Biography
Gospel traditionalists might regard the Charioteers’ conversion from sacred ensemble to mainstream vocal act as an ill-fated attempt to modernize something already purposeful. Formed in Ohio in 1930, the Black quartet had, by 1937, stabilized around lead tenor Billy Williams, second tenor Ed Jackson, baritone Ira Williams, bass Howard Daniels, and pianist Jimmy Sherman. Their first recording opportunity arrived after winning an Ohio quartet contest in 1934, which included a Decca session as part of the prize. Several years later Vocalion began releasing their interpretations of jubilees, spirituals, and folk songs such as “Wade in the Water” and “Ezekiel Saw de Wheel.” That stylistic focus lasted until the group signed with Columbia in 1940.
The major label sought a commercial counterweight to the Ink Spots, then exclusive to Decca, yet Williams and his colleagues never achieved comparable chart dominance. Their breakthrough came with the 1940 release of Russ Morgan’s “So Long,” the first of seven entries they placed on the charts. During the same span they supplied radio and studio backing for Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, while the Ink Spots amassed thirty-six hits and remained the preferred choice for session support. Network radio exposure, especially on Crosby’s program, led to film roles and a slot in the touring revue Hellzapoppin’. The 1946 single “On the Boardwalk in Atlantic City” became another success, followed in 1947 by their version of the multi-artist novelty smash “Open the Door, Richard.”
Williams departed in the 1950s. When producers of Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows asked him to assemble a vocal group for television, they rejected the existing Charioteers as too old and insisted on younger voices, prompting the creation of the Billy Williams Quartet. The Charioteers recruited Herbert Dickerson as the new lead but registered no further hits and gradually reduced their live schedule until disbanding in 1957. Williams, who became the first live guest on American Bandstand, died in Chicago in the early 1970s.
The major label sought a commercial counterweight to the Ink Spots, then exclusive to Decca, yet Williams and his colleagues never achieved comparable chart dominance. Their breakthrough came with the 1940 release of Russ Morgan’s “So Long,” the first of seven entries they placed on the charts. During the same span they supplied radio and studio backing for Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, while the Ink Spots amassed thirty-six hits and remained the preferred choice for session support. Network radio exposure, especially on Crosby’s program, led to film roles and a slot in the touring revue Hellzapoppin’. The 1946 single “On the Boardwalk in Atlantic City” became another success, followed in 1947 by their version of the multi-artist novelty smash “Open the Door, Richard.”
Williams departed in the 1950s. When producers of Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows asked him to assemble a vocal group for television, they rejected the existing Charioteers as too old and insisted on younger voices, prompting the creation of the Billy Williams Quartet. The Charioteers recruited Herbert Dickerson as the new lead but registered no further hits and gradually reduced their live schedule until disbanding in 1957. Williams, who became the first live guest on American Bandstand, died in Chicago in the early 1970s.
Albums
