Charles Walker & The Daffodils (2) (Nashville, TN)
aka The Kinglets
Personnel :
Charles Walker (Lead)
Larry Birdsong
The Kinglets :
Don “Sonny” Taylor
Ricky Roland
Frank Talley
Discography :
Charles Walker & The Daffodils (2)
1959 - No Fool No More / Slave to Love (Champion 1014)
The Kinglets
1956 - Six Days a Week (And Sundays Too) / You Gotta Go (Calvert 101)
The Kinglets with Leroy Thomas
1959 - Pretty Please / My Baby Don't Need Changing (Bobbin 13338)
Biography :
Charles Walker was born in Nashville, Tennessee on July 12, 1940.
Charles or “Wigg,” as he is known by his friends (his mother nicknamed
him when he was born with a full head of hair), began singing at an
early age in church and school. He cut his first record in 1959 for Ted
Jarrett’s legendary Champion label. One cut, “Slave To Love,” was
credited to Charles Walker and the Daffodils. In fact, there was no such
group as the Daffodils. The backup singers on the record were label
mates the Kinglets and Larry Birdsong.
Larry Birdsong
Jarrett ran or worked for a number of Nashville soul, blues, and
gospel labels, including Champion, Calvert, Cherokee, Poncello, and
T-Jaye. He produced for artists such as Christine Kittrell, The
Fairfield Four, Larry Birdsong, Roscoe Shelton, The Avons and the
Kinglets. Like many groups before and after them, the Kinglets were
primarily a backup vocal group for single artists on their labels. The
group consisted of Don “Sonny” Taylor, Ricky Roland & Frank Talley.
They cut “Six Days a Week“ and “You Gotta Go“ in early 1956, both songs
composed by Ted Jarrett. Another single will be released in 1959
credited to The Kinglets with Leroy Thomas with ”Pretty Please” again
composed by Ted Jarrett.
Ted Jarrett
In
1960, Charles Walker moved to New York City where studios and nightclub
work were plentiful. 1962 found Charles recording with Chess Records
out of Chicago, and soon he signed on as lead singer with the J.C. Davis
Band. This band began touring the country opening for the greats of the
era including James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Etta James, Wilson Pickett,
Little Willie John, Otis Redding, and Sam Cooke. The J.C. Davis Band
recorded some real barnstormers for Chess like “Sweet Sweet Love” and
“The Chicken Scratch.” In 1964, Charles formed his own group, Little
Charles and the Sidewinders. They became one of the most in demand soul
bands in New York City’s nightclub scene, performing at the Apollo
Theater, Small’s Paradise and venturing out to Las Vegas and Atlantic
City. They subsequently recorded for Chess and Decca labels.
