The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor hit "Lonely Drifter" in 1963, but reached their greatest level of success once Gamble & Huff, a team of producers and songwriters, signed them to their Philadelphia International label in 1972. With Gamble & Huff, the O'Jays emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with "Back Stabbers" (1972), and topped the US Billboard Hot 100 the following year with "Love Train". Several other US R&B hits followed, and the O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
The Dells were an American R&B vocal group. Formed in high school in 1953 by founding members Marvin Junior, Verne Allison, Johnny Funches, Chuck Barksdale, and Michael and Lucius McGill, under the name the El-Rays. They released their first recording in 1954 and two years later had their first R&B hit with "Oh What a Night". After disbanding due to a near-fatal car crash in 1958, the band re-formed in 1960 with Funches being replaced by Johnny Carter. This lineup remained together until Carter's death in 2009. In 2004, The Dells were inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. The group performed until illness forced longtime lead singer Marvin Junior and bass vocalist Chuck Barksdale into retirement, ending the group's 60-year run.
The Manhattans are an American popular R&B vocal group. Their songs "Kiss and Say Goodbye", recorded in 1976, and 1980's "Shining Star", both sold millions of copies. The Manhattans have recorded 45 hits on the Billboard R&B Chart, including twelve top-10 R&B hits in the United States, starting in 1965. Sixteen of their songs have reached the Billboard Hot 100, including two top 10s and a number-one hit with their song "Kiss and Say Goodbye". They also charted eight U.S. R&B top 20 Albums, three of which were RIAA certified gold.
The Originals, often called "Motown's best-kept secret", were a successful Motown R&B and soul group during the late 1960s and the 1970s, most notable for the hits "Baby I'm for Real", "The Bells", and the disco classic "Down to Love Town." Formed in 1966, the group originally consisted of baritone singer Freddie Gorman, tenor/falsetto Walter Gaines, and tenors C. P. Spencer and Hank Dixon. Ty Hunter replaced Spencer when he left to go solo in the early 1970s. They had all previously sung in other Detroit groups, Spencer having been an original member of the (Detroit) Spinners and Hunter having sung with the Supremes member Scherrie Payne in the group Glass House. Spencer, Gaines, Hunter, and Dixon were also members of the Voice Masters. As a member of the Holland–Dozier–Gorman writing-production team, Gorman was one of the co-writers of Motown's first number 1 pop hit "Please Mr. Postman", recorded by the Marvelettes. In 1964 the Beatles released their version and in 1975 the Carpenters took it to number 1 again. This was the second time in pop history that a song had reached number 1 twice as "The Twist" by Chubby Checker, reached number 1 in both 1960 and 1961. In 2006, "Please Mr. Postman" was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Blue Magic is an American R&B and soul group, and one of the more popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. Founded in 1972, the group's original members included lead singer Ted Mills with Vernon Sawyer, Wendell Sawyer, Keith Beaton, and Richard Pratt. Their most notable songs included smooth soul ballads such as "Sideshow", "Spell", "What’s Come Over Me", "Three Ring Circus", and "Stop to Start".
Surface was an American music group from New Jersey, active from 1983 to 1994. They are best known for their No. 1 pop and R&B hit "The First Time." During its heyday, the group consisted of singer/bassist Bernard Jackson, David Townsend, and David "Pic" Conley.
Born to Sing is the debut studio album by American vocal group En Vogue. It was released by Atlantic Records on April 3, 1990, in the United States. Conceived after their contribution to band founders Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy's 1988 compilation project FM2 for Atlantic, it was chiefly produced by Foster and McElroy, with additional contribution coming from Hughie Prince, Don Raye, and former The Independents members Marvin Yancy and Chuck Jackson. Musically, Born to Sing contains a range of contemporary genres, blending a mix of soft hip hop soul, pop, contemporary early-1990s R&B, rap, and new jack swing.
John William Bristol was an American musician, most famous as a songwriter and record producer for the Motown label in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was a native of Morganton, North Carolina, about which he wrote an eponymous song. His composition "Love Me for a Reason" saw global success when covered by The Osmonds including a number 1 in the UK charts in 1974. His most famous solo recording was "Hang On in There Baby" recorded in 1974, which reached the Top Ten in the United States and number 3 in the United Kingdom. Both singles were in the UK top 5 simultaneously.
The Detroit Emeralds are an American R&B/soul vocal group, best known in the early 1970s. They enjoyed a run of successful records in the decade including their 1973 transatlantic hit single, "Feel the Need in Me".
Ronald Dyson was an American soul and R&B singer and actor.
"Leaving Me" is a 1973 crossover single by The Independents. The single was their biggest on the R&B chart, hitting #1 for one week. The single, which peaked at number twenty-one, was the only Top 40 hit for the group. It became a gold record. "Leaving Me" was written and produced by Chuck Jackson and Marvin Yancy.
Inseparable is the debut studio album by American singer Natalie Cole, released on May 11, 1975, by Capitol Records. The album became her first gold-certified album and spawned the number-one R&B hits "This Will Be " and "Inseparable". The hit album and its singles earned Cole two Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. .
Natalie is a 1976 album by American singer Natalie Cole. Cole's second studio album, It was released on April 9, 1976, by Capitol Records. The album features the hit singles, "Sophisticated Lady " and "Mr. Melody". The track, "Sophisticated Lady " peaked at No 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles and No 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts.
Unpredictable is an album by the American singer Natalie Cole. Released on February 22, 1977, by Capitol Records, the album includes the single "I've Got Love on My Mind", which peaked at No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R&B chart.
Thankful is the fourth album by the American singer Natalie Cole. It was released on November 16, 1977, by Capitol Records. In 1978, the album's first single, "Our Love", peaked at No. 10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B chart.
"Daddy's Home" is a famous song by American doo-wop group Shep and the Limelites. The song was written by the three members of the band, James "Shep" Sheppard (1935–1970), Clarence Bassett (1936–2005) and Charles Baskerville. The group recorded the original version of "Daddy's Home" on February 1, 1961, and it was released on Hull Records in March 1961 with the B-side being "This I Know".
I Love You So is a 1979 album by American singer Natalie Cole. Released on March 19, 1979, by Capitol Records, The album reached peak positions of number 52 on the Billboard 200 and number 11 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart.
I'm Ready is the ninth studio album by American R&B singer Natalie Cole. Released on April 21, 1983, it was her only album released on Epic Records. The album peaked at No. 182 on the Billboard 200 and No. 54 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart.
Walter Jackson was an American soul ballad singer who had a string of hits on the US R&B chart between the mid-1960s and early 1980s. His biggest successes included "It's All Over" in 1964, "It's An Uphill Climb to the Bottom" in 1966 and "Feelings", a cover of the Morris Albert pop hit, in 1976.
Marvin Jerome Yancy was an American gospel musician, pastor and Grammy-winning record producer, and former pastor of Fountain of Life Baptist Church. He started his music career, in 1971, with The Independents, who were an American R&B vocal group. His lone solo album, Heavy Load, was released on January 1, 1985, by Nashboro Records, and it placed at No. 4 on the Billboard magazine Gospel Albums chart.
