The Mad Lads › Similar Artists

Mable John - 100% match to The Mad Lads

3 November 1930, Bastrop, Louisiana, USA. The elder sister of Little Willie John, Mable John was an early signing to Berry Gordy’s Motown Records label. She appeared on the first Motortown Revue in 1959, and recorded four singles for the company. After an interlude working in a small Chicago outlet, Four Brothers, she signed to Stax Records in 1966. Here she specialized Read more

Carla Thomas - 99% match to The Mad Lads

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

William Bell - 85% match to The Mad Lads

William Yarborough, 16 July 1937, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Having recorded in 1957 as part of the Del Rios, Bell emerged on the fledgling Stax Records with ‘You Don’t Miss Your Water’ (1961), a cornerstone in the development of country R&B. Military service sadly undermined his musical career, and on its resumption he found the label bursting with competit Read more

Rufus Thomas - 84% match to The Mad Lads

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

Ruby Johnson - 82% match to The Mad Lads

19 April 1936, Elizabeth City, North Carolina, USA, d. 4 July 1999, Lanham, Maryland, USA. To many soul fans, Johnson was chiefly remembered for her wonderful deep-soul Volt recording, ‘I’ll Run Your Hurt Away’, released in March 1966, but some of her other material from the same era confirmed that she was a high-quality soul singer. Although African-American, Read more

The Mar-Keys - 82% match to The Mad Lads

Formed in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, and originally known as the Royal Spades, the line-up comprised Steve Cropper (Stephen Lee Cropper, 21 October 1941, Dora, Missouri, USA; guitar), Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn (b. 24 November 1941, Memphis, Tennessee, USA; bass), Charles ‘Packy’ Axton (b. 17 February 1941, d. January 1974; tenor saxophone), Don Nix (b. 27 Septembe Read more

Eddie Floyd - 70% match to The Mad Lads

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

Johnnie Taylor - 65% match to The Mad Lads

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

Bobby Marchan - 55% match to The Mad Lads

30 April 1930, Youngstown, Ohio, USA, d. 5 December 1999, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Marchan was a New Orleans entertainer who had moderate success both as a rock ‘n’ roller and soul singer. His long-time career as a female impersonator reflected a time-honoured tradition in black entertainment, originating in medicine shows. He began performing in Ohio as a comi Read more

The Soul Children - 38% match to The Mad Lads

This group was formed as a vehicle for the songwriting talents of Isaac Hayes and David Porter in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Comprising Anita Louis (24 November 1949, Memphis, Tennessee, USA), Shelbra Bennett (b. Memphis, Tennessee, USA), John ‘Blackfoot’ Colbert (b. 20 November 1946, Greenville, Mississippi, USA) and Norman West (b. 30 October 1939, Monroe, Louisian Read more

David Porter - 37% match to The Mad Lads

21 November 1941, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Although better recalled for his partnership with Isaac Hayes, Porter had been an active, if unsuccessful, performer prior to their meeting, recording for several labels including Savoy Records and Hi Records. The singer was also present on several early Stax Records sessions. Porter first encountered his future colleague when he tr Read more

Judy Clay - 32% match to The Mad Lads

Judy Guion, 12 September 1938, St. Paul, North Carolina, USA, d. 19 July 2001, Fayetteville, North Carolina. Guion began singing in church in St. Paul at a very early age, before moving to Fayetteville, North Carolina, to be raised by her grandmother. A move to Brooklyn in the early 50s saw her join a church choir that also sang on Sunday night radio broadcasts. After her gr Read more

The Temprees - 27% match to The Mad Lads

Mel & Tim - 24% match to The Mad Lads

Sam & Dave - 24% match to The Mad Lads

Samuel David Moore (12 October 1935, Miami, Florida, USA) and David Prater (b. 9 May 1937, Ocilla, Georgia, USA, d. 9 April 1988). Sam And Dave first performed together in 1961 at Miami’s King Of Hearts club. Moore originally sang in his father’s Baptist church before joining the Melonaires, while Prater, who had worked with the Sensational Hummingbirds, was also g Read more