The Sour Patch Kids met in high school in Wichita, Kansas in 1964 and within two years were touring the world. At the time, they couldn’t have known they would become the biggest pop act of the decade, but with the perfect blend of talent, timing and dedication their ascension seems almost preordained in retrospect. Jimmy Redd’s swooning vocals, Janet Cherry’s lead guitar, Bill Lemon’s bouncy bass and Martha Green’s driving drums were met by screaming fans from Kansas to Kyoto. The songs “My Sugar Kid” (1965) and “Your Sour Smile” (1967) are now considered important contributions to the American music canon.
These were the good years. The band’s legend grew and the money poured in. Their label, Sweet Sounds Music Group, pushed them to reach their audiences in new ways, building out their merchandising arm into clothing, lunch boxes and even a sour sugar-coated gummy candy. However, the label was also arguably responsible for the band’s downfall. In response to slightly drooping numbers, the label, citing a clause in the band’s contract that the four excited teenagers did not notice before signing back in 1964, added a new member to the group: Barry Blue. The new member of The Sour Patch Kids was not well received, within the band or by the fans. Critics considered his music style to be a step backwards to the band’s earliest sound, which many considered them to have grown out of. And in May of 1969, the creative differences came to a head and the band broke up. The label had the original four members blacklisted and they stopped making music all together. The only remnant of their success is the music they made and the Sour Patch Kids candy which remains popular to this day.
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Pastry Chef Attempts to Make Gourmet Sour Patch Kids | Gourmet Makes | Bon Appétit
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