Ollie & The Nightingales
Led by singer Ollie Hoskins, Ollie & the Nightingales started as a Memphis gospel group named The Gospel Writer Juniors. They later changed the name to The Dixie Nightingales and became one of the best-known gospel groups in the South. Early member David Ruffin would later gain fame as the lead singer for The Temptations. In 1965, Al Bell signed them to Stax Records’ Chalice gospel subsidiary label and in 1968 they made the transition to secular music and the Stax label. When Hoskins left in 1970 to pursue a solo career, Sir Mack Rice took over as lead singer until the group disbanded.
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