The Prisonaires › Similar Artists

Joe Hill Louis - 37% match to The Prisonaires

Lester Hill, 23 September 1921, Whitehaven Tennessee, USA, d. 5 August 1957, Memphis, USA. Hill learned blues harmonica from Will Shade as a teenager and was given the name Joe Hill Louis after victory in a boxing match. He performed in Memphis in the late 40s, where he became known as ‘The Be-Bop Boy’, and developed a one-man band act with guitar, foot-drum and ha Read more

Hank Ballard & The Midnighters - 30% match to The Prisonaires

John Kendricks, 18 November 1936, Detroit, Michigan, USA, d. 2 March 2003, Los Angeles, California, USA. His date of birth is disputed, and varies between 1927 and 1936. Ballard’s truck-driving father died when he was seven years old and he was sent to Bessemer, Alabama, to live with relations. The strict religious and gospel upbringing caused him to run away, and by th Read more

The Ravens - 29% match to The Prisonaires

Rosco Gordon - 26% match to The Prisonaires

10 April 1928, Memphis, Tennessee, USA, d. 11 July 2002, Queens, New York City, New York, USA. A self-taught boogie-woogie styled pianist with no acknowledged influences other than a presumed awareness of the work of Amos Milburn and Little Willie Littlefield. Gordon was part of the Beale Streeters group in the late 40s, alongside Johnny Ace, B.B. King and later, Bobby Bland Read more

The Orioles - 26% match to The Prisonaires

This highly influential vocal group was formed in 1948 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Along with the Ravens, the Orioles were considered the pioneers of rhythm and blues vocal harmony. The group members were Sonny Til (Earlington Carl Tilghman, 18 August 1928, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, d. 9 December 1981, USA; lead), Alexander Sharp (b. 1919, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, d. 1970; Read more

The Spaniels - 26% match to The Prisonaires

This vocal ensemble was formed in 1952 in Gary, Indiana, USA. Universally recognized as one of the great R&B vocal harmony groups of the 50s, the Spaniels’ magnificent body of work was not truly reflected in their moderate chart success. The group originally comprised Roosevelt High students James ‘Pookie’ Hudson (Thornton James Hudson, 11 June 1934, Des M Read more

Paul Robeson - 24% match to The Prisonaires

9 April 1898, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, d. 23 January 1976, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Robeson’s father was born into slavery, but he escaped at the age of 15 and eventually studied theology and became a preacher. His mother was a teacher, but she died in 1904. Education was of paramount importance to the Robeson family, one son became a physician, and the daugh Read more

The Five Keys - 22% match to The Prisonaires

This US R&B vocal group helped shape the rhythm and blues revolution of the early 50s. The ensemble was formed as the Sentimental Four in Newport News, Virginia, USA, in 1945, and originally comprised two sets of brothers - Rudy West (25 July 1932, Newport News, Virginia, USA, d. 14 May 1998, USA; first tenor) and Bernie West (b. 4 February 1930, Newport News, Virginia, Read more

Sonny Burgess - 20% match to The Prisonaires

Albert Burgess, 28 May 1931, Newport, Arkansas, USA. As a child Burgess earned the name ‘Sonny’ as a result of his father also being called Albert. Inspired by the Grand Ole Opry show transmitted over WSM’s airwaves, he set about learning to play a catalogue-purchased guitar. He joined his first country band while at high school, eventually moving from the rol Read more

Warren Smith - 20% match to The Prisonaires

Tennessee Ernie Ford - 18% match to The Prisonaires

Carl Mann - 16% match to The Prisonaires

24 August 1942, Huntingdon, Tennessee, USA. Mann was a rockabilly artist who recorded his only two chart singles for the Phillips International label, owned by Sam Phillips, proprietor of the legendary Sun Records. Mann was a singer and pianist whose group, the Kool Kats, was based in Jackson, Tennessee, when they recorded their first tracks for the small Jaxon label, owned Read more

Ray Smith - 16% match to The Prisonaires

Lydia Mendoza - 15% match to The Prisonaires

21 May 1916, Houston, Texas, USA, d. 20 December 2007, San Antonio, Texas, USA. As a child, Mendoza sang and played violin with her parents and a sister, Francisca, in a group named by her father, Francisco, after a popular brand of beer: Cuarteto Carta Blanca. They performed for tips in the streets, at fairs and markets, as well as appearing in theatres. She also performed Read more

The Cadillacs - 15% match to The Prisonaires

This vocal quintet, initially called the Carnations, was formed in 1953 in New York, USA, and comprised Earl Carroll (Gregory Carroll, 2 November 1937, New York City, New York, USA), LaVerne Drake, Bobby Phillips, Johnny Willingham and James ‘Poppa’ Clark, who also sang with the Five Crowns. The Cadillac’s debut single, ‘Gloria’, was released by Josi Read more