From: "Dik de Heer" Date: Thu Jul 25, 2002 1:13 am Subject: Born To Be With You : Rudy West RUDY WEST (Five Keys) (By Shaun Mather) Born 25 July 1932, Newport News, Virginia Died 14 May 1998, Chesapeake, Virginia "The Sultan of Smooth", Rudy West was the lead singer with the legendary doo-wop group, The Five Keys who were one of the first groups to sing in five-part harmony, making them a seminal pre-rock & roll vocal group, and one of the most influential acts of the 1950s. They were also one of the first black R&B groups to appear on Dick Clark's American Bandstand and the Ed Sullivan Show. Formed in the late '40s in Newport News, VA, they were originally called The Sentimental Four and consisted of Rudy West, his brother Bernie West, Raphael Ingram, and Ripley Ingram (also brothers). They were invited to perform at the at the Apollo Theater in Harlem after winning three consecutive weeks of amateur contests in their local area. After taking first place at the Apollo, they scored engagements at the Royal and Howard Theaters as well, solidly establishing their reputation along the eastern seaboard. In 1951, they were signed by Eddie Mesner, owner of Aladdin Records, to a recording contract. Around this time, Raphael Ingram was drafted into the Army and was replaced by Maryland Pierce (formerly of the Avalons). The group also added another singer, Dickie Smith, and piano player Joe Jones, a move which prompted a new name change to the Five Keys. In April, 1951, the group issued their first single, "With a Broken Heart," which failed to chart. Their next single, released in July, was the glorious hit The Glory of Love which became a number one on the R&B charts by September. The Five Keys toured both the East and West Coasts and recorded (in New York and Los Angeles) at least ten more releases - "How Long," "Someday Sweetheart," "Red Sails in the Sunset," "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" (with Rudy West and Dickie Smith sharing lead vocal duties), and one of the greatest R&B songs of all time, "My Saddest Hour," and "Serve Another Round" - all of which were issued by Aladdin bbetween 1952 and 1953. In 1953, Rudy West and Dickie Smith both entered the Army; their replacements were Ramon Loper and Ulysses Hicks. The group left Aladdin in 1954 and recorded four sides for RCA's Groove label before moving over to Capitol Records, where they would have their most commercial success. When Hicks died suddenly in 1954, the lead tenor position was filled temporarily by Smith's cousin, Willie Winfield of the Harptones. Backed by the Howard Biggs Orchestra (the former Ravens arranger), they were in the right place at the right time to take advantage of Capitol's advanced recording techniques. With Rudy West - out of the Army and now sharing lead vocal duties with Maryland Pierce - taking over for Winfield, they recorded a number of tracks for Capitol, many of them Top 100 charters. In all, they amassed an extraordinarily powerful body of stirring and stunningly beautiful vocal R&B, highly representative of the best doo wop music had to offer at the time. Some of the Five Keys' best material comes from this period, including "Ling Ting Tong" (with Pierce on lead), which smashed the pop and R&B charts early in 1955, as well as one of the highest regarded doo wop efforts of all time: "Close Your Eyes" (R&B number five, 1955), "The Verdict" (1955), "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" (1956), "Wisdom of a Fool" (1956), "Let There Be You" (1957) and "One Great Love" (1958). Tired of touring, Rudy West retired with the group in 1958 (he began working for the U.S. Postal Service), but recorded on his own for the King label, covering the Passions' "Just to Be With You" with an unlisted group. The rest of the Five Keys re-formed in 1959, with Thomas "Dickie" Threat taking West's high tenor duties. They recorded several sides for the King label, between August of 1959 and March of 1960. By now, the group was becoming a pure R&B vocal harmony ensemble, without any of the pop-style embellishments of their Capitol recordings. The material was, in many ways, a throwback to their earliest recordings, sounding a bit like the Platters or the Coasters, and even Bo Diddley's influence showed up on "Will You." In 1962, Rudy West re-recorded "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" for Seg-Way Records with a new group of Keys featuring Bernie West, Dickie Smith, John Boyd, and Willie Friday. In 1965, West recorded "No Matter" for the Inferno label with yet another configuration of Keys who were old friends from Virginia that had recorded as the Chateaus: Edmond Hall, Ollie Sidney, William "Pepper" Jones, and George Winfield (one of Willie Friday's cousins). They remained together until Rudy West passed away on May 14, 1998. His last performance with the Five Keys was on April 18, 1998, at the Nassau Coliseum in New York, where he received a standing ovation. He had been in the music business for forty-six years by that point. Ripley Ingram has also passed away. Surviving members include Bernie West (who lives in Newport News, where he has been a deacon in a church), Maryland Pierce, and Dickie Smith. I was lucky enough to see Rudy with the Five Keys at Hemsby and will always remember the way his beautiful voice sent chills down the neck and spine. It was truly emotional and the ballads really did bring tears to the eyes. Wonderful. Recommended listening: The Five Keys, The Aladdin Years (Collectables). 25 tracks from 1951-53. The Five Keys, Golden Classics (Collectables). 20 Capitol tracks, 1954-58.