Biography
Among soul music's most enduring yet underrecognized ensembles stood the Masqueraders. Soul collector and historian Greg Tormo stated in an interview that their roots reached Dallas, Texas, in 1958, when middle-schoolers Charlie Moore on lead vocals and Robert Tex Wrightsil as first tenor assembled the earliest lineup, then known as the Stairs, alongside brothers Johnny and Lawrence Davis in the second- and third-tenor positions and "Little" Charlie Gibson handling bass. Around 1959 the Stairs issued at least three singles on the local South Town label—"Brown-Eyed Handsome Man," "Caveman Love," and "Flossie Mae"—before the Davis brothers departed and Gibson joined the U.S. Army. Moore and Wrightsil recruited replacements, with Moore switching to baritone so that Lee Wesley Jones could serve as lead vocalist; tenor Harold Thomas and bass David Sanders completed the refreshed roster, which toured Texas nonstop and often performed in small towns while impersonating national chart acts. This versatility led them to adopt the name the Masqueraders, whose first recording under that banner was 1963's "A Man's Temptation."
Following the 1965 release of "Talk About a Woman" on Houston's Soultown label, the Masqueraders headed to Detroit for a Motown audition. Told their approach too closely resembled the Temptations, the group found itself stranded without funds until they arranged a performance at the Twenty Grand Club. On the way they encountered a studio belonging to La Beat owner Lou Beatty, who issued five Masqueraders singles across 1966 and 1967: "The Family," "I'm Gonna Make It," "Together That's the Only Way," "Be Happy for Me," and "I Got the Power." None charted commercially, prompting a move to Memphis to audition for producer Chips Moman. The ensemble ultimately cut eight singles at American Studios, beginning with 1967's "I Don't Want Nobody to Lead Me On," which Wand licensed and which became a minor regional hit later covered by former NFL star Rosey Grier and the Gentlemen Four.
To sidestep contractual issues, Moman credited the 1968 follow-up "This Heart Is Haunted" to Lee Jones & the Sounds of Soul and placed it on Amy. After "Do You Love Me Baby" drew scant attention, Wand ended its association, but Moman secured a deal with Bell, Amy's parent company. The resulting trio of singles—"I Ain't Got Nobody Else," a minor hit, plus "How Big Is Big" and "Steamroller"—marked the group's artistic peak, showcasing gospel-inflected deep soul enhanced by American Studios' session musicians. During this period the Masqueraders also supplied backing vocals for blue-eyed soul outfit the Box Tops. Their next single under their own name, 1968's "I'm Just an Average Guy" on Moman's AGP label, became their first national success, climbing to number 24 on the R&B charts. "The Grass Is Green" closed the year, and in 1969 vocalist Sammie Hutchins expanded the lineup to six pieces; when Lee Evans missed shows, Hutchins took over lead duties full-time after Evans left permanently.
One last AGP single, "Love, Peace and Understanding," preceded the Masqueraders' return to Dallas, where they launched the Stairway label and issued 1971's "Let Me Show the World I Love You." Lacking national distribution or promotion, neither that record nor its 1972 successor "The Truth Is Free" registered beyond Texas. The group returned to Memphis in 1973 and signed with Willie Mitchell's Hi label, releasing two Darryl Carter-produced singles—"Let the Love Bells Ring" and "Wake Up, Fool"—before Hi dropped them. After a quarter century, co-founder Charlie Moore quit in 1974, clearing the way for Lee Evans to rejoin. In 1975 the Masqueraders joined Isaac Hayes' HBS label, which soon issued their debut album, Everybody Wanna Live On. Love Anonymous followed later that year, yet HBS declared bankruptcy, leaving the group without a contract for the rest of the decade even as they recorded unreleased demos and maintained a heavy touring schedule. Signing with Atlanta's Bang label, they released a self-titled LP in 1980—their last recording to date—though Moore eventually rejoined, and the ensemble continues performing more than four decades after its formation.
Following the 1965 release of "Talk About a Woman" on Houston's Soultown label, the Masqueraders headed to Detroit for a Motown audition. Told their approach too closely resembled the Temptations, the group found itself stranded without funds until they arranged a performance at the Twenty Grand Club. On the way they encountered a studio belonging to La Beat owner Lou Beatty, who issued five Masqueraders singles across 1966 and 1967: "The Family," "I'm Gonna Make It," "Together That's the Only Way," "Be Happy for Me," and "I Got the Power." None charted commercially, prompting a move to Memphis to audition for producer Chips Moman. The ensemble ultimately cut eight singles at American Studios, beginning with 1967's "I Don't Want Nobody to Lead Me On," which Wand licensed and which became a minor regional hit later covered by former NFL star Rosey Grier and the Gentlemen Four.
To sidestep contractual issues, Moman credited the 1968 follow-up "This Heart Is Haunted" to Lee Jones & the Sounds of Soul and placed it on Amy. After "Do You Love Me Baby" drew scant attention, Wand ended its association, but Moman secured a deal with Bell, Amy's parent company. The resulting trio of singles—"I Ain't Got Nobody Else," a minor hit, plus "How Big Is Big" and "Steamroller"—marked the group's artistic peak, showcasing gospel-inflected deep soul enhanced by American Studios' session musicians. During this period the Masqueraders also supplied backing vocals for blue-eyed soul outfit the Box Tops. Their next single under their own name, 1968's "I'm Just an Average Guy" on Moman's AGP label, became their first national success, climbing to number 24 on the R&B charts. "The Grass Is Green" closed the year, and in 1969 vocalist Sammie Hutchins expanded the lineup to six pieces; when Lee Evans missed shows, Hutchins took over lead duties full-time after Evans left permanently.
One last AGP single, "Love, Peace and Understanding," preceded the Masqueraders' return to Dallas, where they launched the Stairway label and issued 1971's "Let Me Show the World I Love You." Lacking national distribution or promotion, neither that record nor its 1972 successor "The Truth Is Free" registered beyond Texas. The group returned to Memphis in 1973 and signed with Willie Mitchell's Hi label, releasing two Darryl Carter-produced singles—"Let the Love Bells Ring" and "Wake Up, Fool"—before Hi dropped them. After a quarter century, co-founder Charlie Moore quit in 1974, clearing the way for Lee Evans to rejoin. In 1975 the Masqueraders joined Isaac Hayes' HBS label, which soon issued their debut album, Everybody Wanna Live On. Love Anonymous followed later that year, yet HBS declared bankruptcy, leaving the group without a contract for the rest of the decade even as they recorded unreleased demos and maintained a heavy touring schedule. Signing with Atlanta's Bang label, they released a self-titled LP in 1980—their last recording to date—though Moore eventually rejoined, and the ensemble continues performing more than four decades after its formation.
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