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The Ink Spots

THE INK SPOTS

YEAR

1989

INDUCTED BY

Bobby McFerrin

CATEGORY

Early Influences

Countless vocal groups modelled themselves after the Ink Spots.

With a high-flying tenor floating above their tight harmonies, the Ink Spots were the predecessors of doo-wop. They became so popular that all-white venues integrated to get them in their lineup, a rare occurrence in the Forties.

Bill Kenny

Bill Kenny

Charlie Fuqua

Charlie Fuqua

Deek Watson

Deek Watson

Jerry Daniels

Jerry Daniels

Orville Jones

Orville Jones

HALL OF FAME
ESSAY

By Dan Nooger

One of the year’s most heralded events in record collecting fandom was the discovery of the legendary first acetate recordings, made in 1953, by the very first inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Elvis Presley.

The songs, “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin,” were both popularized earlier by the Ink Spots. The Presley sides offer proof of the Ink Spots’ profound influence on rock & roll. They are, to this day, considered the forerunners of R&B-group singing style.

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Class of 1989
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