American girl group formed in Queens, New York in 1963. Lineup: sisters Mary Weiss (lead, 1948-2024) and Betty Weiss, plus identical twins Mary Ann Ganser (1948-1970) and Marge Ganser (1948-1996). Distinguished by their dark, melodramatic songwriting (largely by George "Shadow" Morton) addressing teen-romance tragedies.
Released two studio albums during their original run: Leader of the Pack (1965) and Shangri-Las 65! (1965). Best-known recordings: "Leader of the Pack" (1964, #1) and "Remember (Walking in the Sand)" (1964). Mary Ann Ganser died in 1970 of encephalitis; Marge Ganser died in 1996 of breast cancer; Mary Weiss died in 2024.
