The Bar-Kays › Similar Artists

Con Funk Shun - 100% match to The Bar-Kays

Formed initially in 1968 as Project Soul by Mike Cooper (guitar, sitar, timbales, percussion, vocals) and Louis McCall (drums, vocals), the group’s rise began when they accepted an offer to back the Soul Children, necessitating a move from California to Memphis. Upon arrival in 1972, Project Soul became Con Funk Shun, having been augmented by group members Karl Fuller (tru Read more

Rufus Thomas - 92% match to The Bar-Kays

26 March 1917, Cayce, Mississippi, USA, d. 15 December 2001, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. A singer, dancer and entertainer, Thomas learned his trade as a member of the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, a vaudeville-inspired touring group. By the late 40s he was performing in several Memphis nightclubs and organizing local talent shows. B.B. King, Bobby Bland and Junior Parker were discover Read more

Ohio Players - 89% match to The Bar-Kays

Formed in Dayton, Ohio, USA, this multi-talented unit originated from four members of the Ohio Untouchables, saxophonists Ralph ‘Pee Wee’ Middlebrooks and Clarence ‘Satch’ Satchell, bass player Marshall Jones and guitarist Leroy ‘Sugarfoot’ Bonner. The Ohio Untouchables forged a reputation as a powerful instrumental group by providing the backing t Read more

Cameo - 86% match to The Bar-Kays

This US soul/funk act, originally called the New York City Players, was formed in 1974 by Larry ‘Mr. B’ Blackmon (New York City, New York, USA; drums, vocals) and vocalists Tomi Jenkins and Nathan Leftenant. Building up a strong following by undergoing rigorous touring schedules, with their backing group at times numbering almost a dozen members, they signed with t Read more

The Gap Band - 75% match to The Bar-Kays

This influential US funk/soul outfit was formed in 1967 by three brothers, Charlie Wilson (Charles Wilson, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA; vocals/keyboards), Ronnie Wilson (trumpet/keyboards) and Robert Wilson (bass/vocals). They took their name from the initials of three streets, Greenwood, Archer and Pine, in their home town of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Initially known as the Greenwood, Arch Read more

Slave - 73% match to The Bar-Kays

Carla Thomas - 70% match to The Bar-Kays

21 December 1942, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The daughter of Rufus Thomas, Carla first performed with the Teen Town Singers. ‘‘Cause I Love You’, a duet with her father, was released on Satellite (later Stax Records) in 1960, but the following year she established herself as a solo act with ‘Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes)’. Leased to Atlantic Records, the Read more

Mandrill - 68% match to The Bar-Kays

The Blackbyrds - 66% match to The Bar-Kays

The original Blackbyrds were formed in 1973 by jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd. A doctor of ethnomusicology, Byrd lectured at Washington, DC’s Howard University and the group, named after Black Byrd, the artist’s million-seller, was drawn from his students. The Blackbyrds’ debut album charted in the soul, jazz and pop listings, while the follow-up, Flying Start, featu Read more

Johnnie Taylor - 65% match to The Bar-Kays

5 May 1938, Crawfordsville, Arkansas, USA, d. 31 May 2000, Dallas, Texas, USA. Having left home at the age of 15, Taylor surfaced as part of several gospel groups, including the Five Echoes and the Highway QCs. In 1956 he joined the Soul Stirrers, replacing Sam Cooke on the latter’s recommendation. Taylor switched to secular music in 1961; releases on Cooke’s Sar a Read more

B.T. Express - 63% match to The Bar-Kays

Originally formed as the King Davis House Rockers in 1972, this Brooklyn-based septet underwent several name changes, including the Madison Street Express and the Brothers Trucking, before finally settling on the above. Bill Risbrook (saxophone/vocals), his brother Louis (bass/organ), Carlos Ward (saxophone/woodwind), Richard Thompson (lead guitar/vocals), Dennis Rowe (congas), Read more

Dazz Band - 63% match to The Bar-Kays

Bobby Harris masterminded the formation of the Dazz Band in the late 70s when he combined two Cleveland funk outfits, Bell Telefunk and the Kinsman Grill house band. The result was an eight-piece line-up, with Harris, Pierre DeMudd and Skip Martin III handling horns and vocals, and Eric Fearman (guitar), Kevin Frederick (keyboards), Kenny Pettus (percussion), Michael Wiley (bas Read more

Eddie Floyd - 63% match to The Bar-Kays

25 June 1935, Montgomery, Alabama, USA. A founder member of the Detroit-based Falcons, Floyd was present on both their major hits, ‘You’re So Fine’ (1959) and ‘I Found A Love’ (1962). He then recorded solo for Lupine in Detroit and Safice in Washington, DC, before moving to Memphis in 1965 to join the Stax Records organization. He first made his mark Read more

The Mad Lads - 63% match to The Bar-Kays

From Memphis, Tennessee, USA, the Mad Lads comprised John Gary Williams, Julius Green, William Brown and Robert Phillips. Although not one of the premier Stax Records acts, this quartet enjoyed seven R&B hits between 1965 and 1969. After changing their name from the Emeralds, their first single, ‘The Sidewalk Surf’, flopped, but the group placed three singles in t Read more

Brick - 60% match to The Bar-Kays