The Flamingos

The Flamingos
The Flamingos 1957: L-R: Tommy Hunt, Paul Wilson, Jake Carey, Nate Nelson, Terry Johnson
Background information
Origin	Chicago, Illinois
Genres	Rhythm and blues, doo-wop
Years active	1953-present
Labels	Chance, Parrot,Checker London, Decca, End, Ronze
Members	The Flamingos featuring Terry Johnson Terry "Buzzy" Johnson Starling Newsome Stan Prinston Theresa Trigg - Musical Director Website: http://www.theflamingos.com Past Members Ezikial Carey (deceased) Jacob Carey (deceased) Johnny Carter (deceased) Tommy Hunt Earl Lewis (deceased) Sollie McElroy (deceased) Nate Nelson (deceased) Paul Wilson (deceased)

The Flamingos are a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducteddoo-wop group from the United States, most popular in the mid- to late 1950s and best known for their 1959 cover version of "I Only Have Eyes for You". Billboard magazine wrote: "Universally hailed as one of the finest and most influential vocal groups in pop music history, the Flamingos defined doo wop at its most elegant and sophisticated."

Jacob Carey (Jake) and Ezekial Carey (Zeke), bass and 2nd tenor, respectively, formed the group in Chicago, Illinois, after meeting cousins baritone Paul Wilson and first tenor John E. "Johnny" Carter at a Hebrew Israelite congregation. Earl Lewis (not the Channels lead) soon joined, and after a series of name changes (The Swallows, El Flamingos, The Five Flamingos), wound up being known as the Flamingos. Sollie McElroy soon replaced Lewis (who joined the Five Echoes). The Flamingos' first single (for Chance Records), "If I Can't Have You", was a moderate local success, as was the follow-up "That's My Desire", but it was Johnny Carter's composition of "Golden Teardrops", with its complex vocal harmonies and Carter's soaring falsetto, that cemented their reputation as a top regional act of the day.

The Flamingos left Chance Records sometime after their December 1953 session and signed with DJ Al Benson's Parrot Records. Sollie McElroy was on their first Parrot session, but left the group in December 1954, to be replaced by tenor Nate Nelson (who was on their second Parrot session; he's lead on "I'm Yours", released in January 1955). In early 1955, the Flamingos signed with Chess Records, to record for their Checker Records subsidiary. At Chess/Checker, the Flamingos achieved their first national chart hit with "I'll Be Home", which went to #5 on Billboard's R&B chart.Pat Boone's cover version of the song, complete with incorrect lyrics ("My mind's made up" replacing "My time's about up"), was a hit on the pop charts. The group also had moderate success for the label with other chestnuts like "A Kiss from Your Lips", "The Vow" and "Would I Be Crying". The Flamingos also appeared in the 1956 Alan Freed movie Rock, Rock, Rock. Both Zeke Carey and Carter were drafted that year (Carter was drafted in September).