The 1950’s Fabulous Foursome! This   is   a   fan   site   of   the   original   Diamonds   of   the   1950s. All hailing   from   Canada,   they   made   their   way   to      the   U.   S., and   with   their   songs   and   energy,   endeared   themselves   to their fans forever.

Ted   Kowalski    -   Born   May   16,   1931   /   Died August   8,   2010.   Before   entering   the   University   of   Toronto,   he worked   for   Odeon   Theatres   as   a   booker.   It   was   while   at   U.   T.,   he   met   students   Phil   Levitt   and   Stan Fisher   and   started   singing   together.   Ted   suggested   to   add   a   bass   singer   he   knew   and   that   completed their   group.   That   singer   was   Bill   Reed.   This   quartet   started   to   get   serious   about   their   singing   and   a chance   meeting   with   Dave   Somerville   in   the   hallway   of   the   Canadian   Broadcasting   Co.,   resulted   in Dave   becoming   the   lead.   Ted   came   up   with   the   name   Diamonds   and   was   the   tenor   from   1953   to   1958, leaving to return to U. T. to get his Engineering degree.

Approximately   1974   or   75,   Ted   started   singing   with   a   men's   group   named   The   Invictones.   About   40   members   strong,   this   group   included people   from   in   and   around   the   Toronto   city   and   area.   He   met   three   other   men   who   incidentally   had   the   3   different   voice   types,   bass, baritone   and   lead   singer.   In   1980, Ted   left   the   Invictones   and   with   his   new   friends   started   a   new   group   with   a   small   band.   Because   the   band members   where   so   much   younger   than   the   quartet,   they   called   themselves   the   Generations.   From   only   entertaining   once   in   a   while   at   a hospital   or   such,   they   ended   up   doing   gigs   almost   every   week-end   for   dances,   parties,   and   cruises   through   the   Caribbean.   It   wasn't   until   he joined   this   group   that   anyone   knew   he   was   once,   in   fact,   the   original   Diamond's   tenor.   This   suited   him   fine.   The   Generations   sang   together for   about   18   years.   They   couldn't   keep   up   with   the   demands   for   their   music   because   they   enjoyed   themselves   so   much   kibitzing,   laughing, joking and every once in a while being serious that everyone wanted them for their affairs.   During   that   time   Ted   also   sang   with   a   big   band   "The   Tom   DeMoraes   Big   Band"   which   was   a   local   group   who   played   music   from   the   Big Band era (Miller, Dorsey, etc.). Ted was the vocalist along with a female singer, they played for many of the City's conventions, etc. About   2001,   the   Generations   decided   to   call   it   quits   due   to   illness.   They   were,   after   all,   in   their   60's   and   70's,   but   you   wouldn't   know   it   to hear the group. These men were really great in their presentation, etc. and Ted felt he was a lucky person to have been with them. Now   days   his   singing   has   consisted   of   going   to   the   various   Hall's   of   Fame,   i.e.,   Vocal   Quartet   Hall   of   Fame,   Doo   Wop   Hall   of   Fame,   Rock   n' Roll Hall of Fame as well as the Canadian Juno Award. This is, of course, for the Diamonds, not only Ted. Ted passed away Aug 8, 2010. Obituary See Andrew Merey 2009 article on Ted. To quote Ted: “We were Canada’s first Rock & Roll export, eager to be part of the music scene in The States. A decade after our 1957 hit “Little Darlin”, three returned Vietnam Vets told me they’d climb into the trees at night for safety and signal each other with the falsetto part I sang on that recording. (La, la la la, la la). Ah, the power of music!”