The Manhattans

The Manhattans
The Manhattans in 1972
Background information
Origin	Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Genres	Rhythm and blues, soul
Years active	1962–present
Labels	Carnival Records, Columbia Records, King Records

The Manhattans are an American popular R&B vocal group. Their work includes million-selling songs "Kiss and Say Goodbye" recorded in 1976 and 1980's "Shining Star". The Manhattans have recorded twelve top 10 R&B hits in the United States charting on the Billboard chart for the first time in 1965. Their 1983 song "Forever By Your Side" remains especially popular in Brazil thirty years after its release.

The Manhattans, originally from Jersey City, formed in 1962 with members George "Smitty" Smith (born December 18, 1939, Florida; died December 16, 1970), Edward "Sonny" Bivins (born Edward Jessie Bivins, Jr., January 15, 1936, Macon, Georgia; died December 3, 2014, Basking Ridge Bernards Township, New Jersey), Winfred "Blue" Lovett (born Winfred Lorenzo Lovett, November 16, 1936, Jersey City; died December 9, 2014, Arizona), Kenny "Wally" Kelley (born Kenneth Bernard Kelly, January 9, 1941, Jersey City; died February 17, 2015), and Richard "Ricky" Taylor (born in 1940; died December 7, 1987). Bivins, Lovett, and Kelley were graduating from Lincoln High School, while Taylor and Smith were graduating from Snyder High School. All five enlisted in the armed forces and came together as a group following their discharges from their respective branches.

The group's first single was "For the Very First Time," released in 1964 by Carnival Records. They continued recording successfully with songs written by various members of the group. In 1968, the group received the "Most Promising Group" award by NATRA. In 1969, the group moved to the De Luxe record label, a subsidiary of King Records, subsequently embarking on a college tour. While playing at Kittrell College in North Carolina, the group met another group, the New Imperials, featuring Gerald Alston, nephew of The Shirelles' lead singer, Shirley Alston-Reeves. They were so impressed with Alston that they asked him to join the group, but he declined.