The Orioles - Crying In The Chapel
Sonny Til (vocals; born August 18, 1928, died September 9, 1981), Tommy Gaither (guitar; born 1930, died November 5, 1950), George Nelson (vocals; birth date unknown, died 1959), Johnny Reed (vocals; birth and death dates unknown), Alexander Sharp (vocals; birth and death dates unknown)
The Orioles have been called “the first R&B vocal group.” Formed in 1947 as the Vibranaires in their hometown of Baltimore, they changed their name to the Orioles (the Maryland state bird) a year later. These five street-corner harmony pioneers imparted a skilled, soulful edge to the standard pop-crooning style of the day, and their appearance marked a shift in popular taste from big bands to small vocal groups. The Orioles established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound: wordless, melismatic harmonies surrounding the tenor vocals of Sonny Til (born Earlington Carl Tilghman) and George Nelson’s baritone. Their string of hits included three #1 R&B singles in the late Forties and early Fifties: “It’s Too Soon to Know,” “Tell Me So” and
“Crying in the Chapel,”
More personnel changes ensued after 1954, with lead singer Til keeping the name alive with various Orioles ensembles. The Orioles – often billed as Sonny Til and the Orioles - went on to record for a variety of labels, including Vee-Jay and RCA. Diz Russell, who joined in 1955 and left at the end of the decade, leads a latter-day version of the Orioles, including former members of other well-known harmony groups. There is also an outfit called “Sonny Til’s Orioles,” though Til himself died in 1981.
The Orioles have been called “the first R&B vocal group.” Formed in 1947 as the Vibranaires in their hometown of Baltimore, they changed their name to the Orioles (the Maryland state bird) a year later. These five street-corner harmony pioneers imparted a skilled, soulful edge to the standard pop-crooning style of the day, and their appearance marked a shift in popular taste from big bands to small vocal groups. The Orioles established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound: wordless, melismatic harmonies surrounding the tenor vocals of Sonny Til (born Earlington Carl Tilghman) and George Nelson’s baritone. Their string of hits included three #1 R&B singles in the late Forties and early Fifties: “It’s Too Soon to Know,” “Tell Me So” and
“Crying in the Chapel,”
More personnel changes ensued after 1954, with lead singer Til keeping the name alive with various Orioles ensembles. The Orioles – often billed as Sonny Til and the Orioles - went on to record for a variety of labels, including Vee-Jay and RCA. Diz Russell, who joined in 1955 and left at the end of the decade, leads a latter-day version of the Orioles, including former members of other well-known harmony groups. There is also an outfit called “Sonny Til’s Orioles,” though Til himself died in 1981.
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