Orioles

The Orioles (sometimes known as Sonny Til And The Orioles) were an American R&B group of the late 1940s and early 1950s, one of the earliest such vocal groups who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound. The band are generally acknowledged as R&B's first vocal group. Baltimore natives, they blended rhythm with group harmonies. Dubbing themselves after Maryland’s state bird, the Orioles started the trend of bird groups (The Cardinals, The Crows, The Flamingos, The Larks, The Penguins, The Ravens, The Wrens, etc.). They brought their winning formula to their first charted hit "It’s Too Soon To Know"; a US #1 record in November 1948, soon followed by the group’s second hit, "(It's Gonna Be a) Lonely Christmas", in December that same year.
The original members of the group were:
*Sonny Til (born Earlington Carl Tilghman, 18 August 1928, Baltimore, Maryland — died 9 December 1981, Washington, D.C.) (lead tenor)
*Alexander Sharp (born 6 December 1919, Baltimore — died January 1970) (high tenor)
*George Nelson (born 1925, Baltimore — died 1959) (baritone)
*Johnny Reed (16 August 1923, Baltimore — 18 June 2005) (bass vocals and double bass)
*Tommy Gaither (born c.1919, Baltimore — died 5 November 1950, Baltimore) (guitar)
==Links to Peel==
Peel played some of their songs on his shows and added their, Crying In The Chapel, track as one of his tunes for his Peelenium 1953.
==Shows Played==
;thumb|223x223px1973
*07 June 1973: Crying In The Chapel 
;1980
*16 December 1980: Lonely Christmas (7" - What Are You Doing New Year's Eve / Lonely Christmas) President (Peel mistakenly calls them the Orchids)
;1983
*15 February 1983: Crying In The Chapel
;1991
*16 February 1991: It's Too Soon To Know
;1992
*29 February 1992: Crying In The Chapel (7 inch) Jubilee
;1999
*01 June 1999: ‘It's Too Soon To Know (7")' Jubilee Records
*01 July 1999 (Radio Eins): Crying In The Chapel
*23 September 1999: Crying In The Chapel (Peelenium 1953)
;2002
*26 December 2002 (Radio Mafia): '(It's Gonna Be) A Lonely Christmas' (Jubilee)
;2004
*08 September 2004: Crying In The Chapel (Various Artists LP - The Golden Age Of American Rock 'n' Roll: Special Doo Wop Edition) Ace
==External Links==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
Category:Artists