The Jarmels

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The Jarmels are a doo wop/rhythm and blues group that was formed in 1959 in Richmond, Virginia. They were composed of Nathaniel Ruff (born 1939), Paul Burnett (born 1942), Ray Smith (born 1941), Earl Christian (born 1940), and Tom Eldridge (born 1941). They started out singing in church and in school. The name came from a street in Harlem.

They were managed by Jim Gribble, who had previously worked with The Mystics and The Passions. In 1961, he brought them to Laurie Records, in New York. They released the single "Little Lonely One" which did not manage to find much success outside of New York. However, their second single, "A Little Bit of Soap", reached number 12 in America. This would prove to be the last hit single for the Jarmels; the next four singles did not chart at all. The group continued throughout the 1960s, after recording "Come On, Girl" in 1963. Following his, there would be several personnel changes, notably the addition of Major Harris, who would later go on to join the Delfonics.

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