Pirkle Lee Moses, Jr. born October 4, 1937

 Pirkle Lee Moses, Jr.(October 4, 1937 - December 26, 2000) was a R&B singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer for 'The El Dorados'.

The El Dorados were an American doo-wop group, formed in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in 1952 whilst still students at Englewood High School: Pirkle Lee Moses Jr. on lead, Louis Bradley handling tenor, Jewel Jones covering second tenor and baritone, James Maddox alternating baritone and bass, and Robert Glasper supplying bass. Initially billed as the Five Stars, they attracted the interest of Johnny Moore, the school's custodian, who became their manager after recognizing their potential.

Shortly after graduation in 1954, Moses and Glasper enlisted via the Air Force's 90-day active-duty program. Moses returned to the group, yet Glasper stayed in service. Arthur Bassett stepped in temporarily on tenor for Moses, until his return, while Richard Nickens replaced Glasper on bass, expanding the Five Stars to six voices and prompting a name shift. Plans to adopt the Cardinals were abandoned amid a wave of car-model monikers; unable to use Cadillacs, they drew inspiration from the El Dorado, the luxury two-door variant of that marque. Although they practiced the songs of the Orioles, Dominoes, Clovers, Mills Brothers, and Ink Spots, they worked hard to develop their own style, often changing arrangements to fit their own voices. Local Chicago disc jockey Al Benson of WWCA noticed the El Dorados after they captured first prize at a talent contest held at the Club De Lisa. Impressed by their harmonic blend, Benson secured them an audition at Vee Jay's contest for amateur acts at the Park City Skating Rink, where they bested the label's own Spaniels and earned a recording contract.

                                    

Their debut single, the bluesy ballad "My Loving Baby," appeared in September 1954 and sold well regionally. The follow-up found the group supporting Hazel McCollum on "Annie's Answer," Vee Jay's entry in the "Annie" cycle launched by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters. Bassett soon departed for the Air Force, reducing the sextet back to a quintet. Vee Jay issued "At My Front Door" in the third week of September 1955; it entered the Billboard R&B charts on September 24 and the Top 100 on October 15. Al Duricati's driving drum pattern and an energetic sax solo propelled the track, while Moses Jr.'s "baby talk" section near the close added further momentum. The line about the "crazy little mama" achieved lasting recognition comparable to the Annie saga, and by year's end the single stood at number 17 pop and number one R&B. Pat Boone's cover later reached number seven on the pop side.

December's second week brought the release of their next single, "I'll Be Forever Lovin' You". Though the track incorporated jazz, pop, and R&B flavours and reached number eight R&B in February 1956, it failed to register on pop listings. Nickens exited soon afterward, leaving the El Dorados as a quartet. Several subsequent singles enjoyed scattered local success without matching earlier peaks. "Tears on My Pillow," distinct from the Little Anthony and the Imperials hit, marked the final recording by the original members; shortly after its release, Pirkle Moses Jr. parted ways with the group over management differences. He promptly joined the Kool Gents, another Vee Jay act left without a frontman after Dee Clark launched a solo career. He combined with John McCall on tenor, Douglas Brown on second tenor, Teddy Long on second tenor and baritone, and Johnny Carter on bass to create the New El Dorados. Two 1958 Vee Jay singles failed to sell, leading to a financial dispute and eventual disbandment.

Meanwhile Jones, Bradley, and Maddox recruited Marvin Smith as their new lead. To sidestep Vee Jay legal issues, the act recorded 1958's "A Lonely Boy" for Academy Records of Chicago under the name Those Four El Dorados. The quartet later moved to the West Coast and aligned with former NBA player Don Barksdale's Rhythm Record Company in Oakland, adopting the Tempos moniker before returning to Chicago and splitting in 1961. Johnny Carter sought to sustain the El Dorados name by assembling another New El Dorados lineup in late 1959 with McCall, Danny Edwards, and Eugene Huff, formerly of the Valquins; that configuration lasted until 1965. Carter attempted a further revival in 1971 alongside Huff, Spence Goulsby Jr., and Lee Toussaint on lead for two Paula sides, yet the unit dissolved by the early 1980s.

The Squires

Moses Jr. cut "It's Time" with an unnamed group billed as the Squires on Boss in 1963 and later issued a solo track titled The Docks. In 1965 he united with Melvin Morrow and George Prager, both late of the Moroccos, to form the Major Minors. In 1969, Moses Jr resuscitated the group name with new members, at the same time as a former member of The Tempos, Johnny Carter, also toured with another set of El Dorados. The two competing groups merged in the late 1970s to make it somewhat less confusing for El Dorados' fans. But by 1979, Pirkle Lee was gone and John Carter's group consisted of Eugene Huff, Spencer Goulsby, Robert Goulsby (lead), and William Goulsby (second tenor) and subsequently continued to tour and record as The El Dorados.

By 1987 Moses got another group together to record a couple of sides: "Ease The Pain" and "Remember Sherrie". These were released, as by the "Fabulous Eldorados" (one word), on the Delano label. The other members were Norman Palm (tenor; of the Pastels on United), Larry Johnson (tenor; of the Moroccos), Eugene Huff (baritone), and original El Dorado Richard Nickens (baritone/bass).

In 1993, St. George Records released a CD called "The El Dorados: Chicago Street Corner Blues & Rhythm". The group consisted of Pirkle Lee Moses, Norman Palm, Larry Johnson, Clarence "Huffy" Wright and Rufus Hunter. Each of the members took turns leading the selections (which were all songs sung on Chicago street corners, even if not by Chicago artists). 

Sadly, Pirkle Lee Moses Jr passed away on December 26, 2000. After his death Norman Palm, a long-time member since the late 1970s, took over and renamed the group Pirkle Lee Moses Jr's El Dorados, in tribute to his long-time colleague and friend. As of 2008, Pirkle Lee Moses Jr's El Dorados actively tours the Midwest, and the East Coast from time to time. In 2013 The Lineup was, Norman Palm, Norman Palm Jr, Saalik Ziyad, and Clarence "Huffy" Wright.

(Edited from Coda Music, Wikipedia and Unca Marvy, especially for most of the photos)