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
Ruby Baby
The Dominoes Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Ruby Baby' by these artists:
Aaron Neville Well I got a girl and a Ruby is her…
Beat Brothers Well now I gotta girl now and Ruby is her…
Ben E. King The Drifters Ruby, Ruby, Ruby baby Ruby, Ruby, Ruby baby Well, I've got …
Billy Ah now said I love a girl and-a Ruby is…
Bjork I've got a girl and Ruby is her name She don't…
Björk I've got a girl and Ruby is her name She…
Björk & Tríó Gu I've got a girl and Ruby is her name She don't…
Bobby Darin Oh, i love a girl and-a ruby is her name This…
Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters (Ruby, Ruby, Ruby baby) (Ruby, Ruby, Ruby baby) Well, I've …
Donald Fagen I got a girl and Ruby is her name She don't…
Drifters Ruby, Ruby, Ruby baby Ruby, Ruby, Ruby baby Well, I've g…
Fagen Donald I got a girl and Ruby is her name She don't…
Gene Vincent Ah, now that I love a girl and Ruby is…
Hawkins Ronnie I've got a gal and Ruby is her name (Ruby,…
John Pizzarelli I got a girl and Ruby is her name She don't…
Leiber Ruby, Ruby, Ruby baby Ruby, Ruby, Ruby baby Well, I've got …
Richard Anthony Ah, J'aimais une fille et Ruby est son nom Ouais, Elle ne…
Ronnie Hawkins Ah, now said I love a girl and-a Ruby is…
Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks I've got a gal and Ruby is her name (Ruby,…
Sheridan & The Beat Brothers Well now I gotta girl now and Ruby is her…
The Beach Boys No, rock and roll, this is how you do rock…
The Beat Brothers Well now I gotta girl now and Ruby is her…
The Beatles No, rock and roll, this is how you do rock…
The Drifters (Ruby, Ruby, Ruby baby) (Ruby, Ruby, Ruby baby) Well, I've …
The Nylons Ruby baby When will you be Will you be mine I got a…
The Savage Young Beatles Featuring Tony Sheridan Well now I gotta girl now and Ruby is her…
Tony Sheridan & the Beatles No, rock and roll, this is how you do rock…
Tony Sheridan And The Beat Brothers Well now I gotta girl now and Ruby is her…
Tony Sheridan and The Beatles No, rock and roll, this is how you do rock…
tony sheridan the beat brothers Well now I gotta girl now and Ruby is her…
Tony Sheridan The Beatles No, rock and roll, this is how you do rock…
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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@thomashybiske5399
A number of years ago on one of my frequent trips between Massachusetts and South Jersey, I stopped at a cemetery in Paramus, NJ and visited the grave of Clyde. It was a very modest surface marker, and I wondered how many people had walked by his grave and never realized the impact this man had on modern music. He was only 39 at the time of his death, and had struggled for years with depression and alcoholism, and was broke and despondent over a mismanaged career that made him a legend but not a success. I placed a pebble on the carved bouquet of flowers on his marker and vowed to return again some day.
@spoonful1018
Love Clyde McPhatter - This version of the Dominoes was the greatest R&B band ever
@jamesbitetto6040
ACTUALLY they weren't a band but an early Rythm and blues group with the some of the very most gifted vocalists of all time. Actually, In my 50 years plus I never heard group with such talented vocalist starting with the Julliard graduate, voice coach, musical arranger and gifted keyboard player BILLY WARD, then of course Jackie Wilson, the incredible CLYDE MCPHATTER and when Jackie left he was replaced by the Fantastic Eugene Mumford however, othe groups without such well known talents has surpassed the Dominos, for example, Platters, Orioles, HARPTONES, Flaimngoes, Solitares, Heartbeats, Five Keys, my late friend George GRANT and his Castels, Swallows, Ravens, Cloves, last but never the least The Larks just for a small example.
@Oliveras1943
My mother and father moved from a mountain in puerto rico when i was three yesrs old. We moved to a fourth floor apartment in harlem nyc. Our upstairs neighbors were black brother hugo and his sister omara. To me they were the kindest and most hospitable persons i ever met in my whole life. God bless them both. One day while i was visiting them i heard a record that sounded great to me. It was “mercy mercy baby” by clyde and billy and the boys. To me that will always be a great memory. I am now in my late seventies. Rene now from jersey.
@scienz
thank you for sharing 🇵🇷 🇵🇷 🇵🇷 ✊
@RaxOldies
Thank, Manny for posting all these great songs !!!
Bless you !!!!!!
@markmontgomery3097
THIS IS WHAT ALAN FREED CALLED ROCK AND ROLL
@lisapsalms9358
Billy Ward my talented father he had great singer love this song my mom used to play it ...❤
@bluenote824jones7
Yes yes yes .a genius . Great man
@lisapsalms9358
@@bluenote824jones7 thank you