We struggled until "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get"hit the airwaves. The Dramatics, founded by Ron Banks, Willie Ford and Larry Reed, originally formed in 1964, recording as the Dynamics in 1965. Over the years the Dramatics had numerous personnel changes. All of the current members came to the awards as well as the mother of deceased member Lenny Mayes. Vocalist who came to prominence as a member of American soul group, The Dramatics. It went to the Hot 100s Top 10 hit and sold over a million copies, earning a gold status. Prior to joining The Dramatics, Ford sang with the Capitols. LOS ANGELES (Billboard) Singer Ron Banks, a founding member of R&B group the Dramatics, died Thursday (March 4) at his Detroit home of a reported heart attack. Eventually Reynolds used to pinch-hit for Howard during his absences. During The Dramatics(formerlyThe Dynamics) are an American soul music vocal group, formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1964. (aged 45) In Groups: The Dramatics. They The following year the Dramatics released "In the Rain," which was also penned by Hester. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Around that time Willie Ford and William Wee Gee Howard also joined the Dramatics. Reynolds left to go solo in 1981 and Larry Demps decided to go into teaching and spend more time with his family, after having joined the group's original line-up in 1964 with Banks. Reynolds, Willie Ford, Winzell Many of the former members had passed away: Wilkins in 1992, Howard in 2000, Mayes in 2004, James Mack Brown (who performed with the group for sometime as a keyboardist) in 2008, and Banks in 2010. By the end of 1971, Davis summoned the group to the studio to record producer/songwriter Tony Hester's "Watcha See Is Watcha Get." Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Many of the Dramatics' songs initially were written and produced by Tony Hester, including all the tracks on the first two Volt albums. The Dramatics (Cadet Records 1974), The Oops, we were unable to send the email. They were replaced by Larry James "L.J." (aged 45) In Groups: The Dramatics. Regardless of his circumstances,his compassion and desire to help those less fortunate, and to bring the gift of song and music to everyone,knew no bounds and carried no price tag. maintaining chart activity for fifteen weeks. the group released the song 'Hey You! Resend Activation Email. He then left the group again. U.S. Ron [7] Many of the Dramatics' songs initially were written and produced by Tony Hester, including all the tracks on the first two Volt albums. passed away at the Sinai Hospital in Detroit. BIRTH: 1 May 1947 Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, USA. He is an actor, known for Up the Creek (1958), Further Up the Creek (1958) and Fredric March Presents Tales from Dickens (1959). These two groups toured the concert circuit for four years before Banks' group won a court battle, giving them full access to the name. Our son, William Franklin Howard lll was born in 1974 and our world was complete. With the group's charttopping days in jeopardy, producer Don Davis helped them land a contract with ABC Records, and a second life as a recording act. Originally formed in 1962, the Dramatics (at various times) consisted of: The New At the urging of Don Davis and Stax Records, the original group changed its billing to "Ron Banks and the Dramatics". LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Singer Ron Banks, a founding member of R&B group the Dramatics, died Thursday (March 4) at his Detroit home of a reported heart attack. "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" was awarded gold disc status by the R.I.A.A. "Let us know if you need further assistance.Sincerely,Helen V. SimpsonReceptionistWoodlawn Cemetery Detroit19975 Woodward AvenueDetroit, MI 48203Office: (313) 368-0010Fax: (313) 368-5174Contributor:R & A Niner(49709449), Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. at the time. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. While the members at that time, Banks, Mayes Ford, Demps, baritone Larry J. Reynolds (born in Saginaw, Michigan, on January 27, 1952) and pianist James Mack Brown (born on August 5, 1952, in Dallas, Texas) were not satisfied with its limited record sales, the song did peak at # 42 on the R&B charts. Over the ensuing years, the Dramatics underwent several personnel changes, the most notable occurring in 1973 when L.J. WebWillie Ford was not as well known to casual fans as some of the other members of his iconic group, but listen to any Dramatics song, and youll hear the anchor that he provided, making each song a uniquely Dramatics song. He helped deliver a half century of joy to music fans around the world, and a discography that will live on. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Larry "L.J." Inspired by his older brother, George, who had a group, he started singing at age 12. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Dramatics were formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1962. The Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Unfortunately, in the mid-seventies, songwriter Tony Hester's substance addictions began to affect the incredible material that he had provided to the group, while around the same time Stax was failing as a label. Their members at this time were Ron Banks,[12] William "Wee Gee" Howard, Elbert Wilkins, Willie Ford, and Larry Demps. State Of Mind (Volt Records 1989), Me Try again later. He migrated north to Detroit when he was a child and lived around the corner from Smokey Robinson of The Miracles, in the predominately Black North End neighborhood. & Mrs. Jones (MCA Records 1994), Mellow In 2003, the group, then consisting of Reynolds, Banks, Winzell Kelly, Willie Ford and Lenny Mayes, released Greatest Hits Live, a terrific peek at a 2001 Dramatics performance that showed the group still in fine form and a testament to the longevity of this great soul act. Larry was so affected by the incident, he never recorded again with the group, leaving to work and sing in the local church. Reynolds, who had been a member of Chocolate Syrup and was pursuing a solo career during this time, met Dramatics member Banks at the Apollo following a performance by the group. 10th July 1950, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A. d. 28th May 2019, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A. - formerly of the Capitols) - 1968 - 2019, Larry 'Squirrel' Demps (b. The Dynamics signed to Wingate label, where they released records which saw very little chart action. - 1975 / Drama V - 1975 / Joy Ride - 1976 / Shake It Well - 1977. LOS ANGELES (Billboard) Singer Ron Banks, a founding member of R&B group the Dramatics, died Thursday (March 4) at his Detroit home of a reported heart attack. [18] L.J. 16th January 1953, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A. - ex: the Capitols, Five Special, TFO Band, and the Floaters) - 1994 to today. The group was depicted in the 2017 film Detroit. Former member Larry Reed was caught up in the events of the riot, taking refuge at the former Algiers Motel off Woodward Avenue. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. He had the heart of a lion and took every new day as an opportunity to do more and do it better then the day before. the Dramatics left Stax Records, and the or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Branden Hunter, Dramatics singer Willie Sugar Bear Ford dead at 68, MichiganChronicle.com, https://michiganchronicle.com/2019/06/05/dramatics-singer-willie-sugar-bear-ford-dead-at-68/#/?playlistId=0&videoId=0.Rob; A.Serra and Cliff Adams, Our Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/ourrockandrollhalloffame71305/the-dynamic-dramatics-t3165.html; The Dramatics, Delafont.com, https://www.delafont.com/music_acts_extra/E/dramatics.htm. WebWilliam Howard later rejoined the original group for the albums 'Somewhere in Time: A Dramatic Reunion' in 1986, and 'Positive State Of Mind' in 1989. While the group had various compositions, once L.J. He rejoined the Dramatics for their reunion in 1986, but left again in 1989. William Franklin Howard II a.k.a. (aged 45) In Groups: The Dramatics. He rejoined The Dramatics for their reunion in 1986, but left again in 1989. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Like many in his community, including Robinson, Ford attended Northern High School, graduating in 1967. - 1978 / Any Time, Any Place - 1979. Message (Crystal Rose Records 2007). They migrated to the Sport label and in 1967 released their first single to hit the charts, "All Because of You," which peaked at number 42 on the R&B charts. We have set your language to The song went into the Top 10 of theBillboardHot 100, peaking at #9 and climbing to #3 in the R&B chart. Doo - 1966. Before labeling themselves as The Dramatics, the group were then playing as a sextet called the Dynamics comprising of Rob Davis born on December 4, 1946, Ron Banks born on May 10, 1951, Larry Reed, born on October 17, 1948, Robert Ellington, born on May 15, 1964, Larry Demps born February 23, 1949 and Elbert Wilkins, born May 1, 1947. "" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. Verify and try again. There is an excellent piece here, regarding Willie's career: https://www.musicians-corner.net/RIH-Willie-Ford/, https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6xe4nc, many thanks to Maria Asplund for her invaluable help with this page. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? The group managed to stay active, reuniting to record new material every three or four years since the early '80s. Reynolds replaced William Wee Gee Howard in 1973, the core of the group was set for several decades. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Reynolds and Lenny Mayes replaced Howard and Wilkins in 1973. While the group had various compositions, once L.J. In 2006, local Detroit developer Herb Strather honored the Dramatics (along with Freda Payne, the Four Tops and others), with a street named after the group in one of the newest neighborhoods being built in the city. Howard and Wilkens then formed their own group and billed themselves as the Dramatics. Home going services for Ford are set for Wednesday, June 12 at the Detroit World Outreach (23800 West Chicago) at 11 a.m. In 1982, the Dramatics disbanded but reunited in 1985. Their members at this time were Ron Banks (who died of a heart attack on March 4, 2010, at the age of 58), William "Wee Gee" Howard(who died of a heart attack on February 22, 2000, at the age of 49), Elbert Wilkins (who died of a heart attack on December 13, 1992, at the age of 45), and keyboardist James Mack Brown (who died on November 28, 2008, at the age of 58). What You Wanna Do (ABC Records 1978), Anytime, Detroit-based R&B vocal group was formed in 1967, and rose to stardom in 1971 with Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get. Jones was recruited in his place, but they disbanded in 1982 after Ron Banks This solo career produced two singles, "Hold On To Your Dreams", and "You've Been A Part Of Me". Reynolds and Lenny Mayes replaced Howard and Wilkins. [1] "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" was awarded gold disc status by the R.I.A.A. The Dramatics Live - 1988 / Positive State Of Mind - 1989 / Stone Cold - 1990 / Mellow Drama - 1994 / A Dramatic Christmas - 1997 / Look Inside - 2002 L.J. Dramatics to the Memphis-based Stax Records Learn About the Very Wild and Interesting Psychedelic Era. They were all born in Detroit. His hero was another well-known bass singer of the time, Melvin Franklin of The Temptations. They were replaced by Larry James "L.J." The Storm (Da Pit Bull Kat Records 2007), The You Come Back To Me (Fantasy Records 1999), Tell WebWilliam "Wee Gee" Howard - You've Been A Part Of Me DjDirtyOl 6.45K subscribers Subscribe 7.3K views 8 years ago My favorite classic series From his album "Hold On Another of the great non-Motown Detroit groups formed in the late 60s, the Dramatics went through significant personnel changes over their early years as the group struggled to find a hit. On September 24, 2018 L.J. The following year, the Dramatics did it again on the Top 10 pop chart with In The Rain which also became a million seller.