The Sunbeams

In 1950 the R&B vocal group the Sunbeams assembled on Long Island, New York, providing an early platform for a young Joe Tex. Their original members, identified in Marv Goldberg’s April 1997 Discoveries profile, were tenor lead Bobby Lee Hollis, first tenor Bobby Coleman, second tenor James Davis, baritone lead John Cumbo, and bass William Edwards. Departing from most groups of the era, they devoted nearly two years to rehearsal before venturing onto the New York City and Long Island club circuit in 1952. Around 1953 Joe Tex joined the lineup, only to depart shortly afterward in pursuit of a solo path. The Sunbeams secured a contract with Herald in early 1955 and cut four originals by Cumbo that featured Hollis out front. Their lone single, “Tell Me Why,” reached stores that spring, yet Herald’s attention remained fixed on concurrent successes by the Nutmegs (“Story Untold”), the Turbans (“When You Dance”), and Al Savage (“Paradise Princess”), leaving the Sunbeams overlooked. Hollis exited in 1956; Henry Williamson stepped in as lead tenor, and the group fulfilled the balance of its Herald obligation before moving to Acme in mid-1957. A few months later they issued “Please Say You’ll Be Mine,” which attracted scant notice. The Sunbeams disbanded in 1958, after which Coleman launched a solo career and Williamson enlisted with one of the numerous Ink Spots aggregations then touring.