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
Pledging My Love
The Dominoes Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Pledging My Love' by these artists:
Aaron Neville Forever my darling Our love will be true Always and forever…
ACE JOHNNY Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Ash Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Bing Crosby My kinda love, your kinda love Keeps me believing, although …
Bobby Vee Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Buchanan & Goodman Goodnight my love, the tired old moon is descending Goodnigh…
Conway Twitty Forever my darling My love will be true Always and forever…
Country Joe McDonald Washington-Rosey Forever, my darling, my love will be tru…
David Allan Coe Forever my darling our love will be true always and…
Delbert McClinton Forever my darlin' my love will be true Always and…
Diana & Marvin Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Diana Ross &Marvin Gaye My mistake was to love you, girl Love you, girl My mistake…
Diana Ross / Marvin Gaye Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Diana Ross; Marvin Gaye Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Diana Ross;Marvin Gaye Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Don & Juan If I gotta speak facts (facts) Even if we're on a…
Elvis Presley Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Emmylou Harris Forever my darling My love will be true Always and…
Erma Franklin Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Fawn Wood I love you my baby I'll always be true forever and forever I…
Freddy Fender Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
George Clinton Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Graham BLVD Your eyes tell me how you want me I can feel…
Jackie And Millie Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Jay & The Americans Forever my darling my love will be true Always and forever…
Jerry Lee Lewis I found him by the railroad track this morning I could…
Jesse Belvin Goodnight, my love Pleasant dreams and sleep tight, my love …
Johnny Ace Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Louis Armstrong Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra The very thought of you makes my heart sing Like an…
Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra Yeah, everybody loves my baby But my baby don't love nobody…
Louis Armstrong with Orchestra Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Marvin Gaye Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Marvin Gaye; Diana Ross Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Nita Rita & Ruby Goodnight my love, the tired old moon is descending Goodnigh…
O.V. Wright 胸に残る何気ない言葉だけが 迷い道を抜ける場所 知っていた あなたに出会った日から 何かが変わり始めて いつしかここに立…
Paul 너에게 고백을 했던 처음 손을 잡았던 그날의 온기가 바래지고 있어 날 보며 웃어주어도 꼭 안아주어도 그날의…
Ronnie Hawkins Forever my darling Our love will be true Always and forever …
Roy Hamilton Forever, my darling, our love will be true Always and forev…
Roy Orbison Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Shep & The Limelites All My Love, I give you All My Love, The skies…
Solomon Burke Just promise me darling Your love in return May this fire in…
sonny burke and his orchestra Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
Taylor Vince Taylor Vince Miscellaneous Pledging My Love Vince Taylor PL…
Teresa Brewer Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
The Blue Rubatos You ask me if there'll come a time When I grow…
The Johnny Otis Orchestra Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
The Shadows When we were fifteen, I remember the car rides, small…
The Squires Be my love, for no one else can end this…
The Starlite Orchestra A few stolen moments is all that we share You've got…
Tom Jones Forever my darling our love will be true Always and forever…
V.A. まぶしくて手をかざした 指のすき間こぼれてく あたたかな光りのなか 君の笑顔見つめてた ずっと描いた 夢がいつしか こん…
various artists For you, my love, I'd do most anything, For you, my…
Vince Taylor Taylor Vince Miscellaneous Pledging My Love Vince Taylor PL…
Vince Taylor & His Playboys I betcha my heart I love you That's what I [Incomprehensibl…
Wanda Jackson Forever my darling my love will be true always and…
Wilson Pickett Do it for love, don't hold you up As for kisses,…
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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