by Ron Wynn
A 60s Chicago high-school female trio, the Lovelites scored a sizable teen angst hit with How Can I Tell My Mom & Dad for Uni in 1969. Though it was never directly stated in the song, its implicit theme was teen pregnancy, still regarded then as a fate worse than death in many circles. Patti Hamilton, her sister Rozena Petty, and Barbara Peterman were the original group, with Ardell McDaniel replacing Peterman in 1968. Joni Berlman replaced Petty in 1970, and Rhonda Grayson replaced McDaniel in 1971. The single did well enough for the group to start its own label, Lovelite Records, in 1970. It continued until 1973, while one single from their label made the R&B Top 40, My Conscience, in 1971. They disbanded in 1973.