The Dells lament on loss of lead singer

WASHINGTON - This group of singers from Harvey, Ill. is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They had a movie, "The Five Heartbeats," based on their careers. They were looking forward to performing together with the same personnel for 49 straight years.

But it didn't work out that way. On Aug. 21, the Dells lost their great lead tenor and falsetto voice when 75-year-old Johnny Carter died of lung cancer.

The Dells consist of lead baritone singer Marvin Junior, second tenor Verne Allison, baritone Michael McGill and bass singer and spokesman Chuck Barksdale, who says the group hasn't performed since Carter became ill last year.

"We were in Vegas and Johnny had to come back to Chicago to get the final diagnosis as to what his ailment really was, and then he was diagnosed with lung cancer," Barksdale says.

"But that's what happened to Johnny Carter, he was a chain smoker, and for the whole year and some change, we didn't go to work."

Carter was the last surviving founding member of The Flamingos, and joined the Dells in 1960 for what became the group's two-year stint as the opening act for jazz legend Dinah Washington. Carter joins a short list of individuals who've been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of two groups.

Barksdale says Carter was a master of his craft.

"Johnny's sound had to be God-sent, because he was admired by almost everybody in the music industry."

The 1991 Robert Townsend film, "The Five Heartbeats," was based somewhat on the careers of the Dells, as well as the Four Tops and the Temptations. But Barksdale says aside from taking some creative license, most of the situations in the film really happened.

"For example, when the Georgia State Troopers stopped us on the highway, which you saw in the movie, that was for real. That was one of the first times we had ever been south, except for Marvin who was born and raised in Harold, Arkansas."

"But the rest of us, we had never been down south, man, and we didn't know nothing about no Georgia State Troopers. So they pulled us over, made us pull all our stuff out the station wagon, and we weren't making enough money to buy a pound of bologna, so if they were looking for drugs, they were in the wrong place."

The Dells have amassed a string of hits in their nearly 60-year career, including "Oh, What A Night," "Stay In My Corner," "I Can Sing A Rainbow..Love Is Blue," and "The Love We Had Stays On My Mind." All of those songs were produced and arranged by the late Charles Stepney, who would later arrange and produce Earth, Wind and Fire's top-selling LP "That's The Way Of The World."

The group has been in mourning the past couple of months, but did hold a meeting recently, where they're still deciding their next move.

There's some talk that we may possibly interview in terms of not taking Johnny Carter's place. You don't take Johnny Carter's place, you just become another voice for the Dells."

One goal the Dells still hope to see is their 60th anniversary as a group in 2012. And even with the loss of Johnny Carter, The Dells can take some comfort in the fact that at least in spirit and on recordings be "Always Together."

For more information on the Dells, click here.

(Copyright 2009 by WTOP. All rights reserved.)