Dozier Boys

The Dozier Kids may be a footnote within the music history of the R&B vocal groups, however they were a significant area of the local south side of Chicago vocal group scene and so are to get credit to get a career that spanned 25 % century of popular music history while performing from strict swing-era vocal harmony to true doo wop from the rock & roll vintage. These were also among the 1st acts authorized by Leonard Chess and Phil Chess ahead of their achievement with blues performers, and they documented for several other essential U.S. brands. They made several appearances on tv, and also documented for several brands between 1948 and 1964. The Dozier Children also documented with many music artists during their extended career that could go on to get substantial jazz professions under different brands: throughout their short association with Okeh, the Doziers caused Fritz Jones, afterwards to become well-known as Ahmad Jamal. Another Dozier Children musician, Herman “Sonny” Blount, became referred to as Sunlight Ra after 1952 and continuing to record under that name for pretty much 40 even more years. Tenor saxophonist Costs Evans would afterwards become a well-known jazz musician — no, not really that certain — beneath the name Yusef Lateef. Wes Montgomery was also using the group for some time. The Dozier Children — primary vocal members had been Lucius Teague (business lead vocals), Eugene Teague (baritone, electric guitar, arranger); Cornell Wiley (1st tenor, baritone, string bass), and Benny Natural cotton (bass vocals) — started because the Four Shades, performing gospel, carrying out at community nightclubs and pubs, and hosting a radio display in Hammond, IN. Later on, the Four Shades fulfilled the Four Vagabonds, whose business lead vocalist John Jordan offered them trained in performing pop music. Lucius Teague remaining to study dance and performing (he finished up becoming a member of the military, where he offered for 30 years) and was changed by Bill Small, a business lead tenor and drummer. Wiley’s stepfather — Cyrus Dozier — a druggist by trade, offered them monetary support and encouragement; the group was renamed the Dozier Young boys in his honor. They truly became so effective while showing up on amateur displays in Chicago they shortly had been no longer permitted to compete because that they had gained all too often. From past due 1947 to Dec 1948, Eugene Wright’s 11-guy Dukes of Golf swing — including tenor saxophonist Costs Evans — highlighted the Dozier Children as their public vocalists. Herman “Sonny” Blount was the group’s music movie director, pianist, and arranger. The Doziers kept down effective bookings independently(including those on the Beige Area, the basement membership within the Pershing Resort) for long stretches from nov 1948 to middle-1950. Willie Dixon, a pal from the Wiley family members, later introduced these to Leonard Chess, at that time a controlling partner within the Chicago-based Aristocrat Information, who signed these to the label; Phil Chess was operating the Macomba Lounge at that time, and had not been yet involved with record business affairs. By the first ’50s, Leonard Chess got already begun putting your signature on new local works, including Muddy Waters, who got currently become Chicago’s leading entertainer and was well on his method to learning to be a blues tale. On these initial 78 rpm produces in 1948 for Aristocrat, the Dozier Males played their very own devices, adding Blount like a program pianist. Often they’re acknowledged as “Andrew Tibbs as well as the Dozier Males” with Sax Mallard’s Combo, with Tibbs and another business lead vocalist, Benny Natural cotton, sharing the business lead responsibilities. Eugene Wright later on remaining the group to become listed on the Count number Basie Music group around Xmas of 1948. The Dozier Males continued documenting for Aristocrat while operating in the Beige Space for over annually following the Dukes of Golf swing departed, and on June 25, 1950, they participated within the “Session happening: Ragtime & Golf swing” concert, with Eugene Wright (back again from your Basie music group). These were also regulars on “Limelight Talent,” a one-hour every week Television show on WBKB, hosted by well-known Chicago DJ Al “Aged Swingmaster” Benson. This is the very first all-black Television show in Chicago in support of ran for just one period. By middle-1950, these were the very first vocal group to become issued on the brand new Leonard Chess label, Chess Information. Bill Small and Benny Natural cotton alternated on business lead vocal responsibilities for the documenting. They continued to try out local gigs, showing up at Joe’s Rendezvous in the past due summertime and “4 Superstar Frolics,” a midnight present, on the 4 Superstar Theater. After that, after Natural cotton was drafted, the Dozier Young boys found Mifflin “Pee Wee” Branford for business lead tenor vocals and electric guitar. Branford got previously used the Cats as well as the Fiddle (from 1942 — when he changed Tiny Grimes — till 1948). In Oct 1950, Chess re-released the Doziers’ “All I WANT Can be You,” convinced that the latest reputation of vocal group recordings (spurred from the amazing success from the Orioles as well as the Clovers), would result in restored airplay and product sales. It didn’t. At that time, the Chess Brothers had been too busy making use of their Checker Information label, therefore in 1951, the Doziers jumped at the opportunity to indication to Chicago-based Okeh, the Columbia Information subsidiary, who desired the group in order to bolster their R&B roster. Regrettably, Okeh’s A&R guy, Ed Kissak, believed the group sounded as well “white,” no recordings for the label had been released. The Doziers worked well hard to revamp their sound and in August 1952, agreed upon to the Chicago-based indie United Information, but no brand-new releases appeared through the quartet — Teague, Branford, Small, and Wiley — until 1953. By this time around, Benny Cotton have been discharged through the Military as well as the Dozier Guys had expanded to some quintet. Now referred to as the “Five Dozier Guys,” the group continued a tour using the “Hollywood in Harlem Revue,” with Pigmeat Markham and Timmie Rogers. Following a loss of life in Pee Wee’s family members, he came back to Chicago. His substitute was Wes Montgomery, who continued to be within the group just a couple weeks, until Pee Wee could come back. In 1955, the Dozier Males had been awarded 1st place after performing “I Ain’t Got No one” in the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts Present. Afterwards, they documented for ABC/Paramount, but nothing at all was ever released. In 1956, Branford still left the group (he afterwards joined up with 3 Sharps and a set). His substitute was non-singing pianist Truxton Kingslow, who a few months later fell deeply in love with a local female from Minnesota. These were wedded, and Kingslow made a decision he didn’t wish to leave the neighborhood region, so he was changed by Joe Boyce, a non-singing vibes participant who was just 19 at that time. For this same period, Bill Small also wedded and remaining the group, and his 17-12 months old alternative Frank “Crimson” Bell was a higher tenor who performed tenor sax. After Small left, Cotton started to play the drums, that have been his instrument after that. For about half a year, the group transformed its name to the Bel-Aires; this name will not show up on some of their recordings. They documented for Fraternity Information in nov 1957; in 1958, Boyce still left to come back to university, and he was changed by Pete Hatch and afterwards, pianist Bobby Blevins. During this time period, Teague and Dave Barber (from the Four Freshmen) had been in charge of the group’s agreements (which needed to be often revised, with all the current personnel adjustments). This brand-new lineup documented for Apt, a subsidiary of ABC-Paramount, however, not long following the program, Eugene Teague collapsed and passed away and of kidney failing during a overall performance. The group do little for another half a year, while Wiley overran the group’s management and arranging, teaching new users and handling a number of the bookings. Blevins arrived and went from your group; when he had not been available, occasionally the Doziers continued like a trio, and occasionally they changed him with guitarist Ben White colored. The group ultimately were left with Janie Information, circa 1960, and continued to be using the label until 1964. They often times changed names, contacting themselves “The Shifting Times,” amongst others. Sooner or later in the 1960s, Pee Wee Branford dropped two tales and broke his back again; he was therefore depressed about getting paralyzed that he dedicated suicide. In 1967, these were contacted with the U.S. Military, which wanted even more black entertainers using the U.S.O. in Vietnam. Bell and Blevins dropped to go, therefore they were changed by Clifford Scott (tenor sax, trumpet, piano) and Jerry Hubbard (electric guitar, tenor vocals). The Vietnamese authorities opened an application to teach Vietnamese entertainers as well as the Shifting Times had been hired as educators; they resided in Da Nang for a while. The group came back to america in 1970 and transformed their name back again to the Dozier Kids for a couple gigs, then made a decision to disband after 24 years. Frank Bell, Lucius Teague, Wes Montgomery (1925-1968), Pete Hatch, and Truxton Kingslow are deceased. Cornell Wiley spent some time working using the Bob Allen trio since 1973 and shows the string bass at Dennison School. Benny Cotton spent some time working using the Impromptus, a polka music group. Bobby Blevins, Costs Small, and Jerry Hubbard had been the survivors by 2001, as was Joe Boyce, who was simply a Mature Editor for the Wall structure Street Journal.