Lowman Pauling

Lowman Pauling (born July 14, 1926 in Winston-Salem , North Carolina , United States , † December 26, 1973 in Brooklyn , New York City ) was an American R&B guitarist, singer and songwriter . He was best known as a member of the R&B group The "5" Royales .

life and work

In the 1940s, Lowman Pauling sang with his brothers Clarence (who later called themselves Clarence Paul) and Curtis in his father Lowman Pauling Sr.'s gospel group, the Royal Sons Gospel Group. When they got a recording deal with Apollo Records in 1951, it eventually became The "5" Royales, which had a number of hits in the 1950s.

Pauling wrote most of the hits for the "5" Royales, including Dedicated to the One I Love (1957, co-author Ralph Bass ; the track later became a hit for The Shirelles and The Mamas and the Papas ), Think (1957, later by James Brown covered) and Tell the Truth (1958, later in Ray Charles' repertoire ). Two of the "5" Royales penned by Pauling topped the R&B charts: Baby Don't Do It (1952) and Help Me Somebody (1953). I.a. James Brown, Eric Clapton and Steve Cropper include Pauling among their role models.

When the "5" Royales broke up in the mid-1960s, Pauling began a solo career. In Brooklyn , New York City , he became the caretaker of a synagogue. He died here in 1973 at the age of 47. Lowman Pauling was buried in his hometown of Winston-Salem.

In 2011 Steve Cropper released the tribute album Dedicated with many well-known musicians with titles from the "5" Royales as a reminiscence of Lowman Pauling.

Web links

• Lowman Pauling at Allmusic (English)
• Obituary for Find A Grave

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Allmusic, see web links
2. ↑ Find A Grave, see web links
3. ↑ Marc Myers: A Dedication to the One He Loves (English). The Wall Street Journal, Aug. 12, 2011