Earl Lewis and the Channels will bring their five-part harmony to Lou Booth Amphitheater, Second and Ocean aves. Aug. 27 at 8 p.m.
The Channels—pioneers of Doo-Wop and R & B—started out in 1955 in New York City, when Larry Hampden, Billy Morris, and Edward Doulphin added Earl Michael Lewis and Clifton Wright of the Lotharios to their group.
In their first year, they won two amateur talent shows and recorded their signature song, “The Closer You Are,” composed by Lewis when he was 15-years old. Next came “The Gleam in your Eye,” written when Lewis was only 10-years old.
Several record labels, some departures and returns, and many successful records later, Lewis started Channel Records in 1971 and recorded favorites like “Gloria,” “We Belong Together,” and “A Thousand Miles Away.”
By the mid-1970s, the Channels were: Lewis and four members of Dino and the Heartspinners: Joe Odom, Cecil Wiley, Butch Phillips, and Bernard Jones.
The current Channel lineup is Earl Lewis (lead vocals), Jack Brown (baritone/bass vocals), Salahuddin Aziz (first tenor vocals), Joe Rivera III (second tenor/first tenor vocals).
The year 2006 marked 50 years for Earl Lewis and The Channels, who continue to entertain audiences across the country.
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