DiFosco "Dee" T. Ervin Jr. (July 6, 1932 – August 27, 1995), better known as Big Dee Irwin, was an American R&B singer and songwriter whose biggest hit was a version of "

Swinging on a Star "Swinging on a Star" is an American pop standard with music composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1944 film '' Going My Way'', winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song that year, ...

" in 1963, recorded as a

duet A duet (italian language, Italian: ''duo'') is a musical composition for two Performing arts, performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a har ...

with

Little Eva Eva Narcissus Boyd (June 29, 1943 – April 10, 2003), known by her stage name Little Eva, was an American singer, well known for her 1962 hit "The Loco-Motion". Biography Boyd was born in Belhaven, North Carolina in 1943 and had twelve siblin ...

Life and career

Dee Ervin was born in

Harlem, New York Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan ...

.Joel Whitburn, ''Top Pop Singles 1955–2002'', Billboard, 2003, , p. 338 Some sources give his first name as Defosca and his family name as Erwin. He joined the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

, and in 1954 was based at Narsarssuak Air Base in

Greenland Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...

. While there, he formed a singing group, The Pastels, with himself as lead singer, Richard Travis (first tenor), Tony Thomas (second tenor) and Jimmy Willingham (baritone). They performed in Air Force talent shows and, after being transferred to

Washington D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, took part in a national show, ''Tops In Blue'', in 1957. They then auditioned and won a contract with Hull Records in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, and recorded a song written by Ervin, "Been So Long". The record was released locally on the subsidiary Mascot label before being leased to

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock an ...

who issued it on their Argo label. At the same time, the members of The Pastels were leaving the Air Force, Ervin being discharged in February 1958. "Been So Long" reached number 4 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

and number 24 on the

pop chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, often in combination. These include re ...

, and the Pastels toured widely and appeared on concert bills. In March 1958, they featured as part of

Alan Freed Albert James "Alan" Freed (December 15, 1921 – January 20, 1965) was an American disc jockey. He also produced and promoted large traveling concerts with various acts, helping to spread the importance of rock and roll music throughout Nor ...

's touring ''Big Beat Show'', which also included

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...

Frankie Lymon Franklin Joseph Lymon (September 30, 1942 – February 27, 1968) was an American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of the New York City-based early rock and roll doo-wop group the Te ...

Larry Williams Lawrence Eugene Williams (May 10, 1935 – January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, and pianist from New Orleans. He is best known for writing and recording some rock and roll classics from 1957 to ...

, and

Screamin' Jay Hawkins Jalacy J. "Screamin' Jay" Hawkins (July 18, 1929 – February 12, 2000) was an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor, film producer, and boxer. Famed chiefly for his powerful, shouting vocal delivery and wildly theatrical performances of s ...

. The group's second record, "You Don't Love Me Anymore", was released in April 1958, but was not a hit. They performed at the

Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater (formerly the Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre; also Apollo Theatre or 125th Street Apollo Theatre) is a multi-use Theater (structure), theater at 253 125th Street (Manhattan), West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of U ...

later in 1958, but split up early the following year. Biography by Linda Seida ''

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

'' Ervin then started a solo career on Hull Records as Dee Erwin, and also recorded on the Bliss label, before signing for

Dimension Records Dimension Records was a record label founded in 1962 in New York City by Don Kirshner and Al Nevins, owners of Aldon Music. It concentrated on the girl group sound and showcased songs by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Their composition "The Loco ...

as Big Dee Irwin, and releasing a version of the 1944

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

song "Swinging on a Star" which also featured

, though she was uncredited. In 1963, the song reached number 38 on the US pop chart. It became a bigger hit in the UK where it rose to number 7, and Irwin then took part in a nine-month tour of Britain. Neither Irwin's follow-up, "Happy Being Fat", again with Little Eva, nor later releases on Dimension, were successful. However, Irwin continued to release singles for a variety of labels through the 1960s, and also worked as a songwriter for

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

Bobby Womack Robert Dwayne Womack ( ; March 4, 1944 – June 27, 2014) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Starting in the early 1950s as the lead singer of his family musical group the Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's ...

, and others; the Hollies included his "What Kind of Boy" on their 1964 album '' In The Hollies Style''. In 1964 Irwin performed at the

New Musical Express ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a " rock inkie", the ''NME'' would become a maga ...

Poll-winners concert at Empire Pool Wembley to an audience of 11,000; other performers at the concert included

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

The Hollies The Hollies are an English rock and pop band formed in Manchester in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Singer Allan Clarke and ...

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

and other artists. In 1976, initially under the name DiFosco, he released the

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

single "Face to Face". His last record release was in 1978. Irwin died of

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to Cardiac cycle, fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF ...

in 1995. His son, David Ervin, has played piano professionally as a

studio A studio is a space set aside for creative work of any kind, including art, dance, music and theater. The word ''studio'' is derived from the , from , from ''studere'', meaning to study or zeal. Types Art The studio of any artist, esp ...

musician.

Discography

Hull Records (as Dee Erwin)

*"I Can't Help It (I'm Falling In Love)" / "Rubin, Rubin" — 1959 *"Let's Try Again" /"'Tis Farewell" — 1960

Bliss Records (as Dee Erwin)

*"Someday You'll Understand Why" / "Anytime" — 1961

Dimension Records Dimension Records was a record label founded in 1962 in New York City by Don Kirshner and Al Nevins, owners of Aldon Music. It concentrated on the girl group sound and showcased songs by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Their composition "The Loco ...
(as Big Dee Irwin; * with
Little Eva Eva Narcissus Boyd (June 29, 1943 – April 10, 2003), known by her stage name Little Eva, was an American singer, well known for her 1962 hit "The Loco-Motion". Biography Boyd was born in Belhaven, North Carolina in 1943 and had twelve siblin ...
; ** with The Breakaways)

*"Everybody's Got a Dance But Me" / "And Heaven Was Here" — 1962 *"

" * / "Another Night with the Boys" * — 1963 -

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

No. 38, UK No. 7 *"Happy Being Fat" * / "Soul Waltzin'" — 1963 *"Skeeter" / "You're My Inspiration" — 1963 *"

The Christmas Song "The Christmas Song" (commonly subtitled "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" or, as it was originally subtitled, "Merry Christmas to You") is a Christmas song written in 1945 by Robert Wells (songwriter), Robert Wells and Mel Tormé. The Nat K ...

" * / "I Wish You a Merry Christmas" * — 1963 *" Heigh-Ho" ** / "I Want So Much to Know You" ** — 1964

20th Century Fox Records 20th Century Fox Records (also known as 20th Fox Records and 20th Century Records, or simply 20th Century Fox Film Scores and Fox Records) was a wholly owned subsidiary of film studio 20th Century Fox. The history of the label covers three distin ...
(as Big Dee Irwin)

*"Donkey Walk" / "Someday You'll Understand Why" — 1963

Roulette Records Roulette Records was an American record company and label founded in 1957 by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Kahl, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed ...
(as Dee Erwin)

*"Discotheque" / "The Sun's Gonna Shine Tomorrow" — 1965 *"Are You Really Real" / "The Mouse"

Rotate Records (as Big Dee Irwin)

*"I Wanna Stay Right Here With You" / "You Satisfy My Needs" — 1965 *"Follow My Heart" / "Stop Heart" — 1965

Fairmont Records (as Big Dee Irwin)

*"Sweet Young Thing Like You" / "You Really Are Together" — 1966

Astra Records (as Dee Irwin)

*"I Can't Help It" / "My One and Only Dream" — 1966

Phil-La Records (as Big Dee Irwin)

*"Better to Have Loved and Lost" / "Linda" — 1967

Polydor Records Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
(as Big Dee Irwin and Suzie aria Pereboom

*" Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" / "I Can't Get Over You" — 1968

Imperial Records Imperial Records is an American record company and label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd. The label was reactivated in 2006 by EMI, which owned the label and back catalogue at the time. Imperial is owned by Universal Music Group. Early years to ...
(as Dee Irwin)

*"I Only Get This Feeling" / "Wrong Direction" — 1968 *"I Can't Stand the Pain" / "My Hope to Die Girl" — 1968

Imperial Records (as Big Dee Irwin and Mamie Galore)

By the Time I Get to Phoenix "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" is a song written by Jimmy Webb. Originally recorded by Johnny Rivers in 1965, it was reinterpreted by American country music singer Glen Campbell on his album of the same name. Released on Capitol Records in 1 ...

" / " I Say a Little Prayer" — 1968 *"

Day Tripper "Day Tripper" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a double A-side single with "We Can Work It Out" in December 1965. The song was written primarily by John Lennon with some contributions from Paul McCartney and ...

" / "I Didn't Wanna Do It, But I Did" — 1969 *" Ain't No Way" / " Cherish" — 1969

Earthquake Records (as DiFosco)

*"Sunshine Love" / "You Saved Me from Destruction" — 1971

Signpost Records (as Dee Ervin)

*"Darling, Please Take Me Back" (

Stereo Stereophonic sound, commonly shortened to stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configurat ...

) / "Darling, Please Take Me Back" ( Mono) — 1972

Roxbury Records

*"You Broke My Face" / "Face to Face" — 1976 (as DiFosco) *"You Broke My Face" / "Face to Face" — 1976 (as Dee Ervin) *"The I Love You Song" / "I Can't Get You Off My Mind" — 1976 (as Dee Ervin)

20th Century Fox (as Dee Erwin)

*"The I Love You Song" / "Ship of Love" - 1978

References

External links

The Dead Rock Stars Club websiteBig Dee Irwin discography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Irwin, Big Dee 1932 births 1995 deaths 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers Imperial Records artists Roulette Records artists Roxbury Records artists Singers from New York City