The Ontarios

The Ontarios (Washington, DC)


Personnel :

Marcus Wright (Lead)

Ernest Champion (First Tenor)

Clayton Roberts  (Bass)

Maurice Watkins (Baritone)


Discography :

1973 - I Really Had A Ball (1955) / Sorry (by The Clefs) (Baron 104)
1973 - It's Wrong (1955) /  Is This The Real Thing (by The Warblers) (Baron 101)
1973 - Love Me Baby (1955) / Scheming  (by The Warblers) (Baron 106)
1974 - I'm Gonna Move (1955) / I’ll Drink A Toast (1955) (Firefly 323)
1974 - Lovers Mambo (1955) / Memories Of You (1955) (Firefly 324)
1974 - My Heart (1955) / Sunset (by The Serenaders) ( Roadhouse 1022)
1974 - Refrigerator Daddy (acapella)


Biography :

The Ontarios were from Washington D.C. and were organised in 1954. The  group was composed by Marcus Wright, Clayton Roberts, Maurice Watkins and Ernest Champion and in 1955 went to record for the label DC, owned by Lillian Claiborne. Mrs. Lillian Claiborne was an eight-year veteran of the music publishing and recording field. She had already enjoyed a good run of 78 rpm single releases on DC records from 1947-1950. She had placed her most promising artists on other labels (The Cap-Tans to Gotham, Dot, and Coral, TNT Tribble, The Heartbreakers, and the Young Gospel Singers to RCA Victor, and Frank Motley to Gotham and later to Specialty -all with mixed results. Lillian Claiborne seemed to be determined to record anyone and anything that entered her studio. However, the most of what she recorded remained unreleased. The Ontarios were one of those groups that recorded for Lillian Claiborne, but, none of their tunes was ever released until the mid-70s. The Ontarios will separate in 1956, Clayton Roberts and Maurice Watkins joined the Incas.


Songs :
(updated by Hans-Joachim) 

I'm Gonna Move (1955) / I’ll Drink A Toast (1955)

  
Lovers Mambo (1955)                    Memories Of You (1955)

  
     My Heart (1955)                        Refrigerator Daddy (1955)

  
I Really Had A Ball                                 It's Wrong       


Love Me Baby


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