WS Chronicle

(pictured above:  Members of the The “5” Royales.)

Winston-Salem’s own The “5″ Royales are among the esteemed class of 2105 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees.

Before gaining international fame in the mid-1940s, the group mastered its harmonies on street corners in the Boston/Cherry Street community.

“Over the course of two decades, from 1945 to 1965, the group created a remarkable body of work that laid the foundation for a host of music that followed in its wake, with pivotal recordings and performing techniques that helped define a variety of styles under the rock and roll umbrella,” reads the group’s bio at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website. “The group transitioned to secular music by the early 50s, and they were among the very first to incorporate elements of gospel, jazz and blues into the genre of group vocal harmony. Their resoundingly soulful sound was built around the dual-lead vocals of siblings Johnny and Eugene Tanner. That combination paired perfectly with Lowman Pauling’s exceptional songwriting and innovative guitar playing, which profoundly influenced the likes of Steve Cropper and had many similarities to the single-string soloing favored by Albert King and Freddie King.”

The group’s hits include “Dedicated to the One I Love,” a tune that later became a hit for the Shirelles and later the Mamas & the Papas; “Tell the Truth,” which Ray Charles and Eric Clapton have covered; and “I Think.”

The 30th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at the Cleveland (Ohio) Public Hall on Saturday, April 18. The other inductees are Ringo Starr, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Green Day, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Lou Reed, Stevie Ray Vaughn & Double Trouble and Bill Withers.