| The Charioteers | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Wilberforce, Ohio, USA |
| Genres | Gospel, Pop |
| Years active | 1930–1957 |
| Labels | Decca, Vocalion, V-Disc, Vocalion, Brunswick, Columbia |
| Past members | |
| Wilfred "Billy" Williams (lead tenor) Edward Jackson (second tenor) Ira Williams (baritone) Howard Daniel (vocal) Herbert Dickerson (vocal) Peter Leubers (vocal) John Harewood (vocal) Jimmy Sherman (piano) |
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The Charioteers was an American gospel and pop vocal group from 1930 to 1957.
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The Charioteers were put together in 1930 by Professor Howard Daniel, and their school was Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio. They originally called themselves the Harmony Four. Later they changed it to The Charioteers, from the song "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,"[1] a favorite from the group's repertoire, and eventually recorded it in 1939. Starting out with gospels, the group expanded its collection to include a greater number of popular tunes. Their first beak came from after winning the Ohio State Quartet contest in 1931, and soon after, they were brought in to perform on a Cincinnati radio show at station WLW. They ended up staying with the station for over two years, until another radio series brought them to New York.
They signed their first recording contract with Decca Records in 1935. Between 1935 and 1939 they recorded for V-Disc, Vocalion, Brunswick, and Decca without having a hit, yet their popularity grew through radio and live performances. The Charioteers recorded with major singers between 1935-1945: Pearl Bailey on recordings "Who?" and "Don't Ever Leave Me" (1945), and four recordings with Frank Sinatra, "Lilly Belle," "Don't Forget Tonight, Tomorrow", "I've Got A Home In That Rock," and "Jesus Is a Rock (In a Weary Land)" (1945).[2] In 1938, they signed with Columbia Records, where they would stay for over 10 years.
In 1941 they performed 1404 performances[3] with the musical revue Hellzapoppin', a Broadway hit.[4] They were the studio chorus from (1942–1946) on the Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall radio show.[5] The leader Wilfred "Billy" Williams (1910–1972), a recording member for 14 years, left The Charioteers. He then formed a new group The Billy Williams Quartet in early 1950s. The rest of The Charioteers also left Columbia in 1950 and drifted through five labels over the next seven years. The Charioteers released 75 single recording over 22 of those years. The last recording was "The Candles" on MGM Records in 1957.
Their solo hits include "So Long" (1940) number 23 pop, "On the Boardwalk in Atlantic City" (1946) number 12 pop , "Open the Door Richard" (1947) number 6 pop, "What Did He Say?" (1948) number 21 pop, "Ooh! Look-a-There Ain't She Pretty" (1948) number 20 pop, and "A Kiss and a Rose" (1949) number 8 R&B, number 19 pop.[6]
The Charioteers were inducted in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.
| Year | Title | Genre | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | The Charioteers | Gospel | Harmony |
| 1959 | Sweet & Low | Gospel | CBS |