Yes, a one-hit-wonder. The Elegants were a doo-wop vocal group started in 1958 in Staten Island, New York by Vito Picone, Arthur Venosa, Frank Tardogno, Carmen Romano and James Mochella.This was their hit, written by Venosa and Picone. It spent 19 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, and achieved gold disc status.
After the song made a splash on radio, the group toured with heavyweights like Buddy Holly, Dion and the Belmonts, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. Must have been fun for these teenagers. But that was it. The beginning and the end. Still, it’s better to be a one-hit-wonder than a no-hit-wonder.
To be fair, it has been claimed that the Elegants refused to pay payola to a prominent New York disc jockey for subsequent recordings, which, in the day, was an important way to get a song on the air. At least they had their integrity.
“Little Star” is a great example of doo wop music.