Shirley Ellis

Shirley Marie O'Garra<ref name="Familysearch.org">Template:Cite web</ref> (stage name Shirley Ellis, married name Shirley Elliston;<ref>Whitburn, J. (2010). The Billboard book of top 40 hits. New York: Billboard Books. p. 214. Template:ISBN</ref> January 19, 1929 – October 5, 2005<ref name="Soul Walking">Template:Cite web</ref>) was an American soul music singer and songwriter of West Indian heritage.<ref name='1930Census'>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Rate">Template:Cite web</ref> She is best known for her novelty hits "The Nitty Gritty" (1963, US no. 8), "The Name Game" (1964, US no. 3), and "The Clapping Song" (1965, US no. 8 and UK no. 6). "The Clapping Song" sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">Template:Cite book</ref>

Biography

On Template:Start date and age, Shirley O'Garra was born to William H. and Petra (Smith) O'Garra. Her father was a native of Montserrat, and her mother was born in the Bahamas.<ref name='1930Census'/> Shirley had three full siblings, Joyce, Bertram and William Jr., and four half siblings, Reginald, Suzanne, Joycelyn and Berbian.<ref name="Familysearch.org"/>

On August 3, 1949, O'Garra married her husband, Arnold Alphonso Elliston (October 21, 1929 – August 23, 2009; professional name: Alphonso Elliston), in Florida.<ref name="Familysearch.org"/>

By 1954, Ellis had written two songs recorded by the Chords.<ref name="Rate"/> She was originally in the group the Metronomes and married the lead singer, Alphonso Elliston. All her solo hits were written by her and her manager, record producer, and songwriting partner Lincoln Chase.<ref name="Larkin60">Template:Cite book</ref>

Ellis hadTemplate:When recording contracts with the Kapp Records subsidiary Congress and later Columbia and Bell.Template:Fact

In 1968, Ellis retiredTemplate:Why from the music industry.Template:Fact

On October 5, 2005, Ellis died in the Bronx section of New York City at the age of 76.

Commercials

In August 2020, "The Clapping Song" was used in a TV commercial for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0, and in April 2021 her "I See It, I Like It, I Want It" was in another Samsung commercial, this time for the Galaxy Z Flip 5G and Galaxy Z Fold2.Template:Fact

In 2023, "I See It, I Like It, I Want It" was featured in a Walmart commercial.Template:Fact

In 2024, "The Puzzle Song" was used in an Amazon Prime commercial.Template:Fact

In 2025, a cover version of "I See It, I Like It, I Want It" was featured in a Chase Bank commercial.<ref name="chase2025">Template:Cite web</ref>

Film

In 2021, "The Clapping Song" was used in the film Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021).<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> It was also featured in the first teaser trailer for the film Die, My Love (2025).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Cover versions

Cover versions of Ellis' hits have been recorded by Madeline Bell, the Belle Stars,<ref name="Larkin60"/> Laura Branigan, Aaron Carter, Gary Glitter, Ricardo Ray, Pia Zadora, Southern Culture on the Skids, Gladys Knight & the Pips (a version of "The Nitty Gritty", produced by Norman Whitfield), and Divine, Template:A.k.a. Harris Glenn Milstead (a hi-NRG version of "The Name Game").<ref name="Rate"/>

The Ellis song "Soul Time" was sampledTemplate:When by the UK band the Go! Team for their single "Bottle Rocket".Template:Fact

In 2011, "The Name Game" was covered by Jessica Lange and the cast of American Horror Story: Asylum and was featured in the episode of the same name.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Discography

Studio albums

• In Action (1964, Congress)
• The Name Game (1965, Congress)
• Sugar, Let's Shing-a-Ling (1967, Columbia)<ref name="Larkin60"/>

Compilation albums

• The Name Game (1988, MCA Special Products)
• The Very Best of Shirley Ellis (1995, Taragon)<ref name="Larkin60"/>
• The Complete Congress Recordings (2001, Connoisseur Collection)
• Three Six Nine!: The Best of Shirley Ellis (2018, Ace)

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions					Album	Release date
		US <ref name="us">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	US R&B <ref name="us"/>	AUS <ref name="kent">Template:Cite book</ref>	CAN <ref name="can">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	UK <ref name="uk">Template:Cite web</ref>
1963	"The Nitty Gritty"	8	4	—	19<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	—	In Action	October 25, 1963
1964	"(That's) What the Nitty Gritty Is"	72	14	—	—	—		February 18, 1964
	"Shy One"	130	43	—	—	—		April 9, 1964
	"Such a Night"	—	—	—	—	—		June 13, 1964
	"The Name Game"	3	4	40	2	—	The Name Game	November 12, 1964
1965	"The Clapping Song (Clap Pat Clap Slap)"	8	16	86	10	6	align=left rowspan="2" Template:N/A	March 10, 1965
	"The Puzzle Song (A Puzzle in Song)"/"I See It, I Like It, I Want It" (B-side)	78	—	—	32	—	May 15, 1965
	"I Will Never Forget"	—	—	—	—	—	The Name Game	July 3, 1965
	"You Better Be Good, World"	—	—	—	—	—	align=left rowspan="2" Template:N/A	October 23, 1965
1966	"Ever See a Diver Kiss His Wife While the Bubbles Bounce About Above the Water?"	135	—	—	—	—	January 4, 1966
	"Birds, Bees, Cupids and Bows"	—	—	—	—	—	Sugar, Let's Shing-a-Ling	October 17, 1966
1967	"Soul Time"	67	31	87	39<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	—		January 30, 1967
	"Sugar Let's Shing-a-Ling"	—	—	—	—	—		May 8, 1967
1978	"The Clapping Song" (re-release)	—	—	—	—	59	align=left rowspan="1" Template:N/A	June 23, 1978
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

External links

• Shirley Ellis Three Six Nine! The Name Game/Soul Time Home Page
• Template:AllMusic
• Template:Discogs artist
• Template:Imdb name
• Fansite biography
• Biography and full discography