The Supremes

The Supremes

The Supremes

The Supremes

The Supremes

The Supremes

The Supremes

The Supremes

The Supremes

The Supremes

The Supremes

The Supremes

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The most successful female group of all time the legendary Supremes started out as a quartet known as the Primettes. In 1959, two 15-year-olds, Florence Ballard of Northwestern High School and Mary Wilson of Northeastern High School, met at a talent show. Mary sang Frankie Lymon songs like “I’m Not a Juvenile Delinquent” while Flo belted out “Ave Maria.” Local manager Milton Jenkins, who had a doo wop group called the Primes (see THE TEMPTATIONS), wanted a sister group to accompany the Primes for stage performances, and he asked Flo to put together such an act. She remembered Mary. The two of them then brought in 16-year-old Betty Travis while Primes member Paul Williams recommended a 15-year-old from Detroit’s Brewster Housing project, Diane Ross of Cass Technical High School. Jenkins christened them the Primettes after Diane was given permission by her parents to join, and the quartet started doing club dates.

Travis was yanked from the Primettes by her parents, who wanted her to pay more attention to her studies. Then Barbara Martin joined, only to exit shortly after – along with Florence – under the same parental conditions. Mary and Diane worked as a duo until Florence and Barbara improved their grades and rejoined.

The group’s influences ranged from THE MCGUIRE SISTERS to FRANKIE LYMON AND THE TEENAGERS, and unlike most black groups of the day, they were not largely influenced by gospel music.

Florence, Mary, and Diane could all sing lead; Florence’s voice was considered the best and most powerful.

In 1960 they met Diane’s neighbor William “Smokey” Robinson and auditioned for him in the basement of the home of his girlfriend Claudette Rogers (later his wife and an original member of THE MIRACLES) in hopes of getting to Motown’s Berry Gordy, Jr. That audition turned into a dead end for the group, but they managed to try out for Gordy later on, singing THE DRIFTERS’ “There Goes My Baby.” He told them to return when they finished high school.

Undaunted, the foursome began camping out in Motown’s Grand Boulevard office reception room, but no one took any special notice. They continued doing local talent shows and were spotted by Richard Morris, who brought them to Lupine owner/producer Bob West. Bob recorded two sides on the Primettes, “Pretty Baby” with Mary on lead and “Tears of Sorrow” featuring Diane. Released in 1960, the Lupine single went nowhere, and soon the girls were hanging around Motown again, doing occasional hand claps on Marvin Gaye’s early sides and singing some backups for blues artist Mabel John.

In January 1961 Gordy finally signed the quartet but required they change their name. The girl who formed the group, Florence, was also the one to name it the Supremes, which Mary and Diane initially disliked, but Gordy approved. By now, Diane had upscaled herself to Diana, which was what her birth certificate incorrectly read.

Their first single, issued on Tamla in April 1961, was the undistinguished “I Want a Guy,” and the second was an R&B dance tune called “Buttered Popcorn” with Florence on lead. Both releases failed.

Their next three sides barely touched the bottom of the Hot 100. In fact, by the middle of 1962 the Supremes were doing so badly Diana took a job in the cafeteria of Hudson’s Department Store in Detroit and later in the year Barbara left to get married, leaving the group a trio.

In the fall of 1963 came the best of their early releases, “When the Lovelight Starts Shining,” (#23) but by the spring of 1964 the “no-hit Supremes,” as they were called by their hit-making stablemates, had seen eight of their Tamla/Motown singles come and go without a single one making it to the top 20.

It took a Marvelettes reject to jumpstart the Supremes’ career. Holland, Dozier, and Holland brought their new song “Where Did Our Love Go” to the Supremes after Gladys Horton, the Marvelettes lead, rejected it with the comment that she “wouldn’t sing that junk.” Gladys told Diana she passed on it, which may explain why the Supremes didn’t even like the recording when it was finished on April 8, 1964.

Nonetheless, by August “Where Did Our Love Go” was at number one Pop and R&B, number three in the U.K., and number 19 in Australia. In a matter of weeks the group went from no billing on a Dick Clark Caravan of Stars show (which included THE SHIRELLES and Gene Pitney) to top billing.

Diana was now doing all the lead vocals, which did not always sit well with Florence.

More Holland/Dozier/Holland magic followed. “Baby Love,” issued in September 1964, also went to number one Pop, R&B, and in the U.K. and to number 38 in Australia. With “Baby Love,” the Supremes became the first all-girl group to reach number one in England.

“Come See about Me,” released in October, also reached number one, and the Supremes became the first American group to have three number ones from the same LP.

With “Stop! In the Name of Love,” the Supremes became the first group to have four number ones in a row on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also rose to number two R&B and number seven in England, where the girls spent the “Stop” chart run thrilling the British fans on the historic Motown Revue tour through Europe. The group developed their now familiar hand motions (resembling a traffic cop stopping oncoming cars) for “Stop! In the Name of Love” in the men’s room of a London TV studio with the help of Berry Gordy and the Temptations’ Paul Williams and Melvin Franklin prior to a live appearance.

On June 12, 1965, “Back in My Arms Again” became the girls’ fifth million-selling single, their fifth number one, and the fifth mega-hit in a row from the pens of Holland, Dozier, and Holland.

The Supremes were not only competing head-on with the British invasion, they were accomplishing the greater feat of gaining superstar status in the realm of the pop establishment. The groundswell picking up strength when they appeared as head-liners in New York’s famed Copacabana nightclub on July 29, 1965.

That same month, “Nothing But Heartaches” was issued and broke the string of number ones, reaching only number 11 Pop (#6 R&B). But it was a short-lived decline; “I Hear a Symphony” reached number one on November 20th.

“My World Is Empty Without You” (#5) and “Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart” (#9) kept the hot Supremes in the top 10 in early 1966. Then they returned to number one with “You Can’t Hurry Love” (#1 Pop, #3 U.K., September 10, 1966).

A new string of number ones started. The hard-edged side of the Supremes surfaced with one of their best records, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (#1 Pop, #8 U.K., November 19, 1966), followed by “Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone” (#1 Pop, #17 U.K., March 11, 1967) and “The Happening” (#1 Pop, #6 U.K., May 13, 1967).

“The Happening” was the last of 10 chart toppers produced and written by Holland/Dozier/Holland for the trio. They left Motown to form their own labels, called Hot Wax and Invictus.

By that time the friction between Ballard and Ross had taken its toll on Florence and she missed two shows in New Orleanes and Montreal. During July, part way through their performance stay at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, Florence was fired by Gordy and replaced by Cindy Birdsong of the Blue-Belles.

With Ballard gone, Gordy took the opportunity to rename the trio Diana Ross and the Supremes. Though Diana was gaining stature on her way to a solo career, the new lineup was not nearly as popular saleswise as the old. Over the next two years Motown issued 12 singles and only one, the powerful message song “Love Child,” hit number one (November 30, 1968).

Their first two singles as the new trio, “Reflections” (#2) and “In and Out of Love” (#9), were carryovers from the H/D/H days.

The group did several good remakes with the Temptations, including “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” (#2, originally by Madeline Bell), “I’ll Try Something New” (#25, the Miracles), and “The Weight” (#46, the Band).

Their final record together provided for a series of lasts. “Someday We’ll Be Together,” issued in October 1969, became the last of the group’s 12 number one records (#13 U.K.), on December 27, 1969, which also made it the last number one of the turbulent ‘60s. It was the trio’s last single together, and they performed it in the last of 20 appearances of Ed Sullivan’s show. Additionally, it was the last song they sang together when they appeared at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas on January 14, 1970. The, on stage, Diana dramatically introduced her replacement, Jean Terrell (the sister of boxer Ernie Terrell), and an era was over.

The song that pulled together all these elements was not, as many believe, written to be Diana’s swan song as a Supreme. It was written and recorded in 1960 by Johnny Bristol. Jackie Beavers, and Harvey Fuqua. Johnny and Jackie sang it and Harvey produced it on his Tri Phi label, which was bought out by Gordy with Bristol coming over as a writer.

In the late ‘60s Bristol dug out a tape copy and showed it to Gordy, who immediately recognized its possibilities for the Supremes. Ironically, it was not the Supremes who sang it on the hit record. If the label had been accurate it would have read “Diana Ross and the Waters.” Julia and Maxine Waters, two pro back up vocalists, recorded it with the added depth of Johnny Bristol’s male tones.

To keep pace with their singles popularity over the years, Motown recorded the Supremes on a series of concept LPs. Some of the many were A Bit of Liverpool (featuring recordings of British bands’ songs); The Supremes Sing Country, Western and Pop; We Remember Sam Cooke; The Supremes at The Copa; The Supremes A-Go-Go; The Supremes Sing Disney; The Supremes Sing Motown; and The Supremes Sing Rodgers and Hart.

On March 7, 1970, the Jean Terrell – led Supremes hit the Billboard charts with “Up the Ladder to the Roof” (#10) and proved the name still had power even without Diana Ross. In fact, their Right On LP with Terrell did better (#25) than the double live farewell LP with Ross (#46).

Their third single as the new Supremes, the Frank Wilson-produced “Stoned Love,” was a million seller in 1970, and the number seven Pop hit became the eighth number one R&B charter under the Supremes’ name.

The group did two LPs with the Four Tops in the early ‘70s and hit with a remake of the Ike and Tina Turner 1966 single “River Deep, Mountain High” (#14 Pop, #7 R&B, #11 U.K.).

In June 1972 Cindy Birdsong left for home and family and was replaced by Lynda Lawrence.

A succession of replacements for Lawrence included Sherrie Payne (Freda’s sister), Cindy again, and Susaye Greene.

Mary Wilson, left the group in June,1977 and the group disbanded. Karen Jackson was a backup singer to Mary Wilson in the 1970’s & 1980’s. Wilson’s autobiography “Dreamgirl” was released in 1986.

Their last Pop chart single was “You’re My Driving Wheel” (#85, 1976), and the group soon disbanded.

Florence Ballard, after leaving the group in 1967, did two singles for ABC and then spent several years fighting Motown in a lawsuit over her dismissal. She lost the suit and spent some time on welfare while trying to support her three children. On February 21, 1976, an overweight and despondent Florence Ballard died of a heart attack at the Mount Carmel Mercy Hospital in Detroit at the age of 32.

In complete contrast, the driving, aggressive Diana Ross realized her every dream and then some as a superstar performer and actress of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Her 41 Hot 100 hits included “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (#1, 1970), Michael Masser’s “Touch Me in the Morning” (#1, 1973), “Do You Know Where You’re Going To” (theme from the film Mahogany, which she starred in), “Love Hangover” (#1, 1976), “Upside Down” (#1, 1980), “It’s My Turn” (#9, 1980), “Endless Love” (#1, 1981), and Frankie Lymon’s “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” (#7, 1981). Her movie career included roles in Lady Sings the Blues and The Wiz.

Mary Wilson later went on to form her own group called Mary Wilson and the Supremes, withKaren Jackson and Karen Ragland. She lost her right to use the name sometime after.

In May 1983, she, Diana and Cindy reunited for Motown’s 25th Anniversary TV show.

In 1984 Mary wrote her story, titled Dream Girl: My Life as a Supreme.

In 1988 the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The number one female group scored 18 Hot 100 hits as the Supremes, nine as Diana Ross and the Supremes, three as Diana Ross and the Supremes and Temptations, 12 as the Supremes (after Diana), and two as the Supremes and the Four Tops (also after Diana). Obviously, the whole was always greater than it parts to their fans, and the group sounded as top-notch at the end as they did when the hits started.

– Jay Warner

Mary Wilson of The Supremes, passes away at 76

Mary Wilson, founding and original member of The Supremes, passed away suddenly this evening according to a statement from her longtime friend and publicist, Jay Schwartz. She was at her home in Las Vegas, NV. She was 76.

She is survived by: her daughter Turkessa and grandchildren (Mia, Marcanthony, Marina); her son, Pedro Antonio Jr and grandchildren (Isaiah, Ilah, Alexander, Alexandria); her sister Kathryn; her brother, Roosevelt; her adopted son/cousin Willie and grandchildren (Erica (great granddaughter, Lori), Vanessa, Angela). Services will be private due to Covid restrictions. A celebration of Mary Wilson’s life will take place later this year. The family asks in lieu of flowers, that friends and fans support UNCF.org and the Humpty Dumpty Institute .
A singer, best-selling author, motivational speaker, businesswoman, former U.S. Cultural Ambassador, mother, and grandmother, the legendary Mary Wilson made great strides on her inevitable journey to greatness.

As an original/founding member of The Supremes, she changed the face of pop music to become a trendsetter who broke down social, racial, and gender barriers, which all started with the wild success of their first number one song. Formed in Detroit as The Primettes in 1959, The Supremes were Motown’s most successful act of the 1960s, scoring 12 No. 1 singles. They also continue to reign as America’s most successful vocal group to date. Their influence not only carries on in contemporary R&B, soul and pop, they also helped pave the way for mainstream success by Black artists across all genres.

Mary achieved an unprecedented 12 #1 hits with 5 of them being consecutive from 1964-1965. Those songs are “Where Did Our Love Go”, “Baby Love”, “Come See About Me”, “Stop! In the Name of Love” and “Back in My Arms Again” according to Billboard Magazine. In 2018, Billboard celebrated the 60th anniversary of Motown with a list of “The Hot 100’s Top Artists of All Time”, where The Supremes ranked at #16 and still remain the #1 female recording group of all time. January 21, 2021 marked the 60th anniversary of the day The Supremes signed with Motown in 1961. This year, Mary kicked off the celebration of the 60th anniversary of The Supremes.

With the same passion as she did singing with the original Supremes as well as with her solo career, the world renowned performer was an advocate for social and economic challenges in the United States and abroad. Ms. Wilson used her fame and flair to promote a diversity of humanitarian efforts including ending hunger, raising HIV/AIDS awareness and encouraging world peace. Mary was working on getting a U.S. postage stamp of her fellow band mate and original Supreme Florence Ballard who passed away in 1976.

2019 marked an exciting time for Mary. On top of releasing her new book, she stretched her dancing muscles when she joined the cast of the 28th season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”. With no sign of slowing down Ms. Wilson published her fourth book “Supreme Glamour. This highly anticipated coffee-table book showcased the gowns The Supremes were known for over the decades and delved into more history of the most successful female recording group of all time. She was honored at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills celebrating her work in music and her influence on young African Americans and entertainment. Her conversation with Janice Littlejohn left the audience laughing with her unmatched humor and standing with applause displaying her graceful composure throughout the night. Showing the same love she has shown to all her fans, Mary gladly met and personally thanked every attendee that night for their support throughout her career.

Mary’s influence reached beyond music. In 2018, Mary’s longtime fight in the passage of the Music Modernization Act (MMA) came to fruition when the United States legislation signed the act into law on October 11, 2018. The act aims to modernize copyright-related issues for new music and audio recordings due to new forms of technology like digital streaming which did not protect music recorded before February 15, 1972. Her tireless advocacy for this legislation included trips to Washington D.C. to meet with members of Congress personally to advocate for legacy artists gaining fair compensation when their songs are played on digital radio stations.

Mary’s last solo recording, her song “Time to Move On” reached #23 on the Billboard Dance charts, which marked her first time on the charts with a solo recording, since The Supremes. She was working on new projects for 2021 including an album she recently teased on her YouTube channel. Her primary love of preserving the legacy of The Supremes and introducing her music to new generations.
MOTOWN – THE SOUND THAT CHANGED AMERICA

As an irresistible force of social and cultural change, Berry Gordy’s legendary Motown Records made its mark not just on the music industry, but society at large, with a sound that has become one of the most significant musical accomplishments and stunning success stories of the 20th century. The Supremes, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, the Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, the Marvelettes, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and later Stevie Wonder and the Temptations, Michael Jackson & the Jackson 5 and Lionel Richie & the Commodores, their music communicated and brought together a racially divided country and segregated society, around the world, touching all people of all ages and race.

After breaking down barriers and having pop radio embrace Motown artists, Berry Gordy set his sights on television. He booked his artists on popular shows such as American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show. After captivating national audiences with near-weekly performances on The Ed Sullivan Show, making history as among the first African-American artists on the show, and The Supremes were the first R&B act to play the country’s most prestigious night club, New York’s Copacabana, which paved the way for other R&B acts into the top cabaret circuits around the world.

LITERARY ACHIEVEMENTS

Ms. Wilson’s “Dare to Dream” lecture, which she gives to young people, emphasizes the need for personal perseverance to achieve their goals, despite obstacles and adversities in their lives. The topic is the foundation of her best-selling autobiography “Dreamgirl – My Life as a Supreme.” Ms. Wilson later authored its sequel, “Supreme Faith – Someday We’ll Be Together.” In 2000, these two books, along with updated chapters, were combined to complete her third book. Her fourth book, “Supreme Glamour,” is a coffee table hardcover featuring the gowns, history and legacy of the Supremes.

“THE STORY OF the Supremes FROM THE MARY WILSON Gown COLLECTION”

“The Story of the Supremes from the Mary Wilson Collection” spotlights more than 50 gowns exposing the international community to the impact their fashion had on social issues in the United States. The exhibit traces their career from the early days when they were known as The Primettes to the glamorous height of their fame in the 70s. Their success story helped change racial perceptions during the time of the American Civil Rights movement and to appeal to the people of all ethnic backgrounds. A magnificent collection of dresses worn by Mary Wilson, Diana Ross and Florence Ballard for live performances, television performances, including the Butterfly dress worn on their television special in 1968, and on album covers are featured alongside contemporary photographs and magazine spreads.
The exquisite gowns were curated by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland for Ms. Wilson and later exhibited at the Detroit Historical Museum, the New York State Museum in Albany and the Long Island Museum. Several gowns have also been displayed at The Museum of Metropolitan Art in New York as part of the Rock and Roll of Fame Museum exhibit.

The gowns worn by Ms. Wilson and the original Supremes – Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, as well as the 1970s Supremes – were on exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, then showcased in the United Kingdom before starting a tour for two more years in Europe.

MS. WILSON: THE “GOODWILL AMBASSADOR”

Ms. Wilson has toured the globe not only as a performer, but as advocate on behalf of social and civic issues. As a Supreme, she performed for Britain’s Queen Mother and the future King of Sweden and other international audiences. However, Ms. Wilson’s global stature grew after former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell named her one of nine cultural ambassadors in 2003.
As an official “goodwill” ambassador, Ms. Wilson visited poverty-stricken areas in Bangladesh, where she witnessed children as young as five years old having to break bricks to earn money for their families. In Pakistan, she spoke at Fatima Jinnah Woman University about pursuing their goals and “Daring to Dream.” In Mozambique and Botswana, Ms. Wilson addressed young people about the dangers of HIV and AIDS and her quest for world peace.
In November 2004, she was one of the featured performers to headline the United Nations’ “World AIDS Day” concert at St. John the Divine Cathedral in New York City. She later returned to the United Nations Building to lecture about the poverty, hunger and destruction she witnessed during her trips.

SPEAKING AGAINST LANDMINES

In 2007, Ms. Wilson was elated to be named spokeswoman for the Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI), a non-government organization that establishes partnerships to raise money and awareness for landmine clearance projects across the globe, including Sri Lanka, Laos and Vietnam. When it was announced, Ralph L. Cwerman, president of the Humpty Dumpty Institute, called her “an original American icon” whose involvement will heighten attention to removal of these unexploded ordnances.
“HDI is privileged to have her as its new spokesperson,” Mr. Cwerman said. “Mine clearance and landmine awareness around the world will benefit greatly as Mary begins to speak out against these cruel weapons of war.”

In November 2007, Ms. Wilson traveled to Sri Lanka, where as many as 15 people are injured or killed every month by landmines. Her tour focused on clearing mines in northern Sri Lanka and regenerating the area’s dairy industry. Along with her seven-member band, Ms. Wilson gave a 90-minute concert, where she performed a medley of the Supremes’ greatest hits drawing diplomats, government officials and the news media to the dance floor. The proceeds from the concert were contributed to Sri Lankan charities assisting victims of landmines.
Ms. Wilson also has visited Laos, which received a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to improve the quality of life of children who were not attending school because they were hungry or in danger of unexploded ordnances. While in Muangkhai Village, Laos, Ms. Wilson personally pushed the button to detonate more than two tons of explosives found in and around villages and schools. In late 2008, her plans include travel to Vietnam, Cambodia and Okinawa, as well as returning to Laos, to clear landmines still active from the Vietnam War, which ended more than three decades ago.

HUMANITARIAN ACHIEVEMENTS

Over the years, Ms. Wilson has been highly recognized as the consummate humanitarian. She continues to devote her time and talent to assisting a diverse group of non-profit organizations, including the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the American Cancer Society, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, The Po Leung Kuk schools of Hong Kung, UNICEF, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Figure Skaters in Harlem, a youth organization committed to helping children realize their dreams to compete in the Olympics. She has been active with Child Research, supporting a child around the world for the past 20 years.

In 2003, the National Foundation for Women Legislators bestowed a Lifetime Achievement Award on Ms. Wilson and invited her to a delegation of women legislators who traveled to Bahrain. She participated in a Trade and Civil Life Conference hosted by the Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain and is proud to have played a role in helping pass the Freedom Trade Bill between the U.S. and Bahrain.

At the 37th Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference in 2007, she received the Floyd Washington Auto Safety Advocacy Award for her commitment to auto safety.

DREAMGIRLS/ THE PLAY/THE MOVIE

Interest in the Supremes’ legacy was renewed after the release of the award-winning film “Dreamgirls,” in 2006. While the film created a wonderful piece of work using the likeness of the Supremes, as well as their history, Ms. Wilson said it did not depict their true story.

SPEAKING OF WOMEN’S HEALTH

Ms. Wilson has also served as the national celebrity spokesperson for Universal Sisters; a division of the National Speaking of Women’s Health Foundation that helps women makes informed decisions about their health care, well-being and personal safety.

THE PRIMETTES

Growing up in Detroit’s Brewster-Douglass Projects, Mary Wilson had enjoyed a passion for singing. Performing at an elementary school talent showcase, she met soon-to-be long-time friend and future group mate, Florence Ballard. They made a pledge to remember each other if they ever joined a singing group.

Ironically, in 1959, Milton Jenkins, manager of male singing group, the Primes, decided to create a spin-off girls’ group. A friend of the Primes, Betty McGlown, was first asked to join, and then Florence Ballard, who invited Ms. Wilson to join. At the same time, Ms. Wilson’s then neighbor, Diane Ross, was asked by a member of the Primes, and completed the quartet the Primettes. After performing various gigs around Detroit, covering songs by popular artist, such as Ray Charles and the Drifters, the Primettes decide to audition for the up and coming Motown record company. Unfortunately, due to their young age, Motown President, Berry Gordy, Jr. turned them down and suggested they come back after they graduated high school.

Determined to leave an impression on Motown President, Berry Gordy, Jr – the young Primettes thinking that he didn’t like them – and join the stable of rising Motown stars, the Primettes frequented the Hitsville USA recording studio every day after school. Much to their surprise, ‘Prime’ members Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks joined with Otis Williams & the Distants and formed new male singing group The Temptations. Eventually, The Primettes themselves convinced Mr. Gordy to sign them to his label. Gordy agreed to sign them to his label, under the condition that they change their group’s name. With a collection of names from friends and family, Florence had chosen a name and on January 15th 1961 the Primettes officially became The Supremes. At this time Betty had left the group and was replaced with Barbara Martin.

‘THE SUPREMES’

In the spring of 1962, after recording a few songs for their first album, Barbara Martin left the group to marry her childhood sweetheart. Now the newly named Supremes: Florence Ballad, Diana Ross and Mary Wilson became a trio; which to this day remains one of their greatest trademark signatures.
From 1961 to 1963, the Supremes recorded many songs and released eight singles, which did not garner much attention and jokingly earned them the title “no-hit Supremes” at Motown. But their fate changed dramatically in late 1963 when the song “When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes,” written and produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland, was released and peaked at number 23 on the Billboard pop chart. Although released in June, it was in August of 1964 that their single “Where Did Our Love Go,” reached number one on the U.S. pop charts and number three in the United Kingdom. Four more number one hits soon followed, including: “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me,” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” and “Back in My Arms Again,” making the Supremes the only group to have five consecutive number one hits.

The Supremes success attracted many promotional opportunities allowing them to become one of the first pop groups of the 1960’s to do commercial endorsements, to include Coca-Cola, Arrid deodorant, and even their own “Supreme” white bread and wig brands.

The Temptations and the Supremes taped two of the first TV Specials by any Pop stars. The TCB and GIT Specials were TV trends that are still popular today.

‘DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES’

The year 1967 was pivotal for the group. Ms. Ballard was replaced by Cindy Birdsong, Mr. Gordy renamed them “Diana Ross and the Supremes.” In January 1970, Diana Ross performed for the last time with the Supremes before pursuing a solo career. With Ross’ departure, Ms. Wilson was left as the only original member of the Supremes. Ms. Wilson continued performing with Cindy Birdsong and Jean Terrell as the “New” Supremes, better known today as the “70’s Supremes.”

The “New” Supremes scored a number of hits including “Up the Ladder to the Roof” (US number 10, UK number 6), “Stoned Love” (US number 7, UK number 3) and “Nathan Jones” (US number 16, UK number 5). These three singles were also R&B Top Ten hits, with “Stoned Love” becoming their last number one hit in December of 1970. Songwriting/production team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson produced another Top 20 hit for the group, a Supremes/Four Tops version of Ike & Tina Turner’s “River Deep – Mountain High.”

In 1972, the Supremes had their last Top 20 hit single release, “Floy Joy,” written and produced by Smokey Robinson, followed by the final US Top 40 hit, “Automatically Sunshine” with Ms. Wilson on lead vocals, (US number 37, UK number 10).

While Ms. Wilson is best known as a founding member of the world’s most famous female trio, the legendary singer’s career did not stop there. The 70’s found Mrs. Wilson getting married and starting a family. Then in June of 1977, Ms. Wilson embarked on her own solo career and toured Europe and Asia while raising three new babies. Ms. Wilson has recorded two solo albums, including her self-titled debut in 1979 with the single “Red Hot,” and her 1990 release “Walk the Line.”

In 1988, Mary Wilson accepted the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of the Supremes when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1994, the Supremes received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 1998, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. In 2001, Ms. Wilson was the recipient of an Associate’s Degree from New York University and an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Paine College in Augusta, Georgia.
Dreams Do Come True

Since a young age, Ms. Wilson’s many accomplishments are vast. Her many feats as a Supreme include her endorsement of Vice President Hubert Humphrey and the opportunity to sing at Command Performances for the Royal family in England and Sweden. Appearing as “Mary Wilson of the Original Supremes,” she was sought after to entertain all over the world; to include a performance for President Bill Clinton in the East Room of the White House at the Millennium Celebration. Even now as a mother and a grandmother, Ms. Wilson was fulfilling her personal desires to be involved in worthy causes around the world that improve the lives of individuals, families and all humanity. Ms. Wilson’s experience as a Supreme and cultural ambassador had greatly broadened her horizons and afforded her the pleasurable opportunity to present her talents, compassion and strength to the world.

BERRY GORDY STATEMENT ON PASSING OF MARY WILSON:

I was extremely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of a major member of the Motown family, Mary Wilson of the Supremes.

The Supremes were always known as the “sweethearts of Motown.” Mary, along with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard, came to Motown in the early 1960’s. After an unprecedented string of number one hits, television and nightclub bookings, they opened doors for themselves, the other Motown acts, and many, many others.

I was always proud of Mary. She was quite a star in her own right and over the years continued to work hard to boost the legacy of the Supremes.

Mary Wilson was extremely special to me. She was a trailblazer, a diva and will be deeply missed.

Berry Gordy,
Founder, Motown

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Sonny Til and The Orioles were the founding fathers of rhythm and blues -along with the Ravens- and the premier love-song balladeers of the late ‘40s and early ‘50s. With their smooth style, the Orioles had more of an influence on R&B groups of the next 20 years than almost any other act. While the Ravens brought prominence to black groups by doing white swing material, the Orioles were the first black group to gain national popularity by recording black songs. The Orioles became the innovators of what would later be defined as pure R&B four-part harmony. In this book They All Sang on the Corner, Phil Groia described the Orioles as having “a mellow, soft second tenor lead, a blending baritone featured as a ‘gravel gertie’ second lead, a floating high first tenor and a dominant bass.” This description would easily fit some of the great 1940s gospel groups like The Soul Stirrers; it’s more than likely these gospel legends inspired Til and company.

The Orioles’ flight to fame began in Baltimore in 1946 after Erlington Tilghman returned from military service. Erlington (later Sonny Til) had always aspired to sing and even wrote in his high school yearbook that his aim was “to become on of the greatest singers in show business.” His girlfriend persuaded him to perform in a local amateur show; Sonny won first place two nights in a row, and began vocalizing with subsequent winners.

A group evolved that included Sonny (lead and second tenor), Alexander Sharp (first tenor), George Nelson (second lead and baritone), Johnny Reed (bass), and guitarist Tommy Gaither. Sonny named them the Vibranairs. Their harmonizing on Pennsylvania and Pitcher Streets earned them a chance to sing at the bar on that corner. Inside they met songwriter/salesclerk Deborah Chessler, who’d written a ballad, “It’s Too Soon to Know.”

Chessler became their manager, rehearsing them at her house and arranging for them to appear in New York on “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts” show in 1948. They lost out to George Shearing, but Godfrey was so impressed he brought them back for his morning show. Jerry Blaine, a record distributor, signed them to his It’s a Natural label that summer, changing their name to the Orioles.

On the release of “It’s Too Soon to Know,” a reviewer in the September 4, 1948, issue of Billboard remarked, “New label kicks off with a fine quintet effort on a slow race ballad. Lead tenor shows fine lyric quality.” The review was historic in its noting of the Orioles’ first effort and in its categorization of the single as “race music.” The song climbed to number 13 (#1 R&B); never before had a black act singing black music reached the pop top 15.

Blaine’s label became Jubilee in August 1948, and the sales of “It’s Too Soon to Know” were credited to that company. Their next release, “Lonely Christmas,” reached number eight on the R&B chart. Two singles later “Tell Me So” became their second R&B number one. A Billboard reviewer described it as “one of those slow easy torch ballads that lend themselves to the group’s glistening note-bending style. Could be an important platter in the race mart.”

More great ballads followed: “A Kiss and a Rose” (#12), “Forgive and Forget” (#5 R&B, 1949), and “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” (#9, 1949); the flip side hit number five, a second charting for “Lonely Christmas,” now on its way to becoming a Christmas perennial.

Some of the group’s best ballads, though selling well, never made the national R&B Top 20. These included “At Night” (that Billboard cited on April 8, 1950: “Chalk up another hit for the high-flying group, tune is a standout; group delivers one of their best jobs yet”) and “I Wonder When” (reviewed on June 3rd with the observation, “Group does one of their top performances here on a promising torcher”). The latter’s flipside, a cherished collectors’ item called “Moonlight,” was described in Billboard as merely an “ordinary ballad side in comparison with the standout flip job.”

Sonny Til and the Orioles were on top of the world, playing for top dollar on the chitlin circuit and appearing on TV shows like “The Star Night Show” with Perry Como. But at the end of 1950 their success came to a crashing halt: an auto accident killed Tommy Gaither and seriously injured George Nelson, Johnny Reed and Sonny Woods, Orioles valet and founding member of the Royals (Federal).

Ralph Williams took over guitar (he also occasionally subbed on baritone for the recovered Nelson, who was becoming unreliable). The first of their singles with Williams was “Oh Holy Night.”

In April 1951 Jubilee issued “Pal of Mine,” the group’s tribute to the sorely missed Gaithers. A number of Orioles’ subsequent recordings were not up to their usual quality as the group’s interest waned. It was reflected in Billboard reviews of records like “Bar Fly” (“Orioles are not very exciting on this new weeper ballad. Though the lead does an effective job – side may get spins”) and “You Belong to Me” (“The group works over the pop hit in a schmaltzy style. Not their best effort, though their fans will probably take to it”).

But they began to come out of it with “I Miss You So,” released in early 1953, and the beautiful “I Cover the Waterfront.”

Around this time George Nelson left and Gregory Carrol (Four Buddies, Savoy) joined with Charlie Harris, making the group a quintet. Their next single, “Crying in the Chapel,” became the standard they would always be known for. Recorded on June 30, 1953, it prompted a Billboard reviewer to write, “The Orioles have here what is undoubtedly the strongest record in the past two years, and one of the strongest R&B discs released in the past few months. The tune is the serious ditty now getting actions in the country and pop markets and the boys hand it a powerful rendition, full of feeling and spark by the fine lead singer. This could be a big, big hit!” By summer’s end it was at number 11 (#1 R&B). The group followed with “In the Mission of St. Augustine,” which reached number seven R&B by October and turned out to be their last national hit. The Orioles disbanded when they found it difficult to earn top dollar in a market flooded with a new generation of groups.

Sonny, however, found a new Orioles complete and intact when he spotted a modern harmony group, the Regals, performing at the Apollo in 1954. Together, they issued a string of Jubilee sides through 1956 including excellent versions of “Runaround” and “Don’t Go to Strangers.” The new members were Gerald Holman, Albert Russell, Billy Adams, and Jerry Rodriguez. They signed with Vee Jay Records in 1956 for three singles, the most popular being “Happy Till the Letter,”

In 1962 Til formed yet another Orioles with Gerald Gregory (of THE SPANIELS), Delton McCall (from THE DREAMS) and Bill Taylor (THE CASTELLES). They recorded an LP on September 21 for Charlie Parker along with a few nicely done remakes of the group’s old hits. The most interesting was an answer record to “Crying in the Chapel” called “Back to the Chapel.”

Meanwhile, Jubilee issued a number of oldies LP, in a “battle of the groups” style, and the Orioles’ early records were well represented. The LPs were popular sellers from the beginning and became cult classics. In 1966 Til formed a new Orioles with Clarence Young, Mike Robinson, and Bobby Thomas. The latter two, who had idolized the Orioles since their youth, belonged to a group named after Til’s original, the Vibranairs (After Hours). They recorded one excellent LP with Sonny for RCA that year.

In 1978 the Orioles did a tribute LP to the original group, Sonny Til and the Orioles Today (Dobre), with Pepe Grant (tenor), Larry Reed (baritone), and George Holms (bass). Sonny’s last recording was in 1981 on the LP Sonny Til and the Orioles Visit Manhattan Circa 1950s.

George Nelson died of an asthma attack around 1959, and Alex Sharp died in the ‘70s while singing with the Ink Spots group. Johnny Reed retired from singing, and Ralph Williams was seen with a band in St. Louis during the ‘70s. On December 9, 1981, Sonny Til died at the age of 56.

– Jay Warner

The Ravens have stood the test of time as one of the best of all pioneering rhythm and blues groups. They were the first to make continuous use of a bass vocalist (Jimmy Ricks) and a falsetto tenor (Maithe Marshall) on lead. They were also the first to incorporate dance steps into an R&B act. Though there had been black groups before, like THE MILLS BROTHERS, THE CHARIOTEERS, THE INK SPOTS, and the DELTA RHYTHM BOYS, they tended to sing popular songs for white audiences in a soft, smooth, inoffensive style. The Ravens (and a bit later THE ORIOLES) used bits of jazz, blues, gospel, and rhythm to make music that appealed to both races. In fact, record industry personnel and the media dubbed their music “race music.”

The Ravens were the brainchild of Jimmy Ricks and baritone Warren “Birdland” Suttles, two Harlem waiters. They decided to go to the Evans Booking Agency and recruit two more singers to form a group in 1945. That visit brought them in contact with first tenor Ollie Jones and second tenor Leonard Puzey.

The foursome decided to call themselves the Ravens, thus setting in motion what would become the first group-name craze, this one centered around birds.

The members were fans of acts like the Delta Rhythm Boys and began practicing tunes like “Darktown Strutters’ Ball.” They met up with Howard Biggs, who became their musical arranger and wrote many of their original songs.

The Ravens’ first performance was in 1946 at the Club Baron on West 132nd Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem.

In the spring of 1946 the group joined Hub Records, and their first 78, “Honey,” was issued on July 1. It was immediately followed by two more R&B singles, the better of which was a Dee Lippman-penned jump tune, “My Sugar Is So Refined.” They opened with this song when they appeared at a benefit show with Nat King Cole and Stan Kenton at the legendary Apollo Theatre. Puzey sang lead, but when Ricks took over, his booming bass brought the house down.

Ollie Jones then left, and a key addition came when Jimmy Ricks found falsetto tenor supreme Maithe Marshall tending bar and asked him to join. The group then rerecorded their Hub sides for King in 1946, who reissued them usually with an instrumental B side by the Three Chords.

In 1947 they signed with National Records (owned by Albert Green) and began a series of releases that usually featured Ricks on a jump tune while Maithe Marshall and his crystal-clear falsetto led the group on the flip-side ballads. Marshall, consequently, labeled himself a B-side singer. He would be gratified to know that in the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s collectors literally fought to obtain Ravens records containing his B side.

The National recordings started with the Howard Biggs-penned “Write Me a Letter.” On December 13, 1947, it became the first R&B record to hit the national top 25, charting at number 24. As “Write Me” didn’t hit the R&B charts until January 10, 1948, the Ravens, the world’s first successful rhythm and blues group, actually charted Pop before they charted R&B, where “Write Me” reached number five Juke Box and number 10 Best Seller.

But it was their second National single, a rhythmic version of the standard “Old Man River,” full of Ricks’s cavernous bass, that established the group and its sound internationally. It supposedly sold over two million copies though it only reached number 10 R&B.

The years 1947 through ’49 saw a number of beautiful ballads and bouncy pre-rock Ravens records on National, including standards like “Summertime,” “September Sing,” “Once in a While,” “Until the Real Thing Comes Along,” “Deep Purple,” and “Count Every Star.” Their sixth National single, “Send for Me If You Need Me,” charted R&B on July 3rd, reaching number five Best Seller and Number seven Juke Box. In August one of the King recordings, “Bye Bye Baby Blues,” reached number eight Best Seller and number 13 Juke Box.

In September of 1948 they covered a new group’s first release, the Orioles’ “It’s Too Soon to Know,” but the rookie Orioles reached number one while the Ravens’ single, a fine bluesy version, only reached number 11.

The group began touring on what would become the legendary chitlin circuit, a series of theatre venues on the East Coast and in the Midwest in which thousands of rhythm and blues groups would perform. From the Uptown and Earl Theatres in Philadelphia, the Howard in Washington, the Royal in Baltimore, the Regal in Chicago, the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh, and the State in Hartford to the crown jewel of theatres, the Apollo in New York, the Ravens blazed a trail for thousands of vocal groups.

In November 1948 National issued the group’s incredible rhythm version of “White Christmas” (#9 Juke Box, #14 Best Seller), setting the standard for the 1954 version by THE DRIFTERS (an almost note-for-note copy) that became the rock and roll standard. “White Christmas’s” flip was an equally thrilling ballad version of “Silent Night.”

In 1949 “Ricky’s Blues” reached number eight on the Juke Box R&B lists on June 11th as well as number 13 Best Seller. In February of 1950, “I Don’t Have to Ride No More” became their last National charter at number nine Best Seller, number 13 Juke Box.

During 1950 Louis Heyward took the baritone part as Suttles took one of his frequent sabbaticals (previously replaced by Joe Medlin – later a national promo exec for Atlantic Records – and Bubba Ritchie for short periods). Their last National single was “Lilacs in the Rain” featuring Marshall’s magical natural falsetto.

In late 1950 the Ravens signed with Columbia, recording fine sides like the Ricks-led blues tune “Time Takes Care of Everything” and the Marshall-featured “I’m So Crazy for Love.” After a few sides for Columbia’s Okeh affiliate, the Ravens moved to Mercury in late 1951. This was a relatively new Ravens incarnation, however, with Jimmy Steward taking over for Puzey on tenor, Louis Frazier in for Heyward, and a young falsetto lead named Joe Van Loan from a Philadelphia gospel group known as the Canaanites. Though Maithe Marshall’s sound was unique and much imitated in years to come, the man who came closest to his sound was his incredible replacement Joe Van Loan.

The Ravens became a top-drawer attraction. As an indication of their popularity, in a February 1951 performance at Middlebury College in Vermont, they received $2,000, a hefty sum in those days for one night’s work.

Mercury issued some softer jump sides like “Begin the Beguine” and charted for the first time in two-and-a-half years with “Rock Me All Night Long” (#4 Juke Box, #8 Best Seller, 1952). The best-loved Mercury sides were ballads such as “Who’ll Be the Fool” and “September Song”. Billboard’s February review of “September Song” described it as a “moody rendition of the evergreen, with the high voice of the lead singer soaring slickly overall, a very strong entry,” Perhaps the best ballad ever recorded by a Ravens group was the Joe Van Loan-led “Don’t Mention My Name” (December 1952), a nearly overlooked jazz, blues, and pop classic that had Van Loan’s glass-breaking falsetto weaving on top of a mellow sax.

Despite the fact that three-fourths of the group were new additions, the Mercury quartet sounded as good as the National label originals. In 1953 Suttles returned to replace Frazier and Tommy Evens spent some time performing with the group, while Ricks soloed for a while.

In early 1955 the Ravens of Ricks, Van Loan, Stewart, and Frazier (back again) signed with Jubilee. By the spring of 1956 Ricks had decided on a fulltime solo career; Van Loan, however, wasn’t ready to give up the name, and he recruited his brothers Paul (second tenor) and James (baritone) along with David “Boots” Bowers (bass) as a new Ravens. The quartet maintained the vocal sound of the original when they signed to Argo Records in the fall of 1956.

Their first single was the powerful “Kneel and Pray,” with outstanding harmony and Van Loan at his stratospheric best. Though not a national hit, it received enough sales and airplay to prompt the release of a similar powerhouse, “A Simple Prayer,” which included another stirring performance and earth-shattering final notes for Van Loan.

Their last great effort was a remake of the Scarlets’ 1954 “Dear One” in the summer of 1957.

The group’s road manager, Nat Margo, bought the Ravens name from Ricks, and a variety of Ravens showed up on the tour circuit through the ‘60s and ‘70s.

In the 1970s Ricks, Van Loan, Stewart, and Frazier re-formed to tour Europe with Benny Goodman. In 1971 Ricks and Suttles performed as the Ravens with Gregory Carroll of the Four Buddies and Jimmy Breedlove of THE CUES.

All the original Ravens went on to sing with other groups, sometimes moonlighting with two at a time. The first time Suttles left in 1950 he formed THE DREAMERS with Harriet Calender, Freddie Francis, and Perry Green recording for Mercury and Jubilee. He remained in New York City and became manager of a restaurant and bar.

Leonard Puzey had introduced the “applejack” to group choreography. Ironically, the Ravens themselves didn’t like the dance step ideas, but the audiences loved them so Ricks and company kept them in. Puzey’s moves became a part of vocal group performances from the Orioles and THE CADILLACS to THE TEMPTATIONS and THE MIRACLES for decades to come. After the Ravens, Puzey joined the Hi Hatters and after the service sang with both Orville Brooks and Deed Watson’s Ink Spots. He retired to live in Minnesota.

Ollie Jones joined the Cues (Capitol) and became a songwriting success with tunes like “Send for Me” (Nat King Cole). Joe Van Loan sang with the Dixiearies (Harlem), the Bells (Rama), and the Dreamers (Mercury) with Suttles throughout the Ravens years. After their demise he joined the Du Droppers (Groove) and in the early ‘70s sang with Charles Fuga’s Ink Spots.

In 1950 Jimmy Ricks left the Ravens to appear and record with Benny Goodman and had a hit (#25) duetting with Nancy Reed on “Oh Babe!” (Columbia, 1950). After his final recording stint with the Ravens in 1956 Ricks went on to record solo for more labels than there were Ravens members, including Atco, Atlantic, Jubilee, Josie, Decca, Fury Felsted, Baton, Pilgrim, Peacock, Signature, and Mainstream, but he never charted as a solo artist. He moved to Florida performed with Count Basie, and stayed active on the club scene until his death on July 2, 1974, at the age of 50.

– Jay Warner

The Ravens were among the pioneering post-World War II R&B groups, and also among the earliest R&B groups named for birds. In both their musicality and their nomenclature, they influenced two generations of performers that followed, as well as selling lots of records in the process.

The Ravens originated with with Jimmy Ricks (b. 1924, Jackson, Florida-d. 1974, New York, NY), who started singing at an early age. In 1945, he was employed as a waiter at the Four Hundred Tavern and later at an establishment known as the L. Bar, both in New York’s Harlem. One of his co-workers was a friend, Warren “Birdland” Suttles, and during moments when the work wasn’t too frantic, the two began singing together, to tunes by the Ink Spots, the Mills Brothers, the Delta Rhythm Boys, and other harmony groups whose music appeared on the club’s jukebox. They decided to try and form an actual group, searching for two more members that would make up the requisite harmony quartet.

The two hooked up with Leonard “Zeke” Puzey and Ollie Jones, and worked up their sound around songs such as “Darktown Strutters’ Ball.” Choosing the name The Ravens, and thus inaugurating the “bird” group trend in Black vocal groups, they were booked into the Club Baton in Harlem, and proved themselves sufficiently talented to rate a national tour, also picking up Howard Biggs, who became their arranger and the composer of much of their original repertory. The Ravens’ sound was unusual for its time, featuring bass singer Jimmy Ricks as the lead voice — this would become their trademark and one of their most often emulated attributes over the next decade.

The group was signed to Hub Records in early 1946, and released their debut single, “Honey” b/w “Lullabye,” the latter an Ollie Jones original that they’d been performing since putting together their four-man line-up. Jones left the group late in 1946 to join the Cues, and was replaced by Maithe Marshall. The Ravens’ contract with Hub ended after one year and they jumped to the National label, where they enjoyed an immediate hit with their version of “Old Man River,” which was perhaps the best of a succession of a eight top-10 R&B hits over the next decade, including “Write Me a Letter” and “Send For Me If You Need Me.” By 1948, The Ravens were already an influence on dozens, perhaps hundreds of R&B vocal groups that were coalescing around the variety of sound that they were bringing to the charts.

The Orioles, The Crows, The Swallows, The Swans, and The Wrens followed immediately in their wake, and the trend didn’t slacken in the 1950s, as outfits with names like The Penguins continued charting, but The Ravens were where it started. The group continued performing and recording for another seven years, with Marshall and Suttles periodically exiting the line-up at different times, the latter replaced by Joe Medlin and Louis Heyward, and Bubba Ritchie. Their label relationships were nearly as busy as these line-up shifts, from National to Columbia (and OKeh) in 1950, and then to Mercury in 1951. Their move to the latter label resulted in a major line-up change as Jimmy Stewart succeeded as the lead tenor from Leonard “Zeke” Puzey, who jumped to the Hi-Hatters — Marshall later followed him into that line-up, as did Heyward for a short period. Whatever their line-up, The Ravens ascended to the top of their field while at Mercury, although their chart placements didn’t always reflect their status as a performing group.

They only enjoyed one major chart hit, “Rock Me All Night Long,” which got to No. 8 on the national R&B listings, but the group was commanding a fee of $2000 a night for their performances during this period. The group, consisting of Ricks, Van Loan, Frazier, and Stewart, moved to Jubilee Records once their Mercury contract ended in 1953. Their four Jubilee singles were released during the period when rock ‘n roll was on the rise and many R&B acts were put in the position of trying to appeal to a wider, whiter youth audience than they’d previously thought of reaching. “Green Eyes” was their biggest hit on Jubilee, in mid-1955 — several of their songs from this period show the growing influence of rock ‘n roll, complete with loud sax arrangements and titles such as “Rockin’ At The Record Hop.”

The beginning of the end for the group came when Jimmy Ricks began pursuing his goal of a solo career. Their final singles were issued credited to “Jimmy Ricks and the Ravens” or “Jimmy Ricks and the Rickateers.” Ricks exited the group in 1956, and the group name was taken over by Joe Van Loan, who purchased the Ravens name in partnership with their road manager, Nat Margo. Under Van Loan’s leadership, the Ravens jumped to Chess Records’ Argo imprint that same year. Jimmy Ricks’ influence remained profound into the late 1950s, long after the Ravens ceased charting records — the Temptations’ Melvin Franklin, in particular, was heavily influenced by Ricks’ singing.

Ricks remained an active solo performer, moving between the Paris, Decca, and Signature labels before signing with Atlantic Records in 1961, where he recorded with Lavern Baker and Little Esther. By the 1967, when he rejoined Jubilee Records, he’d passed through the Mainstream and Festival Records’ rosters. Ricks reunited with Warren Suttles in 1971 and reformed the The Ravens, with Gregory Carroll and Jimmy Breedlove filling out the line-up. As an indication of the flexibility of Jimmy Ricks’ singing voice and the respect he commanded even after more than 25 years as an R&B vocalist, he joined the Count Basie band as its vocalist in the early ’70s, a capacity in which he was serving at the time of his death on July 2, 1974, at the age of 50. he Ravens never recorded as much as their main rival group, the Orioles, and have never received the kind of comprehensive retrospective accorded the latter group. Their recorded legacies for National, Columbia and OKeh, Mercury, and Jubilee are available but scattered among several releases on various labels.

— Bruce Eder

The most successful vocal group of the ‘50s, the Platters helped immeasurable in putting black groups on the pop map. Their biggest assets were Tony Williams’s sweet tenor and their pop radio acceptability, fostered by some early hits from the pen of manager Buck Ram.

Buck had a long career as an arranger for big bands like Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Cab Calloway, Glenn Miller, and Count Basie after earning a law degree at the University of Illinois and studying music at Southwestern University.

He turned to management in the early ‘50s in Los Angeles, building a roster of local talent like THE PENGUINS, the Flairs, THE COLTS, Young Jessie, and Linda Hayes.

Ram thought Tony’s warm, rich tenor was terrific but knew he couldn’t sell a black solo tenor in those times, so he asked Williams if he’s be interested in joining a group. Since Tony already had one called the Platters, an audition was arranged. Though they sounded amateurish, Ram began working with them and with few key changes made the pieces fall into place. After a few practices Gaynel Hodge and Joe Jefferson left and in came Herb Reed of Kansas City, Missouri, from the famous gospel group the Wings Over Jordan. Also hired was David Lynch of St. Louis, Missouri, who was working as a cab driver when he joined.

The Platters were now Tony on lead, David tenor, Alex baritone, and Herb bass. Ram arranged a record deal with Federal Records and cut several sides that included the Ram-penned ballad “Only You.” Syd Nathan, president of Federal, thought it was so bad he swore he wouldn’t issue it, so the Platters’ first single became the gospel-ballad turned rocker “Give Thanks,” which went nowhere. But it did show the potential of 25-year-old Tony Williams.

Their second single was the solid rhythm and blues ballad “I’ll Cry When You’re Gone.” Five more Federal releases boosted their local stature and a few sold around 20,000 copies on the West Coast. Though the group would wind up with a pop harmony style, their early Federal 45s were R&B and gospel oriented. To soften the group’s sound, Ram added Zola Taylor from one of his other acts, Shirley Gunter and the Queens (Shirley was Cornel’s sister). She recorded on the last few sides the Platters did for Federal, including a 1955 backup for Linda Hayes on “Please Have Mercy.” Alex then left and Paul Robi of New Orleans took over the baritone position.

Ram kept the group working and polishing its sound, so much so that another Los Angeles group, the Penguins, seeing how much money a group like the Platters was making without a hit, decided to sign with Ram.

The first thing he did with the “Earth Angel” group was move them to the Chicago major label Mercury, but in order for the Windy City label to have them, they had to accept Buck’s now famous two-for-one deal. “If you want the Penguins you have to take the Platters,” he said, and Mercury reluctantly agreed, privately celebrating over their acquisition of the proven hit Penguins while tolerating their purchase of the no-hit Platters.

The first session for Mercury’s Platters included a rerecording of “Only You.” Mercury’s A&R man, Bob Shad, was ready to drop the song from the session until Buck volunteered to play piano for the musician who had to leave earl. It was the only session Buck ever played on, but he was determined to get it recorded and knew the song could be a hit.

On July 3, 1955, “Only You” hit the charts and was soon at number one R&B (for an amazing seven weeks) and number five Pop. It stayed on the charts for 30 weeks and was the first rock and roll record to beat out a white cover in the race for the top 10 (THE HILTOPPERS reached number eight).

Buck’s beautiful ballad and his persistence convinced Mercury to continue promoting the black group as if they were a pop white act, and to keep the momentum going Ram told Shad of a terrific new song he had that was even better than “Only You.” When pressed to name it he quickly replied “The Great Pretender.” Now all he had to do was write it, and that’s what he did.

“The Great Pretender.” Now all he had to do was write it, and that’s what he did.

“The Great Pretender” was issued in November 1955 and became their second number one R&B single and first number one Pop hit (the first R&B ballad to reach the top Pop spot). The song also began a streak of 11 two-sided hits (its flip “I’m Just a Dancing Partner” reached number 87 Pop) making the Platters the number one American vocal group in that category. “Great Pretender” launched their career as American ambassadors of music their career as American ambassadors of music when it reached number five in England (with “Only You” on its flip side) and spread around the would. Meanwhile, Federal’s Syd Nathan choked on his own words in order to make a quick dollar and put out his badly recorded version of “Only You.” (Billboard’s January 7, 1956, issue noted that Federal hoped to cash in by reissuing “Tell the World” newly backed by “I Need You All the Time,” two previous A-side singles.)

Ballad hits like “The Magic Touch” (#4 Pop and R&B, 1956), “My Prayer” (#1 Pop and R&B, and #4 U.K., 1956), “You’ll Never, Never Know” (#11 Pop, #9 R&B, and #23 U.K., 1956), and “I’m Sorry” (#23 Pop, #15 R&B, and #18 U.K., 1957) established the Platters in a way few black groups had ever been perceived by the general public, save for THE INK SPOTS and MILLS BROTHERS.

The Platters became the first rock and roll group to ever have a top 10 LP, and worldwide ours became the order of the day.

In 1958 they debuted “Twilight Time” on Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand” Saturday night TV show. A film of the Platters performing the song was used for promotion on TV shows. If you’ve seen it, you were looking at what may have been the first precursor of music videos.

A super seller, “Twilight Time” was number one Pop and R&B in the spring of 1958, number three in the U.K., and number one in Australia.

In October 1958 Mercury issued the legendary ballad “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” (originally by Paul Whiteman in 1933-34, #1, Victor), recorded in Paris, France, while the group was on tour. It reached number one Pop on June 19, 1959, for three weeks (Lloyd Price’s “Stagger Lee” finally displaced it) and number one R&B, while it became their only number one record in Britain and also hit the top spot in Australia.

The group delivered excellent records like “Enchanted” (#12 Pop, #9 R&B) and “Remember When” (#41 Pop) in 1959.

The Platters weren’t immune to the perils of their business and touring lifestyle. They (the four male members) were arrested in Cincinnati, Ohio, in August for an encounter with four 19-year-old women, three of whom were white. By December they had been acquitted, but not before shocked and outraged disc jockeys (a proven pristine lot themselves) had removed the Platters’ current single “Where” from many play lists, causing it to die at number 44.

On March 28, 1960, “Harbor Lights,” the Francis Langford 1937 hit (#6), became the Platters’ last top 10 charter (#8 Pop, #15 R&B, #11 U.K.) and “Sleepy Lagoon” their last flip side charter (#65).

After 20 Mercury singles the label changed the credit to read “The Platters Featuring Tony Williams.” It appeared on the 1953 (#2) Frank Chacksfield hit “Ebb Tide,” but the warm reading only reached number 56.

More great standards followed: “Red Sails in the Sunset” (#36, 1960), “To Each His Own” (#21, 1960), and “If I Didn’t Care” (#30, 1961).

By early 1961 Tony Williams had decided to record on his own and signed with Reprise Records. Billboard’s July 10th review noted the change on their new single “I’ll Never Smile Again,” saying, “The group, with its new lead, Sonny Turner, wrap up the tender oldie in a smooth, expressive vocal treatment. An effective side.”

Mercury continued issuing Williams-led Platters singles with “It’s Magic” (#91) the last charter in early 1962. Then Mercury refused to release any product with a lead other than Williams. Buck “I’ll sue ‘em” Ram did exactly that, and 1961 ended in legal turmoil.

By 1962 Paul Robi and Zola Taylor left and were replaced by Nate Nelson (THE FLAMINGOS) and Sandra Dawn, respectively.

The group always worked but it took four years to put them back on the charts while Mercury continued to issue old sides from the can right up to 1964, the last being “Little Things Mean a Lot.”

IN April 1966 “I Love You a Thousand Times” was issued by Musicor and reached number 31 Pop (#6 R&B), their biggest hit since 1961’s “I’ll Never Smile Again” (#25). They issued several more platters on Musicar, the most successful being “With This Ring” (#14 Pop, #12 R7B).

In the early ‘70s there were at least four related Platters groups and who-knows-how-many “pretender” acts. One had original bass Herb Reed with Nate Nelson, Liz Davis, Ron Austin, and Duke Daniels. Another billed as the Original Platters had Paul Robi, David Lynch, and Zola Taylor. Tony Williams formed his own Platters and as of 1989 they consisted of he and his wife Helen, Bobby Rivers, Ted E. Fame, and Ricky Williams.

Buck Ram had no intention of being left out and formed the Buck Ram Platters with Monroe Powell, Ella Woods, Chico LaMar, Craig Alexander (a cousin of Zola Taylor), and Gene Williams. Last but not least, Sonny Turner formed his own group now billed as Sonny Turner, formerly of The Platters and Sounds Unlimited.

David Lynch died in 1981 and Paul Robi passed on in 1989, both of cancer. IN 1990 The Platters were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The group not only helped break the musical color barrier, they set a standard of quality that groups would try to reach in coming decades. By the time their recording days were done they’d amassed 16 gold singles and three million-selling LPs. They performed in cities and countries that most Americans never dreamed had even heard a Platters disc, taking American music to appreciative audiences all over the worlds.

– Jay Warner

Soundtrack/Filmography

1. Ocean’s Twelve (2004) (performer: “My Prayer”)
2. The Dreamers (2003) (performer: “You’ll Never Never Know” taken from the OST of “The Girl Can’t Help It”)
   • A.K.A. Innocents – The dreamers (France)
   • A.K.A. Innocents, Les (France)
   • A.K.A. Sognatori, I (Italy)
3. Benjamim (2003) (performer: “Twilight Time”)
4. Hearts in Atlantis (2001) (performer: “Only You (And You Alone)” (1955), “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” (1933), “Twilight Time” (1944))
5. Yeopgijeogin geunyeo (2001) (“My Girl”)
   • A.K.A. Bizarre Girl (South Korea: literal English title)
   • A.K.A. My Sassy Girl (International: English title)
   • A.K.A. Yupgi Girl (Hong Kong: English title)
6. Luen chin chung sing (2000) (“The Great Pretender”)
   • A.K.A. Lian zhan chong sheng (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
   • A.K.A. Okinawa Rendez-vous (International: English title)
7. Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000) (performer: “(You’ve Got) The Magic Touch”)
   • A.K.A. The Klumps (Australia)
8. Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The Early Years (1955-1970) (2000) (TV) (performer: “The Great Pretender”)
9. Coronación (2000) (performer: “Only You”)
   • A.K.A. Coronation (International: English title)
10. Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story (1999) (TV) (“Only You”)
11. October Sky (1999) (performer: “My Prayer”, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”, “Only You (And You Alone)”)
12. Bis zum Horizont und weiter (1999) (“Only You”)
    • A.K.A. To the Horizon and Beyond (Hong Kong: English title)
13. Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998) (performer: “The Great Pretender”, “He’s Mine”, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”)
14. “The X Files”
    • A.K.A. The X-Files (USA)
    • Kill Switch (1998) TV Episode (performer: “Twilight Time”)
15. American Perfekt (1997) (performer: “Twilight Time”)
16. Telling Lies in America (1997) (performer: “(You’ve Got) The Magic Touch”)
17. Trees Lounge (1996) (performer: “I WISH”)
18. Backfire! (1995) (performer: “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”)
19. Roseaux sauvages, Les (1994) (performer: “Smoke gets in your eyes”)
    • A.K.A. Chêne et le roseau, Le (France)
    • A.K.A. The Wild Reeds
20. “Lipstick on Your Collar” (1993) (mini) TV Series (“The Great Pretender”, “Only You”, “My Prayer”)
21. Matinee (1993) (performer: “The Great Pretender”)
22. Anita (1992) (performer: “SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES”)
23. The Man in the Moon (1991) (performer: “Only You”)
24. Pour Sacha (1991) (performer: “The Great Pretender”)
    • A.K.A. For Sasha (USA)
25. Paper Mask (1990) (performer: “THE GREAT PRETENDER”)
26. “Family Matters”
    • Dedicated to the One I Love (1990) TV Episode (performer: “Only You”)
27. La Baule-les-Pins (1990) (performer: “Twilight Time”)
    • A.K.A. C’est la vie (USA)
28. Always (1989) (performer: “SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES”)
29. The War of the Roses (1989) (performer: “Only You (And You Alone)”)
30. Heart of Dixie (1989) (performer: “The Great Pretender”)
31. The Delinquents (1989) (performer: “Only You”)
32. Night of the Creeps (1986) (“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”)
33. Superman (1978) (performer: “ONLY YOU”)
    • A.K.A. Superman: The Movie
34. Toute une vie (1974) (performer: “Only You”, “Sixtenn Tons”)
    • A.K.A. And Now My Love (USA)
    • A.K.A. Tutta una vita (Italy)
35. Bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant, Die (1972) (performer: “The Great Pretender”, “Smoke Gets Into Your Eyes”)
    • A.K.A. The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (USA)
36. Kaffeehaus, Das (1970) (TV) (performer: “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”, “The Great Pretender”)
    • A.K.A. The Coffeehouse
37. Girls Town (1959) (performer: “Wish It Were Me”)
    • A.K.A. The Innocent and the Damned (USA: reissue title)
38. Carnival Rock (1957) (performer: “Remember When”)
39. The Girl Can’t Help It (1956) (performer: “You’ll Never Never Know”)
40. Rock Around the Clock (1956) (performer: “The Great Pretender”, “Only You”)

• Filmography links and data courtesy of The Internet Movie Database.

A vocal group that proved the ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s weren’t absent from the music of the ‘80s, Manhattan Transfer was a very successful act in that decade. Deriving their name from a novel about 1920s New York, the original group formed in New York City in 1969 and included Tim Hauser, Erin Dickins, Marty Nelson and Pat Rosalia, Gene Pistilli (later with Cashman, Pistilli, and West on Capitol Records in 1971), . Hauser sand with a Brooklyn doo wop group in 1959 called THE CRITERIONS, who recorded the obscure releases “Don’t Say Goodbye” and “I Remain Truly Yours” on Cecilia Records. Ironically, the lead singer of the Criterions, one Tommy West, became the West of Cashman, Pistilli, and-some 12 years later. The Transfer’s earlier releases could best be described as a cross between “let’s not take ourselves too seriously” and folk doo wop with a touch of country. Recordings like “Chicken Bone Bone,” “Java Jive,” and “Rosianna” didn’t have much commerciality, but the group still managed to get a Capitol Records recording contract.

By 1972, Hauser’s then current occupation as a cab driver had led to a fateful meeting with Janis Siegel through an introduction by a passenger in Hauser’s cab. At the time Siegel was singing with the group Laurel Canyon and had been in the Young Generation on Red Bird Records in 1965. Hauser’s cab proved to be mecca for talent; that’s where he also met singer Laurel Masse . He filled out the foursome with an acquaintance of Messe’s, Alan Paul, who was then appearing in the original cast of Grease.With a common taste for four-part harmony that was uncharacteristic for a group in the early and mid-‘70s, Manhattan Transfer landed a recording contract with Atlantic Records. Their second single, a gospel/ pop recording titled “Operator” (1975), showed Atlantic’s faith was well placed. It went up to number 22 on the pop charts and garnered the group the opportunity to star in their own TV summer replacement series (it ran for three weeks.)While American chart hits were hard to come by for the group after “Operator,” their December 1976 recording of “Chanson D’Amour” (the Art and Dottie Todd hit from 1959) became a number one record in France and England by April 1977. In 1979, Laurel Masse left for a solo career and Cheryl Bentyne, formerly of the New Deal Rhythm Band (1975) took her place.Changing vocal direction with almost every LP through the ‘70s and ‘80s, the group’s most successful chart single was a jazz-flavored doo wop remake of THE AD LIBS’ 1965 hit “The Boy from New York City,” reaching number seven in the summer of 1981.The group’s flexibility and growing expertise enabled them to perform music from the ‘30s to the ‘80s, touching on bebop, fusion jazz, doo wop, Latin melodies, pop/rock, and so on. Although never considered a superstar act, their accomplishments (such as having each of their six studio LPs between 1980 and 1989 contain at least on Grammy-winning performance, and being the first group to win Grammys in the same year in both jazz and pop categories) won them a loyal worldwide following. Due to their varied style, Manhattan Transfer’s recordings placed on the pop, R&B, and jazz charts and registered 10 chart singles in England.Through 1989, the group recorded 12 LPs and nine singles (two R&B charters and seven pop charters) and won 10 Grammys.

– Jay Warner

Soundtrack/Filmography

1. Dance with Me (1998) (performer: “Boy from New York City”)
2. A League of Their Own (1992) (performer: “CHOO CHOO CH’BOOGIE”, “ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET”)
3. Sharky’s Machine (1981) (performer: “Route 66”)
4. Christmas at the Vatican (2001) (TV) (singing voice) – Singers
5. “Austin City Limits”
   • Episode dated 21 February 1998 (1998) TV Episode – Themselves
6. “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson”
   • A.K.A. The Best of Carson (USA: rerun title)
   • Episode dated 31 December 1980 (1980) TV Episode – Themselves
7. “Dinah!”
   • A.K.A. Dinah! & Friends
   • Episode dated 17 September 1976 (1976) TV Episode – Themselves

• Filmography links and data courtesy of The Internet Movie Database

The Mills Brothers were not only the first black vocal group to have wide appeal among whites, they were the most successful American group of all time, with 71 chart singles (THE ANDREWS SISTERS had 113) spanning four decades.

Born in Piqua, Ohio, Herbert (1912), Donald (1915), Harry (1913), and John Mills Jr. (1911) began practicing in their father’s barbershop. John Sr. himself was an excellent light-opera stylist and sang with a group called the Four Kings of Harmony. Barbershop harmony was the Mills boys’ forte, and they never did bring much spiritual or gospel flavor into their sound (although they did ultimately do a few sides for Decca’s Faith series).

The brothers began performing at the local opera house (and even on street corners) while imitating instruments with kazoos. In one performance during the 1920s the teens forgot their kazoos and began improvising the sound of musical instruments with their voices while cupping their hands over their mouths. (This became a musical breakthrough for them.) John mastered the bass trumpet and tuba; Harry mimicked trumpet and sang baritone; Herbert did sax, trombone, and trumpet; and Donald was the tenor lead vocal. John Jr. played the guitar-the only actual instrument the group used.

In the late ‘20s the quartet was signed to perform in a variety of shows, on WLW-Cincinnati. In order to make it seem as if more than one group was doing all that singing, each sponsor of each show gave the act a different name. Hence they sang as the Steamboat Four, the Tasty East Jesters, and Will, Willie, Wilbur and William, among other names. They finally worked on a show (ironically unsponsored) under the name the Mills Brothers.

The group’s fame spread to New York. Agent Tommy Rockwell got the drift and brought the brothers east, where they wound up on the CBS radio network.

By 1931 they were recording for Brunswick Records. The brothers would go on to have five number on records of which the first was “Tiger Rag,” issued in December of 1931. The amazing brothers were still youngsters when they sat atop the musical world in 1931, ranging in age from 16 to 20. Brunswick then released their “Gems from George White’s Scandals” with Bing Crosby and the Boswell Sisters. It reached number three while “Tiger Rag’s” flip side, “Nobody’s Sweetheart,” held the number four spot. Their second chart topper came shortly after their first: “Dinah,” again with Bing Crosby, charted on January 9, 1932, and spent two weeks at number one.

Perhaps trying to draw attention to the Brothers’ talent, Brunswick had its labels all read, “No musical instruments or mechanical devices used on this recording other that one guitar.”

Film now became a big part of the group’s across-the-board exposure, as they performed in The Big Broadcast (1932), operator 133 (1933), and Twenty Million Sweethearts (1934).

Not only were the Mills Brothers destined to be emulated by hundreds of vocal groups, but many of their recordings would later be covered by other groups in the style that came to be called rhythm and blues. THE RAVENS took their recording of “Loveless Love” and reworked it into “Careless Love.” The Mills’s recording of “Gloria” (1948) became THE CADILLACS’ classic in 954 and THE PASSIONS’ mini-classic in 1960. The Brothers’ 1934 version of “Nagasaki” was done by the Fiver Chances in 1954, and 1932’s “Sweet Sue” later became a great recording for THE CROWS in 1954.

“Rockin’ Chair” (#4), issued in May of 1932, had what some historians consider to be the first talking-bass part in a black group record.

In 1934 the group went to Decca Records and to England. While Decca released new sides, Brunswick recordings were being reissued on the Melotone and Perfect labels as budget line issues. Since British tastes differed, Mills Brothers releases on British Decca (not all of which made it to the States) were generally more jazz and blues oriented than their domestic product.

After a royal command performance at the London Palladium in 1935, John Jr. became ill. He died in January of 1936 at the age of 25. John Sr. then took over for his son.

Hits like “Chinatown, My Chinatown” (#10, 1932), “Sweet Sue” (#8, 1938) kept the group touring the world from Europe to Australia.

The Brothers’ biggest hit came smack in the middle of World War II. Recorded February 18, 1942, and released in May, “Paper Doll” took more than a year to chart. When it did so on July 17, 1943, it reached number one and stayed there for a full 12 weeks, ultimately selling more than six million copies. Their fourth number one came in the summer of 1944 with “You Always Hurt the One You Love,” and its flip, “Till Then,” made it to number eight. “Till Then” was also their biggest R&B charter, going to number one. As the available listings only started in the early ‘40s, the Mills Brothers racked up only 11 recordings on the R&B hit lists between 1943 and 1949, indicating they may have been going over better with whites than blacks.

By 1950 the quartet had 50 chart hits. Their last number one was 1952’s “Glow Worm,” adapted from the German operetta Lysistrata. It also became their only hit in England, ranking number 10 at the beginning of 1953.

Up to 1950 almost every Mills Brothers recording featured only a guitar behind their voices in harmony and/or imitating instruments. It was a gutsy move to imitate trumpets behind Louis Armstrong and his real trumpet (“Marie” and “The Old Folks at Home,” among others), and on one cut, “Caravan” (1938), they didn’t sing at all, just parodied their instruments. The group dropped their instrumental mimicking in the earl ’50s, opting instead for backing bands and orchestras. To keep in step with the time the Brothers occasionally found themselves doing renditions of songs by groups who had learned from Mills Brothers’ own records of the ‘30s and ‘40s. They covered THE CHARMS’ “Gumdrop” in 1955, THE CLOVERS’ “Smack Dab in the Middle,” and a cover of THE SILHOUETTES’ rocker “Get a Job” in early 1958, though by now their pop barbershop sound was becoming passé.

John Sr. retired in the mid-‘50s, but the brothers stayed on the performing scene as a trio and continued to record for Dot. In 1959 “Yellow Bird” peaked at number 70, and it looked like the record buyers had moved on to other sounds. But nine years later the group, now in their mid-to late 50s, hit the charts three times in the midst of the soul and psychedelic era. “Cab Driver” (#23, 1968) was followed by “My Shy Violet” (#73) and “The Ol’ Race Track” (#83), their last charter ever.

Unfortunately, John Sr. never got to see the comeback: he died in 1967. Harry died in 1982 at the age of 68 while Herbert passed away in 1989 at the age of 77. In the early ‘90s, Donald and his son John III continued on as a duo.

The Mills Brothers’ influence was pervasive: they made black music acceptable to a wide audience and encouraged other black vocalists to carry on what they had started. And lest we forget, they did it with dignity and grace in difficult racial times, carried forward by their warmth of character and mellow sound.

– Jay Warner

Soundtrack/Filmography

1. Thank You for Smoking (2005) (performer: “Smoke Rings”)
2. Being Julia (2004) (performer: “Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries”)
   • A.K.A. Csodálatos Júlia (Hungary)
3. Mona Lisa Smile (2003) (performer: “The Glow Worm”)
4. Normal (2003) (TV) (performer: “You always hurt the one you love”)
5. Mafia (2002) (VG) (performer: “I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead (You Rascal, You)”, “Chinatown, My Chinatown”, “Tiger Rag”, “Out For No Good”, “Moanin’ For You”, “Caravan”)
6. The Majestic (2001) (performer: “Paper Doll”)
7. Pearl Harbor (2001) (performer: “Miss You”)
   • A.K.A. Pearl Harbour (UK: promotional title)
8. The Family Man (2000) (performer: “Jingle Bells”)
9. Random Hearts (1999) (performer: “Daddy’s Little Girl”)
10. Best Laid Plans (1999) (performer: “Glow Worm”)
11. Man of the Century (1999) (performer: “Diga Diga Do”)
12. The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (1998) (performer: “Tiger Rag”)
13. Zacharia Farted (1998) (performer: “Nagasaki”)
14. Trees Lounge (1996) (performer: “I Don’t Know Enough About You “)
15. Crooked Hearts (1991) (performer: “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love”)
16. The Handmaid’s Tale (1990) (performer: “Someday (You’ll Want Me To Want You)”, “I Don’t Know Enought About You”)
17. Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) (“Tiger Rag “)
18. Raging Bull (1980) (performer: “Till Then”)
19. “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson”
    • A.K.A. The Best of Carson (USA: rerun title)
      • Episode dated 3 September 1976 (1976) TV Episode (performer: “You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You”, “Basin Street Blues”)
20. The Execution of Private Slovik (1974) (TV) (performer: “Paper Doll”)
21. Cowboy Canteen (1944) (performer: “Lazy River”, “Paper Doll”)
    • A.K.A. Close Harmony (UK)
22. He’s My Guy (1943) (performer: “Cielinto Lindo”) (“Cielinto Lindo”)
23. Reveille with Beverly (1943) (performer: “Cielito Lindo”, “Sweet Lucy Brown”)
24. Rhythm Parade (1942) (performer: “Mimi From Tahiti”)
25. Broadway Gondolier (1935) (“Lulu’s Back In Town” (1935))
26. Betty Boop and Grampy (1935) (“Tiger Rag”)
27. Operator 13 (1934) (performer: “Roll, Jordan, Roll”, “Sleepy Head” (1934), “Jungle Fever” (1934))
    • A.K.A. Spy 13
28. Twenty Million Sweethearts (1934) (performer: “How’m I Doin’?”, “Oh, I Heard, Yes, I Heard” (1934)) (“Out For No Good” (1934))
29. Dinah (1933) (performer: “DINAH”)
30. I Ain’t Got Nobody (1932) (performer: “I Ain’t Got Nobody “, “Tiger Rag “)

• Filmography links and data courtesy of The Internet Movie Database

Such was the success of the Drifters that even the most casual rock and roll fan has heard of them. The Drifters were famous not only for numerous hit recording but because at various stages of their career they were trendsetters in rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Part of the reason is that the Drifters were not just one group, they were at least two, with enough members between 1953 and 1971 to make up several quintets. They had 12 different lead singers, 11 from other groups, and even boasted two members named Charlie Thomas who knew each other and were both originally from Virginia.

Before the original hit group formed there were at least three different units going under the name the Drifters. The first, a modern-sounding black pop group, recorded two singles for Coral Records, “I’m the Caring Kind” (September 1950) and “And I Shook”(November 1950).

The next Drifters were on the L.A.-based Excelsior label in June 1951 with an earthy bass-lead blues ballad called “Mobile” written by Otis Rene. The third and most obscure of the early Drifters groups recorded “Three Lies” for Class in 1953.

Six months after the original Drifters formed, another namesake showed up on the Beverly Hills-based Crown Records singing “The World Is Changing” in February 1954. But for popular history’s sake, the Drifters’ story really all started with Clyde McPhatter, whose innocent-sounding falsetto could merge raunchy blues with gospel to yield an exciting R&B mix.

By early 1953 this underpaid, underbilled lead singer decided to leave BILLY WARD AND HIS DOMINOES (though some say he was fired). As vocal groups were coming into their own, Clyde decided he should build one around himself. That sentiment was echoed by Atlantic Records guru Ahmet Ertegun, who went to see Clyde and the Dominoes perform at the Royal Roost in Manhattan only to be told Clyde was gone from Ward’s domain. As fast as you can see dollar signs, Ertegun sought out Clyde and on May 7, 1953, signed him to Atlantic with a mandate to go build his group.

Clyde Lensley McPhatter, who came to New York at age 12 from Durham, North Carolina, sought out his friends in the Mount Lebanon Singers of Harlem’s 132nd Street Mount Lebanon Church. He had sung lead for them in the late’40s at the age of 14 and felt it was a natural place to merge his secular singing with his gospel roots. The group thus became Clyde (lead), David “Little David” Baughn (tenor), William Anderson (tenor), David Baldwin (baritone), and James Johnson (bass). Contrary to general opinion the group’s name was not chosen because they drifted together from other acts. Each member put a name of his choice on a piece of paper and dropped it in a hat. The one picked was David Baldwin’s, a name taken from his father’s book of birds that included a “Drifter.” The group was actually four-fifths of the old Mount Lebanon gospel group, but not for long. The first session on June 29, 1953 resulted in four less-than-competitive recordings; the group sound didn’t work as well with Clyde’s voice as it had on gospel tunes. One song, “Lucille,” was kept and later issued as the B side of their second single “Such a Night.” The other three (“Gone,” “Whatcha Gonna Do,” and “Let the Boogie-Woogie Roll”) were all rerecorded on August 9th by a new aggregation-the one Clyde put together when he realized the Mount Lebanon contingent wasn’t working. Sticking with gospel vocalists, he drafted tenor Bill Pinkney from the Jerusalem Stars (of whom Brook Benton was a member), second tenor Andrew “Bubba” Thrasher and baritone Gerhart “Gay” Thrasher (both of the Thrasher Wonders with their sister Bernice), and bass Willie Ferbie.

Though they formed in New York City, all were originally from North or South Carolina. Bill was from Dalzell, S.C., and had originally sung with the Singing Cousins gospel group from 1946 to 1949. Bubba and Gay had been with the Silvertone Gospel Singers of Oxford, North Carolina.

The group recorded “Money Honey,” the Drifters’ first Atlantic single, released the second week of September 1953. No one could have imagined the huge success awaiting “Money”: it turned Clyde and company into overnight R&B sensations. It hit the Billboard charts on October 31st and flew to number one, staying there for an amazing 11 weeks and spending over five months on the Best Seller list. Without hitting the Pop list it became a million seller. But already changes were taking place. Willie became ill; Bill dropped down to bass when he departed.

By January 1954 the new stars were touring and appearing with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald (when they performed at the Howard Theater on January 15th). All was not a star’s life, however. During one tour, the group was passing through Fredricksburg, Virginia, on their way to Atlanta when car trouble forced them to work for money. After repairs and while cruising the town waiting for the wire transfer, they were picked up be the police, who thought they fit the description of a gang who had just robbed a loan company. With guns in their faces and sweat on their brows the Drifters spent anxious hours in police custody until they were finally cleared.

The single of “Such a Night” was recorded on November 12, 1953, and came out the first week of the new year. Clyde’s performance on this lyrically suggestive (for the time) mover and shaker earned the group three weeks at number two. Both Bunny Paul and Johnny Ray covered the Lincoln Chase-penned hit, so that by February Clyde felt compelled to issue a press release stating that he would sue anyone who copied his musical arrangement or vocal styling on the song. But by March 13, WXYZ in Detroit had banned all three versions as being too racy (even though the Johnny Ray version was banned in the United Kingdom-the Drifters original never even got a shot there-it still made it to number one). Even the Drifters flip “Lucille” make it to number seven R&B in the U.S., which in effect had a different group on each side (except for Clyde) calling themselves the Drifters. “Lucille’s” group could easily have been called Little David Baughn and the Mount Lebanon Singers.

On April 16th Clyde was reunited with his old friend, boxer-turned-singer Sugar Ray Robinson (Clyde and the Dominoes did many shows with Robinson), when the Drifters, Ray, and Ruth Brown began a series of one-nighters at the Regal Theatre in Chicago. So much has been said about the vocal work of the Drifters over the years that few realized what a skilled performing and dance act they were. While Clyde stood off to the left, the group would gyrate through some of the hippest acrobatic and tap routines this side of Motown (and about eight years ahead of Motown). Adding the rapidly flashing lights of the Apollo Theatre you had a cross between an early light show and a silent movie. But all the fun and games were interrupted when on May 7, 1954, a letter came for Clyde from Uncle Sam. He was to be stationed in Buffalo, New York, which meant, fortunately, that he could return for weekend gigs.

In the first week of June, the group’s calypso-influenced “Honey Love” rode up the Best Seller chart to number one by mid-summer, and remained there for eight weeks. Another million seller, it held on to the hit list for 23 weeks total. “Honey Love” also became their first pop charter, going to number 21 in October.

In August the group was part of the second annual “Biggest R&B Show” for a five-week tour with Alan Freed, THE SPANIELS, LaVern Baker, Roy Hamilton, Faye Adams, and the Counts. They hit Cincinnati; flint, Michigan’ Detroit; Gary, Indiana; Indianapolis; Chicago; St. Louis; Kansas City; and Dayton, Ohio (where 4,700 people, the largest audience for a non-racing event, saw the show at the Speedway). The tour finished up at the Brooklyn Paramount for the five-day Labor Day weekend show.

“Bip Bam” followed in October going to number seven; the flip “Someday You’ll Want Me to Want You” was far and away the best of the group’s McPhatter-led ballads. In the second week of November, Atlantic released what would become the most popular vocal group Christmas record of all time, the Drifter’s version of “White Christmas.” A note-for-note clone of THE RAVENS’ brilliant 1949 release (#9 R&B), it nevertheless opened up a wider audience for both versions while becoming the Drifters’ second pop chart record at number 80. It made it to number two R&B, with subsequent chartings at number five in December 1956 and number 12 in December 1957. The flip “The Bells of St. Mary’s” was also an inspiring reading.

The new year ushered in Alan Freed’s first rock and roll ball (January 14th and 15th), an extravaganza held at the St. Nicholas Arena in New York that was sold out a week in advance. These shows were noteworthy in that the performers were all black while more than half the people in the audience were white teens. The bill included Fats Domino, the Clovers, Joe Turner, THE MOONGLOWS, THE HARPTONES, Red Prysock’s Combo, Buddy Johnson’s Orchestra, and, of course, the Drifters.

In March, the boogie-woogie rocker “”Whatcha Gonna Do’ (written by Nugetre-Ertegun spelled backwards; see THE CLOVERS) was let loose and skyrocketed up Billboard’s R&B listings, this one carving a niche at number two for two weeks. The flip “Gone” (from the group’s August 9th session, their first) was a gem of a ballad with free-flowing falsetto harmony and a surprising modulation that gave Clyde and Company another vocal dimension to wail through. “Whatcha Gonna Do”/”Gone” was technically the last Drifters single with Clyde. Though he had recorded his last four sides with the group on October 24, 1954, “Three Three Three” was not released until used in the Drifters’ LP Their Greatest Recordings, The early Years in 1971. “Sugar-coated Kisses” was not issued at all and “Everyone’s Laughing” b/w “Hot Ziggetty,” listed in Atlantic’s discography as record 1070 released in August 1954, never made the charts. The fact that Clyde formally announced in mid-July he was leaving the Drifters could have precipitated a recall of the single and a regrouping (thus explaining why a record could fail that miserably when the group was so hot). Little David (16 at the time and fresh from recording with the Checkers on King) became an interim replacement, but his only lead wasn’t released until March 1961 as the B side to a later Drifters recording of “Some Kind of Wonderful,” (One of Atlantic’s practices was to take old unreleased tracks and put them on the flip of later Drifters A sides. They did this maneuver several times for Clyde’s solo sides as well.)

During this transition period the group was in Cleveland on tour when Bill Pickney found the Drifters a new lead singer. Johnny Moore was singing by himself in a men’s room and Bill was so knocked out he hired this former lead of the Hornets (States) right there and then. Little David, young, undisciplined, and drinking heavily, left to form the Harps (“I Won’t Cry,” Savoy, 1955) and later sang with Bill Pickney’s original Drifters in 1958 that recorded two singles for End (“Am I to Be the One” and “Gee”) as the Harmony Grits. Little David died in 1970.

By September 1955, the Drifters had recorded five new sides; two of the, “Adorable” and “Steamboat,” began charging up the charts together in November and December respectively. “Adorable,” led by Moore, became the group’s first and only cover (see THE COLTS) and went to number one R&B while “Steamboat” paddled to number five with Pinkney on lead.

That December, the group fought in a mock “battle of the quartets” to beat THE EL DORADOS at the Magnolia Ballroom in Atlanta. It was shows billed as battles that lead to the highly successful “Battle of the Groups” LPs of the middle and late ‘50s (The Paragons Meet the Jesters and others).

The Drifters’ February 1956 release was a dynamic two-sider with the early nod going to the ballad side, “Your Promise to Be Mine.” Billboard’s April 7th review stated: “A gentle ballad builds into an intense exciting production as the lead singer [Gerhart Thrasher in one of his few lead roles] turns in a truly outstanding performance. Could be another big one for the boys.” Of the B side, “Ruby Baby,” the reviewer said: “The high lead [Johnny Moore] takes over on this pounding 16-bar blues theme taken at a good rock tempo. Less weight than on the flip, though it’s an infectious item.” In the April 21st issue, Billboard’s “Best Buys” reviewer commented, “preference for side is still sharply divided with both sparking considerable interest.” But by May 12th “Ruby” (penned by Leiber and Stoller and produced in Los Angeles by Nesuhi Ertegun, Ahmet’s brother) was on its way to becoming a classic, topping off at number 10 R&B. (Had “Promise” been coupled with a lesser side, it too might have been a champion.) Almost seven years later DION and THE DELSATINS would record “Ruby Baby,” taking it to number two Pop and garnering R&B approval to the tune of number five. The next Drifters’ single, “I Gotta Get Myself a Woman” (#11), was the last for a couple of the old guard. Pinkney was fired by manager George “Stingy” Treadwell when he asked for a raise for the group. Andrew was shown the door when he defended Bill. Pinkney, not one to brood, immediately put together a group called the Flyers with former Crowns and Swallows (King) member Bobby Hendricks. They signed to Atlantic’s Atco subsidiary for one 45, “My Only Desire”

Bill’s spot was covered by former CARLOS (Columbia) and Ravens (Columbia) bass, Tommy Evans.

It seems that the Drifters found a number of their members in various men’s rooms. “Carnation” Charlie Hughes, formerly a tenor for THE DIAMONDS (Atlantic) and lead of THE DU DROPPERS, was met by old friend Gerhart Thrasher in the toilet of 1650 Broadway while Treadwell was holding auditions a few doors down for Andrew Thrasher’s spot. The minute they heard “Carnation” sing, the other hopefuls were dismissed. While all this was going on, McPhatter was charting with Ruth Brown (“Love Has Joined Us Together,” number eight, December 1955” and his first solo hit “Seven Days” (#2, February 1956).

The Moore, Gerhart Thrasher, Charlie Hughes, and Evans quartet became the first Drifters unit since the “White Christmas” group to register a top 10 R&B record and hit the Pop charts when “Fools Fall in Love” went to number 69 (#10 R&B) in the spring of 1957.

From here on, changes became more rapid and the attitude more laissez-faire, coinciding with less-than-quality releases.

In the summer of 1957 Moore and Hughes were drafted. Bill Pinkney, who’d been in and out for performances but not recording, got in touch with ex-Flyers lead Bobby Hendricks, who jumped at the chance to front the group. Jimmy Millender replaced Hughes on baritone and the last “original” Drifters group was formed in time to record three sides on April 28, 1958, less than five years since the first Drifters group session. One terrific single emerged from that session, the Leiber and Stoller classic “Drip Drop.” With a lead sung by a Clyde McPhatter-inspired Bobby Hendricks, “Drip Drop” made it to number 58 Pop but (surprisingly) never charted R&B, possibly signaling that the public wanted a new sound from the Drifters.

These last original Drifters (Hendricks, Thrasher, Millender, and Evans) watched their popularity wane; soon they were forced to do one-nighters posing as both THE COASTERS and the Ravens.

Their fateful night in June of 1958 was approaching, but the Drifters’ name and legacy would live on.

Clyde McPhatter went on to solo stardom and recognition as one of the best and most original voices in rhythm and blues history. Between 1955 and 1965 he registered 16 R&B and 21 Pop chart records, including “A Lover’s Question” with THE CUES (#6 Pop, #1 R&B, 1958), “Lover Please’ (#7 Pop, 1962), “Without Love” (#19 Pop, #4 R&B, 1957), “Since You’ve Been Gone” with the Cookies and the Cues (#38 Pop, #14 R&B, 1959), “Long Lonely Nights” with the Cues (#49 Pop, #1 R&B, 1957), and his all-time classic “Treasure of Love” (#16 Pop, #1 R&B, 1956). Clyde died on June 13, 1972, not realizing the impact his voice would have on the R&B and rock and roll scene for decades to come.

Through turmoil and changes the Drifters managed to set musical trends and give the public 13 chart hits, most of which are legendary recordings today. (See THE DRIFTERS, 1958-1979, for the remainder of their story.)

– Jay Warner

Soundtrack/Filmography

1. Superman Returns (2006) (performer: “Quando, Quando, Quando”)
2. “Lost”
   • Everybody Hates Hugo (2005) TV Episode (“Up On the Roof”)
3. No Regrets (2004) (performer: “Save The Last Dance For Me”)
4. “Queer as Folk”
   • A.K.A. Q.A.F. (USA: informal alternative title)
   • A.K.A. Queer as Folk USA (UK)
   • Episode #2.2 (2002) TV Episode (“Save the Last Dance for Me”)
   • Episode #1.22 (2001) TV Episode (“Save the Last Dance for Me”)
5. 61* (2001) (TV) (performer: “I Count The Tears”)
   • A.K.A. 61 (USA)
6. Bounce (2000) (performer: “The Christmas Song”)
7. I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998) (performer: “White Christmas”)
8. Simon Birch (1998) (performer: “Up on the Roof”)
   • A.K.A. Angels and Armadillos
9. As Good as It Gets (1997) (performer: “BALTIMORE”)
10. Mixed Nuts (1994) (performer: “White Christmas”)
    • A.K.A. Lifesavers
11. The Santa Clause (1994) (performer: “White Christmas”)
12. There Goes My Baby (1994) (performer: “There goes my baby”)
    • A.K.A. The Last Days of Paradise (USA)
13. The Sandlot (1993) (performer: “There Goes My Baby”)
    • A.K.A. The Sandlot Kids
14. Twenty Bucks (1993) (performer: “Money Honey”)
15. Home Alone (1990) (performer: “White Christmas”)
16. Goodfellas (1990) (performer: “Bells of St. Marys”)
    • A.K.A. GoodFellas (USA: promotional title (video box title) (poster title))
17. Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam (1987) (TV) (performer: “UNDER THE BOARDWALK”)
    • A.K.A. Dear America
18. The Big Town (1987) (performer: “RUBY BABY”)
19. Dirty Dancing (1987) (performer: “Some Kind of Wonderful”)
20. Making Mr. Right (1987) (performer: “This Magic Moment”)
21. “Who’s the Boss?” (1984) TV Series (performer: “Up On The Roof”)
22. The Hollywood Knights (1980) (performer: “Under the Boardwalk”)
23. The Bitch (1979) (performer: “Pour your little heart out”)
24. Fingers (1978) (performer: “There Goes My Baby”)

• Filmography links and data courtesy of The Internet Movie Database

Jubilee was a secularized form of church music that was acceptable in nightclubs and concerts during the ‘30s and ‘40s. The most popular of the Jubilee quartets, the Golden Gate Quartet started singing as the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet in the min-‘30s when they were students at Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk, Virginia. The membership included Willie Johnson (baritone and narrator), Henry Owens (first tenor), William Langford (second tenor), and Orlandus Wilson (bass). The singers chose their name for its musical sound, and they were more likely describing the doors to heaven than the bridge over San Francisco Bay. Their harmonies became very sophisticated, laced with a heavy dose of jazz and a Mills Brothers influence right down to their vocal imitation of instruments. In fact, next to the Mills Brothers, they were probably the best at that “sounding like instruments” technique.

They built their reputation through performing on local radio shows and in churches.

In 1937 the Gates signed to Victor’s Bluebird affiliate and applied their unique jazz-swing sound to gospel titles like “Go where I Send Thee,” “The Preacher and the Bear,” and “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In.” On August 4, 1937, they recorded an amazing 14 songs in two hours at the Charlotte Hotel in North Carolina. They performed in the same year on NBC Radio’s “Magic Key Hour.”

By 1939 they were working out of New York, and Clyde Riddick had replaced William Langford.

In June of 1940 they recorded several sides with the legendary folk singer Leadbelly, released in 1941 on Bluebird’s parent label, Victor. By now they had dropped the Jubilee portion of their name, presenting themselves strictly as the Golden Gate Quartet.

Though their recorded repertoire from 1937 to 1940 includes mostly gospel and Jubilee songs, they did record two pop-jazz 78s: “Stormy Weather” and “My Prayer.” One of the highlights of this period was a performance for President Franklin Roosevelt’s inauguration, which led to a number of appearances at the White House at the request of Eleanor Roosevelt.

In 1941 they moved to Columbia’s Okeh affiliate, and their entire recorded output during the war years was on that label. The most successful of these records was a version of “Comin’ in on a Wing and a Prayer” in 1943. It was also in ’43 that Wilson and Johnson joined the war effort at the request of Uncle Sam, and Alton Bradley and Cliff Givens replaced them, respectively. Wilson and Johnson replaced them, respectively. Wilson and Johnson rejoined in 1946 and Givens moved to THE INK SPOTS.

Their biggest record success came in 1947 with the song “Shadrack.”

In 1948 the group appeared in the RKO musical A Song Is Born, starring Benny Goodman, Danny Kaye, and Louis Armstrong. Willie Johnson soon left to take the lead of the Jubalaires, and Orville Brooks joined the Gates. Later that year they jumped from Columbia to Mercury and, along with the usual Jubilee tunes, cut a few R&B and pop 78s like “Will I Find My Love Today.”

By 1957 the foursome, now including Caleb J.C. Ginyard of the Dixiaires, were following the lead of other black American groups, like THE DELTA RHYTHM BOYS, who were finding warmer receptions in Europe. In 1959 the Golden Gat Quartet moved to Paris and landed a two-year deal to perform a the Casino de Paris. While based in Europe they recorded for EMI-UK, Pathe Marconi in France, and EMI-Germany, creating over 50 LPs.

By the late 1970s (Orlandus) Orlando Wilson and Clyde Riddick were they only remaining originals singing with Calvin Williams (second tenor) and Paul Brembly (baritone). Over the years the group amassed a travelogue of 76 countries performed in.

One of the truly great vocal groups, the Gates were cited as an inspiration to many rhythm and blues groups of the ‘50s.

– Jay Warner

Soundtrack/Filmography

1. “3 mal 9”
   • Episode dated 19 November 1970 (1970) TV Episode – Singer
2. “Cavalcade of Bands”
   • Episode #2.6 (1950) TV Episode …. Themselves
3. A Song Is Born (1948) (as The Golden Gate Quartet) …. Themselves
4. Hollywood Canteen (1944) – Themselves
5. Hit Parade of 1943 (1943) – Themselves, Singing Group
   • aka Change of Heart (USA: reissue title)
6. Star Spangled Rhythm (1942) – Themselves, as Golden Gate Quartette

• Filmography links and data courtesy of The Internet Movie Database

Known as the first so-called supergroup (because all three members came from successful acts), Crosby, Stills and Nash might never have come together if two of their three members hadn’t come together if two of their three members hadn’t become disenchanted with their previous groups, coincidentally, for the same reason. In 1964, David Crosby was a member of the Byrds, one of the first folk-rock groups. When Crosby wrote a song in 1967 called “Triad” that the Byrds did not feel enthusiastic about and didn’t want to record, he left. Graham Nash, a member of the Hollies, decided to move on when his group refused to record Nash’s “Marrakesh Express.” In 1968 both joined forces with former Buffalo Springfield member Stephen Stills to develop what became an immediately recognizable three-part harmony vocal style. Though all three were guitarists (Stills was the “hot” lead player), the concentration on tight vocals gave them a fresh, country-rock sound that seemed all the more original as the psychedelic era began to wind down in the early ‘70s. Ironically, “Marrakesh Express” became CSN’s first release and first hit in July 1969 (#28).

Neil Young (also of the now-defunct Buffalo Springfield) joined the group soonafter. Neil had been a member of a doo wop group known as Danny and the Memories (Valiant Records, 1964) whose recording of the standard “Can’t Help Loving That Girl of Mine” gave little indication of his future direction (though it had a solid group harmony sound).

Practically unrehearsed as a performing unit, CSN appeared at the legendary Woodstock festival in August 1969.

Their next five singles all did well, including “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” (#21), written by Stephen Stills for Judy Collins; “Woodstock” (#11), written by Joni Mitchell; “Teach Your Children” (#16) and “Our House” (#30), both written by Nash; and Neil Young’s tribute to those killed at Kent State University, “Ohio” (#14). “Our House” was the last chart single before their first breakup in late 1970.

Largely due to the new exposure medium of FM radio (playing mostly LP cuts in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s), the group enjoyed tremendous album success without the usual necessary top 10 record. They didn’t score one until they regrouped in 1977, with “Just A Song Before I Go.”

They continually regrouped and worked in various configurations through the ‘70s and ‘80s, sometimes recording as duos (Crosby and Nash LPs in the early ‘70s, Stills and Young’s Long May You Run LP in 1976, and so on). In 1982, the trio saw their Daylight LP yield their second top 10 hit, “Wasted on the Way” (#9).

– Jay Warner

Soundtrack/Filmography

1. Lord of War (2005) (writer: “For What It’s Worth”)
2. Breakfast on Pluto (2005) (“For What It’s Worth”)
3. The King (2005) (writer: “Helplessly Hoping”)
4. Gigli (2003) (writer: “Love The One You’re With”)
5. Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003) (writer: “For What It’s Worth”)
6. Coral Reef Adventure (2003) (writer: “Southern Cross”, “Change Partners”, “Panama”) (performer: “Change Partners”)
   • A.K.A. MacGillivray Freeman’s Coral Reef Adventure (USA: complete title)
7. “The Simpsons”
   • Treehouse of Horror XIII (2002) TV Episode (writer: “Love The One You’re With”)
8. The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002) (writer: “Do It For the Others”) (performer: “Do It For the Others”)
9. “The West Wing”
   • Isaac and Ishmael (2001) TV Episode (writer: “For What it’s Worth”)
10. Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000) (writer: “Love the One You’re With”)
    • A.K.A. The Klumps (Australia)
11. My Wasted Life (2000) (TV) (writer: “For What It’s Worth”)
12. Forces of Nature (1999) (writer: “Love The One You’re With”)
13. Patch Adams (1998) (“Carry On”)
14. Hideous Kinky (1998) (“You Don’t Have To Cry”)
    • A.K.A. Marrakech express (France)
15. Prefontaine (1997) (writer: “Love the One You’re With”, “Nacio Para Correr”) (performer: “Love the One You’re With”, “Nacio Para Correr”)
16. Mr. Reliable (1996) (writer: “For What It’s Worth”)
    • A.K.A. Mr. Reliable: A True Story
    • A.K.A. My Entire Life (USA)
17. The War at Home (1996) (writer: “Find the Cost of Freedom”)
18. Hootie & the Blowfish: Summer Camp with Trucks (1995) (V) (writer: “Love the One You’re With” (Medley))
19. The History of Rock ‘N’ Roll, Vol. 6 (1995) (TV) (writer: “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”)
    • A.K.A. My Generation
20. Forrest Gump (1994) (“For What It’s Worth (Stop, Hey What’s That Sound)”)
21. Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992) (writer: “For What It’s Worth”)
22. Where the Day Takes You (1992) (writer: “FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH”)
23. My Cousin Vinny (1992) (writer: “DON’T LOOK AT MY SHADOW”)
24. 1969 (1988) (writer: “Wooden Ships”)
25. Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam (1987) (TV) (writer: “FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH”)
    • A.K.A. Dear America
26. Amazing Grace and Chuck (1987) (producer: “Chuck’s Lament (A Child’s Dream)”)
    • A.K.A. Silent Voice
27. The Slugger’s Wife (1985) (writer: “LOVE THE ONE YOU’RE WITH”)
    • A.K.A. Neil Simon’s The Slugger’s Wife
28. The Killing of America (1982) (writer: “For What It’s Worth”)
    • A.K.A. Violence U.S.A (Japan: English title)
29. Journey Through the Past (1974) (writer: “For What It’s Worth”, “Rock And Roll Woman”, “Find The Cost Of Freedom”)
30. The Strawberry Statement (1970) (“Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”)
31. Woodstock (1970) (writer: “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes”)
    • A.K.A. Woodstock 25th Anniversary Edition (USA: director’s cut)
    • A.K.A. Woodstock, 3 Days of Peace & Music (USA: longer version)

• Filmography links and data courtesy of The Internet Movie Database

The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi was one of the most popular and influential post-war gospel quartets. Powered by the vocals of lead singer Archie Brownlee, their single “Our Father” reached the Billboard R&B charts in the early 1950s, one of the first gospel records to do so.

The group originated in the 1930s as a quartet of students from the Piney Woods School for the blind near Jackson, Mississippi. The students — Brownlee, Joseph Ford, Lawrence Abrams, and Lloyd Woodard — originally sang under the name “the Cotton Blossom Singers”, performing both jubilee quartet and secular material, to raise money for the school. On March 9, 1937, Brownlee and the others recorded sacred tunes (as the Blind Boys) and three secular numbers (as Abraham, Woodard, and Patterson) for Library of Congress researcher Alan Lomax. After graduation in the early forties, they began performing professionally, often backed by a female jazz band known as “The International Sweethearts of Rhythm.”singing pop music as the Cotton Blossom Singers and religious material under the name the Jackson Harmoneers. In the early 40s, Melvin Henderson joined, making them — like many so-called quartets — actually a quintet.

In the mid-40s, Brownlee and the others relocated to Chicago, and changed their name to the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi. Under the influence of R.H. Harris of the Soul Stirrers, Brownlee moved away from the jubilee style of singing and towards a more popular hard gospel style. Even though Harris’ influence was pervasive — the Blind Boys at first covered Soul Stirrers songs almost exclusively — Brownlee’s high voice, which could move from a sweet croon to a devastating scream, was one of the most recognizable in gospel. His dynamic stage presence also became legendary: though blind from birth, he would sometimes leap from a stage into the screaming audiences below .

With the addition of hard gospel shouter Rev. Percell Perkins (who replaced Henderson), the Blind Boys moved into their period of greatest fame. Perkins, who was not blind, became the groups manager, and they began to record, first for Excelsior in 1946, then for Coleman in 1948. Ford was replaced by J.T. Clinkscales, in that year, and in 1950 the group moved to Peacock Records where they recorded the hit “Our Father” at their first session.

Brownlee died of pneumonia while touring in New Orleans on February 8, 1960 at the age of 35. and not long after Perkins left as well. Brownlee was replaced by the very able lead Roscoe Robinson, and quartet veteran Willmer “Little Ax” Broadnax took the position of second lead. Broadnax, in particular, had a high voice which was comparable, in some respects, to Brownlee’s. Other singers who worked with the group for a time included Rev. Sammy Lewis, Rev. George Warren, and Tiny Powel. By the end of the 60s, the group had released 27 singles and 5 albums for Peacock. In the 70s and early 80s they recorded some material for Jewel, and they continued to tour into the 90s. Of the two remaining members of the original group, Lloyd Woodard died in the mid-1970s, and Lawrence Abrams passed on in 1982.

The Five Blind Boys of Mississippi should not be confused with The Blind Boys of Alabama, a group led by Clarence Fountain. There is some dispute as to which of the two groups was named first. Some sources say that the Five Blind Boys took their name when Percell Perkins joined them in the mid-40s. According to Fountain, however, the two groups were actually christened simultaneously during a Newark, New Jersey quartet contest in 1948.

– Wikipedia