The Manhattans
Formed in 1962 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA, about 10 miles south of New York City's borough of Manhattan, the Manhattans were a soul group whose greatest success came during the '70s. The original members were lead vocalist George Smith, bass singer Winfred Blue Lovett (b. 16 November 1943), tenor Edward Bivins (b. 15 January 1942), tenor Kenneth Kelley (b. 9 January 1943) and baritone Richard Taylor. Specializing in smooth ballads, the group recorded first for the Newark, New Jersey-based Carnival label, on which they placed eight singles on the US R&B charts, beginning with 1965's I Wanna Be (Your Everything). In 1969, they changed to Deluxe Records, on which they recorded their first Top 10 R&B hit, One Life To Live, in 1972. In 1971, Smith died, and was replaced by Gerald Alston (b. 8 November 1942). The group left Deluxe for Columbia in 1973, where their now-sweetened soul style resulted in a string of Top 10 R&B hits, including the 1976 number 1 Kiss And Say Goodbye, which also made number 1 on the pop charts, and 1980's Shining Star (number 4 R&B/number 5 pop). After 1983's number 4 Crazy, the group's chart popularity waned, although they continued to release recordings for Columbia. Taylor left the group in 1977 and was not replaced; he died in 1988.