The Checkmates Ltd.
The Checkmates Ltd.
Top Songs
| 1 | All Alone By The Telephone | ||
| 2 | Louie, Louie / Finale | ||
| 3 | Hang on Sloopy | ||
| 4 | High Heel Sneakers | ||
| 5 | All Right II |
Albums
Dec 2013 • 14 songs
Mar 2012 • 8 songs
Jan 1969 • 6 songs
Similar Artists
Popular On
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Chicago's R&B and Throwbacks
About
Biography
A '60s soul group, the Checkmates, Ltd. scored with one big hit, 1969's "Black Pearl." They were fronted by Sonny Charles, who later scored a big hit in the early '80s as a solo act. The group earned some attention for its integrated roster; other members were Bobby Stevens, Harvey Trees, Bill Van Buskirk, and Marvin Smith. They were from Fort Wayne, IN, and were a discovery of Nancy Wilson. They disbanded from 1970 to 1974, then returned for another shot and issued "All Alone by the Telephone" in 1976 for Polydor, which flopped. ~ Ron Wynn