The Sensational Nightingales

Formed during the 1940s, the Sensational Nightingales first came together as one of the earliest gospel quintets. The group joined The Clara Ward Singers plus five other prominent gospel acts for the 1957 Gospel Train tour. Its lineup featured Julius Cheeks on lead, Carl Coates on bass, JoJo Wallace on tenor, Howard Carroll on baritone, and Paul Gwens on tenor. “See How They Done My Lord” stands as the ensemble’s best-known recording. The Nightingales continued to record and tour well into the 1990s. Numerous tracks from the 1950s and 1960s, later collected on MCA reissues, showcase the commanding voice of Rev. Julius Cheeks. Like Archie Brownlee, Cheeks sang with such force that the recordings themselves distort, and his approach was widely adopted by Bobby Bland, Wilson Pickett, and other vocalists. Charles Johnson’s subsequent sessions adopt a smoother, more polished sound yet remain first-rate.