A number of specialist soul sites are reporting the death of GEORGINA DOBBINS… a name not that familiar but nevertheless hugely important in the history of Motown. You see Georgina was a founding member of the MARVELETTES and was the writer of ‘Please Mr Postman’ – Motown’s first pop no.1 and with the profits from the record Berry Gordy was able to expand his fledgling music empire.
As an Inkster, Michigan teenager Ms Dobbins formed a high school vocal group, The Casinyets. Other members included Gladys Horton, Georgeanna Tillman, Katherine Anderson and Juanita Cowart. They entered a school talent show with an audition at Motown as the prize and though they didn’t win they managed to score an audition under the name The Marvels. Berry Gordy liked the quintet but told them to come back when they had some original songs. A determined Ms Dobbins went away, teamed up with a friend, William Garrett and created ‘Please Mr Postman’ and hurried back to Gordy. He was impressed but felt the song needed a little polish so put Brian Holland, Freddie Gorman and Robert Bateman on the case. Between them they completed the song and with the group now called The Marvelettes, they were summoned to the studio to record it. However, Georgina’s dad, a devout Christian, didn’t want his daughter to get involved in the risqué world of show business and forced her to quit! Consequently, Gladys Horton took lead and, of course, the rest is history.
We wonder did Ms Dobbins ever wonder what might have been… maybe she was happy with the royalties! The song has been covered plenty of times – most notably of course by the Beatles and the Carpenters.
Our diligent detectives could find little else about Georgina’s career or the details of her sad passing.
