Billy Ward and His Dominoes were one of the top American R&B groups of the … Read Full Bio ↴Billy Ward and His Dominoes were one of the top American R&B groups of the 1950s, and launched the careers of both Clyde McPhatter and Jackie Wilson.
Billy Ward (born Robert L. Williams, 19 September 1921, Savannah, Georgia—died 16 February 2002, Inglewood, California) grew up in Philadelphia, the second of three sons of Charles Williams and Cora Bates Williams, and was a child musical prodigy, winning an award for a piano composition at the age of 14. Following military service he studied music in Chicago, and at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. While working as a vocal coach and part-time arranger on Broadway, he met talent agent Rose Marks, who became his business and songwriting partner.
The pair set out to form a vocal group from the ranks of his students. The group was at first called the Ques, and comprised Clyde McPhatter (lead tenor), Charlie White (tenor), Joe Lamont (baritone), and Bill Brown (bass). Ward acted as their pianist and arranger. After the group made successful appearances on talent shows in the Apollo Theater and on the Arthur Godfrey show in 1950, Rene Hall recommended them to Ralph Bass of Federal Records, a subsidiary of King, where they were signed to a recording contract and renamed themselves the Dominoes. Their first single release, "Do Something For Me", with McPhatter’s lead vocal, reached the R&B charts in early 1951, climbing to #6.
After a less successful follow-up, the group released "Sixty Minute Man", on which Brown sang lead, and boasted of being able to satisfy his girls with fifteen minutes each of "kissin'" "teasin'" and "squeezin'", before "blowin'" his "top". It reached #1 on the R&B chart in May 1951 and stayed there for a 14 weeks. It was an important record in several respects—it crossed the boundaries between gospel singing and blues, its lyrics pushed the limits of what was deemed acceptable, and it appealed to many white as well as black listeners, peaking at #17 on the pop charts. In later years, it became a contender for the title of "the first rock and roll record".
The group toured widely, building up a reputation as one of the top R&B acts of the era, and an audience which crossed racial divides. However, Ward's strict disciplinarian approach, and failure to recompense the singers, caused internal problems. The name "The Dominoes" was owned by Ward and Marks, who had the power to hire and fire, and to pay the singers a salary. Clyde McPhatter was being paid barely enough to live on, and often found himself billed as "Clyde Ward" to fool fans into thinking he was Billy Ward's brother. White and Brown both left in 1951 to form The Checkers, and were replaced by James Van Loan and David McNeil (previously of The Larks).
In March 1952, the Dominoes were chosen to be the only vocal group at Alan Freed's "Moondog Coronation Ball". The hits continued, with "Have Mercy Baby" topping the R&B charts for 10 weeks in 1952. However, in early 1953, McPhatter also decided to leave, and soon formed a new group, The Drifters. His replacement in the Dominoes was Jackie Wilson, who had sung with the group on tour. Lamont and McNeil also left and were replaced by Milton Merle and Cliff Givens. With Wilson singing lead, singles such as "You Can't Keep A Good Man Down" continued to be successful.
In 1954, Ward moved the group to the Jubilee label and then to Decca, where they enjoyed a #27 pop hit with "St. Teresa of the Roses". However, the group were unable to follow that success in the charts, and there were a succession of personnel changes. They increasingly moved away from their R&B roots with appearances in Las Vegas and elsewhere. In late 1956, Wilson left for a solo career and was replaced by Gene Mumford of The Larks. The group then got a new contract with Liberty Records, and had a #13 pop hit with "Stardust". This proved to be their last major success, although various line-ups of the group continued recording and performing into the 1960s.
They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2006.
Former members
Billy Ward
Clyde McPhatter
Charlie White
Joe Lamont
Bill Brown
James Van Loan
David McNeil
Jackie Wilson
Milton Merle
Cliff Givens
Billy Ward (born Robert L. Williams, 19 September 1921, Savannah, Georgia—died 16 February 2002, Inglewood, California) grew up in Philadelphia, the second of three sons of Charles Williams and Cora Bates Williams, and was a child musical prodigy, winning an award for a piano composition at the age of 14. Following military service he studied music in Chicago, and at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. While working as a vocal coach and part-time arranger on Broadway, he met talent agent Rose Marks, who became his business and songwriting partner.
The pair set out to form a vocal group from the ranks of his students. The group was at first called the Ques, and comprised Clyde McPhatter (lead tenor), Charlie White (tenor), Joe Lamont (baritone), and Bill Brown (bass). Ward acted as their pianist and arranger. After the group made successful appearances on talent shows in the Apollo Theater and on the Arthur Godfrey show in 1950, Rene Hall recommended them to Ralph Bass of Federal Records, a subsidiary of King, where they were signed to a recording contract and renamed themselves the Dominoes. Their first single release, "Do Something For Me", with McPhatter’s lead vocal, reached the R&B charts in early 1951, climbing to #6.
After a less successful follow-up, the group released "Sixty Minute Man", on which Brown sang lead, and boasted of being able to satisfy his girls with fifteen minutes each of "kissin'" "teasin'" and "squeezin'", before "blowin'" his "top". It reached #1 on the R&B chart in May 1951 and stayed there for a 14 weeks. It was an important record in several respects—it crossed the boundaries between gospel singing and blues, its lyrics pushed the limits of what was deemed acceptable, and it appealed to many white as well as black listeners, peaking at #17 on the pop charts. In later years, it became a contender for the title of "the first rock and roll record".
The group toured widely, building up a reputation as one of the top R&B acts of the era, and an audience which crossed racial divides. However, Ward's strict disciplinarian approach, and failure to recompense the singers, caused internal problems. The name "The Dominoes" was owned by Ward and Marks, who had the power to hire and fire, and to pay the singers a salary. Clyde McPhatter was being paid barely enough to live on, and often found himself billed as "Clyde Ward" to fool fans into thinking he was Billy Ward's brother. White and Brown both left in 1951 to form The Checkers, and were replaced by James Van Loan and David McNeil (previously of The Larks).
In March 1952, the Dominoes were chosen to be the only vocal group at Alan Freed's "Moondog Coronation Ball". The hits continued, with "Have Mercy Baby" topping the R&B charts for 10 weeks in 1952. However, in early 1953, McPhatter also decided to leave, and soon formed a new group, The Drifters. His replacement in the Dominoes was Jackie Wilson, who had sung with the group on tour. Lamont and McNeil also left and were replaced by Milton Merle and Cliff Givens. With Wilson singing lead, singles such as "You Can't Keep A Good Man Down" continued to be successful.
In 1954, Ward moved the group to the Jubilee label and then to Decca, where they enjoyed a #27 pop hit with "St. Teresa of the Roses". However, the group were unable to follow that success in the charts, and there were a succession of personnel changes. They increasingly moved away from their R&B roots with appearances in Las Vegas and elsewhere. In late 1956, Wilson left for a solo career and was replaced by Gene Mumford of The Larks. The group then got a new contract with Liberty Records, and had a #13 pop hit with "Stardust". This proved to be their last major success, although various line-ups of the group continued recording and performing into the 1960s.
They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2006.
Former members
Billy Ward
Clyde McPhatter
Charlie White
Joe Lamont
Bill Brown
James Van Loan
David McNeil
Jackie Wilson
Milton Merle
Cliff Givens
Down in Mexico
The Dominoes Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Down in Mexico' by these artists:
10. The Coasters Down in the Mexicali There's a crazy little place that I…
B.O. diverses Down in the willow garden Where me and my true love…
Billy May Way down yonder in New Orleans In the land of the…
Bobby Bare I'm down in Mexico had to go won't be home…
Brinsley Schwarz Down in Mexicali There's a crazy little place that I…
Coasters Down in the Mexicali There's a crazy little place that I…
Deo & Z-Man Oh well I guess we godda Oh well I guess we…
Dionne Gipson Down in Mexicali There's a crazy little place that I know Wh…
Greek Fire Down in the Mexicali There's a crazy little place that I…
Jerrod Niemann It was 3 a.m. Got a call from my friends in…
Joe Turner In the evening, in the evening Baby, when the sun goes…
Kenny & The Kasuals Starin' out into the wild blue yonder So many thoughts to…
Kevin Parent A famous wolf facing winter Your on the dark side of…
Leiber & Stoller Down in Mexicali There's a crazy little place that I know Wh…
Loops & Loops I didn't know where to go, oh yeah. I went down…
Manfred Mann There's a little spot in Mexico Too small to be a…
Niemann Jerrod It was 3 a.m. Got a call from my friends in…
p.j. proby I miss you dearly Wish you were near me But now I…
Parent Kevin A famous wolf facing winter Your on the dark side of…
Scout. Right down in Mexico, with a can of coke With the…
The Coaster Down in the Mexicali There's a crazy little place that I…
The Robins Down in Mexicali There's a crazy little place that I know …
Tony Christie I travel through the hills of Arizona Across the border into…
V.A. When Tom arrived in Mexico The sun was high, the gas…
[The Coasters ] Down in Mexicali There's a crazy little place that I know …
We have lyrics for these tracks by The Dominoes:
60 Minute Man Sixty-minute man, sixty-minute man Look a here girls I'm t…
Above Jacob's Ladder Three coins in the fountain, Each one seeking happiness. T…
Carry Go Bring Come This carry go bring come, my dear, brings misery This carry…
Christmas In Heaven It's Christmas in Heaven And it's Heaven here with you And d…
Deep Purple Woo, Wo-o-oo-wo-wo, Wo-o-oo-wo-wo, Wo-o-oo-wo-wo When the…
Give Me You Give me the sun give me the moon give me the stars with…
Have Mercy Baby Somewhere on the hill? Chasing some poor criminal And I gues…
I Am with You I need your love so badly, I love you, oh,…
Little Lie I'd wait for you I'd slave for you I'd be a beggar…
Little Things Mean A Lot Blow me a kiss from across the room Say I look…
Love Love Love There is no greater love Than what I feel for you No…
One Moment With You I need your love so badly, I love you, oh,…
Over the Rainbow Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high There's a land that…
Rags To Riches I know I'd go from rags to riches If you would…
September Song Oh, it's a long, long while from May to December But…
Sixty Minute Man Sixty-minute man, sixty-minute man Look a here girls I'm te…
Solitude In my solitude You haunt me With dreadful ease Of days gone …
St. Louis Blues I hate to see that evening sun go down, I…
Star Dust And now the purple dusk of twilight time Steals across the…
Tenderly The evening breeze caressed the trees tenderly The trembling…
These Foolish Things Oh! Will you never let me be? Oh! Will you never…
Three Coins In The Fountain Three coins in the fountain, Each one seeking happiness. Thr…
Until The Real Thing Comes Along I'd wait for you I'd slave for you I'd be a beggar…
When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano When the swallows come back to Capistrano That's the day you…
You Can't Keep A Good Man Down You Can't Keep A Good Man Down Luther King was a…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Goomba nr34
I love how this channel just gets straight to the point. its perfect for discovering new games, and when I dont know what to do.
iPhone X
The tiles are sometimes refered to as "bones". That's where the name "boneyard" came from
Zane
👏
Trippy Main
They were made out of Ivory elephant tusks basically bones but as it became illegal to hunt elephants became illegal to own ivory Domino’s But the lingo never changed
J M
Pips
Corrin Sorensen
Bones we called them
Caleb Busskohl
Some of the world's oldest dominoes were actually carved from animal bones. Ox in particular was a common one.
Michael Morrissey
Oh, this is so SIMPLE and EASY to learn! What a GREAT tutorial. This is such a FANTASTIC lesson!!!
PiKevin
I had gotten a simple insert like that with a set of dominoes. Thanks for teaching me how to use it!
alden coley
Thank you SO MUCH!!
I love your explaining because it is straight to the point, yet also detailed.
After surfing the web for a bit, I came across this and I do believe it is the only helpful advice I’ve seen