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Checkmates, Ltd.

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The Checkmates, Ltd. were an American R&B group from Fort Wayne, Indiana.[1] The group, discovered by Nancy Wilson, was named such because the group included both black and white members, and their various skin tones evoked a chessboard;[1] their one major hit was 1969's "Black Pearl", produced by Phil Spector.[1] The song peaked at No. 13 on the U.S. pop chart.[2] Their remake of "Proud Mary" reached No. 30 on the UK Singles Chart in late 1969.[3]

The group broke up in 1970, but reunited in 1974 for a few more years.[1] They performed on the same billing as Frank Sinatra and Herb Alpert, and sang the national anthem for the Thrilla in Manila in 1975.[4] Lead singer Sonny Charles later had a moderately successful career as a solo artist. Charles and Marvin ("Sweet Louie") Smith later reunited and toured the U.S. into the 2000s.

Smith died on December 15, 2007, of a heart attack, while on a cruise ship in the Caribbean where he and Sonny Charles were scheduled to perform. He was 68.[4][5]

Members

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  • Sonny Charles – lead vocals – (born Charles Hemphill, September 4, 1940, Blytheville, Arkansas)[2] – Charles was later a vocalist with the Steve Miller Band.[6]
  • Bobby Stevens – vocals[1]
  • Harvey Trees – guitar[1]
  • Bill Van Buskirk – bass[1]
  • Marvin "Sweet Louie" Smith – drums, vocals[1]
  • Calvin Thomas – drums
  • Jimmy Milton – vocals
  • Joseph Ramirez - guitar

Discography

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Albums

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Year Album Peak chart
positions 		Record label
US
[7] 		US R&B
[8]
1967 Live! at Caesar's Palace — 36 Capitol Records
1969 Love Is All We Have to Give 178 — A&M Records
1971 Life — — Rustic Records
1974 F/S/O — —
1977 We Got the Moves — — Fantasy Records
Sould Out — — Gucci Records
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Singles

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Year Title Peak chart
positions 		Record Label B-side Album
US
[9] 		US R&B
[10] 		UK
[3] 		AUS
1966 "Do the Walk (The Temptation Walk)" — — — — Capitol Records "Glad for You"
"Kissin' Her and Crying for You" — — — — "I Can Hear the Rain"
1967 "Please Don't Take My World Away" — — — — "Mastered the Art of Love"
"Walk in the Sunlight" — — — — "A & I"
1969 "Love Is All I Have to Give" 65 — — 31 A&M Records "Never Should Have Lied" Love Is All We Have to Give
"Black Pearl" 13 8 — 31 "Lazy Susan"
"Proud Mary" 69 — 30 — "Spanish Harlem"
1970 "I Keep Forgettin'" — — — — "Do You Love Your Baby"
1974 "Sexy Ways" — — — — Rustic Records "Run Nigger Run" F/S/O
"Got to See "U" Soon" — — — — "Might Get Betta"
1976 "All Alone by the Telephone" — 96 — — Polydor Records "Body Language"
1977 "I'm Laying My Heart on the Line" — — — — Greedy Records "Make Love to Your Mind"
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Colin Larkin, ed. (1993). The Guinness Who's Who of Soul Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 43. ISBN 0-85112-733-9.
  2. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2000). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (7th ed.).
  3. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 102. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. ^ a b "Life in Legacy - Week of December 15, 2007". Lifeinlegacy.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008.
  5. ^ "Seattletimes.nwsource.com – Obituary". Archived from the original on January 14, 2009.
  6. ^ Graff, Gary (May 8, 2008). "Steve Miller Band Celebrates 40 Years With 'Live' DVD". Billboard.
  7. ^ "Sonny Charles and the Checkmates, LTD. | Billboard 200". Billboard.
  8. ^ "Sonny Charles and the Checkmates, LTD. | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard.
  9. ^ "Sonny Charles and the Checkmates, LTD. | Billboard Hot 100". Billboard.
  10. ^ "Sonny Charles and the Checkmates, LTD. | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard.
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