The Persuasions: Biography

• Overview
• Discography
• Biography
• Related Artists

• The Hesitations
• The Flamingos
• The Rippingtons
• The Temptations
• Take 6
• Golden Gate Quartet
• Mills Brothers

• Del Vikings
• Hank Ballard & the Midnighters
• Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers
• Doc Pomus
• Mills Brothers
• The Platters
• Jesse Belvin

• The Paschall Brothers
• Billy Paul
• Drew Verbis
• Zap Mama
• Snoop Dogg

• Jerry Lawson
• Paul Pena

• Curtis Mayfield
• Sam Cooke
• Norman Whitfield

Formed:

Jan 1, 1966 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, NY

Genres:

R&B and Soul Music, Rock Music, Classical Music

Decades Active:

1960's|1970's|1980's|1990's|2000's

Artistic Quality

Low

Popularity

Low

Ratings Guide

A cappella singing has been part of the AfricanAmerican musical tradition since the days of slavery. Despite the recent success of the hitech a cappella group Take 6, the tradition has suffered a steady decline to the point where it is rare even in gospel circles. The Persuasions, though, are resolutely a cappella. Their chart successes have been minimal (two fleeting RB entries in 19741975), but they carry forward the tradition without appearing ossified. Airplay will probably always elude them and with it the really big breakthrough but their music has been a consistently enjoyable sidebar, and never one that has simply reeked of revivalism, remaining fresh through releases like 1993's Toubo's Song, 1994's Right Around the Corner, and 1996's Sincerely. 1999's On the Good Ship Lollipop was a foray into children's music, while a year later the group issued Frankly a Cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa and Might as Well...The Persuasions Sing Grateful Dead. [For more information, visit www.jerrylawson.biz]

- Colin Escott, All Music Guide