The Flamingos

One of the definitive doo-wop groups, The Flamingos began to take shape in 1950 in Chicago, Illinois when Jake and Zeke Carey met John E. Carter and Paul Wilson when all of them were performing at a Jewish choir. Sollie McElroy came on board before the group made their initial demos in 1952. Signing to Chance records, the group issued a number of singles that became regional hits, most notably “Golden Teardrops.” Nate Nelson replaced McElroy when the band signed to Chess. They had their first national hit in 1956 with “I’ll Be Home”, which climbed to number 5 on the R&B chart. Zeke Carey and Carter left the group, and Tommy Hunt joined the group followed by Terry Johnson. Zeke Carey returned to the group and this formation would record their biggest hit in 1959, the genre-defining doo-wop romantic balled “I Only Have Eyes for You.” That song hit number 3 on the R&B chart and climbed to number 11 on the pop chart. A year later, “Nobody Loves Me Like You,” landed in the top 30 of both charts, their last big hit. They toured regularly as an oldies act, and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.