions 7:15 p.m. Go Brief or Go Deep Networking Activity 8:30 p.m.Open Networking
Milwaukee-area answering service and call center celebrates 30th anniversary, looks to the future.
