Female vocal trio The Dixie Cups was formed in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1963. They are best-known for their hit singles “Chapel of Love” (1964), “People Say” (1964), and “Iko Iko” (1965). Comprised of sisters Barbara Ann Hawkins (born October 23, 1943) and Rosa Lee Hawkins (born October 23, 1945), and their cousin, Joan Marie Johnson (born January 15, 1944), the trio was discovered by New Orleans-based R&B singer/songwriter Joe Jones, who became their manager. He introduced them to iconic songwriting/production team Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who signed them to their Red Bird Records label. Originally named The Meltones, the trio changed their name to Little Miss and the Muffets before finally settling on The Dixie Cups right before the release of their debut single, “Chapel of Love”, in 1964. The song was a huge hit, reaching the Number 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. The single was an international hit, charting in many countries around the world. Their next single, “People Say”, was another hit, reaching Number 12 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Two more singles - “You Should Have Seen the Way He Looked at Me” (Number 39) and “Little Bell” (Number 51) – were issued before they reached the Top 20 again with “Iko Iko”, which has become their second most recognizable song. Their 1964 debut album Chapel of Love was reissued the following year under the name Iko Iko to capitalize on the success of the single. By 1965, The Dixie Cups had signed to ABC-Paramount Records, but they were never able to capture the same success as their early recordings on Red Bird. By the early 1970s, Joan Marie Johnson had retired from the group and her position was filled by several vocalists over the years including Beverly Brown, Dale Mickle and Athelgra Neville Gabriel, sister of the legendary Neville Brothers. Joan Marie Johnson died of a heart attack at the age of 72 on October 3, 2016. Rosa Lee Hawkins died of surgical complications on January 11, 2022.
