Biography
In the mid-1960s, no soul ensemble from Jackson, Mississippi, and its environs matched the popularity of the Carvettes. This quintet, known as the Temptations of the South, featured Al Goodman on baritone-bass, Charles Haynes covering first and second tenor, Albert Brown supplying falsetto and first tenor, Tommy Harden taking lead, and Walter Catchings handling lead along with first tenor. The members first connected at Jim Hill High School and stayed active with appearances at proms, talent shows, and spots such as the Alamo Theater on Ferrish Street plus Stevens' Rose Room on Sunset Drive, a sizable club that drew audiences from across Mississippi. Widespread mix-ups with the automobile often led listeners to call them the Corvettes, so they briefly adopted that spelling themselves, yet their lone 45 still listed the group as the Carvettes.
WOKK, Mississippi's first black radio station, gave them a regular fifteen-minute Saturday morning segment in which they delivered a cappella renditions of numbers by the Moonglows, the Spaniels, the Midnighters, and others. On Copa Records they issued the single "A Lovers Prayer" backed with "Never Gonna Leave Me," which failed to connect, though the group continued for a short while afterward. Tommy Harden then headed to California, trimming the lineup to a trio; Charles Haynes soon developed reservations about touring and withdrew, leaving only Al Goodman and Albert Brown.
The remaining pair cut material with the Vipers, and Goodman also performed with Lil' Willie & the Impacts before joining Billy Brown in the Moments. Still greater success arrived once the act became Ray, Goodman & Brown.
WOKK, Mississippi's first black radio station, gave them a regular fifteen-minute Saturday morning segment in which they delivered a cappella renditions of numbers by the Moonglows, the Spaniels, the Midnighters, and others. On Copa Records they issued the single "A Lovers Prayer" backed with "Never Gonna Leave Me," which failed to connect, though the group continued for a short while afterward. Tommy Harden then headed to California, trimming the lineup to a trio; Charles Haynes soon developed reservations about touring and withdrew, leaving only Al Goodman and Albert Brown.
The remaining pair cut material with the Vipers, and Goodman also performed with Lil' Willie & the Impacts before joining Billy Brown in the Moments. Still greater success arrived once the act became Ray, Goodman & Brown.