The Hilltoppers

The Hilltoppers were a singing group formed in 1952, consisting of Jimmy Sacca (born on July 26, 1929 in Lockport, New York), Donald McGuire (born on October 7, 1931 in Hazard, Kentucky) and Seymour Spiegelman (born on October 1, 1930 in Seneca Falls, New York).

It was on the campus at Western Kentucky State College at Bowling Green, Kentucky they would form one of the hottest singing groups of the early 1950s. Pianist Billy Vaughn, who would leave his own mark in the music business as an orchestra leader would become an important fourth member of the Hilltoppers.

It was a song written by Billy Vaughn, “Trying” that would begin their career. A local disc jockey liked the recording and sent it to a new record label that had been formed in Gallatin, Tennessee by Randy Wood called Dot Records, which became established as a hit label thanks in part to the Hilltoppers. Not only did Jimmy Sacca and the Hilltoppers become stars, but so did Billy Vaughn with a number of top selling hits.

“Trying” hit the top ten in October 1952, followed in 1953 with “P.S. I Love You”, a song originally written in 1934 which was later extensively covered by other performers (and is not to be confused with the similarly-titled, but otherwise different, 1962 song by the Beatles). In early 1954, “Till Then” landed in the top ten for the Hilltoppers. At the same time they shared a top ten hits with the Gaylords, “From the Vine Came the Grape”. “Poor Butterfly” came next and their version of “Only You” shared #1 honors with the Platters in 1955.

Jimmy Sacca and the Hilltoppers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005.