The Exciters was a 1960s American pop group whose one big hit was the
perky and upbeat
Jerry Leiber /
Mike Stoller tune "Tell Him" in 1962.
Originally a girl group consisting of Brenda Reid, Carolyn Johnson and
Lillian Walker, they later added Herb Rooney--Reid's husband--to their
lineup. "Tell Him" reached #4 on the US charts in 1962. Their other
distinction is that they were the first to record "Doo Wah Diddy
Diddy", in 1963; it was covered by
Manfred Mann shortly thereafter,
and while it wasn't much of a hit for The Exciters, it was a huge
international hit for Manfred Mann. In 1978 the group had a hit with
"Reachin' for the Best", which made #31 on the UK singles charts.
Brenda Reid's and Herb Rooney's son Mark Rooney grew up to be a
producer and executive with Sony Records. Group member Carolyn Johnson
died on May 7, 2007, at age 62.