Air Week: August 12-18, 2024

The Dominoes, Pt. 3 – 1954-57

Billy Ward and his business partner Rose Ann Marks put together The Dominoes in mid-1950 and helped fuel the R&B vocal group scene that would eventually become one of the major building blocks for Rock n’ Roll. Ward, who was born Robert Lloyd Williams, was a child prodigy and made a name for himself in the Black Churches of Philadelphia. After WWII, he attended Julliard in NYC and began a career as a vocal coach, arranger, singer and songwriter. He and Rose Ann Marks wrote songs together and then formed a male vocal group to sing them. Last week in part 2, Ward put together an almost entirely new set of Dominoes as second tenor Charlie White, bass singer Bill Brown and lead tenor Clyde McPhatter all left the group due to Ward’s harsh policies and low wages. Ward was prepared as he had Jackie Wilson waiting in the wings. Wilson sang some stellar leads and returned the group to the charts with “You Can’t Keep A Good Man Down” and the #2 smash cover of “Rags To Riches” in ’53. It was short-lived as the group wouldn’t chart again until 1956 and by then, it was on the Pop Chart only with “St. Therese Of The Roses.” We’ll hear that one this week in part 3 as Matt The Cat looks at the final chapter of the Dominoes’ fantastic run. Billy Ward always wanted a pop group and he finally got his wish in 1956-57. The Dominoes were playing the notable venues of Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe, but in early 1957, Jackie Wilson was fired for getting into a fight with Billy Ward. He was replaced by the Larks former lead, Gene Mumford. It was his powerful singing and the new pop arrangements of “Star Dust and “Deep Purple” that took the Dominoes back to the charts, but their days were numbered. Part 3 will look at Billy Ward and His Dominoes releases for the Federal, King, Jubilee, Decca and Liberty record labels and cover the years 1954 to 1957, highlighting only the important releases from this period. Come along for the ride as we close up our 3 part feature on The Dominoes, this week on “Juke In The Back.”

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