by Jason AnkenyDespite their failure to achieve the commercial success of rivals like the Drifters, the Flamingos, or the Clovers, the Harptones demand consideration in any serious discussion of the truly immortal acts of the doo wop era. Although none of their singles cracked the Top 40, efforts like A Sunday Kind of Love, Life Is But a Dream, and Memories of You remain classics of the genre, distinguished by their rich harmonies and sophisticated, jazz-inspired arrangements. The Harptones origins date to 1951 and the grounds of Harlems Wadleigh Junior High School, where classmates William Dempsey, Curtis Cherebin, and Freddy Taylor began harmonizing as the Skylarks. Following the additions of Eugene Sonny Cooke and a classmate remembered only by the nickname Skillum, the fledgling group made its professional debut via the Apollo Theatres famed Amateur Talent Contest, performing a rendition of My Dear Dearest Darling that ended in the audien...