United In Group Harmony Association

             (U.G.H.A.)                      

Scheutzen Park  (North Bergen, NJ) home to UGHA.

^{"The Organization"}

UGHA was founded in 1976 by Ronnie Italiano (aka Ronnie I).   This non profit, tax exempt organization is dedicated to the preservation, exposure and education of authentic Rhythm and Blues / Rock and Roll music.  

The first UGHA meeting show was held on December 3, 1976 at the American Legion Hall in East Rutherford, NJ.  By February 1977, the meetings were moved around the corner to the now "mythical" Mercury Club for the next six meeting shows.  Due to the continuous growth of the organization, the meetings were moved once again to St Joseph's Church Auditorium in East Rutherford.  This would be home to UGHA for the next two years.  

However, growing pains prompted another move, this time to a banquet hall named Scheutzen Park which is located in North Bergen, NJ.  The first meeting held in Scheutzen Park was on May 31st, 1980 and has continued there to this day.   Special events, such as the UGHA Hall of Fame are held in Symphony Space, NYC and the UGHA "Harmony Weekends" are held in Trevose, Pa.  

UGHA has been in existence for twenty three years and has achieved a reputation unequaled in it's many accomplishemnts to date.  The foremost being the preservation of our beloved music and the continuing efforts to pay tribute to the pioneer R&B artists all but forgotten by the rest of the world.  UGHA has brown to over 2,000 members worldwide and has repsponsible for the revival of groups like the Solitiares, Teenagers, Cadillacs, Lillian Leach and the Mellows, Moonglows, Nutmegs, Chantels and many, many more over the years.  Over 1000 groups have graced the UGHA stage over the past 23 years as the organization moves to the next millenium with no signs of slowing down.

There are too many UGHA highlights to cover adequately within this space but there are several that must be noted in this page.  Perhaps the most significant occured at the second annual UGHA Hall of Fame on March 9, 1992.  Rudy West was reunited with the other original Five Keys, as they were inducted into the Hall of Fame.  Rudy left the group in the late 1950's and has been performing with a different set of backup singers all these years.   

Rudy, along with Maryland Pierce, Ripley Ingram, Bernie West and Dickie Smith performed "Close Your Eyes" that night and brought the house to it's feet accompanied with a thunderous ovation.  That would be the last time this legendary group would perform with the original lineup.  Ripley Ingram and Rudy West have since passed away.

Another milestone in UGHA achievement has to be the induction of the Golden Gate Quartet at the fourth annual Hall of Fame ceremony in 1994.  The Golden Gate left the shore's of America in the early 1950's and found fame and fortune in Europe.  They were based in Paris, France but performed throughout the world, except for America.  It seems our musical tastes change all too quickly and as a consequence talented performers here either leave the business or leave America.

Upon hearing that the Golden Gate Quartet were coming back to America, the Smithsonian Institute invited them to attend a ceremony in Washington, DC.  The Gates declined that invitation because they felt it would detract from the real reason they came back to America which was to be honored by UGHA.  Orlandus Wilson, spokeman for the 'Gate made note that UGHA was the only organization in over 40 years that remembered the Golden Gate Quartet.  They in turn honored UGHA by performing at a meeting show the evening before the Hall of Fame.  It was easy to see why they still play before sold out concerts around the world.

UGHA is also a "family" of individuals who share a love of the music and show their support by attending the many wonderful events held throughout the year.  It is also evident that many close and lasting friendships have taken place over the years which adds to the "family" atmosphere at UGHA shows.   Many performers are also UGHA members and it's very common to see them at the shows even when they are not perfoming.  Paul Simon is a member and has attended UGHA concerts.  Willie Winfield of the Harptones is the official UGHA "Ambassador of Goodwill" and visits the shows quite often.  Another wonderful performer that became part of the UGHA "family" was Jackie Landry Jackson, original member of the Chantels.

Jackie was a talented and gracious lady who became a regular visitor at the shows. She became such member of the "family" that the only time you could tell she was different then other members was when she went onstage and performed with the Chantels.  Sadly, Jackie passed away on December 23, 1997 after a long and courageous fight against cancer.   Jackie remains in our hearts and is present at every UGHA function.     

"Jackie"

"The Founder"

"Ronnie I"

"Rhythm and Blues Lives On"

Ronnie Italiano grew up in East Rutherford, NJ during the 1950's and music became a big part of his life but not just any music.  He gravitated to listening to DJ's like Dr. Jive and Alan Freed who were playing authentic Black R&B, unlike some of the more pop stations featuring cover versions by white artists.  He developed a love of  Rhythm and Blues , especially the vocal groups who he felt were the "Underdogs" in the music world.

Ronnie's dream was to make a living from the music and help to promote interest in R&B. His dream came true in 1972 when he purchased Clifton records located in Clifton, NJ.   The store specialized in vintage R&B and catered to the knowledgable record collector. Over the years vinyl has given up it's dominant role, replaced by CDs but Ronnie still caters to the collector's looking for those hard to find original 45RPM records.  

Ronnie also spent 23 years as a DJ on WHBI (Newark, NJ) and WNYE (NYC) promoting R&B music.  One of the most popular events on his shows was the UGHA Top 500 survey.

Clifton Music

1135 Main Ave. Clifton, NJ 07011

(Tel. 973-365-0049)

(Click on Clifton Music Photo to check out latest CD's, Specials and Auctions)

The other part of Ronnie's dream came true in 1976 when he founded UGHA.  He provided a venue for the pioneer R&B performers who were neglected on the big "commercial" shows.   He was now meeting and helping the heroes of his youth that he only knew from those little rounds vinyl discs.

Ronnie has also promoted many humanatarian effort's over the years to assist R&B performers who have fallen on bad times.  Prentis Barnes, original bass of the Moonglows, was inducted into the UGHA Hall of Fame in 1992 along with Harvey Fuqua.  When presented with a video tape of the induction , Prentis indicated that he didn't own a VCR. On top of that he didn't own a TV.  UGHA conducted 50-50 raffles at the next several meeting shows until money was raised to buy these items for Prentis Barnes.  

Several years earlier, Ronnie championed another cause when he discovered that Frankie Lymon's grave in St. Raymond's cemetary in the Bronx never had a headstone.  Once again, through Ronnie's determination and UGHA activities, money was raised and a tombstone was purchased. Unfortunately, legal battles ensued between three women claiming to be Frankie's wife (sound's like a movie plot) and the UGHA effort was snarled in greed and stupidity.   At one point lawyers were actually asking for money to install the tombstone at Frankie's grave.  

Ronnie refused and to this day the tombstone sits near the front window of Clifton records.   The script on the headstone says. "We Promise To Remember".   Ronnie's dream was for people to remember Frankie Lymon and those other pioneers that passed before him.  He has made that dream a reality.  Anyone who prefesses a love for this music owe's Ronnie a debt of gratitude and their support as long as he continues to help those "Underdogs" of R&B.

OTHER UGHA AREAS OF INTEREST

OR