American doo wop vocal group, The Dubs, were formed in 1956 in Harlem, New York. The original members included Richard Blandon, Cleveland Still, Billy Carlisle, James “Miller” Miller, and Thomas Gardner (later replaced by Tommy Grate). The group emerged from the merger of two short-lived vocal groups, The Five Wings and The Scale-Tones. Their initial breakthrough came with the single “Don't Ask Me to Be Lonely”, released on the Johnson label in 1957, which peaked at number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. This success was followed by another hit, “Could This Be Magic”, which reached number 23 later that year and became recognized as a doo-wop classic. The group toured extensively with Alan Freed and recorded for various labels, including ABC-Paramount and Josie. In November 1958, the original lineup disbanded due to financial disappointments. However, in July 1959, “Chapel of Dreams” was reissued and reached number 74 on the charts, leading to a reforming of The Dubs with Richard Blandon, Cleveland Still, Tommy Grate, and Cordell Brown. Throughout the 1960s and beyond, various iterations of The Dubs continued to perform and record, often featuring original members or new additions. Notable later members included Leslie Anderson, Bernard Jones, John “Spider” Truesdale, Stephen Brown, Kirk Harris, and Darryl Blandon.
