Clarence "Pop" Gray , Charlie "Stoney" Dimbo, Emmanuel "Doc" Robinson, Frank McRae & George "Bronx" Rivers
The Master-Tones (White Plains, New York)
Personnel :
Clarence "Pop" Gray (Tenor Lead & Guitar)
George "Bronx" Rivers (First Tenor)
Emmanuel "Doc" Robinson (Second Tenor)
Frank McRae (Baritone)
Charlie "Stoney" Dimbo (Bass)
Discography :
1954 - Tell Me / What'll You Do (Bruce 111)
Songs :
The Master-Tones formed around 1951 while attending Battle Hill
Junior High School in White Plains, New York. They were neighborhood
pals who lived on Russell and Fulton Streets.The group lineup consisted
of Clarence "Pop" Gray (lead), Charlie "Stoney" Dimbo (bass), Emmanuel
"Doc" Robinson (2nd tenor), Frank McCray (baritone) and George "Bronx"
Rivers (1st tenor). " They first started singing at school. Once the
guys became serious about their singing, they needed a name for the
group and chose The Hearts. Billy Barrels, became their manager and had
the guys rehearsing at his house in Greenburgh, New York, almost every
night.
Emmanuel
"Doc"
Robinson
By 1954, they were performing at local clubs. One of those clubs was
the Red Rose located in New Rochelle, New York on North Avenue. Like
dozens of other young vocal groups at the time, they knew that their
path to fame and fortune started at the legendary Apollo Theatre. Record
company executives and scouts looking for new talent attended the
weekly amateur night shows and were ready to offer contracts on the spot
to promising groups. Another friend of the group helped them secure
them a contract at Bruce Records in New York City.The Hearts auditioned
with four original songs but only two were to be recorded. However, a
quick name change was in order due to the fact that there already was a
"Hearts " group in existence. The guys talked it over and because they
were making a Master Record … they became the Master-Tones .
