Biography
The Five Echoes earned recognition largely because both Earl Lewis of the Channels and the Flamingos and the later R&B star Johnnie Taylor had passed through their ranks. Formed in Chicago, the original lineup consisted of Constant "Count" Sims on baritone, Herbert Lewis also on baritone, Jimmy Marshall handling bass, and Tommy Hunt as second tenor. They first performed under the name the Flames, a nod to their frequent presence at the Morocco Hotel, whose on-site club was known as the Flame.
Activity picked up around 1952 once they added ex-Flamingos lead singer Earl Lewis, who took first-tenor duties. An unofficial associate, Freddie Matthews, sometimes contributed vocals and doubled as the group's driver. After learning that a short-lived early-1950s Bed-Stuy ensemble from Brooklyn had already used the same name—the act that eventually became the Five Discs—they adopted the Five Echoes instead. Booking opportunities soon followed through musician, manager, songwriter, and hustler Walter Spriggs, who arranged their initial club dates. On their first weekend out they reached Kenosha, Wisconsin, and played the Right Spot; strong local response led the venue to retain them for a full year of covers drawn from the Orioles, the Dominoes, and similar groups.
Back in the Chicago area they attracted the attention of Chance Records executive Edwart Abner Jr., who offered a contract. Abner soon departed Chance to help run Vee Jay, leaving the Five Echoes with Art Sheridan and his south-side Sabre imprint. Their debut single, "Lonely Mood," received regional airplay across several markets yet never registered on national charts. Hunt's induction into the military left a vacancy that the remaining members filled by recruiting Kansas City native Johnnie Taylor, then drifting through Chicago while singing gospel with the Highway QC's. (Taylor would later emerge as a major secular hit-maker in the 1960s and 1970s, though at this stage he remained a devout, gospel-rooted performer.)
With Taylor aboard, the Five Echoes became steady fixtures on the Chicago club scene by early 1954 and began touring the broader Midwest. They completed one additional session for Sabre. Hunt, absent without leave from the armed forces, rejoined briefly before authorities located him and returned him to the stockade. Meanwhile Chance was shutting down, closing its doors before 1954 ended, and the group dissolved soon afterward.
Activity picked up around 1952 once they added ex-Flamingos lead singer Earl Lewis, who took first-tenor duties. An unofficial associate, Freddie Matthews, sometimes contributed vocals and doubled as the group's driver. After learning that a short-lived early-1950s Bed-Stuy ensemble from Brooklyn had already used the same name—the act that eventually became the Five Discs—they adopted the Five Echoes instead. Booking opportunities soon followed through musician, manager, songwriter, and hustler Walter Spriggs, who arranged their initial club dates. On their first weekend out they reached Kenosha, Wisconsin, and played the Right Spot; strong local response led the venue to retain them for a full year of covers drawn from the Orioles, the Dominoes, and similar groups.
Back in the Chicago area they attracted the attention of Chance Records executive Edwart Abner Jr., who offered a contract. Abner soon departed Chance to help run Vee Jay, leaving the Five Echoes with Art Sheridan and his south-side Sabre imprint. Their debut single, "Lonely Mood," received regional airplay across several markets yet never registered on national charts. Hunt's induction into the military left a vacancy that the remaining members filled by recruiting Kansas City native Johnnie Taylor, then drifting through Chicago while singing gospel with the Highway QC's. (Taylor would later emerge as a major secular hit-maker in the 1960s and 1970s, though at this stage he remained a devout, gospel-rooted performer.)
With Taylor aboard, the Five Echoes became steady fixtures on the Chicago club scene by early 1954 and began touring the broader Midwest. They completed one additional session for Sabre. Hunt, absent without leave from the armed forces, rejoined briefly before authorities located him and returned him to the stockade. Meanwhile Chance was shutting down, closing its doors before 1954 ended, and the group dissolved soon afterward.