The Persuasions are an American

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

group that began singing together in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York in the mid-1960s. The Persuasions were formed in Brooklyn in 1962, singing a cappella under corner streetlights and in subway corridors. Their style combined gospel, soul, early rock and jazz into melodic five-part harmonies. Since being discovered by

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...

, The Persuasions have recorded 23 albums to date.

Career

The Persuasions appeared on such public affairs television shows as ''Inside Bedford-Stuyvesant'' on

WNEW-TV WNYW (channel 5) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the Fox network. It is owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division alongside Secaucus, New Jersey–licensed MyNetworkTV flagship ...

and '' Like It Is'' on

WABC-TV WABC-TV (channel 7) is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, the station maintains studios in the Lincoln Square neighbor ...

in 1968.

was responsible for The Persuasions' first LP, ''Acappella''. He heard The Persuasions singing over the phone from a New Jersey record shop known as Stan's Square Records. The store's owner, Stan Krause, was the group's manager. Before that time, The Persuasions had recorded several a cappella tracks for Krause's record label, Catamount Records. Zappa appreciated soul and street corner style singing, and after hearing the group, flew them to Los Angeles to record their first album. The Persuasions were the opening act at

The Mothers The Mothers of Invention (also known as The Mothers) was an American rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an R&B band ...

concerts at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

, 1971. Thirty years later, Zappa fan

Rip Rense Rip Rense is an American music and film journalist, author, poet, and music producer, based in Los Angeles, California. He has written for numerous Los Angeles publications since the 1970s, including '' LA Weekly'', the ''Valley News'', the '' Los ...

supervised and encouraged the group in creating a Persuasions tribute CD to Zappa, '' Frankly A Cappella'' on Earthbeat Records. In 1990, The Persuasions performed on the PBS TV special Spike Lee & Company – "Do It A Cappella". The Persuasions later recorded

tribute albums An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

consisting of material by the

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...

(''Might as Well''), and the

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

(''The Persuasions sing the Beatles'') Herbert "Toubo" Rhoad, one of the original members of The Persuasions, died in 1988 while on tour. Raymond Sanders came in as an additional voice. Sweet Joe Russell died in 2012. Bass singer James Caldon Hayes died in May 2017. Jerry Lawson died in July 2019. Jayotis Washington currently resides in Brooklyn New York. In 2007, Jerry Lawson released his first post- Persuasions a cappella CD with his new group, Jerry Lawson and Talk of The Town. In December 2010, Jerry Lawson and Talk of The Town were featured on Series 2 of NBC's ''

The Sing-Off ''The Sing-Off'' was an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It debuted on NBC on December 14, 2009, and was produced by Sony Pictures Television and Outlaw Productions, with Mark Burnett's One Three Media (for a ...

''. Lawson was invited back on season 3 as a featured guest without Talk of the Town. He was accompanied by 16 cast members, performing the

Arthur Conley Arthur Lee Conley (January 4, 1946 – November 17, 2003), also known in later years as Lee Roberts, was an American soul singer, best known for the 1967 hit " Sweet Soul Music". Early life Conley was born in McIntosh County, Georgia, U.S., an ...

hit (written by Sam Cooke) " Sweet Soul Music". In 2015 he released his debut as a solo artist, ''Jerry Lawson Just A Mortal Man,'' on Red Beet Records. It was featured on NPR with host Joel Rose. Groups as varied as

Take 6 Take 6 is an American a cappella gospel music, gospel sextet formed in 1980 on the campus of Oakwood University, Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. The group integrates jazz with spiritual and inspirational lyrics. Take 6 has received seve ...

Rockapella Rockapella is an American a cappella musical group formed in 1986 in New York City. The group's name is an amalgam of "rock" and "a cappella". Rockapella sings original vocal music and a cappella covers of pop and rock songs; and over time, their ...

The Nylons The Nylons are an a cappella group founded in 1978 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, best known for their covers of pop songs such as The Turtles' " Happy Together", Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", and The Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight ...

, and

Boyz II Men Boyz II Men (pronounced ''boys to men''), also known as B2M, is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan M ...

cite The Persuasions as major influences. The Persuasions were among hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

Personnel

Founding members

* Jerry Lawson – tenor, baritone, lead singer, arranger and producer (January 23, 1944,

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

– July 10, 2019,

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

) * Jimmy ‘Bro’ ‘Mr. Bass Man’ Hayes – bass (November 12, 1943,

Hopewell, Virginia Hopewell is an independent city surrounded by Prince George County and the Appomattox River in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 23,033. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Hopewell with Prin ...

– May 18, 2017,

New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...

) ex-elevator operator * Joseph Jesse ‘Sweet Joe’ Russell – second tenor (September 25, 1939,

Henderson, North Carolina Henderson is a city and the county seat of Vance County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 15,060 at the 2020 census. History The city was named in honor of former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Leonard Henderson, w ...

– May 5, 2012,

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

) ex-butcher * 'Little' Jayotis Washington – first tenor, baritone (born May 12, 1941,

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

) ex-plumber * Herbert 'Toubo' Rhoad – baritone (October 1, 1944,

Bamberg, South Carolina Bamberg is a city in and the county seat of Bamberg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,607 at the 2010 census. History Bamberg is named after early resident William Seaborn Bamberg. Members of the Bamberg family contin ...

– December 8, 1988,

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

) ex-shoe salesman

Other members

* Willie C. Daniels – second tenor (I Just Want To Sing With My Friends, More Than Before) * Clifford Dawson – second tenor, first tenor (Knockin' On Bob's Door, Ladies and Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies and The Persuasions) * Lawrence Anthony 'L.A.' Grant – bass (touring member) * Richard Hidlebird – second tenor, baritone (touring member) * Bernard 'B.J.' Jones – baritone (You're All I Want For Christmas, On The Good Ship Lollipop, The Persuasions Live at McCabe's, Frankly A Cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa, Sunday Morning Soul, The Persuasions Sing U2, Knockin' On Bob's Door) *

Jimmy Merchant Jimmy Merchant (born February 10, 1940) is an American singer and musician. He was a member of the doo-wop group The Teenagers. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 as a member of the Teenagers. He retired from The Teenage ...

– bass (touring member) * Reggie Moore – baritone (touring member) * Dave Revels – lead singer, second tenor, arranger and producer (The Persuasions Sing The Beatles, Knockin' On Bob's Door, Ladies and Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies and The Persuasions) * Bev Rohlehr – soprano (No Frills) * Raymond X. Sanders – first tenor (The Persuasions Live at McCabe's, Frankly A Cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa, Might As Well...The Persuasions Sing Grateful Dead, Persuasions of the Dead: Grateful Dead Sessions, A Cappella Dreams, The Persuasions Sing The Beatles, The Persuasions Sing U2, Knockin' On Bob's Door, Ladies and Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies and The Persuasions) * Ron Simmons – bass (touring member) * Gil Torres (touring member) * Samuel White – baritone, second tenor ( Ladies and Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies and The Persuasions)

Influences

In the liner notes to the 2003 album, ''A Cappella Dreams'', the group revealed their musical influences: * Sweet Joe Russell references

The Dixie Hummingbirds The Dixie Hummingbirds are an influential American gospel music group, spanning more than 80 years from the jubilee quartet style of the 1920s, through the "hard gospel" quartet style of gospel's golden age in the 1940s and 1950s, to the eclecti ...

The Mighty Clouds of Joy The Mighty Clouds of Joy are an American traditional gospel music quartet. Joe Ligon Bio: Willie Joe Ligon was born on October 11, 1936, and died on December 11, 2016 (80 years, 2 months). He dedicated his life to Jesus making many hit songs ...

The Soul Stirrers The Soul Stirrers were an American gospel music group, whose career spans over eighty years. The group was a pioneer in the development of the quartet style of gospel, and a major influence on soul, doo wop, and Motown, some of the secular musi ...

, and "all those gospel greats." * Jimmy Hayes speaks of Jimmy Ricks (spelled "Rix" in the notes) and

Melvin Franklin David Melvin English (October 12, 1942 – February 23, 1995) better known by the stage name Melvin Franklin, or his nickname "Blue", was an American bass singer. Franklin was best known for his role as a founding member of Motown singing ...

. * Jayotis Washington focuses his attention on

Louis Jordan Louis Thomas Jordan (July 8, 1908 – February 4, 1975) was an American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and bandleader who was popular from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as " the King of the Jukebox", he earned his high ...

. * Ray Sanders thanks all of

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

for his influences. * Jerry Lawson cites

Roy Hamilton Roy Hamilton (April 16, 1929 – July 20, 1969) was an American singer. By combining semi-classical technique with traditional black gospel feeling, he brought soul to Great American Songbook singing. Hamilton's greatest commercial success ca ...

, Sam Cooke,

Al Hibbler Albert George Hibbler (August 16, 1915 – April 24, 2001) was an American baritone vocalist, who sang with Duke Ellington's orchestra before having several pop hits as a solo artist. Some of Hibbler's singing is classified as rhythm and blue ...

Brook Benton Benjamin Franklin Peay (September 19, 1931 – April 9, 1988), better known as Brook Benton, was an American singer and songwriter who was popular with rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and pop music audiences during the late 1950s and early 1960 ...

, and

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

as his mentors, adding, "Believe it or not, Elvis was a big influence. I thought he was...a fine singer, and I think we do him pretty good."

In popular culture

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

included The Persusasions' cover of

Papa Oom Mow Mow "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" is a novelty nonsensical doo-wop song by the Rivingtons in 1962. It peaked at number 48 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and number 35 on the '' Cashbox'' charts. The band released two similar follow-up songs over the next sever ...

in his film ''

E.T. The Extra Terrestrial ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (or simply ''E.T.'') is a 1982 American science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, d ...

''.

Discography

Albums

* ''Acappella'' (1970 Reprise/Straight) * ''We Came To Play'' (1971 Capitol, CD reissue Collectables) * ''Street Corner Symphony'' (1971 Capitol, CD reissue Collectables) * ''Spread The Word'' (1972 Capitol, CD reissue Collectables) * ''We Still Ain't Got No Band'' (1973 MCA) * ''I Just Want To Sing With My Friends'' (1974; A&M (not yet issued on CD)) * ''More Than Before'' (1974; A&M (not yet issued on CD)) * '' Chirpin''' (1977; Elektra, CD reissue Collectables) * ''Comin' At Ya'' (1979; Rounder/Flying Fish) * ''Good News'' (1982; Rounder) * ''No Frills'' (1985; Rounder) * ''Do It A Cappella'' (1990) * ''Live In The Whispering Gallery'' (1993; Hammer n' Nails) * ''Toúbo's Song'' (1993; Hammer n' Nails) * ''Ships at Sea, Sailors and Shoes'' (with

Ned Sublette Ned Sublette (born 1951 in Lubbock, Texas) is an American composer, musician, record producer, musicologist, historian, and author. Sublette studied Spanish Classical Guitar with Hector Garcia at the University of New Mexico and with Emilio Puj ...

Lawrence Weiner Lawrence Charles Weiner (February 10, 1942December 2, 2021) was an American conceptual artist. He was one of the central figures in the formation of conceptual art in the 1960s. His work often took the form of typographic texts, a form of word a ...

) (1993; Qbadisc/Excellent) * ''Right Around The Corner'' (1994; Rounder/Bullseye Blues) * ''Sincerely'' (1996; Rounder/Bullseye Blues) * ''You're All I Want For Christmas'' (1997; Rounder/Bullseye Blues) * ''Man, Oh Man: The Power of The Persuasions'' (1997; EMI )(1970-72 Capitol masters compilation) * ''On The Good Ship Lollipop'' (1999; Rhino/Kid Rhino/Music for Little People) * '' Frankly A Cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa'' (2000; Rhino/EarthBeat) * ''Might As Well...The Persuasions Sing

'' (2000; Arista/Grateful Dead) * ''Sunday Morning Soul'' (2000; Rounder/Bullseye Blues) * ''

Blue's Big Musical Movie ''Blue's Big Musical Movie'' (also known as ''Blue's Big Musical'', ''Blue's Clues: The Movie'' and ''The Blue's Clues Movie'') is a 2000 American direct-to-video live-action/animated musical film based on the ''Blue's Clues'' television series. ...

'' (2000; Rhino/Kid Rhino) * ''The Persuasions Sing

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

'' (2002; Chesky) * ''A Cappella Dreams'' (2003; Chesky) * ''The Persuasions Sing U2'' (2005; Chesky) * ''Collectables Classics'' (2006; Collectables (Box set containing all 1971, 1972, & 1977 releases) * ''Essential Recordings: A Cappella Soul'' (2008; Rounder (1979-86 Rounder/Flying Fish/Bullseye Blues compilation)) * ''The Persuasions Live at McCabe's'' (2009;Rensart) * ''Knockin' On Bob's Door'' (2010;Zoho) * '' Ladies and Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies and The Persuasions'' (with

Barenaked Ladies Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian rock band formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario. The band developed a following in Canada, with their self-titled 1991 cassette becoming the first independent release to be certified gold in Canada. They reach ...

) (2017; Vanguard)

Non-album singles

* "Party in the Woods" written by Jerry Lawson/"It's Better to Have Loved and Lost" (1968; Minit) * "One Thing on My Mind"/"Darlin'" (1975; A&M)

Guest appearances

*1972 Les McCann - '' Talk to the People'' - "What's Going On" *1973

Ellen McIlwaine Ellen McIlwaine (October 1, 1945 – June 23, 2021) was an American-born singer-songwriter and musician best known for her career as a solo singer, songwriter and slide guitarist. Biography Born in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, McIlwa ...

- ''

We the People The Preamble to the United States Constitution, beginning with the words We the People, is a brief introductory statement of the Constitution's fundamental purposes and guiding principles. Courts have referred to it as reliable evidence o ...

'' - "Farther Along" *1973

Garland Jeffreys Garland Jeffreys (born June 29, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter in rock and roll, reggae, blues, and soul music. Career Jeffreys is from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, of African American and Puerto Rican heritage. He majored in art hist ...

- ''

'' *1974

Phoebe Snow Phoebe Snow (born Phoebe Ann Laub; July 17, 1950 – April 26, 2011) was an American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her hit 1974 and 1975 songs " San Francisco Bay Blues", " Poetry Man", "Harpo's Blues", and her credited ...

- ''

'' - "Let The Good Times Roll" *1974

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

- ''

Fulfillingness' First Finale ''Fulfillingness' First Finale'' is the seventeenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder, released on July 22, 1974 by Tamla, a subsidiary of Motown Records. It is the fourth of five albums from what is considered Wonder's "c ...

'' - "Please Don't Go" *1974

David Essex David Essex (born David Albert Cook; 23 July 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. Since the 1970s, he has attained 19 Top 40 singles in the UK (including two number ones) and 16 Top 40 albums. Internationally, Essex had the most ...

- ''

'' *1976

David Soul David Soul (born David Richard Solberg; August 28, 1943) is an American-British actor and singer. He is known for his role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the television series ''Starsky & Hutch'' from 1975 to 1979; Joshua Bolt on ' ...

- ''

'' - "Bird on a Wire" *1978

Melanie Melanie is a feminine given name derived from the Greek μελανία (melania), "blackness" and that from μέλας (melas), meaning "dark".Ballroom Streets ''Ballroom Streets'' is a 1978 double album released by Melanie. The album is essentially a live album but recorded in the studio with a small audience. It mixed new recordings of old songs with some new songs. When first issued on CD in 1989, i ...

'' - "I Believe" *1978 John Hall - ''John Hall'' - "Messin' Round The Wrong Woman" *1979 Jimmie Dockett - ''Different Moods'' *1980

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

- '' Shadows and Light'' - " Why Do Fools Fall In Love," "Shadows and Light" *1981

The Neville Brothers The Neville Brothers were an American R&B/soul/funk group, formed in 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana. History The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art (1937–2019), Charles (1938–2018), Aaron (b. 1 ...

- '' Fiyo on the Bayou'' - "The Ten Commandments of Love" *1987

Rory Block Aurora "Rory" Block (born November 6, 1949, in Princeton, New Jersey) is an American blues guitarist and singer, a notable exponent of the country blues style. Career Aurora Block was born in Princeton and grew up in Manhattan. Her father, Allan ...

- ''Best Blues and Originals'' - "God's Gift to Women" *1991 Various Artists - ''

Zappa's Universe ''Zappa’s Universe'' is a 1993 Frank Zappa tribute album featuring alumni from many of Zappa's bands. The music was compiled from a series of concerts from four consecutive nights of concerts at The Ritz in New York City, and filmed for a conce ...

'' *1992

- '' Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?'' - "My Home" *2000

Paul Pena Paul Jerrod Pena (January 26, 1950 – October 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist of Cape Verdean descent. His music from the first half of his career touched on Delta blues, jazz, morna, flamenco, folk and rock and r ...

- '' New Train'' - "Gonna Move" *2001

Leon Redbone Leon Redbone (born Dickran Gobalian; August 26, 1949 – May 30, 2019) was a singer-songwriter and musician specializing in jazz, blues, and Tin Pan Alley classics. Recognized by his hat (often a Panama hat), dark sunglasses, and black tie, Re ...

- ''Any Time'' - "In The Shade of the Old Apple Tree" The following various artists recordings contained otherwise unissued Persuasions recordings: * Various Artists: ''Bread & Roses: Festival of Acoustic Music'' (1979; Fantasy) * Various Artists: ''Spike & Co. Do It A Cappella ((soundtrack)'' (1990; Elektra) * Ned Sublette & Lawrence Weiner (with Kim Weston, Junior Mance, et al.): ''Monsters from the Deep'' (1997; Qbadisc/Excellent)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Persuasions African-American musical groups American vocal groups Professional a cappella groups Musical groups from Brooklyn 1962 establishments in New York City Musical groups established in 1962 Frank Zappa Zoho Music artists