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
Charlie Fuqua
Deek Watson
Jerry Daniels
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.
