The Orioles were formed in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1947 by lead tenor Sonny Til, high tenor Alexander Sharp, baritone George Nelson, bass Johnny Reed, and guitarist Lloyd Thomas “Tommy” Gaither III. Their breakthrough came with the 1948 single "It's Too Soon to Know", which reached number one on the R&B charts and number 13 on the pop charts, followed by "Lonely Christmas" the same year. The group signed with Jubilee Records, releasing hits such as "Tell Me So" (1949) and "Crying in the Chapel" (1953), the latter staying five weeks at number one on the R&B charts and earning a gold disc. Tommy Gaither died in a car accident in 1950, but the Orioles continued, adding members like Ralph Williams and Charlie Harris. After several line-up changes, the group disbanded in the mid‑1950s, with Sonny Til later forming successive New Orioles groups until his death in 1981. The original line-up was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.
