The Belle Stars

The Belle Stars were an all-female British pop group of the early '80s that split off from the Bodysnatchers. The lineup was Jennie McKeown (vocals), Lesley Shone (bass/vocals), Stella Barker (guitar/vocals), Sarah-Jane Owen (guitar/vocals), Miranda Joyce (saxophone/vocals), Judy Parsons (drums) and Penny Leyton (keyboards/vocals). They scored four U.K. Top 40 hits between 1982 and 1983, "Iko Iko," "The Clapping Song," "Sign of the Times," and "Sweet Memory," before splitting up. "Iko Iko" was used in the hit film Rain Man, turning it into a surprise Top 40 U.S. hit in 1989. ~ William Ruhlmann