Teardrops

Clockwise from the Top
Pat Struck, Linda Schroeder, Wanda Sheriff, Dorothy Dyer
(Photo courtesy Linda Schroder Milazzo/Dorothy Dyer Wethington)
The Teardrops were a quartet of woman who were one of Cincinnati's premeir talents through the 60s

The Teardrops were a quartet of woman who were one of Cincinnati's premeir talents through the 60s.

The Teardrops were from Cincinnati, Ohio. Formed in 1961 the group consisted of Linda Schroeder, Pat Strunk, Dorothy Dyer and Wanda Sheriff. Linda, Dorothy and Pat all attended Hughes High School in Cincinnati. Linda and Dorothy both sang in the school choir and hung out in Inwood Park where they sang many of the popular songs of the day.

Hughes High School was racially mix and it was there that Dorothy and Linda began emulating the R&B style of the Black students that sang along with them. In fact the deejays that heard them first on tape when they met them in person were often surprised that the girls were White. None had any formal music training.

One evening while at the Tula Club, a teen club sponsored by local radio station WSAI, run by deejay Ron Britton, while listening to a band perform they began singing background. The bandleader heard them, asked them to come up and sing behind the lead singer. Afterwards they were approached by Mike Mesley who suggested they add another girl and he would manage them.

First they added Diane Barstow, but when she soon lost interest Pat Strunk was added. Dorothy came up with the teardrop name to symbolize the boy problems they were all going through.

Since they were only fourteen, it took awhile to learn the self control to rehearse on a regular basis. After getting up to speed, with a nice sound, they added dance routines.

Mesley soon began getting them jobs singing at teen socials and other special events. Booked with the Matadors the house band at a local club, lead guitarist Bud Reneau arranged for his partner, songwriter Paul Trefzger and Saxony Record owner to hear them sing.

Agreeing to met at Trefzger's house, he played them some songs, which they sang back. Delighted to find the girls learned quickly they were soon signed to Trefzger's Saxony label.

Not long after signing Wanda Sheriff, who Linda knew from Colerain High School, joined the group. Wendy's voice rounded out the harmonies for a fuller sound.

On September 2, 1964 the group met at King Studios in Cincinnati for their first recording session. There they recorded "Tonight I'm Going To Fall in Love Again".

Their first single grabbed some local airplay reaching the Top 20 Hit list of WCPO in late 1964 and early 1965. It even reached number one in Okinawa. The Teardrops promoted the record by playing clubs throughout Ohio, Kentucky and with personal appearances on Cincinnati teen shows Between Time and Upbeat. They also appeared as opening acts for acts like the Beach Boys and Sonny and Cher when they came to town.

The second single "Tears Come Tumbling" was recorded in the new RCA studios in Nashville. After it began climbing the charts in Boston, Cleveland and Philadelphia the record was sent to various labels with Musicor Records picking it up for national distribution. Though it did well locally during late 65 and early 66 it didn't break nationally. Musicor could have done more promoting the record, but didn't and Saxony wasn't big enough to promote it properly.

The Teardrops 1965 (L-R) Wendy Sheriff, Pat Strunk, Linda Schroeder and Hazel Smiddy
Photo courtesy Linda Schroeder Milazzon/Dorothy Dyer Wethington

Before "Tears Come Tumbling" there was a change  in the lineup. Dorothy had graduated high school early and married, left to devote full time to her marriage. She was replaced by Hazel Smiddy. She recorded on the next and final Teardrop single released on Musicor "I Will Love You Forever Dear/Bubblegummer" in 1966. Despite the good production, Musicor again failed put put all their efforts into the record, probably because none of the previous Teardrop singles had made the national charts. With station now tightening play lists to include only what were perceived as sure hits the record did not receive adequate airplay in their native Cincinnati.

The Teardrops continued to get steady club work in Cincinnati. After the last recording, Wendy left the group and got married Then Pat did too moving to Virginia. Two girls  who auditioned and replaced them were Barbara Frost, a University of Cincinnati student, and fourteen year old Susann Leicht. They were signed to Saxony, but never recorded anything. Eighteen months after leaving Dorothy returned to take Hazel's place when she decided to go solo.

With the public's taste changing by 1969 the Teardrops' career were winding down. After the group was dissolved, Linda and her fiancée moved to Santa Monica where she was part of an act that played in Dean Martin's lounge. Offered the chance to become on of Martin's Golddiggers, Linda turned it down, a decision she says she regrets.

1989 (L-R) Tinker Smidley, Dorothy Dyer, Linda Schoder, Wendy Sheriff

Eventually she returned to Cincinnati where she and Susann sang in a band called The Happy People. Linda formed a Christian band, Reaching Out, with her sister Phyllis and Dorothy.. She also recorded jingles for local Cincinnati companies. In 1990, Linda formed a band called The Avenues, with Paul Milazzo, whom she later married and had a son, Adam. Linda coaches voice, both privately and for Jewel Recording in Cincinnati, where she is also a sales representative.

Dorothy has done backup work over the years including singing with Linda and Wendy on a Lee Greenwood session. She is now a nurse and Clinical Coordinator the University of Cincinnati. She has been married to Harold Wethington for over thirty years. Wendy works as a legal secretary and is a mother of four.

Pat Strunk lived in Florida before returning to Kentucky with her husband and two children. Hazel continued to perform for many years in a local band in Cincinnati. A special education teacher she has two children., Susann Leicht sings contemporary Christian music. Paul Trefzger is a probation officer in San Francisco and still runs Saxony Records.Bud Reneau is a sucessful songwriter in Nashville.

In 1989, the Teardrops reunited to raise money for homeless Vietnam Veterans.

Linda Schroeder died in 2003.