Biography
The Avalons arose out of the same tightly connected Newport News, VA, R&B milieu that produced the Five Keys, the Leaders, and the Chateaus. Marv Goldberg’s March 2002 Discoveries profile traces their beginnings to the Chimes, a versatile R&B and gospel quartet assembled in 1947 by tenor/baritone Charles “Bobby” Crawley, tenor Ulysses Hicks, baritone Leroy Harris, and bass Bernard Purdie. After Hicks departed in 1948 to join the Five Keys, Maryland Pierce came aboard as the new tenor and the ensemble became the Four Bees, quickly establishing itself on the local nightclub circuit. Pierce himself moved to the Five Keys in 1950; his place was taken by ex-Key Edwin Wall, while Harris soon exited as well, bringing in tenors James Dozier and George Cox. Wall’s departure in early 1951 opened the door for another Five Keys veteran, tenor Rafael Ingram, at which point the Four Bees adopted the name Encores and, the following year, joined the Silas Green Show R&B revue for a Canadian tour. Enjoying the eastern provinces so much, they remained there for roughly five years.
In the fall of 1955 the group retained Fanny Wolff, already manager of the Five Keys, who promptly secured a contract with RCA’s Groove subsidiary and oversaw the final name change to the Avalons. Days before the first studio date Crawley’s wife became ill, so Edward Barnes of the Cues substituted; although two tracks were cut, neither appeared, and the Avalons headed back to Canada ahead of their next session. With Crawley restored, the luminous “Chains Around My Heart” emerged in February 1956, followed in October by “It’s Funny But It’s True,” yet neither single charted and Groove ended the arrangement. Returning once more to Canada, the group issued “You Are My Heart’s Desire” on the small Sandryon label in 1958; a streamlined version titled simply “Heart’s Desire” surfaced on Unart roughly six months after the ensemble disbanded in spring 1958. An earlier unreleased session also supplied “You Can Count on Me,” which Casino released in early 1959. Crawley eventually rejoined the Five Keys in Newport News, while Purdie later recorded with the Platters.
In the fall of 1955 the group retained Fanny Wolff, already manager of the Five Keys, who promptly secured a contract with RCA’s Groove subsidiary and oversaw the final name change to the Avalons. Days before the first studio date Crawley’s wife became ill, so Edward Barnes of the Cues substituted; although two tracks were cut, neither appeared, and the Avalons headed back to Canada ahead of their next session. With Crawley restored, the luminous “Chains Around My Heart” emerged in February 1956, followed in October by “It’s Funny But It’s True,” yet neither single charted and Groove ended the arrangement. Returning once more to Canada, the group issued “You Are My Heart’s Desire” on the small Sandryon label in 1958; a streamlined version titled simply “Heart’s Desire” surfaced on Unart roughly six months after the ensemble disbanded in spring 1958. An earlier unreleased session also supplied “You Can Count on Me,” which Casino released in early 1959. Crawley eventually rejoined the Five Keys in Newport News, while Purdie later recorded with the Platters.
Albums
