The Dooleys were a British pop group formed in Ilford, Essex, England. The family band initially consisted of brothers Jim, John, and Frank Dooley along with sisters Marie, Anne, and Kathy. They began performing in the late 1960s as "The Dooley Family," playing in theatres and hotels due to age restrictions on pub performances. In 1972, Bob Walsh joined the group, and they moved to Worsley, Lancashire, in 1973. The band signed their first recording contract with Alaska Records in 1974, releasing two singles including "Hands Across the Sea" and "Sha La La Lullaby" Their breakthrough came in 1975 when they toured Eastern Europe and recorded a live album at Rossia Hall in Moscow, which sold two million copies. In 1976, The Dooleys won "Best Group" at the National Club Acts Awards. They signed with GTO Records in 1977 and achieved their first UK hit with "Think I'm Gonna Fall in Love With You." Two years later they released included "Wanted" and "The Chosen Few", which went to number 3 and 7 respectively. The group won the Gold Award at the Tokyo Music Festival in 1980 with "Body Language." By the mid-1980s, several members had left, including John and Frank Dooley, who formed "The New Dooleys." The original band disbanded by 1992, however the Dooley brothers recorded a collection of new songs released in 2007, titled The Dooley Brothers Band Return.
