Soul Brothers Six
| Soul Brothers Six | |
|---|---|
| Also known as |
John Ellison and The Soul Brothers Six The Soul Brothers Five |
| Origin | Rochester, New York, United States |
| Genres | R&B, soul, disco |
| Years active | 1965–1976 |
| Labels | Atlantic Records |
| Past members |
John Ellison Joe Johnson Sam Armstrong Charles Armstrong Moses Armstrong Harry Armstrong Gene Armstrong Vonn Elle Benjamin Lester Peleman James Johnson Charles Pevy Eddie Reno |
Soul Brothers Six were an American rhythm and blues band formed in Rochester, New York during the mid-1960s. They are best remembered for their song "Some Kind of Wonderful", which was later a big hit for Grand Funk Railroad.
History
The band was originally called the Soul Brothers Five and featured brothers Sam Armstrong, Charles Armstrong, Moses Armstrong, Harry Armstrong and Gene Armstrong. Shortly after forming, vocalist John Ellison joined the group, prompting a name change. This lineup released two unsuccessful singles in 1965, "Stop Hurting Me" and "I Don't Want To Cry" before both Harry Armstrong and Gene Armstrong left the group, being replaced by Vonn Elle Benjamin and Lester Peleman.
It was this lineup that released the single "Don't Neglect Your Baby" before Sam Armstrong left the group to be replaced by Joe Johnson. They then signed a deal with Atlantic Records after being introduced to Jerry Wexler by a Philadelphia DJ and subsequently released "Some Kind of Wonderful" which reached #91. They followed with several more unimpressive singles before being dropped by Atlantic.
This prompted Charles Armstrong, Harry Armstrong, Vonn Elle Benjamin and Lester Peleman to leave the group and be replaced by James Swails Jr, Charles Pevy and Eddie Reno. This lineup released six singles as John Ellison and The Soul Brothers Six (despite there only being five band members) during the 1970s before disbanding.
John Ellison continued on in the music business and released two solo albums Welcome Back in 1993 and Missing You in 2000.