Here are more soul birthdays for the month of August.
Singer and Bassist Larry Graham was born August 14th, 1946, in Beaumont, Texas. He joined Sly and the Family Stone, then broke off and formed his own band in the 70s called Graham Central Station. As a solo singer of love ballads, Larry Graham had a number on number-one R&B hit in 1980 with ‘One in a Million You’
Singer Sonny Til was born on August 18, 1928. He led a group out of Baltimore called The Orioles. Named, like the baseball team, after Maryland’s state bird. The biggest hit for this pioneering R&B vocal group was a cover version of a country hit by Darrell Glenn called ‘Crying in the Chapel.’
The Orioles were major trendsetters in R&B group singing since 1948, packing venues like the Apollo Theater. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Join me again soon for more August Birthdays.
Featured cuts:
Can You Handle It? - Graham Central Station
The Jam - Graham Central Station
One in a Million You - Larry Graham
My Prayer - Sonny Til
Crying in the Chapel - Sonny Til & the Orioles
Deep cuts:
Let Me Hear It from You - Sly & the Family Stone (vocal by Larry Graham)
I Can't Stand the Rain - Graham Central Station
When We Get Married - Larry Graham
It's too Soon to Know (first recording) - Sonny Til & the Orioles