Jackie & the Starlites was an American doo-wop group active between 1960 and 1963. Led by Jackie LaRue, the group featured Alton Thomas, John Felix, Billy Montgomery, and Darryl York. Prior to forming the Starlites in 1960, LaRue sang with The Five Wings and The Dubs. Their breakthrough came with the single "Valarie", released on Fury Records in 1960, which reached the lower echelons of the U.S. charts. The song featured LaRue's emotional vocals and crying jags over a lost love. In 1962, they achieved another charting hit with "I Found Out Too Late" on Mascot Records, reaching number 17 on the R&B charts. By 1963, the group was defunct. Their song "Valarie" was later covered by Frank Zappa on his album Burnt Weeny Sandwich, and another version was included in the 2010 rerelease Greasy Love Songs.
