Biography
The story of The Delta Rhythm Boys begins in 1934 at Langston University in Oklahoma. Second-year student Lee Gaines had been chosen by school president Dr. Isaac Young to form a university quartet. Lee, a sousaphone player who had led his freshman vocal quartet to a first prize in class competition, recruited first tenor Elmaurice Miller, second tenor Traverse Crawford, and baritone Essie Adkins while keeping himself on bass.
The group arranged to go to Dillard University of New Orleans after meeting Dr. Horace Mann Bond (father of politician Julian Bond), who got the boys excited about the new music program he was assembling at Dillard as its new dean. Thereafter, they make a tour in Southern universities, the group was so well received that when they returned to school they were informed that their tuition fees and costs had been absorbed by the college, in effect granting them full scholarships.
In the summer of 1936 the Quartet made their first professional appearance a continent away from home, performing in Buenos Aires and singing weekdays on Argentina Radio Splendid. A three-month stay turned into seven months of radio works, musical theatre, and performances in Peru and Chile. Having already missed half the school year at Langston University , the group decided to take their career further by moving to New York. The quartet presented itself at an audition and won against groups such as Deep River Boys and The Charioteers.
Their reputations grew through their 15-minutes-a-day radio show on CBS and other Broadway shows such as Hellzapoppin' and Mike Todd's The Hot Mikado starring Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. In 1939 the group met Paul Kapp (brother of Decca Records exec Dave Kapp), and their lengthy recording career began with the recording on December 16, 1940, of four songs for that label. The first two songs, "Chilly and Cold"/"Gimmie Some Skin," were released in March 1940. Meanwhile, they kept up a whirlwind of performance activity, which culminated in a film contract with Universal Pictures.
The early '40s saw a new look for the Delta Rhythm Boys: Clinton Holland took over first tenor and was replaced shortly thereafter by Carl Jones; Essie Adkins was replaced by Kelsey Pharr on baritone. The band's composition was now Lee Gaines (bass), Traverse Crawford (second tenor), Clinton Holland (first tenor), Kelsey Pharr (baritone).
In 1941, the pianist Rene DeKnight joined the group. Their multifaceted career continued. In 1942, they began playing Las Vegas (when it only had two hotels). They spent two years singing on the "Amos and Andy" radio show. By the beginning of 1945 they'd already recorded 20 singles (including five with Mildred Bailey and two with Fred Astaire) and appeared in 11 Universal films and shorts including Weekend Pass and Follow the Boys.
In June of 1945 Decca released the first of their sides done with Ella Fitzgerald, "It's Only a Paper Moon"/"Cry You Our of My Heart." "Paper Moon" was a particularly fine shuffle-beat smoothie that had Ell and the boys trading leads. In December of 1945 the Delta Rhythm Boys' 23rd 78 hit the market. "Just A-Sittin and A-Rockin" rose to number 17 on the pop charts their first (and only) chart success.
In March of 1949 the Deltas recorded under the name the Four Sharps for Atlantic. Victor began reissuing several of their 78s on 45 rpm in April 1949, and Decca continued to record and release Rhythm Boys product. Still, they managed to back on Atlantic and even recorded under their own name for that label in late 1949 with another bass-led ballad, "Sweetheart of Mine." Possibly their best Atlantic effort was the jazz-tinged "If You See Tears in My Eyes" of March 1950.
During a 1956 trip to Montreal, the group had an impromptu backstage visit from Albert Tavel of the French agency Tavel and Marouani. He managed to lure the group to Paris for a New Year's Eve show at the Moulin Rouge; it turned into a nine month engagement. The "vedettes Americaines" (American stars) became so popular that they signed to record with the French Barclay Records in 1957 and Vega Records in 1958.
In 1960, after returning from a tour in Japan with the group, Kelsey Pharr fell ill and died a few months later in 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the age of 44. Soon after, Carl Jones left to have more time with his family and was replaced by first tenor Herb Coleman. Hugh Bryant replaced Kelsey Pharr.
In 1960, the pianist Rene DeKnight left the band to pursue other ventures. With the American music scene changing rapidly, the Deltas found their appeal diminishing. Overseas they were royally received, however, so in the early 1960s the group made Paris their home base for years of European performances including, Finlandia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
In June 1974, Herb Coleman was shot in Cannes, France and died in the arms of Lee Gaines. He had 46. Original Delta member Traverse Crawford died in the following year at the age of 59 in Switzerland. Walter Trammel and Ray Beatty replaced them.
By 1979, the lineup was Lee Gaines on bass, Hugh Bryant on baritone, Walter Trammell on first tenor, and Ray Beauty on second tenor. Lee Gaines continued singing with the group until 1986, when he retired for health reasons.
The group had been together more than 50 years when founder Lee Gaines died on July 15th, 1987, in his home of only one year, Helsinki, Finland. But fate was going on with The Delta Rhythm Boys. One week later, Hugh Bryant sang the gospel hymn « He will Understand and Say Well Done » at Lee Gaines' funeral and died of an heart attack at the end of the song.
In over 50 years of singing, the group made more than 35 motion picture appearances, were guests on hundreds of radio and television shows, appeared in five Broadway musicals, recorded over 500 songs and performed in 10 languages on four continents.
