the 5 royales

Biography

The '5' Royales originated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, forming in the late 1930s or early 1940s as a gospel quintet initially called the Royal Sons Quintet or Royal Suns, featuring brothers Lowman Pauling (guitarist, songwriter, baritone), Clarence Pauling, and others including William Samuels, Otto Jefferies, and later Johnny Tanner as lead vocalist. Gaining local popularity through radio shows and regional tours in the Carolinas, the group sent a gospel demo to Apollo Records in 1951 or 1952, which signed them but pushed them toward secular R&B to compete with acts like the Dominoes. Reluctantly transitioning from gospel, they renamed themselves the '5' Royales—a playful nod to their frequent six-member stage lineup—and scored immediate hits like 'Baby Don't Do It' and 'Help Me Somebody' in 1953, both topping the R&B charts, written by Lowman Pauling.[1][2][3]

Fun Facts

• The name '5' Royales was a joke because they often performed with six musicians on stage, despite the '5' numeral.[4]
• They forced another group, Hank Ballard's Royals, to rename to the Midnighters to avoid confusion, but the Midnighters later overshadowed them.[2]
• Lowman Pauling, key songwriter, spent his later years as a janitor despite royalties and died suddenly in 1973 at age 47.[4]
• A street in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is named after them in recognition of their legacy.[2]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Carl LeBow - Major supporter at Apollo Records who renamed them and guided their shift to R&B (Early singles like 'Baby Don't Do It') [1951-1953]

Key Collaborators

• Lowman Pauling - Core member, songwriter, guitarist, baritone vocals (Wrote hits like 'Baby Don't Do It', 'Help Me Somebody', 'Think') [1940s-1965]
• Johnny Tanner - Lead vocalist on most hits (Singles like 'Baby Don't Do It', 'Help Me Somebody') [1943-1965]
• Otto Jefferies - Bass vocalist, later road manager (Early recordings, occasional later sessions) [1940s-1954]
• Eugene Tanner - Replaced Jefferies as vocalist, brother of Johnny Tanner ('Dedicated To The One I Love') [1954-1965]
• Charlie Ferguson - Saxophonist sideman with his band (Backed chart hits in 1952-1953) [1952-1953]

Artists Influenced

• James Brown - Covered 'Think' as a top ten R&B hit, leading to lawsuit ('Think' (1960)) [1960]
• The Shangri-Las - Covered 'Dedicated to the One I Love' ('Dedicated to the One I Love') [1960s]
• Steve Cropper - Devoted fan who inducted them into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction) [2015]

External Links

• Spotify