The Moonglows
Encyclopedia
The Moonglows were an American R&B
and doo-wop
group
based in Cleveland, Ohio
.
as the Crazy Sounds, the group moved to Cleveland, where disc jockey
Alan Freed
renamed them 'the Moonglows' (after his own nickname
, 'Moondog'). Freed helped to promote the group during their early years and, in a common practice of the day, often took a co-writer credit as compensation for his efforts. Lead singer Harvey Fuqua
served as the group's leader and chief writer. Vocals were split between Bobby "Lester" Dallas and Fuqua, and sometimes, in the group's occasional duet leads, both. The other members were tenor Alexander "Pete" Graves and bass Prentiss Barnes, with Billy Johnson on guitar. The Moonglows recorded
one single
for Freed's Champagne label
in late 1952, and then for Chicago's Chance Records
in 1953 and 1954. After a moderately successful release of the Lester led version of Doris Day
's "Secret Love" on Chance, the Moonglows signed to Chess Records
in mid 1954.
hit
, and was covered
more successfully by The McGuire Sisters
. Between 1955 and 1957, the Moonglows reached the R&B chart
frequently with hits like "Most of All", "In My Diary", "When I'm With You", "See Saw", "We Go Together", and "Please Send Me Someone to Love." Different styles defined the Moonglows lead singers: Fuqua favored the uptempo R&B/rock numbers while Lester sung more of the romantic ballads, for which the group was better known, and occasionally the two would share the leads, duet-style. Although Lester and Fuqua are credited as forming a spinoff group called the Moonlighters, recording in 1955 for the Chess subsidiary label Checker, they paired on only two numbers released as by the Moonlighters, "So All Alone" and "New Gal." The b-sides
of these two songs, respectively "Shoo-Do-Be-Doo" and "Hug And A Kiss" featured the full group. The flip side of "Starlite" called "In Love" also featured a Lester-Fuqua duet. In 1957, the Moonglows appeared the Alan Freed film, Rock, Rock, Rock. In late 1957, the group recorded "Ten Commandments of Love", featuring Fuqua on lead and guitarist Johnson executing the spoken recitation. This became the group's second biggest hit, after "Sincerely", early in 1958. It was also the first record to be billed on the label as "Harvey & the Moonglows".
The Moonglows singing style is known as "blow" harmony, based on the technical method used by the backing vocalist
s. This style can be heard in many other groups of the era and beyond, perhaps most notably the Chi-Lites
(particularly on their hit "Oh Girl
").
, and took the quartet of Reese Palmer, Chester Simmons, James Knowland and nineteen-year-old lead singer Marvin Gaye
under his wing. The group had recently recorded (unsuccessfully) on Okeh Records
after being discovered by Bo Diddley
when Fuqua found them. Recording with fifth member Chuck Barksdale, who had been (and would again become) the bass singer of the Dells
, Fuqua hired them as his new Moonglows. This group recorded songs such as "Twelve Months of the Year" (featuring a speaking part by Gaye), "Beatnik" and "Mama Loocie", which (as the first recorded lead by Gaye), was released in 1959. The forming of the "New Moonglows" ended the affiliation of the original Moonglows. In 1959 and 1960, Fuqua also recorded several duets for Chess with Etta James
. In July 1959, a group called 'The Ecuadors' "who, according to Fuqua, really were the Moonglows (which included Gaye and James)" reportedly recorded at Chess singing backgrounds for Chuck Berry
. The other four Moonglows recruited bass John Bowie to fill their commitments, and then disbanded.
, disbanded the Moonglows, and started working with Berry Gordy
's sister, Gwen Gordy. At the time, she was running Anna Records
, and he became a record producer
and A&R
man for the fledgling label. It was during this time that Fuqua discovered Lamont Dozier
, Johnny Bristol
, The Spinners, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Shorty Long
, and David Ruffin
. Later, Gordy and Fuqua married, and later merged their operation with Motown Records
. Fuqua would later be credited for bringing Marvin Gaye to the label, which signed Gaye in 1960.
Pete Graves started another Moonglows group in 1964 with the Drifters
' Doc Green and George Thorpe and Bearle Easton, which recorded briefly for the Lana, Times Square and Crimson record labels, before disbanding. Lester, who had returned to Louisville and opened a nightclub
, formed yet another Moonglows in 1970, with a Louisville-based group called the Aristocrats, including his cousin Gary Rodgers, Albert Workman, Robert Ford and Clyde McPhatter
's son Billy. In 1972, the three original Moonglows who had remained active, Graves, Lester, and Fuqua, joined with new members Doc Williams and Chuck Lewis, and recorded Return of the Moonglows for RCA Records
. The group released an updated version of "Sincerely", which became the group's final chart record. Soon after, the group parted ways, with Lester re-forming his Louisville Moonglows. Barnes retired from professional performing after an auto accident in 1969.
in 1980 at the age of 49. Billy McPhatter was not in the group in 1979, but joined the current members for a performance at Madison Square Garden
(originally intended to include Lester), and remained in the group afterwards. Gary Rodgers took over management of the group, and they began calling themselves 'Bobby Lester's Moonglows' (sometimes also referred to as 'Gary Rodgers' Moonglows'). Fuqua reunited with most of his 1972 Moonglows for a 1983 Grammy Award
performance, and later toured as 'Harvey and the Moonglows' until 1986. By the 1980s, the McPhatter group included Rodgers, Robert Lee Davis, Pete Lawford, and Bruce Martin. In the early 1990s, McPhatter was replaced by Bobby's son, Bobby Lester, Jr. In 1999, Fuqua and members of 'Bobby Lester's Moonglows' reunited to perform on the PBS special, Doo Wop 50
. By this time, the Moonglows were Rodgers, Martin, Lawford, and Gene Kelly.
Fuqua still sang occasionally and produced and managed gospel acts. Gaye died in 1984. Palmer became a member of the Orioles
, while Barksdale returned to the Dells and has remained with them. Original guitarist Johnson died in Los Angeles in 1987, Rodgers died in 2005, and Barnes died in 2006. Fuqua died Tuesday, July 6, 2010 in Detroit MI.
The Moonglows were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame
in 1999 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
Pete Graves' Moonglows:
Bobby Lester's Moonglows:
The revived Moonglows:
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
and doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
based in Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
Early years
Originally formed in their native Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
as the Crazy Sounds, the group moved to Cleveland, where disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Alan Freed
Alan Freed
Albert James "Alan" Freed , also known as Moondog, was an American disc-jockey. He became internationally known for promoting the mix of blues, country and rhythm and blues music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of rock and roll...
renamed them 'the Moonglows' (after his own nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
, 'Moondog'). Freed helped to promote the group during their early years and, in a common practice of the day, often took a co-writer credit as compensation for his efforts. Lead singer Harvey Fuqua
Harvey Fuqua
Harvey Fuqua, was an African-American rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, record producer, and record label executive.Fuqua founded the seminal R&B/doo-wop group the Moonglows in the 1950s...
served as the group's leader and chief writer. Vocals were split between Bobby "Lester" Dallas and Fuqua, and sometimes, in the group's occasional duet leads, both. The other members were tenor Alexander "Pete" Graves and bass Prentiss Barnes, with Billy Johnson on guitar. The Moonglows recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
one single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
for Freed's Champagne label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
in late 1952, and then for Chicago's Chance Records
Chance Records
Chance Records was a Chicago-based label founded in 1950 by Art Sheridan. It specialized in blues, jazz, doo-wop, and gospel.Among the acts who recorded for Chance were The Flamingos, The Moonglows, Homesick James, J. B. Hutto, Brother John Sellers, and Schoolboy Porter...
in 1953 and 1954. After a moderately successful release of the Lester led version of Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
's "Secret Love" on Chance, the Moonglows signed to Chess Records
Chess Records
Chess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. It specialized in blues, R&B, soul, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases....
in mid 1954.
R&B stardom
Their first Chess release, 1954's "Sincerely" became a number one R&BHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, and was covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
more successfully by The McGuire Sisters
The McGuire Sisters
The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. The group was composed of three sisters: Christine McGuire , Dorothy McGuire , and Phyllis McGuire...
. Between 1955 and 1957, the Moonglows reached the R&B chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
frequently with hits like "Most of All", "In My Diary", "When I'm With You", "See Saw", "We Go Together", and "Please Send Me Someone to Love." Different styles defined the Moonglows lead singers: Fuqua favored the uptempo R&B/rock numbers while Lester sung more of the romantic ballads, for which the group was better known, and occasionally the two would share the leads, duet-style. Although Lester and Fuqua are credited as forming a spinoff group called the Moonlighters, recording in 1955 for the Chess subsidiary label Checker, they paired on only two numbers released as by the Moonlighters, "So All Alone" and "New Gal." The b-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of these two songs, respectively "Shoo-Do-Be-Doo" and "Hug And A Kiss" featured the full group. The flip side of "Starlite" called "In Love" also featured a Lester-Fuqua duet. In 1957, the Moonglows appeared the Alan Freed film, Rock, Rock, Rock. In late 1957, the group recorded "Ten Commandments of Love", featuring Fuqua on lead and guitarist Johnson executing the spoken recitation. This became the group's second biggest hit, after "Sincerely", early in 1958. It was also the first record to be billed on the label as "Harvey & the Moonglows".
The Moonglows singing style is known as "blow" harmony, based on the technical method used by the backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
s. This style can be heard in many other groups of the era and beyond, perhaps most notably the Chi-Lites
The Chi-Lites
The Chi-Lites are a Chicago-based smooth soul vocal quartet from the early 1970s, one of the few from the period not to come from Memphis or Philadelphia...
(particularly on their hit "Oh Girl
Oh Girl
"Oh Girl" is a number-one single recorded by the soul vocal group, The Chi-Lites and released on Brunswick Records in 1972. Included on the group's 1972 album A Lonely Man, "Oh Girl" centers around a relationship on the verge of break-up...
").
Fall-out and the new Moonglows
In 1958, shortly after the Moonglows recorded their final hit, "Ten Commandments of Love", Fuqua re-asserted himself as the group's lead singer, putting Lester further in the background and causing friction among group members. The biggest blow came when Fuqua spotted a young vocal group, the Marquees from Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and took the quartet of Reese Palmer, Chester Simmons, James Knowland and nineteen-year-old lead singer Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
under his wing. The group had recently recorded (unsuccessfully) on Okeh Records
Okeh Records
Okeh Records began as an independent record label based in the United States of America in 1918. From 1926 on, it was a subsidiary of Columbia Records.-History:...
after being discovered by Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
when Fuqua found them. Recording with fifth member Chuck Barksdale, who had been (and would again become) the bass singer of the Dells
The Dells
The Dells are an R&B and crossover musical group. Their successful recordings spanned more than four decades. Formed in 1952 after attending high school together, the Dells' repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul, disco and contemporary rhythm and blues...
, Fuqua hired them as his new Moonglows. This group recorded songs such as "Twelve Months of the Year" (featuring a speaking part by Gaye), "Beatnik" and "Mama Loocie", which (as the first recorded lead by Gaye), was released in 1959. The forming of the "New Moonglows" ended the affiliation of the original Moonglows. In 1959 and 1960, Fuqua also recorded several duets for Chess with Etta James
Etta James
Etta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
. In July 1959, a group called 'The Ecuadors' "who, according to Fuqua, really were the Moonglows (which included Gaye and James)" reportedly recorded at Chess singing backgrounds for Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
. The other four Moonglows recruited bass John Bowie to fill their commitments, and then disbanded.
After the Moonglows and splinter groups
In 1960, Fuqua, on the advice of the Chess Brothers, moved to Detroit, MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, disbanded the Moonglows, and started working with Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
's sister, Gwen Gordy. At the time, she was running Anna Records
Anna Records
Anna Records was a short-lived record label, known as a forerunner of Motown, founded by sisters Anna and Gwen Gordy and Roquel Billy Davis in 1959 and located in Detroit, Michigan. Gwen Gordy and Davis had written hit songs for Jackie Wilson and Etta James prior to founding the label...
, and he became a record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
man for the fledgling label. It was during this time that Fuqua discovered Lamont Dozier
Lamont Dozier
Lamont Herbert Dozier is an American songwriter and record producer, born in Detroit, Michigan. Dozier has either co-written or produced several US Billboard #1 hits.-Career:...
, Johnny Bristol
Johnny Bristol
Johnny Bristol , was an American musician, most famous as a songwriter and record producer for the Motown label in the late 1960s and early 1970s...
, The Spinners, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Shorty Long
Shorty Long
Frederick Earl "Shorty" Long was an American soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer for Motown's Soul Records imprint...
, and David Ruffin
David Ruffin
Davis Eli "David" Ruffin was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations from 1964 to 1968...
. Later, Gordy and Fuqua married, and later merged their operation with Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
. Fuqua would later be credited for bringing Marvin Gaye to the label, which signed Gaye in 1960.
Pete Graves started another Moonglows group in 1964 with the Drifters
The Drifters
The Drifters are a long-lived American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group with a peak in popularity from 1953 to 1963, though several splinter Drifters continue to perform today. They were originally formed to serve as Clyde McPhatter's backing group in 1953...
' Doc Green and George Thorpe and Bearle Easton, which recorded briefly for the Lana, Times Square and Crimson record labels, before disbanding. Lester, who had returned to Louisville and opened a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, formed yet another Moonglows in 1970, with a Louisville-based group called the Aristocrats, including his cousin Gary Rodgers, Albert Workman, Robert Ford and Clyde McPhatter
Clyde McPhatter
Clyde McPhatter was an American R&B singer, perhaps the most widely imitated R&B singer of the 1950s and 1960s, making him a key figure in the shaping of doo-wop and R&B. He is best known for his solo hit "A Lover's Question"...
's son Billy. In 1972, the three original Moonglows who had remained active, Graves, Lester, and Fuqua, joined with new members Doc Williams and Chuck Lewis, and recorded Return of the Moonglows for RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
. The group released an updated version of "Sincerely", which became the group's final chart record. Soon after, the group parted ways, with Lester re-forming his Louisville Moonglows. Barnes retired from professional performing after an auto accident in 1969.
Activity in later years and members' deaths
Lester was the first of the original members to die, succumbing to cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 1980 at the age of 49. Billy McPhatter was not in the group in 1979, but joined the current members for a performance at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
(originally intended to include Lester), and remained in the group afterwards. Gary Rodgers took over management of the group, and they began calling themselves 'Bobby Lester's Moonglows' (sometimes also referred to as 'Gary Rodgers' Moonglows'). Fuqua reunited with most of his 1972 Moonglows for a 1983 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
performance, and later toured as 'Harvey and the Moonglows' until 1986. By the 1980s, the McPhatter group included Rodgers, Robert Lee Davis, Pete Lawford, and Bruce Martin. In the early 1990s, McPhatter was replaced by Bobby's son, Bobby Lester, Jr. In 1999, Fuqua and members of 'Bobby Lester's Moonglows' reunited to perform on the PBS special, Doo Wop 50
Doo Wop 50
Doo Wop 50 was a PBS pledge drive special created and produced for PBS member station WQED-TV by TJ Lubinsky, grandson of Herman Lubinsky...
. By this time, the Moonglows were Rodgers, Martin, Lawford, and Gene Kelly.
Fuqua still sang occasionally and produced and managed gospel acts. Gaye died in 1984. Palmer became a member of the Orioles
The Orioles
The Orioles were a successful and influential American R&B group of the late 1940s and early 1950s, one of the earliest such vocal bands who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound....
, while Barksdale returned to the Dells and has remained with them. Original guitarist Johnson died in Los Angeles in 1987, Rodgers died in 2005, and Barnes died in 2006. Fuqua died Tuesday, July 6, 2010 in Detroit MI.
The Moonglows were inducted to the Vocal Group Hall of Fame
Vocal Group Hall of Fame
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor outstanding vocal groups throughout the world. It is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum....
in 1999 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
Original members
- Harvey FuquaHarvey FuquaHarvey Fuqua, was an African-American rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, record producer, and record label executive.Fuqua founded the seminal R&B/doo-wop group the Moonglows in the 1950s...
: lead vocals, background vocals (1951–1958) - Bobby Lester: lead vocals, background vocals (1951–1958)
- Alexander "Pete" Graves: background vocals (1951–1958)
- Prentiss BarnesPrentiss BarnesPrentiss Barnes was an American rhythm and blues singer in the 1950s. Barnes was born in Magnolia, Mississippi. He sang bass for the legendary vocal group The Moonglows which had such hits as "Sincerely" and "The Ten Commandments of Love"...
: background vocals (1951–1958) - Billy Johnson: background vocals (1951–1958)
- William Westbrooks: background vocals (1951–1952)
Other members
Harvey Fuqua and the New Moonglows:- Marvin GayeMarvin GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
: lead vocals, background vocals (1958–1960) - Reese Palmer: lead vocals, background vocals (1958–1960)
- Chester Simmons: background vocals (1958–1960)
- James Knowland: background vocals (1958–1960)
- Chuck Barksdale: background vocals (1958–1960)
- John Bowen (Barksdale's replacement) (1960–1960)
- Fuqua also served as a background singer but acted more as the group's manager.
Pete Graves' Moonglows:
- Doc Green: vocals (1964–1968)
- Pete Graves: vocals (1964–1968)
- George Thorpe: vocals (1964–1968)
- Bearle Easton: vocals (1964–1968)
Bobby Lester's Moonglows:
- Bobby Lester: vocals (1970–1972, 1979–1980)
- Gary Rodgers: vocals (1970–1972, 1979–2005)
- Albert Workman: vocals (1970–1972)
- Billy McPhatter: vocals (1970–1972, 1980s)
- Robert Ford: vocals (1970–1972, 1980s)
- Pete Crawford (1980s–2000s)
- Bruce Martin (1980s–2000s)
- Gene Kelly (1990s–2000s)
The revived Moonglows:
- Harvey Fuqua (1972)
- Bobby Lester (1972)
- Pete Graves (1972)
- Doc Williams (1972)
- Chuck Lewis (1972)