The Leaders - A Lover Of The Time (1955)

Harry Burton (First Tenor)

Edward "Snipper" Alston (Second Tenor)

Nelson Shields (Second Tenor)

Ronald Judge (Baritone)

Charles Simpson (Bass)

Song written by Harry Burton and Ed Alston (members of The Leaders)

So you want to know the story of The Leaders?

Their first record was issued in 1955, with "Stormy Weather" on the A side.

The singers took some liberties with the lyrics.

It sold well by November 1955--a bluesy version of a classic song.

The flip side was "Lover Of The Time"--written by two members of The Leaders.

The next release on 45 rpm was "Nobody Loves Me" (it starts with a spoken part) backed by "Dearest Beloved Darling." It was released in 1956.

The singers are from Newport News, Virginia. It was home to several vocal groups of the 1950s, including The Five Keys, The Avalons, and The Chateaus. The Sentimental Four practiced in their local church in Newport News, Virginia.

The Leaders were known early in their career as the Pokenoes--and then the Five Swans.

The members included Harry Burton, Nelson Shields, Edward Alston, Ronald Judge and Charles Simpson. They all grew up in the same neighborhood and attended the same high school, Huntington High. (Huntington High School opened in 1927 as a black high school located in the East End section of Newport News, Virginia.)

As the Five Swans, the singers competed in amateur shows and did well enough to win a trip to the famed Apollo theatre in New York.