Biography
A publicity shot captures the Royal Five as five polished figures whose glossy processed conks fit their heads like an extra layer of skin. The group comprised siblings Billy and Ronnie Stokes along with Reggie and Jerome Marshall plus Ben Durr. They came together at Simon Gratz High in 1963 while living in North Philly’s Broad & Erie neighborhood. Phil Graber’s P & L Records put out their first single, “The Boston Boo-Ga-Loo” backed with “Over The Rainbow,” in 1966, yet it attracted no attention; a follow-up pairing, “Nobody Else” with “Don’t Stop,” remained unreleased for more than three decades before surfacing on Philly Soul, Volume 1 through Philly Soul Records. Three years afterward Arctic Records released “Peace Of Mind” backed with “Ain’t No Big Thing,” but the single fared no better despite the involvement of Jimmy Bishop, the Philadelphia DJ who owned the label. Their final outing, “Say It To My Face” coupled with “Gonna Keep Lovin’ You,” appeared on Tyler Records; the members themselves composed “Gonna Keep Lovin’ You,” and Joao Naboe had taken Jerome Marshall’s place by then. Commercial breakthrough never arrived, leaving the Royal Five’s handful of recordings without national traction even though the act enjoyed steady local support in Philadelphia. The Stokes brothers now work as barbers in North Philly, Reggie Marshall performs alongside his older sibling James, who once recorded with the Informers, also known as the Fabulous Performers, and Ben Durr sings with one of the numerous Platters lineups.
Albums
