Lil' June & The January's (Chicago)
Personnel :
Claude "Little June" Johnson
Sy Richardson
Wilbert Johnson
Lewis ? (Bass)
Discography :
Lil' June & The January's
1959 - Oh What A Feeling / Oh My Love (Profile 4009)
Little June & his Januarys
1963 - Hello / Burgers, Fries & Shakes (Salem 188)
Biography :
Vocal
group from Chicago. They were 16-17 years old and lived on the west
side and area they called K-town. The group formed in 1957 and calls
himself the Wonderliers. They practicing on their high school and by
the local streets. A deal to record with Profile records, subsidiary of
Chief Records, came about from a TV show They won. Sy Richardson ,
American film and television actor since 1977, was part of the group and
wrote "Oh What A Feeling". They changed the Wonderliers to Lil June
and the January's in 1959 and recorded "Oh What A Feeling" b/w "Oh My
Love " for the label.
In 1960, several members of the group are called to military service
and the group broke up. Richardson served two years on active duty with
the United States Navy. in early 1963, After returning from the army, Sy
Richardson wrote "Burgers, Fries & Shakes", a song about MacDonalds
when he see this restaurant selling 15 cent burgers ten cent for fries.
The same year, the group is reformed and recorded "Hello" b/w "Burgers,
Fries & Shakes" for Salem. Sy Richardson & Claude "Little
June" Johnson formed their own recording company called Trans World
Sound were they recorded the Mandells with Claude "Little June" Johnson
.
Songs:
Lil' June & The January's
Oh What A Feeling Oh My Love
Little June & his Januarys
Burgers, Fries & Shakes Hello