Howard (Seaphus) Scott
Charles Scott
Tommy Scott
Ike HickMan
The Masquerades were formed in 1957 as the Elpeccios and originally consisted of Howard, Charles, and Robert Scott, and cousin Jesse "Chico"Golden. Golden and Robert Scott soon dropped out, and in early 1958 the group reorganized as the Masquerades, consisting of Howard, Charles, and Tommie Scott, Jimmy Thompson, and Ike Hickman. Robert Scott entered the professional boxing ranks as a welterweight, fighting in the same stable as world junior welterweight champion Eddie Perkins. The group went down to St. Louis to record two sides for Ike Turner on the Joyce label, "Summer Sunrise" backed with "Nature's Beauty." But nothing happened for the group.
The Masquerades were discovered by Entrepreneur Don Talty in 1958 singing in a North Side nightclub. At the time, the group consisted of Howard, Walter, Charles, and Tommie Scott, plus Ike Hickman and guitarist Howard Taylor. Jimmy Thompson had left the group to take up guitar, and years later would emerge as a well-respected Chicago blues performer Jimmy Johnson. Thompson changed his name to "Johnson" after his brother Syl had achieved fame as a soul singer under the name "Syl Johnson." The following year Buddy Scott replaced Taylor on guitar and the group came out with "The Whip" backed with "Fanessa" on the Boyd label. "The Whip" was intended to promote a dance and was considered the A side. Talty even had artwork done to show the dance steps, but nothing came of the record.
