The dominoes biography
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Billy Ward and his Dominoes
American R&B vocal group
For other people named Billy Ward, see Billy Ward (disambiguation).
"The Dominoes" redirects here. For the band formed by Eric Clapton, see Derek and the Dominos.
Billy Ward and his Dominoes | |
|---|---|
The Dominoes c. 1950s | |
| Also known as | The Dominoes |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1950–1965 |
| Labels | Federal, Jubilee, London, Decca |
| Past members | Billy Ward Clyde McPhatter Charlie White Joe Lamont Bill Brown James Van Loan David McNeil Jackie Wilson Eugene Mumford Milton Merle(Milton Murrill) Cliff Givens Milton Grayson
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Billy Ward and his Dominoes were an American R&B vocal group. One of the most successful R&B groups of the early 1950s, the Dominoes helped launch the singing careers of two notable members, Clyde McPhatter and Jackie Wilson.[1]
Early life
[edit]Billy Ward (born Robert L. Williams, September 19, 1921, Savannah, Georgia, died February 16, 2002, Inglewood, California[2]) grew up in Philadelphia, the second of three sons of Charles Williams and Cora Bates Williams, and was a child musical prodigy, winning an award for a piano
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BIOGRAPHY AND DISCOGRAPHY
One take possession of rock’s centre and accumulate influential voiced groups featuring three decipherable lead singers over their run who produced a dozen Overdo things Ten hits between them.
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The Dominoes - Part 1
By Marv Goldberg
Based on interviews with David McNeil, Milton Grayson,
Monroe Powell, Al Anderson, Lou Ragland, and Robbie Robinson
(Note: the original of this article appeared in
Discoveries #89 - 10/95)
© 1999, 2009 by Marv Goldberg
The Dominoes have a special place in R&B history: if they had done nothing else, they would be remembered for the wonderful music they produced. Additionally, they gave the world Clyde McPhatter (whom, along with Bill Kenny, Jimmy Ricks, Sonny Til, and Frankie Lymon, I rank as one of the 5 most influential R&B group leads). If that weren't enough, they also gave us Jackie Wilson and used the amazing talents of Eugene Mumford.
The Dominoes were the creation of a man who went by the name of "Billy Ward." Ward, who was born Robert Lloyd Williams in Savannah, Georgia on September 15, 1921, moved to Philadelphia as a child. He sang in his church choir and eventually became its organist (this isn't surprising, since his father was a preacher and his mother a choir singer). He was a musical prodigy as a child, and, when he was 14, won an award from famed composer Walter Damrosch for a piano piece he had written, called "Dejection". In the army during Worl