The R&B doo-wop ensemble Brenda & the Tabulations began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1966. They comprised vocalist/ lyricist Brenda J. Payton (Hill), born in the city on October 24, 1945, composer/ guitarist Eddie L. Jackson, born in 1947 in Forest City, North Carolina, Maurice Coates … Read MoreBrenda & the Tabulations (1966-1987)
The Monotones were a six-member American doo-wop group in the 1950s. Though they recorded other songs, they had only one hit single, “The Book of Love,” which reached No. 5 on the Billboard 100 chart in 1958. The teenagers lived in Baxter Housing Project and … Read MoreThe Monotones (1957-1962)
R&B doo-wop, balladeer duo Don & Juan hail from Long Beach, New York. They are pianist, vocalist Roland “Don” Anderson Trone, who was born on July 2, 1936, in Birmingham, Alabama and reared in Long Beach and composer, lyricist, vocalist Claude “Juan” Johnson, born November … Read MoreDon & Juan (1962-2002)
A cappella doo-wop, gospel sextet Take 6 was formed on the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Seventh Day Adventist campus of Oakwood University in 1980 in Huntsville, Alabama. The ensemble’s repertoire includes jazz, doo-wop, Contemporary R&B, Negro Spirituals, and Classical European genres of … Read MoreTake 6 (1980- )
Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs were an American Doo-Wop and Rhythm and Blues vocal group in the late 1950s and early 1960s best known for their number one hit song, “Stay”. Founding member Maurice Williams, was born April 26, 1938 in Lancaster, South Carolina and … Read MoreMaurice Williams and the Zodiacs (1959- )
The Platters was one of the most successful rhythm and blues vocal groups during the rock and roll era. They began in Los Angeles, California and were initially managed by Ralph Bass at Federal Records. The original band consisted of Alex Hodge, Cornell Gunter, David … Read MoreThe Platters (1953- )
Born Benjamin Earl Nelson on September 28, 1938, in Henderson, North Carolina, he and his family moved to Harlem, New York, when he was nine years old. There, he worked in his father’s luncheonette, sang in church, and formed a doo-wop group called “The Four B’s.” The band … Read MoreBen E. King (1938-2015)
Through the 1970s, the O’Jays were considered one of the most successful and familiar R&B groups. Hits like “Love Train,” “For the Love of Money,” and “Back Stabbers” became the anthems of an era. With the help of producer duo Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, … Read MoreThe O’Jays (ca. 1960- )
The Clovers were a rhythm and blues and doo-wop group that gained fame in the 1950s with song hits like “Love Potion No.9.” The Clovers were formed in 1946 by Harold “Hal” Lucas at Armstrong High School in Washington D.C. The original members included Lucas, Thomas Woods, and Billy Shelton. … Read MoreThe Clovers (1946- )
