Musician, comedian and speaker Donny ‘Conn’ Claps passed away on Sept. 2 at the age of 85.
Claps was born in Waterbury, Conn. where he attended school and started playing drums. He went on to graduate from the University of Connecticut where he was one of the founders of Beta Sigma Gamma -— the first intercultural and interracial fraternity in New England.
In 1952, Claps toured the United States and Canada with The Playmates with pianist Chic Hetti and vocalist Morey Carr, who were also from his hometown. The group’s song “Beep Beep,” the story of a Nash Rambler and a Cadillac, was on the Billboard Top 40 charts for 12 weeks. It sold over a million copies and was awarded a gold disc.
In 1959, The Playmates followed up “Beep Beep” with the chart-topping single, “What Is Love,” and then again in 1960 with “Wait for Me.”
The Playmates’ ‘50s and ‘60s pop hits earned the group five Gold Singles, and they performed on television variety shows including the “Ed Sullivan Show,” the “Milton Berle Show,” and “American Bandstand.” The group recorded four albums for Roulette Records before breaking up in 1965.
After the band broke up, Claps reinvented himself as a stand-up comedian and then turned his comic talents to professional speaking. At the same time, he started one of the first speakers’ bureaus to help book speakers for conventions and business meetings. Claps moved to Malibu in 1972.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Joanne, his children, Kiela, Steven, and Koby, and his grandchildren, Amanda and Kelly.
A memorial service will take place in October. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hearts of Los Angeles Youth.