The Exciters

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.