The Sunbeams

The Sunbeams are a Dutch 1960s pop group from the Netherlands. The group is associated with doo wop and features Gert van den Broeck, Jan van den Broeck, Jeanne van den Broeck, Piet van den Broeck and Riet van den Broeck.

Background

The group’s name is also used in connection with an earlier R&B vocal group that begins in Glen Cove on Long Island, New York. That line-up forms around John Cumbo after he relocates there from Philadelphia and starts singing with local performers in 1950. The group first performs as the Kovaks, a name taken from Glen Cove.

Early line-up and influences

The Kovaks line-up includes Bobby Lee Hollis, Bobby Coleman, James Davis, John Cumbo and William Edwards. They rehearse for about two years before looking for bookings, and their sound is shaped by the Orioles, the Ravens and the Dominoes. For a period in 1954, Joe Tex joins the group before leaving to pursue a solo career.

Recording career

In early 1955, John Cumbo arranges an audition with Herald Records in Manhattan. The company dislikes the name Kovaks and renames the group the Sunbeams. The newly named group records four John Cumbo songs: “Tell Me Why”, “Come Back Baby”, “Shouldn’t I Have A Right (To Cry Over You)” and “I Love The Way You Look Tonight”. Bobby Lee Hollis sings lead on all four recordings.

“Tell Me Why” and “Come Back Baby” are released on Herald, but the record is not strongly promoted and does not reach the national charts. The group later records “Please Say You’ll Be Mine” and “You’ve Got To Rock & Roll” for Acme after its Herald contract ends. Henry Williamson sings lead on both of those sides, and “You’ve Got To Rock & Roll” is the only Sunbeams recording not written by John Cumbo.

Live work and later changes

The Sunbeams appear around Long Island and in nearby areas, including beach shows and small clubs. They perform at the Celebrity Club in Freeport with Baby Washington, Club Ruby in Jamaica with Ruth Brown and Willis “Gator Tail” Jackson, and Gibson’s Bar & Grill in Manhasset. They also play in Spring Valley, Connecticut, New Jersey and Manhattan, and John Cumbo helps promote shows at the Lincoln House in Glen Cove with DJ Ralph Cooper.

In 1956, Bobby Lee Hollis leaves and is replaced by Henry Williamson. Bobby Coleman later goes solo, Henry Williamson joins one of the many Ink Spots groups, and John Cumbo continues with occasional solo appearances. The group ends in 1958 after failing to secure lasting commercial success.