Biography
Gregory Carroll, a fixture in doo wop circles whose most prominent early association was with the Orioles, launched numerous ventures including the Dappers. Born John Carroll on Baltimore’s northwest side, he first appeared on record with the Four Buddies, a Savoy act that climbed to number three on the Billboard R&B chart in 1951 with “I Will Wait.” Once that quartet dissolved, Carroll moved to the Orioles in spring 1953, taking George Nelson’s place as second tenor and arriving in time to participate in the session for “Crying in the Chapel.” Following the Orioles’ dissolution in spring 1955, he shifted focus to production work. By the close of that year he had rejoined former Four Buddies colleague Larry Harrison to assemble the Dappers, completing the roster with baritone Zeke Puzey and bass Jerome Robinson. The group secured an RCA contract in early 1956 and recorded “Unwanted Love,” yet disbanded before the single could appear on the company’s Groove imprint. Carroll promptly rebuilt the lineup, first adding bass/baritone Al Showell and then drawing soprano Pat Williams and alto Joy Wright from the Sweethearts, recent winners of the Apollo Theater amateur contest. Puzey rejoined in time for the quartet’s initial Rainbow session; “Bop Bop Bu” reached stores late in 1956, but the label’s financial difficulties prevented any meaningful push and the release stalled. The Dappers still managed East Coast dates and several television spots until Wright’s pregnancy prompted her departure, after which the remaining members went separate ways. Carroll next partnered with singer-guitarist Peggy Jones to issue “Honey Bunny Baby” on Ro-Nan as the duo Greg & Peg; Jones would later join Bo Diddley’s band under the name Lady Bo. Carroll subsequently entered the Cues alongside Harrison and Puzey, the vocal group favored by producer Abel DeCosta for session work, and in 1960 he produced a date for ex-Orioles lead Sonny Til. Shortly afterward he and Al Showell formed the gospel quartet the Halos with Doc Wheeler and an as-yet-unrecognized Doris Troy. In 1963 Carroll co-wrote and produced Troy’s “Just One Look,” which became a Top Ten pop and R&B crossover and remains one of the era’s signature soul performances. He later performed with later editions of both the Orioles and the Ink Spots.
Albums
