Formed at Hyde Park High School in Chicago, Illinois in 1959, The Chi-Lites is an R&B / soul vocal group best known for their hits “Have You Seen Her” (1971) and “Oh Girl” (1972). Founded by lead vocalist Eugene Record along with Robert ‘Squirrel’ Lester, Clarence Johnson, Burt Bowen, and Eddie Reed. The group performed at high school functions and released a single, but after some line-up changes – which included new members Marshall Thompson and Creadel ‘Red’ Jones replacing Bowen and Reed - and several years of performing, they changed their name to the Hi-Lites in 1964. The updated line-up released the single “You Did That to Me” in 1964 but after discovering that there was already a group called the Hi-Lites, they changed their name to the Chi-Lites in order to celebrate their homebase of Chicago. The group released a half-dozen singles over the next four years but didn’t achieve much commercial success until “Give it Away” (1969), which hit number 10 on Billboard’s R&B / Soul Singles chart and number 88 on the Hot 100. Their next batch of singles in the early 1970s – including “I Like Your Lovin’ (Do You Like Mine),” “Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So)”, “I Want to Pay You Bac (For Loving Me)” and more – made it into the lower regions of the Hot 100 but were far more successful on the R&B Singles chart. In 1971, the Chi-Lites released the single “Have You Seen Her,” which was an international success, reaching number 3 on the Hot 100 and Number 1 on the R&B Singles chart. In 1972, the single “Oh Girl” was even more successful, climbing to the top of the Hot 100 and the R&B Singles charts. More hits followed, but although they seldom made the Top 40, they remained hitmakers on the R&B chart with songs like 1973’s “A Letter to Myself” (number 3) and “Stoned Out of My Mind” (number 2), and 1974’s “Homely Girl” (number 3). Main vocalist Eugene Record and fellow band member Creadel ‘Red’ Jones left the Chi-Lites, which signaled the group’s commercial downfall. More releases, live performances, and line-up changes took up the remainder of the 1970s, but by 1980, Eugene Record and Creadel ‘Red’ Jones had returned to the group and the Chi-Lites experienced a resurgence. The group had one more R&B Top 10 single – “Bottoms Up” (1983) – but they were unable to achieve the success they had experienced in the early 1970s. While best remembered for their singles, the group achieved success with their albums including (For God’s Sake) Give More Power to the People (1971) and A Lonely Man (1972). Creadel Jones died on August 25, 1994, followed 11 years later by Eugene Record on July 22, 2005. Robert ‘Squirrel’ Lester died on January 21, 2010. In February 2014, Frank Reed, member since 1988, died after an illness. Fred Simon, who had replaced Robert Lester, died in April 2026. As of 2026, Marshall Thompson continues the Chi-Lites' legacy as the last surviving member.
