The Cap Tans

A vocal group from Washington, DC, USA, the original members were Harmon Bethea (lead), Sherman Buckner (lead), Floyd Bennett (first tenor), Alfred Slaughter (second tenor, bass) and Lester Fountain (guitar, baritone). The Cap-Tans, with their polished harmonies, represented the 40s pop tradition of African-American vocal harmony, exemplified by such groups as the Ink Spots, Charioteers, and Deep River Boys. The Cap-Tans came together when, in 1950, record label entrepreneur Lillian Clairborne pulled Bethea out of a veteran gospel group, the Progressive Four, and teamed up the...