1955: The Jacks / The Cadets
The Cadets are an American doo wop group, formed in Los Angles in the late 40’s. The group began as a gospel group, the Santa Monica Soul Seekers, in the late 1940s. The members were Lloyd McCraw, Willie Davis, Austin “Ted” Taylor, Aaron Collins, Glendon Kingsby, and Will “Dub” Jones.
In 1955, the group auditioned for Modern Records, and were accepted.
The Cadets were among the more popular bands doing R&B covers. the Cadets’ lone hit was “Stranded in the Jungle,” which they recorded for Modern as the Jacks in 1956. It peaked at number eight R&B and number 15 pop.
At the end of the 1957, the group split. Collins and Davis joined The Flairs. Foxx became a guitar instructor and continues to give lessons out of his studio in Los Angeles, California; Jones joined The Coasters, while Taylor would enjoy solo success as a blues, soul, and gospel vocalist.. A few recordings were made with the Cadets name in 1960; this was Davis and Collins with the Flairs.
The group reformed in the late 1990s, with Davis, Foxx, Randy Jones, and Tommy Turner. This lineup appeared on the PBS special, Doo Wop 51. In 2001, while rehearsing for a show with the Doo Wop Society of Southern California, Jones had to be rushed to the hospital, requiring the other three to perform as a trio at the performance. Jones had suffered a stroke, and died thirteen months later. The group brought in new bass Ed Carter.
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