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) <br /><br />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 <br /> “Crying in the Chapel,” <br />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.
