A - E
Vocals. Legended to be the best singer from the area. One of the original Nomads (Lakeside) He couldn't seem to stay available, but when he was he was had the most melodic runs (scales) of all of us. Also appeared with Lakeside after the move to Los Angeles, but didn't make the trip with them to Solar Records. He now sings background vox with Hip Hopsters, K-Ci and Jo-Jo.
Tony Allen |
Bass/Vocals/Guitar.. Tony started in Dayton, playing the Bass, and backing up singing groups, before launching the Parliament-Like group "The Overhill Gang". He later moved to Atlanta to play with Rare Pleasure, , Dorothy Moore, and Benny Latimore, only to return, and record with the groups Spacious and Sun. Tony has recorded with such groups as Sun, Slave, SHADOW, Ohio Players, Dorothy Moore, Benny Laitimore, and most recently Tombstone's CD on which he wrote and played all the instruments on California Life, while in the studio with the Group Mothersfinest engineering and playing guitar He has his own Band, in LA, entertaining die hard rock fans as "Silky T", a Jimmy Hendrix impersonator.
AKA: The Image • Record Player
Group Members: Reggie Crutcher • Charles Jackson • Chris Evans • Guy Ellington • Tony Russell • Lamar Webster • Alan Foster • Keith Nash • Tom Black • Ronald Nooks
Biography.This was the final incarnation of the Stone Soul Image, after moving to LA. The group actually consisted of Reggie and Charles, whose recordings, "Nasty Man" and "Hand Out" gathered some attention from Motown and Arista records, and a publishing deal with Avitar Music. They had to put a vocal quartet together to represent the songs in live action, for the company, and the former members Ron Crutcher was chasing a congressional seat in Ohio, and Harvey Ellison's health was failing. The Record Player Band agreed to back them up.
Related People Bud Scoppa • Fuller Gordy • Iris Gordy • Gerald Ceasar • Artie Bonano • Boobie Cochran • Sini Richardson • Clarence Avant.
As DISCO took hold, live entertainment became rare in the Gem City. Bruce Dillard opened up this club, and occasionally brought a live band in to entertain. Dorothy "Little Dot" Pearson was almost the house band, but it was usually a DJ in the house.
Group Members: Otis Stokes • Ronnie Jones• Kerry "Jackie Boy" Rutledge • Mike Manley • Larry Henderson • Curtis Sandford • Jeff Ruggs • Anthony Calhoun • Tommy Shelby • James Staten • David Turner • Tommy Owens • Nate Alexander • Raymond Metcalf • Larry Hines • Lloyd Jones • T.J. Townsend • • (information please)
AKA: The Incense • Platypus
Biography.Without a doubt, one of the best Dayton had to offer. with some of the sweetest collection of voices, with flowing vibrato harmonies and smooth, but average choreography, by Dayton standards. This was one of the groups that spawned more than a couple of national recording artists. There was an auto accident, one night after a show. Several members were hurt, and James Staten was killed. The next week virtually every band in town met at the Dunbar High School auditorium for a huge benefit Battle Of The Bands. in his honor. After that the group rolled out for L.A. and ended up merging with the 4 Corners to become Platypus.
Group Members: Siggie Dillard • Jonathan "Bugs" Bass • Joe Davis • Robert Young • Reese Adams (information please)
Biography. This group had a short run, playing 3 Dog Night Style, Rock and Roll. Once these youngsters came to the attention of the big groups, their members got picked off one by one, and the group disappeared.
In the Dayton "Hood" B & D's was where you went to get your R & B. They've served up the music to at least 4 generations of Daytonians, over the years. If your band was any good, and you bought your practice records in there, they would let you hang your fine pictures up in there. I'm told that those old pictures are still covering the walls, in the store.
Group Members: Derrick "Talib Hashim" Herring • Lawrence "Shahid Raki" Broyles • Harry Sugg • Patricia Brannon • Brenda Stallworth • Terry Alston • Bobbie Clemmons • Bridgette Clemmons • Kirk Herring • Larry Richardson • Abdul Lateef • Philip Broyles • Mitchell Kinney • Claude Fambrough • John Sherer. The group had numerous other sit-in's, walk-in's and hangers-on like any other group. (information please)
Biography. A theatrical, message group. Lots of percussion, congas, rhythm, and dancers. Pioneers of today's hip hop/rap as they generally performed poetry along with their rhythms and song. They performed in the city projects, city schools, city parks and of course during Black History day then week. They had regular engagements at UD, Sinclair, Central State, Wilburforce University, Wright State, Urbana College, Wittenburg University and even the local NBC tv
affiliate.
Recordings/Similar Artist Last Poets
Related People •
Guitar/VocalsTom has been a busy young man over the years. He played with Coast to Coast, and Record Player, and has toured with the great Little Richard. Still Active as a musician and producer, with dreams of starting his own record company.
 Definition
Blow. V.) To sing well. Also applied to horn players (obviously)
N.) Dayton musicians developed a unique cadence on the automobile horn, that produced a kind of melody. It was used when one of the fellas were behind closed doors. He was expected to drop everything and get out to the car when he heard the blow |
MC. The most professional groups around town had their own warm-up man, to bring on the act, and control the show between breaks. Boatwright was the best of this breed, as the MC for Lakeside Express (Lakeside)
The best B•B•Q chicken and fries in town. After a long night at the Palladium, the "Hut" was right around the corner, and the line would be out in the parking lot - as everybody wanted some of that good fried chicken, to help battle the munchies on the way home.
Related Spots: Shield's Bar•B•Que • White Castle
Sax/Keys/Vocals/Producer/Writer. An all around musician. Has worked with some of us all. Record Player • Slave • The Hall Of Fame, etc. Presently living in Manhattan - Still Active. (information please)
Keys/Vocals. An all around entertainer. Once a part of the entertaining Theater West organization. Also worked with Record Player and some other groups in the area. (information please)
Promoter/Businessman. Tried his hand at several aspects of the music business. He was a manager for the Image, and Spacious, and booked dates for Sun in Japan. He was active as a record promoter, and consultant for the group Arogance, in L.A.
This was a great gig, if you could get it. It was usually reserved for Recorded Acts, although a few lucky local bands managed to fill the opening act job, when the budget allowed.
A Few groups that have appeared at the festivities over the years were The Commadores • GQ • Mother's Finest • Earth Wind & Fire • Captain Skyy • Al Hudson & One Way
Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Hands down the favorite gig as voted by all the former Dayton Players. This was a high paying week-end gig that ran from Thursday to Sunday, just outside of Fort Campbell. Most of the group members were around 16 when this place was popular. The owner's name was Clarence but everybody called him "Third" (Clarence Jr. III) His club was clean, and the stage area, large and accommodating. He provided 2 meals a day, and put the entire band up for the week-end in a 4 bedroom house. (No Hotel Bills) He even paid for some transportation, and bought Ray Turner a Fender Rhodes, just to get the Image to come down, one week-end. There were some projects nearby called "Whore's Acres" which were a favorite hang out for groups visiting in town.
Cincinnati, Ohio. "The Dayton invasion" was a phenomenon that occurred when a Dayton group found a new club in the tri-state area. One group would recommend the next, and before you know it the club was running Dayton groups back to back to back. The Clock Bar was one of the clubs on the tour. We sometimes had to put a man on the door to keep an eye on their man on the door, but there was money to be made based on how well the group could pack the club, because they liked to only pay a percentage of the gate. The stage was small, and there was this silly iron gate at the edge of the stage, which made it look like the groups were playing inside of a cage.
Group Members: Tom Black • Paul Hawkins • Paul Harrington • Breck Smith • Otis Branham • Kenny Vauls • Alan Foster • Tony Guy
Biography. There was always a new group of youngsters, in the basements and garages of Dayton, trying to perfect their craft. After Lakeside and Platypus had headed for the coast, and The Player's, Sun, Faz-o, and Slave had already started cranking out hits, this new group sprang out on the scene, ready to take their place at the Proms and Battles of The Bands.
Bass Vocals/Keyboards.. One of the original members of the Image. Later picked up the keyboard, and headed for Atlanta, where he played with Rare Pleasure. After he returned to Dayton, he formed the group Spacious, with Tony Allen, during the Disco craze. During the 80's he moved to L.A. and briefly played with Will Shelby's Solar Records group. Finally he hooked up with Charles Jackson and formed the group Arogance. After a failed recording contract with Arista, he went back to Dayton. Best Song: "We Are Neighbors" - The Chi-lites.
Baritone Vocals. One of the original founding members of the Image, where he stayed until the group disbanded in 1973. During the Disco Era, singers had to pick up an instrument, if they wanted to stay in the game. Ron decided instead to pursue his college career, and now works, in Cincinnati as a mortgage banker Best Song: Get Up Get Down - Dramatics
Group Members: Brian McLemore • Luke Wright • • Marty Drake • (information please)
Biography.
Lead Vocals. One of the 3 best rough naturals in the city, next to Mark Wood, and Nate Alexander. The leader of the more mature Delvons, after Vincent's voice changed, and his Micheal Jackson was gone.Best Song: "Just Because Of You" - The Ebonys
Bass.
Bio. Entered the Dayton music scene as a youngster around 14, when he started hitting with the Image. He excelled on his axe, and briefly worked with TOPAZ before he was off to Washington DC with Dayton's Theater West. When that situation ended he took to the road with recording acts such as Gil Scott-Heron. He's still active, now performing in West coast Jazz Clubs or in Japan.
| The Different Shades Of Brown |
Group Members: Nate Alexander (information please)
Biography.Actually this group was out of Springfield, Ohio, but they competed in many of the same markets as the many Dayton groups, and they competed well. They had a helluva show, and consisted of a group of really good singers. It was Legended that they had near perfect pitch, and could learn a song from a record player that was spinning too fast or slow, and sing it in that key regardless of the key that the band learned it in. Recorded at least one record on Motown's Gordy label.
Definition
Drawls For All. N.) Term in common usage, during the glory days of the Dayton music scene, having a meaning similar to the term groupies. Usually expressed as an acronym DFA's
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| Galen Drake/ Reggie Broach |
MC. The Image was one of the largest groups in town with 5 singers and an eight piece band, so it's only natural that they would have two MC's. This team would hit the stage together and work both sides of the stage in an effort to bring on the group. Both were actually drummers, but they stepped up front as entertainers, for 5 to 10 minutes between shows. Galen is still active in the Dayton area, performing as "The Disco King" - a live disc jockey.
Drummer/Vocals. Galen's little brother. He did take his musical career a little further, however, as the Drummer of the Phoenix Soul, and Custom Made
Vocals. I say this was the best singer in Dayton. He could sing anything., from James Brown, to the Temprees. Like the other best singer in town, he couldn't stay outside either. He was the Lead singer for the Young Underground, and later with the Image. Best Song Beginning's Hard To Do - The Montclairs
| The Eluders & The Elusions |
Group Members: David Chapman • Larry Chapman • Goodlow Gillespie • Stevie Arrington • Robert Valentine (information please)
Biography. A unique group among Dayton's herds of bands. They were a trio, doing smooth ballads, like the Moments. I only saw them once, at the Palladium, dressed in their purple capes. They were polished and professional, but didn't work much.
| Huntsey & The Entertainers |
Group Members: Huntsey Cochran • • • • (information please)
Biography.
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