This is probably the most famous of the teenage tragedy songs of the early 1960s. To my more somewhat modern ears, it seems positively morbid.
The Cavaliers formed in about 1955 in Texas. J. Frank Wilson (1941-1991) joined in 1962 when one of the existing members was drafted and another began suffering from "mental deterioration".
"Last Kiss" was written and originally recorded by Wayne Cochran in 1961. Wilson and the Cavaliers' version reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over a million copies.
In 1973, Wednesday, a Canadian band from Oshawa, Ontario, produced their own cover version of "Last Kiss"; it reached #7 on the CHUM chart and #34 on the Billboard Hot 100. This version apparently inspired Eddie Vedder to record his own version with his band Pearl Jam; proceeds from the single release of this song went to aid refugees of the Kosovo war.
Shortly after the Cavaliers' version reached the charts, they themselves were involved in a significant auto accident when their manager, Sidney Roush, fell asleep at the wheel. Roush was killed and Wilson was injured enough to be on crutches when the group appeared on American Bandstand.
Wilson eventually left the Cavaliers and released records on his own until either 1970 or 1978, depending on which Wikipedia page you believe. He battled alcoholism and diabetes and, sadly, lost the battle in 1991.
Created July 27, 2026.