The Royal Robins (1)

1961 - Top L to R: George, Ellery & Halsey Payton - Bottom L to R: Charles Hudgins, Gene Evans, George Britt 

The Royal Robins (1) (Tidewater, VA)

Personnel :

George Payton (Lead)

Halsey (Jose) Payton (Baritone / Lead)

Ellery Payton (Lead / First Tenor)

George Britt (Second Tenor / Lead))

John (Pete) Wiggins (Bass)

Eugene Evans (Guitar)

Discography :

The Royal Robins (1)
1963 - Turn Me Loose / The Country Fool (ABC Paramount 10504)
1964 - How High The Moon / Something You've Got, Baby (ABC Paramount 10542)
1966 - Something About You Sends Me / Roller Coaster (Tru-Glo-Town 506)

The Soul City
1966 - Everybody Dance Now / Who Knows (Goodtime 801)
1967 - Cold Hearted Blues / Who Do You Think You Are (Goodtime 802)
1967 -  I Will Take Care Of You / I Shot For The Moon (Mercury 72735)

Biography :

From Doo Wop to Soul.  The Royal Robins became an official group in 1955. Original members were George Payton, Halsey (Jose) Payton, Ellery Payton, Barry Fonville, Charles Hudgins  and Eugene Evans. In 1957 they won the Booker T. Washington High School Talent Show in Norfolk, VA. Before their first recordings in 1963, there will be some personnel changes, in 1959, George Britt replaced Barry Fonville. In 1960 Charles Hudgins left the group and in 1962 Jose was drafted in the Army and John (Pete) Wiggins replaced him. After several years of practices they obtain a recording contract with ABC Paramount where they recorded two singles in 1963 & 1964. A third single will be released in 1966 on the Tru-Glo-Town label from Englewood, NJ.

From 1957 to 1967, the Royal robins shared the stage with The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Flamingos, Mr. Jerry Butler, Little Anthony and The Imperials, Gladys Knight and The Pips, Martha and The Vandellas, Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions, Fats Domino, Dionne Warwick, The Showmen, Gary U.S. Bond…. They Worked with Musical Arrangers such as Bert Keyes, Hal David, Count Basey or Burt Bacharach.

1964 picture of George Payton , Ellery Payton, Halsey (Jose) Payton, and George Britt

The group appeared in the Mike Douglas Show in Ohio, The Apollo Theater in Harlem, The Chitterlin Circuit, The Norfolk Arena, The Seaview Beach in Va. Beach, Sunset Lake Park, The Fox Theater in NY, The Howard Theater in D.C., The Twenty Grand in Detroit, Eureka Lodge in Norfolk, The Petite Ballroom in Portsmouth, Palms Garden Night Club in Hampton, Fort Story NCO Club, Fort Belvoir NCO Club, Norfolk State Auditorium, The Virginia Beach Dome. In 1965 the Royal Robins changed their name as Soul City , the group continues a few years and recorded three singles. The Viet Nam War interrupted and eventually ended the group's continued success because Jose and Ellery were drafted.

Songs :

The Royal Robins (1)

  
Turn Me Loose                         How High The Moon

  
Something You've Got, Baby       Something About You Sends Me

  
Roller Coaster                             The Country Fool

The Soul City

     
Everybody Dance Now               Who Knows                          Cold Hearted Blues

     
Who Do You Think You Are      I Will Take Care Of You              I Shot For The Moon

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