The Magic Tones

The Magic-Tones were among the myriad Baltimore/D.C. doo wop outfits to emerge in the wake of local heroes and R&B icons the Orioles. According to the profile at Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks website, lead tenor Joe "Rice" Reed, first tenor Arthur "Boxy" Williams, second tenor/guitarist Gene Hawkins, and bass Willie Stokes formed the group in Baltimore in 1951. Originally dubbed the Five Kings, they briefly performed as the Dreamers before settling on the Magic-Tones. After becoming a staple of the Baltimore club circuit, the quartet in 1952 signed a management deal with Bill ...