The lead singer of the Five Satins and composer of several songs, Fred Parris, has passed away at the age of 85, according to his manager.
The New Haven native reportedly died on Jan. 13 after fighting a brief illness, Pat Marafiote, his manager, said.
Known for composing "In the Still of the Night," which reached No. 24 on the Billboard pop charts when it was released in 1956, Parris was influenced by the song while on military guard duty in Philadelphia.
Thoughts of his girlfriend inspired the song and what some call a rock standard.
The song was recorded in the basement of St. Bernadette Church in New Haven, and chants of his "shoo-doo-shooby-doo" helped make the song iconic.
The Five Satins helped define the harmony group era, and their music was used in several films throughout the decades like "Dirty Dancing" and "The Irishman."
The Five Satins were elected into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003, and seven years later, Rolling Stone magazine ranked "In the Still of the Night" as the 90th greatest song on a list that featured 500 tunes.
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