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The Orioles | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Vibra-Naires, Sonny Til and his New Orioles |
| Origin | Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Genres | R&B |
| Years active | 1946–present |
| Labels | It's a Natural, Vee-Jay |
| Members | David Warren, Ray Apollo, Clark Walker |
| Past members | Diz Russell, Sonny Til, Alexander Sharp, George Nelson, Johnny Reed, Tommy Gaither, Ralph Williams, Charlie Harris, Gregory Carroll, Chauncy Westbrook, Maurice Hicks, Tex Cornelius, Jerry Holeman, Billy Adams, Paul Griffin, Frank Todd, Jimmy Brown, Delton McCall, Billy Taylor, Gerald Gregory, Lawrence Joyner, Bobby Thomas, Clarence Young, Mike Robinson, Eddie Palmer, Eddie Jones, Skip Mahoney, Dwight Datcher |
The Orioles were an American R&B group of the late 1940s and early 1950s, one of the earliest such vocal groups who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound.
The Orioles are generally acknowledged as R&B's first vocal group. Baltimore natives, they blended rhythm with group harmonies. Dubbing themselves after Maryland's state bird, the Orioles started the trend of bird groups (The Cardinals, The Crows, The Flamingos, The Larks, The Penguins, The Ravens, The Wrens, etc.).[1] They brought their winning formula to their first charted hit "It's Too Soon to Know"; a #1 record in November 1948, soon followed by the group's second hit, "(It's Gonna Be a) Lonely Christmas", in December that same year.[2]
- ^ Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music (1st ed.). Fulham, London: Flame Tree Publishing. p. 20. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
- ^ CD liner notes: Billboard Greatest R&B Christmas Hits, 1990 Rhino Records