THE ORIOLES - "CRYING IN THE CHAPEL" (1953)
Earlington Tilghman created one of the most influential vocal groups of all time when he formed the Vibranairs in
Baltimore after
World War II. Tilghman was better known as
Sonny Til, a charismatic tenor who loved rich arrangements and had a knack for picking (and writing) great material.
Other members included
Alexander Sharp,
George Nelson,
Johnny Reed, and
Tommy Gaither. The Vibranairs soon became
The Orioles, and in 1948 they recorded their first hit record, "
It's Too
Soon To Know." They toured endlessly on the strength of that single, and others like "
Tell Me So" and "
A Kiss and a
Rose," becoming legends of the "
Chitlin Circuit," the network of clubs and theaters open to black performers in the days of segregation. In
1953 The Orioles had their biggest hit, "
Crying in the Chapel" (a tune later recorded by
Elvis Presley), and were the toast of their new hometown,
New York City.
Albert "Diz"
Russell had landed in
New York in 1951 with his vocal group
The Four Jays. They would sleep on the docks at night, while during the day making the rounds to club talent buyers and booking agents.
They met jazz singer
Eddie Jefferson, who introduced them to
Duke Ellington in one memorable
Brill Building meeting.
The Duke hired the Four Jays to perform at a club called Snooky's, where their one-night stand turned into a year's engagement.
Boxer Joe Louis heard them at Snooky's and got them into the
Apollo, and it was there in 1954 that they ran into Sonny Til, who really liked what he heard.
Til was having disagreements with the other Orioles, and was looking for a new sound and new talent. He fired The Orioles and asked the Four Jays (who had since changed their name to the Regals) if they would consider becoming The Orioles.
"I thought, 'They're established already, this makes sense,' " Russell says. "But I want to tell you, it was Sonny who joined the Regals, we didn't really join the Orioles, even though that was the name we used after that." With the popular name, the band hit the road, constantly touring over the next decade, but never having another substantial hit.
The Orioles broke up in the mid-'60s, when sophisticated doo-wop groups weren't finding an audience. Russell left music and went into the eye care business in
Washington D.C., where he had family. He returned to the stage only after Til called him in 1978 saying he was getting the group together for one show. The reception they received at that concert convinced The Orioles to give it another shot.
Then when Til died in
1981, Russell decided to keep the Orioles going. "We're like
General Motors," says Russell. "The car doesn't stop because all the executives are dead." And what a car it's proven to be: the Orioles have been inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the
Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame, the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame and the
Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
Today's Orioles are Russell, with
Reese Palmer, who sang with
Marvin Gaye in the Marquees,
Skip Mahoney, who had a solo hit in
1972 with "
Wherever You Go,"
Royal Height and
Eddie Jones (who also plays lead guitar and fronts the soul band Eddie Jones & the
Young Bucks).
The Legendary Orioles were one of the first rhythm and blues groups ever. Influenced by celebrities such as the
Mills Brothers and the
Ink Spots, they fused traditional pop songs with gospel style and arranged blues
and gospel material with smooth harmonies, resulting in a style that appealed to a wide audience. In 1949 they recorded their first hit, It's Too Soon to Know, written by their manager,
Deborah Chessler. In 1953 their recorded their multi-million seller, Crying in the Chapel. They went on to become the most popular recording group in the rhythm and blues field, garnering national as well as international publicity. Their songs have become classics over the years and include the famous What Are You Doing
New Year's Eve? And Tell Me So. IN the late
1980s they added "
Legendary" to their name.
Their stellar performance credits include appearances with
The Four Tops,
The Supremes,
Jackie Wilson,
Paul Anka,
Frank Sinatra, Ann-Margaret and
Connie Francis, In
1993 they sang for
President Clinton's inauguration. Two year's later they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their latest CD. The Orioles
Sing for
Lovers Only, has been noted for the doo-wop sound that has made them legends over the past fifty years.