<P> Dootsie Williams sued and was awarded the rights to the song in 1957 by the Los Angeles Superior Court "on the ground that Belvin and Hodge had written most of it ." </P> <P> "Earth Angel" has been repeatedly covered in popular culture . As was a common occurrence at the time, there were a number of cover versions released upon the record's immediate success . Many white artists covered the song, including Gloria Mann, Pat O'Day, and Les Baxter . The most notable of these was performed by a vocal group from Canada named the Crew - Cuts, signed to Mercury Records . Their version peaked at number three on the pop charts, higher than the original . Their version also reached British charts, a feat the original was unable to achieve . Elvis Presley recorded an informal cover during an army stint in Germany . "The Flying Saucer" (1956), widely considered one of the first mashup songs, sampled the song without permission . Other cover versions include Johnny Tillotson, The Cleftones, The Vogues, New Edition, The Temptations, Joan Baez, and Johnny Preston . </P> <P> In addition to cover versions, the song has also been employed in various film and television soundtracks . The 1991 film Earth Angel was named after the song . The song has been used in the television series Happy Days . It was featured prominently in the film Back to the Future (performed by Harry Waters Jr. as Marvin Berry & The Starlighters), as well as Superman III and The Karate Kid Part II . It is also used in the jukebox musical Jersey Boys, a musical about the rock band The Four Seasons . Australian group Human Nature covered the song on their 2014 album Jukebox . </P> <P> Although the Penguins never matched the success of their debut single, the song has continued to see popularity and acclaim . Cleveland Duncan, the song's lead vocalist, remarked, "I never get tired of singing it, as long as people never get tired of hearing it ." The song became a staple of oldies radio in the late 20th century . </P>

Who sings earth angel in back to the future