YEAR
2015
INDUCTED BY
Steve Cropper
CATEGORY
Early Influences
The vocal group became a cornerstone of the soul music to come.
Although they sometimes fell short of commercial success, many of their greatest songs were made popular by such stars as James Brown and Aretha Franklin.
HALL OF FAME
ESSAY
By Joe McEwen
“When it comes to a sound that cannot be copied by any other group, the ‘5′ Royales have it. Even though many have tried to copy the group, none have succeeded, as the group has an original sound and way of interpreting a song that no other vocalist can copy.”
This bit of King Records hyperbole, a blurb accompanying the complimentary DJ 45-RPM release of “Women About to Make Me Go Crazy,” was absolutely true when the record was issued in 1955, and for the group the “5” Royales, even bigger things were just around the bend.