Biography
Washington, D.C. outfit Father's Children first drew notice through their 1979 self-titled Mercury LP and its non-charting single "Hollywood Dreaming" b/w "Shine On," both of which later became staples for dance club DJs around the globe. Wayne Henderson and Augie Johnson, then the group's de facto leader, handled co-production. Until the early 2000s that account passed for the band's complete story beyond Adams Morgan's tight-knit circles. Their actual roots and earliest recordings, however, reach back nearly a decade before the Mercury release.
Originally called the Dreams, the act began as a 1960s high-school doo-wop vocal trio of Nick Smith, Billy Sumler, and Ted "Skeets" Carpenter. Jackie Peoples joined as a fourth singer shortly afterward. After finishing high school the Dreams met Vietnam veteran Norman Hylton, who operated the People's Center—a rec hall, organizing hub, and rehearsal space for local musicians and theater troupes—and his partner Larry Bell, formerly of the Carltons; together they ran Pure Productions. In 1972 the Dreams added an instrumental backing band featuring guitarist Steve "Tai" Woods, bassist Michael Rogers, Smith on organ, and drummer Zachary Long.
Influenced by Earth, Wind & Fire, New Birth, Mandrill, and other large ensembles, the Dreams adopted the name Father's Children and pursued a socially conscious, spiritual direction under Hylton's guidance; he had taken the name Saleem and embraced ad-hoc Islam, leading the group to replace their given names with Islamic ones as well. Later that year Saleem encountered local studio owner Robert Hosea Williams, who had engineered sessions for Gil Scott-Heron, Hugh Masekela, the Soul Searchers, and Van McCoy. The band began cutting sides and touring under Saleem's promotion, then replaced him by signing with Fly Enterprises and reached as far west as Texas. None of the Williams recordings saw release because of unpaid studio bills and the People's Center's closure. Father's Children did issue their first single, "Linda" b/w "Intellect," yet it drew no response from radio or retail.
After repeated personnel changes and nonstop touring, the group signed with Mercury in 1978 and recorded their self-titled album with Henderson. Indifference to the LP prompted the label to drop them, closing that chapter for nearly twenty-five years. In 2005 Sumler, Carpenter, and Smith reunited to release the full-length Sky's the Limit on their own FC label. The early master tapes remained unreleased until 2011, when Numero Group's Ken Shipley licensed them from Williams and, with Tom Lunt and Rob Seiver, assembled the album Who's Gonna Save the World? (named for one of its tracks).
Originally called the Dreams, the act began as a 1960s high-school doo-wop vocal trio of Nick Smith, Billy Sumler, and Ted "Skeets" Carpenter. Jackie Peoples joined as a fourth singer shortly afterward. After finishing high school the Dreams met Vietnam veteran Norman Hylton, who operated the People's Center—a rec hall, organizing hub, and rehearsal space for local musicians and theater troupes—and his partner Larry Bell, formerly of the Carltons; together they ran Pure Productions. In 1972 the Dreams added an instrumental backing band featuring guitarist Steve "Tai" Woods, bassist Michael Rogers, Smith on organ, and drummer Zachary Long.
Influenced by Earth, Wind & Fire, New Birth, Mandrill, and other large ensembles, the Dreams adopted the name Father's Children and pursued a socially conscious, spiritual direction under Hylton's guidance; he had taken the name Saleem and embraced ad-hoc Islam, leading the group to replace their given names with Islamic ones as well. Later that year Saleem encountered local studio owner Robert Hosea Williams, who had engineered sessions for Gil Scott-Heron, Hugh Masekela, the Soul Searchers, and Van McCoy. The band began cutting sides and touring under Saleem's promotion, then replaced him by signing with Fly Enterprises and reached as far west as Texas. None of the Williams recordings saw release because of unpaid studio bills and the People's Center's closure. Father's Children did issue their first single, "Linda" b/w "Intellect," yet it drew no response from radio or retail.
After repeated personnel changes and nonstop touring, the group signed with Mercury in 1978 and recorded their self-titled album with Henderson. Indifference to the LP prompted the label to drop them, closing that chapter for nearly twenty-five years. In 2005 Sumler, Carpenter, and Smith reunited to release the full-length Sky's the Limit on their own FC label. The early master tapes remained unreleased until 2011, when Numero Group's Ken Shipley licensed them from Williams and, with Tom Lunt and Rob Seiver, assembled the album Who's Gonna Save the World? (named for one of its tracks).
Albums
Singles
