The Jarmels
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Biography
American doo wop rhythm and blues band, The Jarmels, were formed in 1959 in Richmond, Virginia. The group consisted of Nathaniel Ruff, Jesse "Paul" Burnett, Ray Smith, Earl Christian, and Thomas Eldridge. Their breakthrough came in 1960 when they met Ben E. King at a local venue in Richmond. King invited them to New York City, where they auditioned for Laurie Records with "Stand By Me" and were signed as the first African-American group by the label. Renamed from The Cherokees to The Jarmels after a street in Harlem, New York, their debut single "Little Lonely One" was released in early 1961 but saw limited success outside of New York. Their follow-up single, "A Little Bit of Soap", peaked at number 12 on the Billboard chart in June 1961. The song remained their sole hit; subsequent releases, including covers of "Just the Way You Look Tonight" and "Red Sails in the Sunset", failed to chart. The group continued performing throughout the 1960s with several personnel changes, notably including Major Harris who later joined the Delfonics. They disbanded in 1969.
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