The Robins - Story & Discography

Remembering An R&B Pioneer: Robins' Magical Tenor Lead, Grady Chapman, Dies At 81

trbent@charter.net

Grady Chapman, whose expressive high tenor lead graced a host of rhythm and blues vocal group harmony records by the Robins during the mid-1950s died January 4, 2011 at a Los Angeles, California hospital, according to the singer's daughter, Tania. The 81-year old's death was attributed to congestive heart failure. Born in Greenville, South Carolina on October 1, 1929, Chapman came to the West Coast as a youngster and joined the already established Robins in 1952. Discovered by Johnny Otis, the Robins had begun recording in 1949 and appeared on a handful of labels including Excelsior, Aladdin, Score, Savoy, Regent, Modern, RPM, and Recorded in Hollywood, under their own name, pseudonyms including the Four Bluebirds and the Nic-Nacs, and backing other artists including Little Esther and Mickey Champion. Chapman first recorded with the Robins- Ulysses "Bobby" Nunn, Terrell "Ty" Leonard, and Billy and Roy Richard- in Hollywood for RCA-Victor on January 21, 1953. Over the course of three sessions held between January and September, Chapman fronted the Robins on the haunting ("My Heart's The Biggest Fool" and "How Would You Know"), the humorous, ("Ten Days in Jail"), and the soulful ("Oh Why"). The group even masqueraded under the Drifters name, waxing an obscure single for Crown entitled "The World Is Changing". Chapman also shined on "Double Crossin' Baby", issued on Crown in 1954 as by the Robbins (sic).

Grady was in and out of the Robins for much of 1954, going afoul of the law- by his own admission- and also recording with another group, Grady Chapman and the Suedes ("Don't Blooper") for Money Records. Consequently, the Robins added Texas-born tenor Carl Gardner who initially shared lead vocal chores with Chapman when the act signed with Leiber and Stoller's Spark enterprise early that year. In what was likely their only session together, Gardner led "If Teardrops Were Kisses" and Chapman fronted “I Love Paris” and "Whadaya Want?" In Chapman's absence, the Robins recorded "Riot In Cell Block #9", "Framed", and "Smokey Joe's Café", and by the end of 1955, Leiber and Stoller had sold Spark, joined Atco, and recruited Gardner and Nunn away from the Robins to form the Coasters. Chapman rejoined Leonard, the Richard brothers, and a new member, 19 year-old H. B. Barnum, in the Robins. Signing on with disc jockey Gene Norman's Whippet label, the group recorded a number of impressive R&B and pop-flavored sides in 1956-57 including "Cherry Lips", "Since I First Met You", and "That Old Black Magic", all featuring Grady's emotive lead tenor. Editor's note: Chapman returned to the Robins on December 27, 1954 and worked in and out with the group up to Nunn's and Gardner's departures and was with the group when H.B. Barnum joined.

Around March of 1957, Chapman's initial solo effort ("My Love Will Never Die"/"The Smiling Gondolier", backed by an uncredited female group) was issued on Zephyr and distributed by Norman. With Grady still in the fold, the Robins moved to Imperial's Knight subsidiary label in 1958, waxing "A Quarter To Twelve", but by year's end, Chapman had gone solo full-time, leaving 17 year-old Bobby Sheen to take over the lead vocal chores. A 1958 solo disc on Knight, "Say You Will Be Mine"/"Starlight, Starbright", was followed by two 1959 Imperial 45s, including the splendid "Tell Me That You Care", again with a female group backing. Three additional singles were recorded and issued on Mercury in 1960-61 but, despite some stellar material, Chapman was never able to build a strong solo career. From 1963 to 1966, he toured in the Coasters Mark II with Bobby Nunn, Bobby Sheen, and Billy Richards, Jr. (sic). After the members went their separate ways, Chapman and Nunn joined forces to form their own touring unit. At various times he performed as the leader or a member of Grady Chapman's Coasters, The Bobby Nunn Tribute Coasters Group, the Word Famous Coasters and the Fabulous Coasters. Often, Chapman was joined by ex-Coasters alumni including Leon Hughes, Billy Guy, and Will "Dub" Jones. In 1977, Guy, Chapman, and Evans recorded background vocals for Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas. Old friends Billy Richards, Jr., Jerome Evans, formerly of the Cyclones and the Furys, Randy Jones of the Penguins, and Bobby Sheen, (who was working with Chapman just before his death in 2000), all shared the stage with Grady at various times from the '70s into the 2000s. In 2000, Chapman, Evans, Jones, and Robert Baker toured Germany as the Fabulous Coasters. When demand arose, he was also willing to resurrect the Robins, and did so on numerous occasions - sometimes with 1950s members Leonard, the Richard brothers, and H. B. Barnum, frequently with Randy Jones, Bobby Johnson and Billy Foster, and, most recently, with Bobby Baker and J. D. Hall.

In the fall of 1993, while he was recovering from throat cancer treatment, Coasters founder and lead singer Carl Gardner asked his old friend to take his place in the group until he was well enough to return to the stage, which Chapman did with pleasure. "We were very saddened to learn of the passing of Grady Chapman," 82 year-old Carl Gardner and his wife, Veta, said in a joint statement from their Florida residence. "We worked together in both the Robins and the Coasters and remained friends over these many years. We send our deepest sympathies to his family. Grady, we will miss you."

- Todd Baptista