The Five Royales (North Carolina)
Richie Unterberger, AllMusic Guide - The Five Royales were a relatively unheralded, but significant, link between early R&B and early soul in their combination of doo wop, jump blues, and gospel styles. Their commercial success was relatively modest -- they had seven Top Ten R&B hits in the 1950s, most recorded in the span of little over a year between late 1952 and late 1953. A few of their singles would prove extremely popular in cover versions by other artists [more]
The 5 Royales broke up in 1965, though various combinations of musicians toured under the group's name into the 1970s. For a time, Pauling continued recording with the pianist and frequent Royales collaborator Royal Abbitt as El Pauling and the Royalton. Pauling's brother, Clarence Paul, a former member of the Royal Sons Quintet, found success as a producer and songwriter at Motown Records in the 1960s - Wikipedia
The 5 Royales stayed with their gospel roots more than almost any rhythm and blues vocal group. But, throughout their twenty year career, it was the the influence of the courts, not the pulpit, that plagued the group. Throughout the rest of the late 1950s and early 1960s, the group continued to record, but spent most of that time touring. They later left the King Record Label, and after a few other recordings, the group called it quits, and disbanded in 1965.
