The Jewels (initially The Impalas, later The Four Jewels) were an American

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of wh ...

from

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

, United States.

Overview

The group began singing as The Impalas in 1961; its members had attended Roosevelt High School and sang in Trinity AME Zion Church. Early on the group began performing in

Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inclu ...

's basement, and Diddley recorded their debut single "I Need You So Much", which was released on

Checker Records Checker Records is an inactive record label that was started in 1952 as a subsidiary of Chess Records in Chicago, Illinois. The label was founded by the Chess brothers, Leonard and Phil, who ran the label until they sold it to General Recorded ...

. The record never caught on, and in 1962 producer Bob Lee changed the group's name to The Four Jewels. The single "Loaded with Goodies" next appeared on Start Records, a local D.C. label, followed by Chess single "That's What They Put Erasers on Pencils For". They also sang backup vocals for member Grace Ruffin's cousin, Billy Stewart. Carrie Mingo left the group around 1963 and was replaced by

Martha Harvin Martha High (born Martha Harvin in 1945, Victoria, Virginia) is an American female vocalist. Harvin grew up in Washington, D.C., attending Roosevelt High School and singing in Trinity AME Zion Church. She began singing in The Four Jewels (whose ...

; at this time the group became simply The Jewels. The group went on to record for Dynamite Records, Federal, Tec Records, and

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ti ...

over the next few years. In 1964 the group signed to Dimension Records and released the single "Opportunity". Late in 1964 the tune peaked at #64 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 but climbed all the way to #2 on

KRLA 1110 KRDC (1110 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Pasadena, California, serving Greater Los Angeles as a full-time simulcast of ESPN Radio affiliate KSPN. The station is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company and is the onl ...

. This was followed by the single "But I Do" b/w "Smokey Joe", which missed the national charts and marked the end of their association with Dimension. Beginning in 1965, the group toured across the U.S. as backing vocalists with

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

. They intended to record at

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''mot ...

when the tour stopped in

Detroit 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 ...

, but the studios were closed the day they were in town. Brown produced two more singles for the group, but they did not sell, and the group disbanded in 1968. Martha Harvin changed her

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

Martha High Martha High (born Martha Harvin in 1945, Victoria, Virginia) is an American female vocalist. Harvin grew up in Washington, D.C., attending Roosevelt High School and singing in Trinity AME Zion Church. She began singing in The Four Jewels (whose ...

and went on to tour with Brown for some thirty years, in addition to releasing a solo

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pi ...

album in 1979. The original four members reunited in 1985 and released an album of their singles re-recorded, entitled ''Loaded with Goodies''. On August 3, 2017, Sandra Bears came onstage for a cameo during a set by the Hall Monitors at Hill Country in Washington, D.C., singing "A Fool in Love" and "Opportunity." Clarke (born Marjorie Elizabeth Clarke on February 23, 1945) died on September 21, 2019, at age 74.

Discography

Albums

* ''Loaded with Goodies'' (BJM Records, 1985) (credited as the Four Jewels)

Singles

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jewels, The Musical groups from Washington, D.C. American girl groups King Records artists Musical groups established in 1961 1961 establishments in Washington, D.C.