The Five Stars

The Five Stars – Singing Group. Formed in Indianapolis around 1957, The Five Stars consisted of the following Indy teens: leader Jim Bruhn (later with the Swingin’ Lads), Bill Campbell, Larry Huffman, Ron Russell, and Bruce Miller. Replacing Miller early on was Boyd “Popcorn” Johnson, who had been a member of a similar group in Terre Haute called The Fascinators. In 1957 and 1958, The Five Stars recorded four 45s on various local labels; however, “Atom Bomb Baby,” a #1 hit in Indy, was re-issued nationally on Dot Records. Furthermore, Dick Clark predicted that the doo-wop gem would be a big hit. Although the single failed to meet Clark’s expectations, the Five Stars earned a spot on his American Bandstand the following year on the strength on the single “Pickin’ on the Wrong Chicken,” which was accompanied by the Count Basie Band. Other instrumentalists who played on their records were guitarists Boyd Bennett and Ronnie Haig (both having Indy ties), Indy sax great Jimmy Coe, and a soon to be famous local jazz guitarist named Wes Montgomery. In the case of Ronnie Haig, the Five Stars reciprocated by providing back-up vocals for two of Haig’s songs, which were recorded in the same session that also included two recordings by the Five Stars. In 2005, “Atom Bomb Baby” resurfaced on a five-disc compilation entitled Atomic Platters: Cold War Music from the Golden Age of Homeland Security on Bear Music. Lastly, "Atom Bomb Baby" is used in Fallout 4 (2015), a post-nuclear war role-playing game for Playstation.